"Remember When?"

What a waste!

1. John 12:4 “Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him,”

Judas Iscariot is doubtless one of the most despised men of the Bible. He was according to Jesus, a thief from the beginning.

Yet, Jesus chose him as one of his disciples, and he wasn’t just one of the 12 he unlike any of the other 11 had a full-time job for the ministry. His job? One of the most important in any ministry, he handled the money!

Why would Jesus do such a thing? In most normal people’s eyes, this would appear to be a very foolish move. Jesus nonetheless seemed to trust him, but here at Simon the pharisee’s house his true colors begin to show.

Enter Mary Magdalene with her alabaster box of oil which she poured over Jesus, this infuriated Judas, “silly girl how could you do such a foolish thing?”

This was it, he had, had enough! Jesus was obviously out of control! Somebody had to stop him! He stomps off to the leaders of the Jews and makes a deal to betray him.

We all know what he did, the Bible tells the deceitful betrayal and how he Identified Jesus for his would-be captors. Then Ultimately how that betrayal and capture lead to the death of Christ.

2. Luke 16:23-25 “And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.”

Funny thing about memories is, good memories can help you, “Oh I just remembered where I left my car keys!”

But bad memories can hurt and hurt bad! Memories used properly can save you. Had someone gone to Judas and reminded him of who he was about to betray, he may never have done it.

No doubt, Judas did remember, he remembered how Jesus healed the blind, the halt, the maimed, he was there that day not long ago when this same Jesus called Lazarus(Mary and Martha’s brother) from a grave he lay in for four days. Lastly, how at their last supper, he had eaten from Jesus' plate.

Maybe he could stop it! Maybe there was still time! But just like so many of us, he found that he could not undo what was done, so he chose a prominent solution to a temporary problem.

Ecc 8:10

Ecclesiastes 8:10 KJV 1900

And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this is also vanity.

3. What about you tonight? Do you remember, do you remember what is was like before you made it up in your heart to turn your back on him? Do you remember what it was like before you betrayed him with a kiss, do you remember what it was like to walk with him, to be in his presence? Do you remember what it was like to sit and talk to him for hours and hear his wisdom, do you remember what it was like when you loved him more than you loved the coins that were in the bag?

Now as you sit under that low limb working on that rope, you try and lie to yourself that you are not that bad, that there was justification for you to do to him what you did. You try and convince yourself that you haven’t done any worse than anybody else has done, yet as you tell yourself this you loop another knot in that rope.

“But Brother Newell you just don’t know what I’ve done!”

No, but it doesn’t matter Jesus died for the salvation of all no matter the sin. Unlike Judas you don’t have to die, actually Judas didn’t have to die either He could have went to Jesus and repented and he would have saved him.

I am going to open the alters now and give you a chance to pray.