Mark 14:10-11, Where is your loyalty

There are moments when our loyalty is tested

not by what we say,

but by what we are willing to sacrifice.

It is easy to say, “I am loyal to Christ,”

when following Christ costs us very little.

It is easy to worship when life is going well.

It is easy to trust God when His plans agree with ours.

But what happens when following Jesus costs us something?

What happens when Jesus doesn't do what we expected Him to do?

What happens when obedience becomes inconvenient?

That is where loyalty is revealed.

And today Mark gives us a shocking example of failed loyalty in Judas Iscariot.

What makes Judas's betrayal so disturbing however

is not simply that someone betrayed Jesus.

It is who betrayed Him.

Mark deliberately reminds us that Judas was “one of the Twelve.”

This means that Judas wasn't an outsider.

He had walked with Jesus.

He had heard Jesus preach.

He had watched Jesus heal the sick.

He had seen demons cast out.

He had watched Jesus feed thousands.

He had sat around the table with Him.

He had been trusted with ministry.

Yet after all of that, Judas walked away.

And his story forces us to ask a difficult question:

Where does my loyalty to Christ truly lie?

So if you have your bibles

Please open them to Mark 14 and we will just be reading

two verses today

Mark 14:10–11 (NLT)

10Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests to arrange to betray Jesus to them. 

11They were delighted when they heard why he had come, and they promised to give him money. So he began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.

Now I want you to hear me on this

1. Proximity to Jesus Is Not the Same as Loyalty to Jesus

Mark says in verse 10:

“Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests…”

Those words—“one of the Twelve”—should really bother us.

And now think on this

Judas had experienced something most people could only dream about.

For approximately three years,

he lived alongside Jesus Christ.

He didn't merely hear stories about Jesus.

He was there.

When Jesus calmed the storm,

Judas was there.

When Jesus multiplied the bread and fish,

Judas was there.

When Jesus confronted the religious leaders,

Judas was there.

When Jesus taught about the kingdom of God,

Judas was there.

And yet being around Jesus never guaranteed that Judas was truly devoted to Jesus.

and There is an important warning here for us.

We can be around Christianity without being completely loyal to Christ.

We can attend church.

We can know Scripture.

We can sing worship songs.

We can serve in ministry.

We can carry a Bible.

We can even teach others about Jesus.

And yet our hearts can slowly drift away from Him.

Because proximity is not the same thing as loyalty.

Think about Judas.

His feet followed Jesus for three years,

but eventually his heart went somewhere else.

And that means the question isn't merely:

“Am I following Jesus?”

The deeper question is:

“Does Jesus have my heart?”

Because Christianity is not simply about being associated with Christ.

It is about belonging to Christ.

And heres the key

2. Our Loyalty Is Revealed When Jesus Conflicts With What We Want

Notice the context of Judas's decision.

Immediately before these verses,

Jesus is in Bethany when a woman pours expensive perfume over Him.

Some people become angry because they consider it wasteful.

John's Gospel tells us Judas was particularly critical

and that his concern wasn't really for the poor—

he was stealing from the money bag.

Then Mark tells us:

“Then Judas Iscariot…went to the chief priests to betray Jesus.”

Something had happened in Judas's heart.

Jesus was no longer fitting into whatever expectations Judas had.

Perhaps Judas expected a different kind of Messiah.

Perhaps he expected political power.

Perhaps he expected personal advancement.

Perhaps greed had simply consumed him.

Scripture doesn't tell us everything happening inside Judas.

But we know this:

At some point Judas decided that what he wanted

was more important than loyalty to Jesus.

And that temptation still exists.

Most of us will never stand before religious leaders and negotiate the betrayal of Jesus.

But we face smaller decisions every day where we must decide:

Christ or convenience?

Christ or popularity?

Christ or money?

Christ or comfort?

Christ or my own desires?

Christ or my reputation?

Loyalty becomes visible when obedience costs something.

It is easy to say Jesus is Lord when His will agrees with ours.

But genuine loyalty says:

“Jesus, even when I don't understand You, I will follow You.”

“Even when obedience costs me, I will follow You.”

“Even when Your answer isn't the answer I wanted, I will follow You.”

That is loyalty.

Which leads me to my next point

3. Be Careful What You Are Willing to Trade Jesus For

Verse 11 says:

“And when they heard this, they were glad and promised to give him money.”

Think about the tragedy of that sentence.

Judas had something infinitely valuable standing right in front of him.

Jesus Christ.

And yet Judas was willing to exchange Him for something temporary.

Money.

Matthew tells us the amount was thirty pieces of silver.

Judas traded the priceless for the temporary.

And before we become too judgmental toward Judas,

we should examine ourselves.

Because every temptation essentially asks us the same question:

“What would you trade obedience to Christ for?”

Maybe it isn't thirty pieces of silver.

Maybe it is approval.

Maybe it is pleasure.

Maybe it is success.

Maybe it is anger.

Maybe it is pride.

Maybe it is a relationship.

Maybe it is our career.

Maybe it is simply getting our own way.

The world constantly places things in front of us and whispers:

“This is worth more than obedience to Jesus.”

And loyalty says:

“No. Christ is worth more.”

There is nothing this world can offer us that is worth abandoning our loyalty to Jesus.

Jesus Himself asked us in Mark 8 verse 36

“For what does it benefit someone to gain the whole world and yet lose his life?” — Mark 8:36

Judas gained thirty pieces of silver.

But he lost something infinitely greater.

So periodically we should ask ourselves:

What is competing with Jesus for first place in my life?

Because whatever we are unwilling to surrender to Christ

can eventually become something that competes with our loyalty to Christ.

And if you really think about it

4. Disloyalty Usually Begins Before Anyone Else Sees It

The final statement in verse 11 is chilling:

“So he started looking for a good opportunity to betray him.”

Judas doesn't betray Jesus immediately.

He begins looking for an opportunity.

all the while he’s like a snake in the grass

The disciples are continuing to talk with Judas.

They eat with Judas.

They worship alongside Judas.

They apparently don't realize what is happening.

But internally, Judas has already crossed a line.

His betrayal became visible later.

But the betrayal began in his heart.

That is an important warning.

We rarely wake up one morning and suddenly abandon our convictions.

Usually compromise happens gradually.

A small compromise here.

A little bitterness there.

A temptation we keep entertaining.

A resentment we refuse to surrender.

A sin we begin justifying.

And slowly our loyalty begins shifting.

Long before anyone else recognizes it,

something has changed inside us.

That is why Proverbs tells us:

“Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.” — Proverbs 4:23

We guard our loyalty to Christ by guarding our hearts.

Sometimes we need to stop and ask:

“Lord, is there something happening inside me that is pulling my heart away from You?”

Don't wait until compromise becomes catastrophe.

Deal with it while it is still in the heart.

And so as we conclude today

Two People, Two Responses

There is something powerful about where Mark places this story.

Immediately before Judas betrays Jesus,

Mark tells us about the woman who poured expensive perfume over Jesus.

Think about the contrast.

One person looked at Jesus and asked, “What can I give Him?”

Another looked at Jesus and asked, “What can I get for Him?”

The woman sacrificed something valuable for Jesus.

Judas sacrificed Jesus for something valuable.

One demonstrated worship.

The other demonstrated betrayal.

And between those two people stands a question for every one of us:

What is Jesus worth to me?

Our loyalty to Christ isn't ultimately demonstrated by what we say on Sunday.

It is demonstrated by the choices we make throughout the week.

When obedience is difficult.

When temptation is strong.

When following Jesus costs us something.

When God doesn't do what we expected.

When something else promises immediate satisfaction.

That is when loyalty becomes visible.

Judas reminds us that we can walk close to Jesus physically

while allowing our hearts to move far away spiritually.

So today, perhaps our prayer should simply be:

“Lord, guard my heart.

When something competes with You, help me choose You.

When following You becomes costly, help me remain faithful.

When I don't understand what You're doing, help me trust You.

And when the world offers me something in exchange for my loyalty,

remind me that nothing it offers is worth more than You.”

Because in the end, the question isn't simply:

Do I know about Jesus?

The question is:

Does Jesus have my loyalty?