Replacing Judas and the Casting of Lots

Introduction

English Standard Version Chapter 1

Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas

12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13 And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, 16 “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17 For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” 18 (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. 19 And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 “For it is written in the Book of Psalms,

“ ‘May his camp become desolate,

and let there be no one to dwell in it’;

and

“ ‘Let another take his office.’

21 So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” 23 And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

Well, this week we’re looking at the latter half of Acts chapter 1, and more specifically the ten days following Jesus’ ascension, leading up to the day of Pentecost. This section is primarily concerned with the church being gathered together in prayer and waiting on the baptism of the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem, and the disciple’s determination to replace Judas Iscariot.

Now, in the final verses of Luke’s Gospel he summarizes the events following Jesus’ resurrection in Luke 24:50-53, that Jesus,

English Standard Version Chapter 24

50 … led them out as far as

Now, Bethany is on the eastern side of the Mount of Olives, which Luke refers to here in Act 1:12, writing that “they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away.” In other words, the disciples were already near the Mount of Olives, in Bethany, at the end of Luke’s Gospel, and so, when we pickup the story in Acts we discover that Jesus’ final appearance to his disciples took place on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, across the Kidron Valley, only a Sabbath day’s journey away, or approximately 1,000’ outside the city. You see, the Jews had laws limiting the distance one could travel on the Sabbath, and so this served as a point of reference to describe how far they were outside the city when the ascension took place.

Then the disciples, approximately 120 of them, gathered in Jerusalem to wait and pray. Now, we’re not sure, but this upper room may have been the same place where Jesus and his disciples celebrated the Passover and instituted the Lord’s Supper the night before he was betrayed. It could also be the same place where the disciples hid for fear of the Jews immediately following Jesus’ crucifixion, and where Jesus would suddenly appear to them after the resurrection. We’re not sure, but it seems like this place may already be familiar to them.

Church’s obedience

Now, this event is significant in several ways, first, it demonstrates the early church’s obedience to Christ. Earlier, he had ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit, that they were to wait for the baptism of the Spirit not many days later. Now, I can only imagine how eager they had become to return home to Galilee and to spread the news of Jesus’ resurrection, after he had appeared to them for 40 days, but Jesus tells them to stay in Jerusalem and to wait. So, what do they do? They stay, they wait, they obey obey him.

In fact, at the end of Luke’s Gospel we’re told that they “returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God.” So, you get this picture of the disciples returning to Jerusalem with great joy, gathering in the upper room to pray with great expectation, and regularly assembling at the temple to bless God, waiting for the promise of the Holy Spirit.

You see, the tide had turned, what had started as despair following Jesus’ death, had turned to great joy following his resurrection, even before the baptism of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. The resurrection had instilled within them a newfound courage and confidence, a confidence that not only energized their desire to spread the news of Jesus’ resurrection, but it persuaded them to obey his command.

Which should likewise be the case with us, the more we have certainty concerning the resurrection the more confidence and courage we will posses to share the Gospel and to obey our Lord’s commands. Don’t forget how Luke opened his Gospel and wrote,

English Standard Version Chapter 1

1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4

The resurrection provided the disciples with certainty concerning Jesus’ identity and certainty concerning what he taught, and as a result that certainty became the driving force behind their obedience, and it should likewise become the driving force behind ours as well.

Church’s corporate nature

This event is also significant because it illustrates the corporate nature of the church. That when they returned to Jerusalem that they gathered together, they returned as a group. We read there in verse 14 that “all these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.” (Acts 1:14) They didn’t disperse themselves throughout the city, each to their own place, but instead they gathered together.

Now, your salvation is fundamentally personal, in other words, your children won’t be saved on account of your faith, but only upon their own, however, you and I have been added to a body of believers, you and I have been added to the church corporate. We have been made members of a body, accountable to both God and to one another. We’re not intended to live in isolation of the local church.

And I point this out because there are millions of professing Christians in our nation who rarely if ever attend a local church, let alone are members of one. Many professing Christians have come to believe that they don’t need the church, that their faith is private, that they can worship God on their own, but arguments like these completely ignore the corporate nature of the church, they ignore that as Christians we’ve been made members of a body. Just as when you’re born, you’re not born in isolation from others, you’re born into a family and by design dependent upon and obligated to your family members. Similarly, when you’re born again, you’re born into a spiritual family, you’re made a part of the body of Christ, therefore if you neglect Christ’s body you inescapably neglect Christ himself. You cannot neglect Christ’s body without neglecting Christ. Your life doesn’t boil down to just you and Jesus.

Furthermore, anyone who thinks their faith will last long a part from regular participation in a local church is fooling themselves. There are a multitude of analogies I could use to illustrate this. For example, a sheep that wanders from its flock immediately becomes vulnerable to predators. In fact, a predator’s strategy is always first to separate its prey from the safety of it’s group.

The church is corporate by design. In other words, the corporate nature of the church is designed to promote and sustain the welfare of every believer. In fact, the Apostle Paul drives home this point in 1 Corinthians chapter 12, and while we don’t have time to consider the whole passage just listen to verses 21-27,

English Standard Version Chapter 12

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

This is why the church has, even from the very beginning, made it a practice to gather together. This is why we’ll see throughout the Book of Acts an effort not merely to make converts but to plant local churches.

Replacing Judas Iscariot

Now, the rest of the chapter is focused on the disciple’s determination to replace Judas Iscariot, so let’s start by looking together at Acts chapter 1, beginning in verse 15,

English Standard Version Chapter 1

15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, 16 “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17 For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” 18 (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. 19 And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 “For it is written in the Book of Psalms,

“ ‘May his camp become desolate,

and let there be no one to dwell in it’;

and

“ ‘Let another take his office.’

21 So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” 23 And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

What’s interesting about this text is that it underscores the disciples’ recognition of the need to replace Judas Iscariot, that that they weren’t content to continue with only the eleven.

Jesus purposefully appointed twelve

Now, I think this was for several reasons, multiple reasons that I believe build on one another. First, it was obvious to them that Jesus had appointed twelve disciples for a reason, not that Jesus didn’t have hundreds of others followers, but that he had personally and purposedly appointed twelve, including Judas Iscariot. We see this clearly illustrated throughout the Gospel accounts. Peter and Andrew, who are brothers, were called while fishing on the Sea of Galilee, John and James, who are also brothers, were called while mending their nets, Philip and Bartholomew were both commanded to follow Jesus in John chapter 1, Matthew, a tax collector, was commanded to follow Jesus in Matthew 9:9, and while there are no specific accounts of the remaining six disciples, they’re listed here and included in the apostolic lists recorded elsewhere in the Gospels. Jesus clearly had a reason for choosing twelve disciples, and the disciples undoubtedly recognized this, and therefore felt the need to replace Judas.

Disciples held unique offices

Second, the disciples recognized that they held a unique office, the office of Apostle. For example, in Matthew 19:28, Jesus told them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” In other words, it was clear to them that they held a distinct office in the kingdom of heaven. This was further illustrated when they repeatedly argued about who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, and who would have the privilege of sitting at Jesus’ right and left hand in glory. As a result, they recognized that the office Judas had previously held was now vacant. In fact, notice what Peter says there in verse 20, “For it is written in the Book of Psalms, ‘May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it;’ and ‘Let another take his office.’ Peter clearly indicates that they held a unique office, and therefore, as a result of Judas’ apostasy, his office was left vacant, and that another should take his place.

Now, it’s worth mentioning at this point, that it wasn’t Judas’ death that caused his office to become vacant, but his apostasy and betrayal. Let me give you an example that should illustrate what I mean, when James the son of Zebedee (one of the twelve) was killed in Acts 12:2 by Herod, we don’t see the disciples appointing a successor to James. Why not? Because they didn’t view his office as having been vacated due to James defecting from the faith. Unlike Judas, James was faithful until the end, and would reign with Christ as promised. This is important for us to understand, because it teaches us that the Apostles were not intended to have successors, which contradicts the Roman Catholic teaching that the Pope is Peter’s successor. While they maintain that the Pope isn’t an Apostle like the original twelve, they still argue that the Pope is Peter’s successor who possesses the same authority and teaching office as the Apostles.

Prophetic warrant

The third reason the disciples felt that it was necessary to replace Judas was because it was a fulfillment by prophecy. This is why Peter quotes from the Book of Psalms there in verse 20; first, he quotes Psalm 69 and then he quotes Psalm 109. Now, if you turn to Psalm 69 and Psalm 109 you might find it strange that Peter appeals to them to make his argument. You might ask yourself, How do these Psalms form an argument for replacing Judas, because they don’t seem to have any connection to the twelve disciples? Well, it’s a good question to ask, because I think most of us, who are far removed from ancient Jewish culture, naturally struggle to see the connections that the disciples make between OT prophecy and its fulfillment in the NT. For example, in our last time, I pointed out that Jesus and Apostles often recognize typological fulfillment between the events of the OT and the events of NT. Well, similarly, Peter sees Psalm 69 and Psalm 109 as fulfilled in their efforts to replace Judas. But how?

Well, first, we have to recognize that it was believed that many of the psalmist’s experiences (especially those Psalms composed by David) were prophetically applicable to the Messiah, since the Messiah would come from the line of David. In other words, the disciples believed that the experiences expressed in the Psalms (especially those written by David) were prophetically applicable to Jesus.

So, when Peter makes his argument to replace Judas he quotes from two imprecatory psalms. Now, an imprecatory psalm is one that includes prayers calling for God’s judgement or curse against the wicked. Now, imprecatory psalms tend to make us feel uneasy, because didn’t Jesus teach us to love our enemies? Yet, we know that these psalms remain inspired Scripture. So, what are we to do with them? Well, while on the surface they might seem to run headlong into to Jesus’ teaching to love our enemies they actually do not. We must not confuse imprecatory prayers with a personal desire for revenge. First, imprecatory prayers are directed to God, not acted out personally, second, they appeal to God for justice, not personal revenge, third, they’re prayers that trust in God’s timing and righteousness, not our own, and fourth, they seek refuge and protection from God, not in personal acts of revenge.

Now, we don’t have time to look at both of the psalms that Peters quotes here, so let’s look at just one of them. Turn with me to Psalm 109, we’ll read just the first 8 verses,

English Standard Version Psalm 109

109 TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID.

1  Be not silent, O God of my praise!

2  For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me,

speaking against me with lying tongues.

3  They encircle me with words of hate,

and attack me without cause.

4  In return for my love they accuse me,

but I give myself to prayer.

5  So they reward me evil for good,

and hatred for my love.

6  Appoint a wicked man against him;

let an accuser stand at his right hand.

7  When he is tried, let him come forth guilty;

let his prayer be counted as sin!

8  May his days be few;

may another take his office!

First, notice that this is a psalm attributed by David, second, notice how the psalmist is pleading with God for justice, not personal revenge, and by the time he reaches verse 8 he asks that the days of these evil men be few and that another take their office. His desire is righteous man would take his place and bring him relief from injustice.

Now, Peter is apparently very acquainted with these psalms because he recognizes a parallel between the circumstances of the psalmist and Jesus, that many of the afflictions endured by the psalmist were also endured by Christ. That Jesus faced similar afflictions as the psalmist, and that the psalmist’s cry that his enemies days would be few was answered when Judas hung himself, therefore Peter sees a prophetic basis that “another take his office!”

Symbolic warrant

So, the disciples recognized the need to replace Judas Iscariot, first, because they believed Jesus purposefully appointed twelve, second, because the disciples clearly recognized they held a unique office, and that Judas had left his vacant, third, because the disciples believed they had a prophetic warrant to do so, and fourth, because I believe the disciples likely recognized the symbolic significance of the number twelve. And what I mean is that Jesus chose 12 disciples for a symbolic reason.

Even the most cursory reading of the Bible makes it obvious that there’s a parallel between the number of disciples and the number of the tribes of Israel, 12 disciples and 12 tribes of Israel. The question then that follows is, What does this mean? Well, first, it’s obvious that the nation of Israel was composed of 12 tribes, indicating that 12 represents the totality God’s people, symbolism which Jesus purposefully employed later when he choose 12 disciples for himself. In fact, when the Apostle John in his Apocalypse described the new Jerusalem that coming down out of heaven in Revelation 21 he described the city has having 12 gates, and on the gates the names of the 12 tribes of Israel inscribed on them, then he goes on to describe the city as having 12 foundations, and on them were the 12 names of the 12 apostles of the Lamb. John appears to be describing the totality of God’s people under both the OC and NC by combining the 12 tribes of Israel with the 12 apostles in the imagery of the new Jerusalem.

The new Israel

The disciples seem to recognize the symmetry and symbolism that their number signified, they recognized that the “office” Judas held was vacant and therefore needed to be filled. That Judas was in Acts 1:17 was “numbered among them”, and “allotted [a] share” in their ministry that needed to be given to another, that in Acts 1:25 someone must “take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” You see, the office of Apostle was given to the twelve in order to establish the church as the new Israel, not as a replacement, but as a fulfillment to the promises given to Abraham, encompassing people not only descended from Abraham, but people from every tribe, tongue, and nation who are Abraham’s offspring by faith.

Casting lots and random chance

Now, also I want us to consider the method that the disciples used to select Judas’ replacement, the casting of lots. This is important because I think we’re naturally inclined to think that the act of casting lots is primitive, irrational, unscientific, superstitious, arbitrary, or simply leaving something up to chance. We naturally don’t understand why the disciples would employ this method, because we likely don’t understand the biblical precedent, and we often view creation through a lens of secular materialism, that the universe is nothing more than time, space, and chance acting on matter.

However, this is not a biblical view of the world, first, the universe was created by God and is continually sustained by God by the word of his power. The existence of the universe is fundamentally contingent upon God’s existence. If God did not exist, then nothing would exist. Only God is eternal, and his existence is contingent upon nothing. Therefore, biblically speaking, nothing is governed by bare probability, or undirected, purposeless chance. Nor does chance possess some kind of informal agency, as if chance possessed a power of its own.

Now, this isn’t to say that statistics is therefore a meaningless or a vain discipline, but rather, statistics has predictive power precisely because the laws that govern creation are how God sustains and governs the universe. In other words, the laws that govern the universe are not in operation apart from God’s working, the laws that govern the universe do not function independently from God’s hand, but rather reveal and reflect his activity in creation, in real time, as he sustains all things by the word of his power (Hebrews 1:3).

Uniformity of nature

In fact, this is why we observe a uniformity in nature. Now, that may not be a term most of us are familiar with, but the uniformity of nature is an assumption that we all make without thinking about, that the laws of nature are consistent and unchanging throughout time, matter, and space, that they will behave the same way tomorrow as they did in the past, that things like gravity and the laws of physics do not change. For instance, you don’t get into your car and wonder if this will be the day that the laws of physics change without warning, and suddenly your car fails start or spontaneously combusts. No, you naturally assume that the laws of nature are consistent and unchanging and go about your business.

Now, the atheist has no grounds for making this assumption, because he believes the universe is just time and space acting on matter. Whereas, the bible teaches that the universe was created by God and is continually sustained by God by the word of his power. In other words, we have a reason to believe in the uniformity of nature, and that the laws of physics won’t suddenly change. For example, Psalm 119:90-91 teaches, “Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast. By your appointment they continue this day, for all things are your servants.” In other words, the reason we observe uniformity in nature is because God is faithful to uphold it as he created it.

The purpose of the Lord stands forever

All of creation, whether physics or man’s actions, God governs, God has ordained everything that comes to pass, his will cannot be thwarted. Listen to what Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” Or listen to Psalm 33:10–11, “The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.” Or Proverbs 16:4, “The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.” Or listen to Proverbs 16:33, which many of us are likely familiar with, “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.”

You see, the casting of lots within this context is not leaving the decision up to chance, but up to the providence of God. Providence refers to God’s sovereign care and governance over all creation, that God not only created the world, but that he sustains it, directs it, and governs every event, to accomplish all his purposes. Therefore, the disciples were seeking to ascertain God’s will by the casting of lots, recognizing that he governs everything, and that when the lot is cast into the lap, every decision is from the Lord. Which is also why they prayed there in verse 24-25, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.”

Lots accompanied by discernment

Now, I also want you to notice that their casting of lots was accompanied by discernment. It wasn’t as if just anyone was a viable candidate to fill Judas’ position. No, it was only between two men, Justus and Matthias. Two men who had accompanied Jesus since the very beginning, from baptism of John to Jesus’ resurrection. These two men had to have been with Jesus and witnessed his resurrection, just as the other 11 had. In other words, God first expects us to use our faculties of discernment, which should be trained by his word, then when we’re left between a couple of options then we either have the freedom to choose either one or to flip a coin, knowing that every decision is from the Lord.

Signs of an Apostle

Now, lastly, before we close, I want to highlight, briefly, the importance of these qualifications for apostolic office. As a result of texts like these the church has historically identified in Scripture four Apostolic qualifications. Now, this is important because there are many people today who deceivingly claim to be modern apostles, as though the office had been lost and is now being restored. However, this is impossible if you adhere to the qualifications outlined in Scripture for an Apostle, and it’s dangerous for anyone to claim this kind of authority, whether it be by those who claim to be evangelicals or the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church.

The first qualification for an Apostle, as we see here in Acts chapter 1, is that he had to have accompanied Jesus during his earthly ministry, secondly, as we’ve also seen already, is that he had to be an eye witness to Jesus’ resurrection, thirdly, he had to have been personally appointed by Jesus himself, the Apostle Paul made this clear in Galatians 1:1 when he defended his apostolic authority and reminded the church that he was not appointed an Apostle by men, but by Christ. It’s also implied here in Acts chapter 1 when the disciples deliberately left the choice between Justus and Matthias up to God when they cast their lots. And fourthly, the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:12 wrote that an Apostle must be able to perform certain signs and wonders, he wrote, “The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works.” In other words, while performing miracles was not exclusive to the Apostles, there was likely a qualitative difference that set them a part based on the testimony of Acts.

Now, I’m not saying that miracles don’t occur today, they most certainly do, but they aren’t directly wielded by men in the same way that the twelve apostles performed signs and wonders. Signs and wonders that served the purpose to confirm their message and authority. Today, that message no longer needs further confirmation, the records we possess testify to that confirmation. The ministry of the twelve Apostles does not need repeated.

In fact, in Ephesians 2:20 we’re told that the church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, and that Christ Jesus is the chief cornerstone. Therefore, we need not lay that foundation again. It’s important to recognize that Jesus and his twelve Apostles, in certain fundamental ways, served a unique role in redemptive history that isn’t meant to be repeated by future generations. If we don’t recognize this, we’re likely to conclude that their ministries were normative and thus expected to be emulated by us today. While there are certainly aspects of their ministries and lives that we should emulate, we must also be able to recognize what was unique to their ministry that we shouldn’t expect to emulate or to do.

Conclusion

So, as we close this morning my desire is that we would continue to see the redemptive store played out here in the Book of Acts, that we would see the continuity, the parallels, typology, and the fulfillment in and through the coming of Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the Acts of the Apostles. That we would come to better understand and appreciate the corporate nature of the church and the emboldening historical truth of the resurrection. That we would come to see that our world is not governed by space, times, and chance acting on matter, but that God has created all things, sustains all things by the word of his power, and that no matter what his purposes will stand.

Prayer