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Judas Iscariot 1 Judas Iscariot I hope you are enjoying our little study of some of the main characters mentioned in the New Testament, and that God is speaking to you through it. So far, we have looked at James and John, Andrew and Peter. This morning we are going to look at Judas Iscariot. Even his very name reeks of filth and treachery. What was his background? Judas was the son of a man called Simon, and it is almost certain that his surname “Iscariot” indicates that he came from a town in southern Judea called Kerioth. Nothing is known of his early life. He became a disciple, - unlike Matthew, James and John, Peter and Andrew his call was not recorded. It seems that he may have had a flare for business and financial matters since he was appointed treasurer for the disciples (Jn. 12:6; 13:29). JUDAS, - AS FAR AS HE HIMSELF WAS CONCERNED . Judas was very capable; how do I know? He considered himself capable, … otherwise he wouldn’t have taken the job on! . He strikes me as being the quiet, insular type of person, - the type that listens to you in order to find out news without ever divulging anything of himself. He would have been a character to watch, … and of course the disciples were aware that he ‘had his hand in the till’. Have you ever wondered why Judas remained a disciple? . I believe there is a clue near the end of John 6. Here the Lord Jesus moved inland (vv.1,3) and went to the hillside where He fed the 5,000+ (vv.5-13). Then He and His disciples crossed the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum, - thie is the incident when He walked on the water (vv.16-21). The crowds caught up with Him, He went into the synagogue in Capernaum and He spoke to them (vv.25-59). He told them that He had come from His Father in Heaven (v.38) and that He was the Bread of Life. Some of the things He said disgusted His hearers, - He spoke, in particular, about how they had to eat His flesh and drink His blood (vv.53-56). [figuratively/symbolically] D.G. 2 . This kind of talk was so absolutely repugnant to any decent and right-thinking Jew, … and His disciples told Him so! (vv.60,61) . Consequently, many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him (v.66). Jesus then turned round and confronted His inner circle of the Twelve Disciples, v.67. Now, if you compare the travels of Christ in the Gospels you will discover that this incident occurred in Caesarea Philippi where He asked the question, “Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?” . There were a few suggestions, - John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, etc. It was Peter who answered, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” . This, in John, is the same incident. When ‘push came to shove’ these disciples were called upon to support or deny the Sovereign Supremity of the Lord Jesus Christ. As far as Peter was concerned, there was determination in his voice, . “Jesus, I am determined that I will follow You, because of Who I believe You are.” . For others there was defection (v.66), - Jesus wasn’t worth the bother; these were the type of folk who had come to Jesus to see what they could get out of Him, not for what they could do for Him. They were His ‘fairweather disciples’. There were also those for whom this incident spelt deterioration and disappointment. Judas, I believe, was in this latter group. He was disappointed in the direction that Jesus was seemingly taking. It’s sad, isn’t it, that even in the company of Jesus and with the companionship of the other disciples Judas was on a downward road. You see, Judas was not in it for Christ, Judas was in it for Judas! . Why then did Judas stay with Jesus? … Where else had he to go? . Maybe he had blotted his ‘copy-book’ elsewhere, in some other company, . … at least with Jesus he still had a job, … a lucrative job, looking after the purse! . Quite simply, he wouldn’t have had it so good anywhere else! D.G. 3 . Before we go any further and even consider his betrayal of Christ the spirit of Judas has never departed the visible church of the Lord Jesus Christ; EXAMINE: . Why do we come to church? . What priority do we give to meeting with God’s people? . What priority do we give to reading and studying God’s Word? . How important is meeting together for prayer and encouragement? . There remain within the ranks of many a church those who are involved because it merely suits them to be involved for their own ends. Perhaps not always for the financial gain, but for personal gain rather than glory to God? . Many is the fellowship, - the evangelical fellowship! – which has fallen prey to those under the influence of the spirit of Judas, . I believe that the sons and daughters of Judas are alive and destroying in these days, … perhaps more than ever they were! . Judas stayed among the Twelve Disciples because it served his purpose, filled his pocket, and gave him all he needed in the way of so-called ‘religious respectability’. JUDAS, - AS FAR AS THE DISCIPLES WERE CONCERNED . The disciples could see through Judas, … up to a point. After all, … the last place you would expect to see an enemy of Christ would be amongst His ‘friends’! . However, they saw his hypocrisy when at Bethany Mary poured extremely expensive perfume over the feet of Jesus (Jn. 12:1ff.) . Judas was so angry! . 4 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, 5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? . Judas wasn’t even remotely interested in the poor, - but he was infatuated with the three hundred pence! . … And the disciples knew all about him, … . 6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. Aye, Judas wasn’t in line for the ‘Disciple of the Year’ award! D.G. 4 . Although, I don’t believe it would ever have dawned on the disciples that Judas, - big and all a rascal he was, - … . … never would it have dawned on them that this hypocritical and thieving Judas would be the instrument that would betray the Lord Jesus Christ! . The terrible potential of a man or woman in a fellowship to carry out the plans of Satan. Do you know, …? . It used to be that Satan used emperors and popes and kings to persecute the Redeemed Church of God, - many were burned at the stake, crucified, or imprisoned, . Then, one day, it dawned on Satan, “I’m going to use the ‘Judas’ approach’. In other words, he said to himself, “I can do more harm from inside the Church than ever I could do outside the Church”. So he introduced his perverted ‘theology’ . - he has confused people within Christ’s redeemed Church about the work and Person of the Holy Spirit (neo- Pentecostalism) . - he has bridged the gap between enemies of the Gospel and born again believers (ecumenism) . - he has eroded in many places the absolute importance of serious and faithful Bible preaching and teaching, . …, and foolish, gullible and dormant Christians cannot see that he is doing today what he did with Eve in the Garden of Eden, - casting doubt on the infallible and inerrant Word of God. We were assured, - get the Bible into language that we can understand, - … has the Church benefited? … has it gone from strength to strength? … is it a stronger Church today than it was forty/fifty years ago? … and that for all the efforts of man!! . Judas, you failed, because you took your eyes off Christ and you followed your own doomed agenda! JUDAS, - AS FAR AS THE LORD JESUS WAS CONCERNED . Out of all the twelve disciples Judas was the only one from the same Israelite tribe as Jesus, - from Judah, - he was the only one! . There ought to have been a special bonding between the two, … but there wasn’t. Jesus knew the calibre of Judas right from the start, D.G. 5 . 64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. Jesus knew that Judas did not believe in Him, - Jesus knew Judas’ calibre, - He knew that Judas would betray Him. Yet Jesus kept Judas close, - He knew that he was not a believer and that he was a devil (v.70); Jesus had Judas’ card marked! . But Jesus gave Judas every opportunity to turn from his sin. At the Last Supper they were all sitting around the table, - James, John, Peter, Andrew, Philip, Nathanael, etc., . Jn. 13:21 When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. 22 Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake. 23 Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. 24 Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake. 25 He then lying on Jesus' breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it? 26 Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it.
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