Voice of
Truth
MARK 14
THE ADVOCATE
The following video illustrates Judas’ actions in Mark 14, portraying his return of the silver not out of guilt over betrayal but the anguish of a man whose intentions could no longer be defended once Christ—his Advocate—was gone. The story is applied to two modern figures: a journalist and a writer whose works mirror the love and devotion of the woman with the alabaster jar.
Their labor is an act of love and commitment that outsiders misunderstand. Like Judas staying close to Jesus in Gethsemane, the journalist and the writer remain spiritually alert, symbolically sharing Christ’s cup. At the story’s climax, the journalist and writer receive their wages without shame.
Today, believers are justified by the word of God rather than public opinion, and their earnings become rightful rewards rather than symbols of compromise. The video concludes with a call for every person to believe in the word of God as an advocate, speaking truthfully in every moment and unashamedly prospering in spirit... and in truth.
A Sweet Smelling Aroma to God
Among the most enduring images in Christian tradition is Judas Iscariot casting the thirty pieces of silver into the temple before departing in despair. For centuries, this has been viewed as an admission of guilt—a man realizing that he traded his soul for money. Yet, when viewed through the perspective of a believer, Judas’ rejection of the silver reveals something deeper. Judas returned the silver because it had been stripped of its integrity; in the absence of his advocate, he had no one to testify to the purity of his intentions.
We can see this play out in the life of a journalist through his own "Gethsemane" and a woman writer laboring in the solitude of her room. Both operate in a world hostile to change, yet both walk in faith illuminated by the word of God. Mark 14 begins with an act that appears irrational to the world: a woman pouring costly perfume upon Jesus. The onlookers criticize her action as a "waste," prioritizing their concerns over the poor.
In our modern story, we see this illustrated in the writer's morning routine in a room where she works; she is not just writing articles of faith; she is performing an act of love and devotion to Christ. To the critical eyes of an older woman peering in from the doorway, her hours of solitary and intense labor seem like a waste of time. However, akin to the woman with the alabaster jar, she is pouring out her "expensive perfume." Her writing transcends a mere moment in time; it represents an act of loyalty, appearing foolish only to those whose love and devotion lie elsewhere.
Mark 14 shows the disciples' failing to remain awake, while Judas maintains a strange proximity to Jesus. In our cinematic story, the journalist carries the "Holy Scriptures" on his phone just as Judas carried the "Rabbi" in his heart. He remains alert and ready to identify his master. He's not the disciple who falls asleep or the one who never knew him. No, Judas is the one disciple who says, "I know him, and He is with me."
The dipping in the dish from Mark 14 is portrayed as a sign of betrayal; yet, in actuality, it is a moment of profound sacramental union. In Matthew 20:22, Jesus asks His disciples, "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?" By dipping into the same dish, Judas is the only one drinking the cup and being baptized with Jesus.
In the biblical account, while the other disciples vehemently claimed they would die for Jesus only to scatter into the night and deny Him the moment the guards arrived, Judas maintained a strange, intimate proximity. He was, in that exact moment of time, the only one sharing in his suffering.
Our journalist and writer captures the same brave spirit of love and devotion. When the journalist sits in the coffee shop, another man enters the shop and dips his bread in the journalist's cup, conveying the same intent of sharing in his suffering to tell the good news of Jesus. The writer does the same when she sends out His messages on her computer.
The climax of our story arrives at the bank. The journalist and the writer stand at the counter, handing over a check and receiving their pay. Traditionally, this is where they should feel guilty and return everything. However, Judas returned the silver only because Christ was taken, and the religious establishment was corrupt. He had no one to testify to the purity of his actions.
The New Testament teaches that the word of God is our advocate before the Father. Because His word is alive and within us, our identity is no longer determined by public opinion or the source of our paycheck. The journalist and the writer do not turn in their money to prove their loyalty to Christ because "the laborers are worthy of it" (Luke 10:7). With faith, wages are no longer symbols of compromise or the price of a soul; they are a sign of a just reward.
The believer does not stand alone in the face of societal accusations. Instead, they stand firm in both the spoken and written word of God, which justifies their actions and reveals the true nature of their circumstances. We need not imitate Judas’s despair by believing we must reject every earthly possession to prove spiritual loyalty.
As King Benjamin taught, "When ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God" (Mosiah 2:17). When the journalist and writer walk out of that bank, they walk not like people who have handed over their souls; they profess the good news of Jesus Christ, whose provisions come from God.
Today the word of God testifies truthfully of who we are. A people who are free to prosper without shame. TheGoodNewsCast.com calls for every person on Earth to pray for a word from God to advocates for them, providing a true account that encourages them to prosper in spirit... and in truth.