Lessons To Learn From Judas

A thief breaks into a house at around 3 AM. As he's walking about in the house with his flashlight, he hears a voice whisper,

*"Jesus is watching you!"*

Startled, he points his flashlight towards the source of the voice. In the corner of the room, there's a birdcage with a parrot in it. The thief breathes a sigh of relief and continues on his search for valuables.

*"Jesus is watching you!"* the parrot says again. "Shush, be quiet you!" the thief said in a hushed voice, all the while still looking for stuff to take.

*"Jesus is watching you!"* the parrot exclaims again. The thief is irritated now, so he decides to go over and deal with the bird before something happens.

As he makes it to the cage, he notices the name *JUDAS* on the side of the cage.

"What kind of idiot names his pet parrot *JUDAS*?"

*"The same idiot who names his rottweiler Jesus!"* replied the parrot...

Historical/Cultural Context -

The Gospel of John was written between 90 AD and 100 AD. Scholars also believe that John wrote the three Epistles and the book of Revelation around the same time-frame as he wrote this Gospel. The Gospel of John was written after Matthew, Mark, & Luke had been written and circulated. John has been dubbed by most scholars as “The Spiritual Gospel.”

Biblical Text -

John 13:21–35 NKJV

When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” Then the disciples looked at one another, perplexed about whom He spoke. Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke. Then, leaning back on Jesus’ breast, he said to Him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.” But no one at the table knew for what reason He said this to him. For some thought, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus had said to him, “Buy those things we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. Having received the piece of bread, he then went out immediately. And it was night. So, when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him immediately. Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ so now I say to you. A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

-[Prayer]-

Life Principle - Be Truly In The Faith, Don’t Let Sin Overtake You, And Always Walk In The Love & Power Of Jesus.

Life Point - Be Truly In The Faith

Exegetical -

John 13:21–26 NLT

Now Jesus was deeply troubled, and he exclaimed, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me!” The disciples looked at each other, wondering whom he could mean. The disciple Jesus loved was sitting next to Jesus at the table. Simon Peter motioned to him to ask, “Who’s he talking about?” So that disciple leaned over to Jesus and asked, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus responded, “It is the one to whom I give the bread I dip in the bowl.” And when he had dipped it, he gave it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot.

Homiletical -

Imagine the scene for moment. We are at the last supper and it is loud and people are talking and Jesus speaks and says one of you will betray me!

That would pretty much end conversation for a moment or two.

The disciples start to look around and question whom it could be. Who possibly could do this evil thing to Jesus?

Simon is wondering whom He is talking about and gets John’s attention because he is next to Jesus and quietly asks him to find out.

So John leans over and asks quietly who is it Lord?

Jesus dips the bread and then says it’s the guy I give this bread to and he hand it to Judas Iscariot.

I don’t know about you, but if I am Simon Peter or John the Apostle, I am kind of freaked out by this. If I am Judas I am fearful and embarrassed. More than that, I am mortified!

Why would Judas choose to do such a thing. In my research I cam across some different motivations but I will put it this way.

Though many other disciples professed Jesus as Lord, Judas never did. So he may not have believed He was God.

In the list of disciples many believe that the list, with some slight variations, is typically written in the order of how close they were to Jesus. Which is why we see Peter, James, and John always at the top of the list and Judas at the bottom.

If this holds true then Judas is always listed last and it would show he lacked a good personal relationship with Jesus. The only record we have of Jesus speaking to the man is when he rebukes him about the worship of Marry and the anointing of his feet with oil

So Judas may have had a chip on his shoulder over that incident as well.

Judas, which we will see was a thief from the beginning and was stealing the money that was collected for the poor.

so he is also motivated by Greed.

Judas never called him Lord or Messiah only ever calling Him Rabbi, which means teacher.

Judas was looking for a military Messiah not a suffering one, so perhaps that motivated him as well to do what he did.

I don’t believe any one thing motivated Judas I think it was a combination of small things that added up.

1) He wasn’t the messiah he wanted

2) He was Greedy

3) He had a chip on His shoulder about Jesus because he didn’t have a close relationship with Him.

4) He never believed Jesus is God incarnate.

So why would Judas stay so long with them?

I think the number one reason is that he saw Jesus as a meal ticket up to this point.

What does this mean for us?

It means we need to check our character

2 Corinthians 13:5 NKJV

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.

Ask yourself:

1) Do you know the true Messiah and does He know you. Do you have that personal relationship with Him

2) What motivates you? Love for Christ? Or love for yourself. Are you inherently self-serving.

3)Do you believe in the divinity of Christ? Does that belief motivate your actions?

If you find that your actions don’t line up with the work of the Holy Spirit that is produced in you by Him then perhaps you aren’t His?

Well Pastor what does this look like in the believer?

The actions of the believer are:

Galatians 5:22–25 NKJV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Will you follow Him even to the point of death? All of the disciples died a martyrs death except for the Apostle John.

Illustration -

We are told this about the early Apostles through history being written down and passed on. Here is just a couple of them from Foxe’s Book of Martyrs:

The first apostle to suffer after the martyrdom of Stephen was James, the brother of John. Clement tells us, “When this James was brought to the tribunal seat, he that brought him and was the cause of his trouble, seeing him to be condemned and that he should suffer death, was in such sort moved within heart and conscience that, as he went to the execution, he confessed himself also, of his own accord, to be a Christian. And so they were led forth together, where in the way he desired of James to forgive him what he had done. After James had a little paused with himself upon the matter, turning to him he said, ‘Peace be to thee brother’; and kissed him. And both were beheaded together, AD 36.”

Thomas preached to the Parthians, Medes, Persians, Carmanians, Hyrcanians, Bactrians, and Magians. He was killed in Calamina, India.

Simon the Apostle, called Cananeus and Zelotes, preached in Mauritania, Africa, and Britain. He was also crucified.

Mark, the first bishop of Alexandria, preached the gospel in Egypt. He was burned and buried in a place named Bucolus during Trajan’s reign.

Bartholomew is said to have preached in India and translated the Gospel of Matthew into their tongue. He was beaten, crucified, and beheaded in Albinopolis, Armenia.

This is just to name a few. Would this ever read your name if it came down to it?

Life Point - Sin Always Crouches At The Door

Exegetical -

John 13:27–30 NLT

When Judas had eaten the bread, Satan entered into him. Then Jesus told him, “Hurry and do what you’re going to do.” None of the others at the table knew what Jesus meant. Since Judas was their treasurer, some thought Jesus was telling him to go and pay for the food or to give some money to the poor. So Judas left at once, going out into the night.

Homiletical -

So Judas has already made his choice in his heart as to what he is going to do with Jesus.

Jesus hands him the piece of bread. He eats it and he is possessed by Satan.

Because this was a quiet affair, none of the other disciples really knew what was happening. They figured Jesus gave him a task. So Judas leaves at once.

In the day of judgement Judas will not stand alone in this act of betrayal. Satan will be there right with him.

Satan seizing on this opportunity made sure that Judas would go through with it by entering Judas.

Remember Judas had already chosen to sin, so it wasn’t, necessarily, against Judas will that he entered into him.

Here is a man who had spent 3 years with our Lord in the flesh and being so close to the sphere of the Lord’s influence he still chose to sin against Him.

A lot of people right now would say, no pastor I wouldn’t be like Judas and do that to Jesus.

Are you sure?

Isn’t every sin against God’s Holy Nature. I would dare to say yes.

Isaiah 64:6 NLT

We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.

Someone is saying, “Pastor I don’t feel that way.”

Jeremiah 17:9 NLT

“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?

Remember that satan is always seeking for the next person he can mess with. He may be a lion without teeth but he is always looking for whom he may devour.

1 Peter 5:8–11 NLT

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are. In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. All power to him forever! Amen.

Life Point - In The Darkest Times Our Love For One Another Brings God Glory

Exegetical -

John 13:31–35 NLT

As soon as Judas left the room, Jesus said, “The time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory, and God will be glorified because of him. And since God receives glory because of the Son, he will give his own glory to the Son, and he will do so at once. Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going. So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

Homiletical -

Judas leaves the room and Jesus knows the score. He knows it is time for His crucifixion and time to be brought into His glory and that God will glorified because of Him.

He gives all of us a new command here and says to Love each other. Not in the way the world counts love but a Biblical love for one another, doing this proves we are His disciples.

Think about this. The crucifixion brings Glory to God. Why?

Because all of our sins are placed on His sacrifice on the cross.

In that moment All of our sins are transferred to Him and His righteousness is transferred to us.

He paid a price we could not pay because we were born into sin and we can’t be a sacrifice for our own sin because we are sinful. But Jesus didn’t have that problem He was perfect and was made sin for us. He was that blood sacrifice on our behalf.

Hebrews 9:26–28 NLT

If that had been necessary, Christ would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But now, once for all time, he has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice. And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.

Because of this we are to walk in Biblical Love for one another. There are 3 greek words for love in the Bible

1) is Eros - This is a physical intimacy kind of love

2) Philao - This is the love I have for a brother or close family member

3) Agape - This kind of love is the highest love there is. This says I love you for no reason at all, despite all your shortcomings and all your failures I love you just because I love you. I choose to love you, not because of anything about you, but because of everything about me.

Agape is the love that is referenced here, and it is a verb. Meaning this is something you don’t just do once, you continue in it. You are never done with it.

No matter what the hardship, no matter the problems, you show Love for one another.

1 Peter 4:8 NLT

Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.

Life Principle– Be Truly In The Faith, Don’t Let Sin Overtake You, And Always Walk In The Love & Power Of Jesus.

Call to Action – altar call….