He can Depend on Us

Matthew 26:14-25 (ESV)
Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests [15] and said, "What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?" And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. [16] And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.
[17] Now on the first day of Un leavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?" [18] He said, "Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, 'The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.' " [19] And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.
[20] When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. [21] And as they were eating, he said, "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me." [22] And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, "Is it I, Lord?" [23] He answered, "He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. [24] The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born." [25] Judas, who would betray him, answered, "Is it I, Rabbi?" He said to him, "You have said so."

The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.
So the question becomes just how free are we? Jesus knows that everything is being carried our just as it has been written. Things are going according to plan. Some things are determined. That Jesus would be betrayed by Judas is one of those things. Yet, Judas is still responsible. God relied on him making the choice to betray Jesus of his own free will. Shocking, really. God knew he could depend on us. He knows us that well. He can depend on us to betray him every step of the way. He doesn’t need to force us to do things like that. He just lets us go to it, and do what we will do. But then in they same breath he is willing to die for us, who do nothing but betray, just as he died for Judas. He’s the faithful one.