Master's Men: Judas Iscariot

November 14, 2009

7^th LESSON: JUDAS ISCARIOT

Text: Matthew 10:4

I.              NAME

JUDAS:          - isolated, lonely, alone

-       Horrifying, colossal, misfit, epitome of disaster

-       Vilest, wickedest man the Bible knows

-       Listed last with a comment about his betrayal

-       Name become a byword for “betrayal” although it means “loveliness”

-       Form of Judah- land of God’s people

-       Jehovah leads, root of it might refer to one who is the object if praise

ISCARIOT:

-       Ish (man), Kerioth (town), man of the town Kerioth

-       The only none Galilean

-       Only Jew from the Southern secton

-       Only Judean Jew

o   From the very beginning was never really one of the boys

-       Southern Jew felt themselves greatly superior to the normal Jews of the north

KERIOTH

-       23 miles south of Jerusalem

-       7 miles from Hebron with tiny villages

-       Little town (Joshua 15:25)

 

II.            HIS CALL

-       Call of Judas was not recorded in the Bible but only listed

-       He was attracted to Jesus, followed him, Stayed with him

 

John 6:60-71

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Words of Eternal Life

⁶⁰  When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” ⁶¹ But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? ⁶² Then what if you were to see the Son of Manascending to where he was before? ⁶³  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. ⁶⁴ But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) ⁶⁵ And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

⁶⁶  After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. ⁶⁷ So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” ⁶⁸ Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, ⁶⁹ and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” ⁷⁰ Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” ⁷¹ He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the Twelve, was going to betray him.

-       Attracted not on spiritual level but on the selfish level

-       It was what Jesus could do for him that drew him

-       Saw the power of Jesus, believed that He would bring the kingdom- kingdom for what he might gain from

-       Totally motivated by selfishness

o   Followed in a non-hearted way

 

Christ chose Judas- Judas chose Christ (a paradox only solved by the will of God)

-       Jesus knew Judas would betray him, that’s why He chose him

-       Jesus knew the plan because He was omniscient- knew everything

Messianic Perspective:

John 6:70

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁷⁰ Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.”

Psalm 41:9

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁹ Even my close friend in whom I trusted,
    who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.

 

Psalm 55:12-14

English Standard Version (ESV)

¹² For it is not an enemy who taunts me—
    then I could bear it;
it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me—
    then I could hide from him.
¹³ But it is you, a man, my equal,
    my companion, my familiar friend.
¹⁴ We used to take sweet counsel together;
    within God's house we walked in the throng.

 

Zechariah 11:12-13

English Standard Version (ESV)

¹² Then I said to them, “If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” And they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver. ¹³ Then the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”— the lordly price at which I was priced by them. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord, to the potter.

-       The New Testament records the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophesied

 

John 17:12

English Standard Version (ESV)

¹²  While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

 

-       Jesus chose him because He knew the Scripture, chose him to be the fulfillment of the Scripture-  that was the plan.

Luke 22:21-22

English Standard Version (ESV)

²¹  But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. ²² For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!”

-       On the one hand, it is determined, on the other hand Judas is responsible.

·         IF YOU ARE SAVED, IT’S BECAUSE IT WAS DETERMINED BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, AND IF YOU’RE LOST, YOU’RE RESPONSIBLE (no one could resolve this two)

Acts 2:22

English Standard Version (ESV)

²² “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—

(we don’t have to resolve them, just let them be what they are)

-       God delivered him over, God had determined it before, all of the foreknowledge and planning of God brought it to pass and yet “You have taken Him with your wicked hands, you have crucified Him and skin Him…”

-       The overruling providence God can allow such a man as Judas to wish to follow Christ, to choose to follow Christ and yet be in utter fulfillment of the divine plan and still have our own choice, and that is the power of God.

Mark 14:17-19

English Standard Version (ESV)

¹⁷  And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. ¹⁸ And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” ¹⁹ They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?”

Matthew 26:20-25

English Standard Version (ESV)

²⁰  When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve.^[a] 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.”

-       Suspected themselves

-       Assumed better about Judas- was a fantastic hypocrite

-       So good they elected him as treasurer of the group, gave him the money, that’s how much they trusted him

-       Never said a word (for the whole 3 years) but only complain on the waste of money in Bethany

Mark 14:4-5

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁴ There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? ⁵ For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii^[a] and given to the poor.” And they scolded her.

Matthew 26:8-9

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁸ And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? ⁹ For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.”

-       Had the same potential as any others

-       While being molded, all the other men but he was being hardened

 

-       Jesus chose Him because of the plan. But he chose Jesus of his own will because he saw the road to personal prosperity.

 

-       Jesus chose Judas because of the plan, “yet” offered Judas “every opportunity” not to  fulfill it. (gave the lesson of the unjust steward, of  man wasting his opportunity, gave the lesson of the wedding garment, gave the lesson of money and greed, gave lessons of price to Judas. He said a lot of things, “One of you is the devil” to warn Judas, but he never listened, and never applied anything. He kept up his deceit.

 

Relationship to other disciples:

1.    Group 4, wasn’t a real intimated disciple of Christ

2.    Didn’t fit because he was a non-Galilean

3.    Gave the job of carrying the money because you don’t have to be spiritual to hold the bag.

John 13:21-30

English Standard Version (ESV)

One of You Will Betray Me

²¹ After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” ²²  The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. ²³  One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus' side,^[a] 24 so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus^[b] of whom he was speaking. ²⁵  So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?” ²⁶ Jesus answered,“It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. ²⁷ Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” ²⁸ Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. ²⁹ Some thought that,because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. ³⁰ So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.

-       Jesus knew everything the disciples didn’t know

-       Jesus knew everything what he was

-       But Jesus loved him, tried to reach to him

-       Dipping of the sop means: Jesus is honoring Judas, respecting him, he was showing love to Him. he was lifting him up

    : an act of affection, of love

-       Beside teaching him and warning him, He actually honored the man. He was ever reaching to that man. But he never responded.

 

III.           THE BETRAYAL

-       3 years are going by, and Judas keeps hoping that any moment Jesus is going to grab the kingdom.. saw the miracles happen, anticipates that any moment it is going to happen

-       So greedy, he just keeps on hanging in there with tenacity waiting for the Kingdom to happen

-       But Jesus talked about “dying” – really literally devastated him and could not handle “it wasn’t going to happen”, now clear to him

-       All other disciples had worldliness, greed and selfishness, but it was overcome by the love of Christ.

-       Judas never changed, became more corrupted, more greedy

John 12:4-7

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁴ But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, ⁵ “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii^[a] and given to the poor?” ⁶ He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. ⁷ Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it^[b] for the day of my burial.

-       Hated Jesus so deeply he couldn’t stand any homage paid to Hi,

-       Because Jesus didn’t do what “he expected” and he became frustrated and more frustrated until he had his love/hate and it was finally hate.. “wasted on this one, in whim I gave invested 3 wasted years!”

John 12:6

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁶ He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.

-       He was stealing out of their resources, all the while, was a materialist and he was in his life for one thing- what he could get out of it and he got it any way he could and if he wasn’t going to get the whole kingdom, he was going to get a few bucks getting out.

-       That’s the basic motive of Judas.

2 Reasons why Judas can’t ascribe a good motive:

1.    Jesus said – “one of you is a devil”

2.    Before he betrayed Him Jesus said-  “and Satan entered into him”

-       There was nothing good about him. he was wretched!

Zechariah 11:13

English Standard Version (ESV)

¹³ Then the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”— the lordly price at which I was priced by them. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord, to the potter.

-       The night Judas left Bethany and brought the first fatal interview with the chief priests

-       Negotiated for 30 pcs of silver

-       The Lord anointed out of love, and betrayed out of hate- the same night.

SO IT IS WITH EVERY MEN, YOU EITHER ENTHRONE HIM OR BETRAY HIM- THERE IS NO MIDDLE GROUND.

John 13:10

English Standard Version (ESV)

¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet,^[a]but is completely clean. And you^[b] are clean, but not every one of you.”

-       The upper room- Jesus washed the discple’s feet

 

John 13:18

English Standard Version (ESV)

¹⁸  I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled,^[a] ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’

-       I know the eleven who are saved

Psalm 41:9

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁹ Even my close friend in whom I trusted,
    who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.

 

-       Quoted

John 13:19

English Standard Version (ESV)

¹⁹  I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he.

-       Wasn’t manifested obvious who it was and If Jesus knew, it had to be supernatural;

John 13:21

English Standard Version (ESV)

One of You Will Betray Me

²¹ After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”

 

-       He was troubled in spirit, he was burdened, anxious, upset.

-       The ingratitude, rejection of love, the hate of hypocrisy, the repulsiveness of the evening, the heinousness of sin, the horrors of knowing that hell was waiting for Judas, and the anticipation of the sin- bearing on the cross.

John 13:23-24

English Standard Version (ESV)

²³  One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus' side,^[a] 24 so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus^[b] of whom he was speaking.

-       Peter asked because he and Judas were a lot alike in many ways- they acted hypocritically. Peter knew he was a sinner of the 1^st magnitude and he was just checking in to fid out if it was going to be him, since he had so many failures.

John 13:26

English Standard Version (ESV)

²⁶ Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.”So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.

-       He only told  it to John, no one else heard it because if it were there would have been an attack. John quietly accepted the plan.

John 13:27

English Standard Version (ESV)

²⁷ Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.”

-       Door was shut, Satan entered Judas

Matthew 26:16

English Standard Version (ESV)

¹⁶ And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.

-       Sought an opportunity to betray Him

Mark 14:11

English Standard Version (ESV)

¹¹ And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him.

-       Sought how he might conveniently betray Him

Luke 22:6

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁶ So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd.

-       Sought how to betray Him in the absence of the multitude.

-       Was afraid of the crowd, did it sneaky and waited to do it right, wanted to do the easiest way..

-       Feared the crowd because he was there at the triumphal entry- so made negotiation again with the chief priests

-       Sold for 30 pieces of silver (between 10-20 dollars)

3 things:

1.    Greedy people will settle for any price

2.    Chief priests had absolute disdain for Judas, they wouldn’t give him anymore than that

3.    They hated Jesus because that’s all they thought He was worth.

Negotiation: point Jesus out of their secret place, in the pitch dark of the night, and the sign will be the “one I will kiss”

John 18:2

English Standard Version (ESV)

² Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples.

-       Judas not only profaned the Passover with blood money, he profaned the secret, private place of devotion of our dear Lord. He profaned friendship. He knew the place.

John 18:3-4

English Standard Version (ESV)

³  So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. ⁴ Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?”

-       Jesus knew that Judas was going to come in and he was going to come up to Jesus and was going to kiss Him

-       Jesus walked out, “whom ye seek?” thus eliminating the need for a kiss.

Matthew 26:49

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁴⁹ And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him.

-       Because of the blackness of his heart, he kissed him anyway, a kiss to fake his innocence- a supreme act of hypocrisy.

-       Says in Greek “he kissed Him repeatedly”

-       Jesus endured the hatred of the priests, the vacuous rise of the multitude, the cowardice of Pilate, the brutality of the soldiers, the denial of Peter

-       But Jesus reply was

 

Matthew 26:50

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁵⁰ Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.”^[a] Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him.

-       FRIEND He said, always the lover, always the forgiver.

Men have and always will sell Christ for whatever they think is worth more. It may not be for silver, it may not be for gold. But yet, by tens of thousands, the Prince of life is sold. Sold for a godless friendship, sold for selfish aim, sold for fleeting triffle. Sold for the an empty name, sold in the mast of science, sold in the seat of power, sold at the shine of fortunes, sold in pleasures hour. Sold for your awful bargain, none but God’s eye can see.

 

-       Judas sold Jesus for greed. People still doing it for their ill-gotten gain, their lifestyle and everything else.

Why he do it?

-       Sure there was malice, worldy ambition, revenge, hatred of what was good, rejection of what was pure, pride, ingratitude, anger..

-       Most of – just GREED… CRASS.. WORLD MATERIALISM

 

IV.          HIS DEATH

James 1:15

English Standard Version (ESV)

¹⁵ Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

Proverbs 10:17

English Standard Version (ESV)

¹⁷ Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life,
    but he who rejects reproof leads others astray.

 

-       He sold Christ, sold his fellow apostles, sold his souls and he brought hell- the price was too high

Matthew 27:3

English Standard Version (ESV)

Judas Hangs Himself

³ Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus^[a] was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders,

-       Was condemned by his conscience

-       Conviction was on him so he “repented”

-       Repented: but not the Greek word for repentance

§  Word for wanting to change your feelings

§  He felt bad he regretted it

§  (A spiritual minded man deals with his conscience in a spiritual way. He goes to God for forgiveness)

-       Judas went back to the chief priest on a physical level and threw the money back thinking by the physical act  of returning the money he could be relieved the spiritual conviction

-       but he couldn’t. His unforgiven  heart seemed out for vengeance on himself- by hanging himself

Matthew 27:6-7

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁶ But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money.” ⁷ So they took counsel and bought with them the potter's field as a burial place for strangers.

-       All of a sudden, “they’re getting lawful”, because It is the price of blood, thay cant’ use blood money in the treasury, they took counsel and bought with it potter’s filed to buy strangers in

Matthew 27:9-10

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁹  Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, ¹⁰ and they gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord directed me.”

Zechariah 11:13

English Standard Version (ESV)

¹³ Then the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”— the lordly price at which I was priced by them. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord, to the potter.

-       The plan was FULFILLED.

God is overruling the stupidity and the veil of men to fulfill His own Word.

 

V.           LESSONS

 

1.    Judas is the world’s greatest example  of lost opportunity

2.    He is the world’s greatest example of wasted privilege (God offers you and every soul the riches of eternity)

3.    He is the world’s greatest illustration of the love of money as the root of evil.

4.    He is the greatest lesson in the history of the world of the foretelling patient love of God.

5.    Judas provides an essential qualification in preparing Christ for His high priestly role. He served a purpose.

For 30 pieces Judas sold himself, not Christ.

 

While your heads are bowed in just this final seconds, if you don't know Christ you've sold Him for whatever it is that keeps you from coming to Him, you have valued more than Him. That's you price. Maybe it's greed, ill-gotten gain, maybe it's some sin, some act of pride, self-will, some fancied wisdom, some human philosophy, some immoral relationship, whatever it is - it's your price and you've sold your soul in the selling. I hope there are none in the line of Judas here. If there are, Jesus reaches out to you as He reached out to him. And I trust that today you'll open up your heart and receive Christ, ask His forgiveness right where you sit in the silence of this moment and invite Him to be your Lord and Savior, and enter into the blessedness of His eternal Kingdom.

Father, we have had a wonderful morning in worship and sobering in the Word. Bring us back again tonight as we consider the gospel, the wonderful message of the book of Romans. Help us to order our priorities right. Lord, perhaps You'll lead us to some unsaved person we can even bring tonight. God, help us to have the right priorities, the right focus. Make this a special day, a day of glory for Your name as we live it for Your own cause and Kingdom. Thank You, Lord, for our fellowship this morning in Christ's name. Amen.

http://www.ondoctrine.com/2mac0121.htm