A Cautionary Tale
Notes
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9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.
11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.
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.
Opening Prayer
Opening Prayer
Setting the Stage
Setting the Stage
So, this morning, I want us to look at this cautionary tale that we see in the very prayer of Christ...
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.
The Tragedy of Judas Iscariot
The Tragedy of Judas Iscariot
Jesus calls Judas the son of destruction.
The Jews frequently used this form of speech to express a person’s destiny, such as…
sons of light
—OR—
children of disobedience
When applied to Judas, the phrase the son of destruction means the one doomed to destruction.
Judas’s designation reflects his fundamental opposition to Jesus’s mission.
IOW, who is under condemnation and is doomed to such an end…
—> All who reject the Lord.
Jesus identified Judas in several places in John’s gospel:
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.
a devil, as in offspring of the Devil, imitation of behavior.
—> Against God. Against Christ. Not of God.
We’re told Satan entered into Judas…
27 Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.”
Despite claiming concern for the poor, Judas was actually a thief who stole from the disciples’ moneybag.
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 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.
The title the son of destruction does not mitigate Judas’ responsibility in his betrayal of Christ.
We Are Responsible for Our Choices & Consequences
We Are Responsible for Our Choices & Consequences
Rather they tell us that Judas’s destruction was because of his own choices.
His everlasting destruction flowed from:
his greed
his deception
his willingness to betray the Son of God
We are fully & solely responsible for our condemnation.
God is solely responsible for our salvation.
Let me read a very familiar passage…
22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— 24 even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?
God is patience towards the wicked who are completely responsible for their choices and the consequences that come about…
In order to display mercy and grace to those whom He has specifically and actively chosen and saved for eternal life with Him.
Who gets the blame for condemnation?
—> The sinner.
Who gets the glory for the salvation of sinners?
—> God alone.
Let me add, the phrase that the Scripture might be fulfilled does not negate responsibility either.
God Uses All the Behavior of All Mankind to Bring About His Purposes
God Uses All the Behavior of All Mankind to Bring About His Purposes
God uses the sinful desires of people, rulers, and nations to accomplish His will, without:
Being the Author of evil or sin
Without tempting anyone with evil
And when they carry out their sinful plot they are no less guilty because God uses them to accomplish His will.
The Bible describes these scenarios like this…
20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
We see this throughout the Scriptures in Pharaoh of Egypt, and other Nations who wanted to destroy Israel…
But God kept it from happening, until God permitted it…
To accomplish His purposes in the discipline of Israel.
And, when God permitted it…it was righteous & just that He allow it to take place.
We see it in God keeping Sarah from being violated.
We see it in the exile of Israel.
We see it in the many times the RL’s tried to seize or stone Jesus.
We see it in the Cross.
When Jews and Gentiles united against the God’s anointed, as we’re told in Acts…
28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.
So, how does someone spend so much intimate time with Christ, and betray Him to his own personal destruction?
Judas was like the rest of mankind…
Judas Was In Denial of His Own Depravity
Judas Was In Denial of His Own Depravity
Mankind’s biggest mistake is, at worst, the denial of the depravity of man…
And at best, the underestimation of the depravity of the human heart…specifically when it applies to oneself.
Let me show you what I mean…
The Depravity of the Human Heart
The Depravity of the Human Heart
From the time of the Fall we see the denial of the depravity of the human heart…
Listen to Adam’s response to God regarding his own sinfulness…
8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”
Did you hear Adam’s denial of his own depravity, his own sinfulness?!
It’s not me that is the problem it’s the woman you gave me.
A denial in his own responsibility and a pointing the finger at others to suppose a righteousness of his own.
13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
Do you hear the same deflection of responsibility in Eve?!
The same denial of responsibility and the same denial of depravity, when Eve says…
It’s not me, it’s the snake you allowed in the garden.
A denial in her own responsibility and a pointing the finger at others to suppose a righteousness of her own.
One more biblical proof of our denial and underestimating of our own depravity.
Turn to 2 Kings 8, if you’d like to read long.
Details of the Passage:
Ben-Hadad was the King of Syria
Elisha was a prophet of God and had come into their area.
Ben-Hadad was very sick and was afraid he would die.
Ben-Hadad heard of Elisha being in their area and sent one of his officials named Hazael to ask Elisha if Ben-Hadad would die.
Let’s read…
10 And Elisha said to him, “Go, say to him, ‘You shall certainly recover,’ but the Lord has shown me that he shall certainly die.”
11 And he fixed his gaze and stared at him, until he was embarrassed. And the man of God wept. 12 And Hazael said, “Why does my lord weep?” He answered, “Because I know the evil that you will do to the people of Israel. You will set on fire their fortresses, and you will kill their young men with the sword and dash in pieces their little ones and rip open their pregnant women.”
13 And Hazael said, “What is your servant, who is but a dog, that he should do this great thing?”
Elisha answered, “The Lord has shown me that you are to be king over Syria.”
14 Then he departed from Elisha and came to his master, who said to him, “What did Elisha say to you?” And he answered, “He told me that you would certainly recover.”
15 But the next day he took the bed cloth and dipped it in water and spread it over his face, till he died. And Hazael became king in his place.
What was missing in the life of Hazael was not the depravity to do such evil things.
—> What was missing was the opportunity.
Hazael didn’t think he was capable of doing such things because he’d never had the power and authority to carry out such atrocities.
This is why the Bible warns us to not lean on our own understanding, but to trust the Word of the Lord.
This is why the Bible is so against human pride.
This is why the Bible tells us to take heed lest we fall.
Judas, like Hazael, betrayed and helped kill Christ.
Judas, like Hazael, betrayed and helped kill Christ.
Judas probably convinced himself at times that he would never betray the Lord…
But, when the Lord turned out to not be who he wanted the Lord to be…
A political and earthly ruler, one who could vanquish the armies of the enemies.
His depravity reared it’s ugly head and he saw a way to benefit in his betrayal of the Lord.
A betrayal, that is much worse than the betrayal of Ben-Hadad, because Christ is the Lord’s anointed, and Son.
Judas was looking for the biblical Christ, he was looking for a messianic figure that would deliver to him all that he wanted.
Judas spent three years in the presence of Christ, witnessed His miracles, witnessed His perfection, witnessed His wisdom…
But, still chose to deny Him and betray Him.
Which makes me want to address a common argument of the world…
If Only God Would Show Himself
If Only God Would Show Himself
How many times have you heard the scoffing argument that sounds something like this…
If God is real, why doesn’t he show Himself?
If God shows Himself to me, I’ll believe?
Dear friends, God has shown Himself, in the person of Jesus Christ.
He has gone far beyond creation and conscience that holds every person without excuse.
He has gone so far as to incarnate and manifest Himself in the flesh.
Did they believe?
No. They crucified Him.
What About Judas?
What About Judas?
Judas spent three years with the Lord of glory.
Judas spent three years in the intimate company of God incarnate.
Judas spent three years in the best seminary the world has ever known, and yet he didn’t believe a word that he was taught.
Judas spent three years observing the miracles, the patience, the compassion, the grace and mercy flowing perfectly from the words and deeds of the Lord.
Yet, not only did he deny the Lord, he helped crucify Him through betrayal…
—> All for 30 pieces of silver.
Judas’ Guilt Before God
Judas’ Guilt Before God
Make no mistake Judas’ whole life was his own preparation for condemnation.
Only Judas is responsible for his rejection of God…
And, his betrayal of Christ.
If you look at his life, what awesome privileges God gave him:
Three years in the presence of the Incarnate Son of God.
—> And, so many more.
Yet, with all the privileges, he never changed.
He wore disguises.
He pretended.
But, he never truly loved the Lord.
And, as the Bible warns us…
23 …you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out.
Closing thoughts…
Closing thoughts…
Being religious does not save you.
Being a member of a church does not save you.
Doing “good” deeds does not save you.
Being sacrificial in your lifestyle will not save you.
Being persecuted for a cause will not save you.
Judas could claim most of those things.
All those things merely heap condemnation upon you, outside of being in Christ.
What saves you is this?
29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
Faith alone in Christ alone is what saves a person.
Have you believed upon the Lord Jesus Christ?
The is the most important question that one can ask.
And is the most crucial question that should be answered in the positive.
Come to Jesus!
You’re responsible to.
Only you are keeping you away from the Lord.
Come to Jesus and rest in His person and finished work!
Closing Prayer
Closing Prayer
