The Master Betrayed
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
Today we are going to begin looking at the last few hours of Jesus’s life on this earth as He was arrested, illegally tried, and crucified for our sins.
It hurts to be falsely accused of something. It hurts even more when your accuser has manufactured evidence against you that is not true or has twisted the facts to suit their own intentions.
Jesus experiences this when Judas, one of the 12, betrays his own teacher. Let’s take a look at what happened.
47 While he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people.
48 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; seize him.”
49 And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him.
50 Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him.
51 And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.
52 Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword.
53 Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?
54 But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”
55 At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me.
56 But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.
Pray
1. The Faithless Follower (vv.47-50)
1. The Faithless Follower (vv.47-50)
Judas was familiar with Jesus and His habits
Judas had already betrayed Jesus in His heart and privately by going to the Pharisees
He was disillusioned with Jesus
He was dissatisfied with Jesus - Jesus had not measured up to his standard of who the Messiah should be
Judas had previously been given privilege and proximity to Jesus
He had, as Hebrews 6:4 says, “tasted of the heavenly gift,” but he was not a faithful follower of Jesus.
He could do signs and wonders because God had given him that power, but he never calls Jesus “Lord.” It is always “Rabbi” or “Teacher”
Application
What about you? You may know the places that you can find Jesus.
You may visit the church.
You may go out on mission projects or go on trips.
You may share fellowship with the body and have good friendships with those in the church.
You may even really like being around God’s people and God may have used you to bless someone else or used you to do something special in the lives of other people. And yet, Jesus is just “teacher” to you and not “Lord” or “Master.”
You see, a lot of people are religious. Everyone is religious when you get down to it, because everyone believes in something, even if they say they believe in nothing.
So, are you a faithless follower or a do you truly trust in Jesus?
2. The Deserting Disciple (vv. 51, 56)
2. The Deserting Disciple (vv. 51, 56)
51 And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.
The other gospels tell us the names of these two involved here.
Malchus is the name of the servant of the High Priest
Peter is the disciple who struck him
Peter was not trying to give Malchus plastic surgery, but was aiming for his head.
He misunderstood that Jesus had asked about swords earlier and he was trying to make good on his promise to die with Jesus; however, Jesus quickly corrects Peter and tells him that those who live by the sword will die by the sword.
What Jesus is saying is that the Son of God had to go the way it had been prophesied. In other words, God’s plan had to be followed and carried out.
Jesus was not building a kingdom like that of the Muslims that would be spread by the edge of the sword.
There are some who have tried to do this in the name of Christ, but never under His orders.
Genuine conversion can never come at the end of a sword.
But, Peter’s boldness would only last so long. He would desert Jesus with the rest of the Disciples and then when He regrouped and followed Jesus secretly into the courtyard of the High Priest’s house to see what would become of Jesus, He would deny Jesus 3 different times, ultimately calling down a curse on himself while declaring that he never knew Jesus.
Application
Our faith can be so bold at times that we would pick up a sword and swipe at the enemy. We think we would die willingly for Jesus.
Then at other times we can be so cowardly and weak that we run away and desert Jesus and then deny him before fickle man.
Have you ever denied knowing Jesus?
Have you been afraid to follow Jesus, for fear of being associated with one the world hates and things a lunatic?
You cannot be a deserting disciple and truly follow Jesus.
The good news is that we have what these Disciples did not have at that time. We have the power of the Holy Spirit to keep us strong and faithful.
God is a very present help in trouble for us and He will give us a backbone when we need it if we will fellowship with Him daily.
3. The Faithful Son (vv. 52-56)
3. The Faithful Son (vv. 52-56)
There are some things that Jesus cannot do. Did you know that?
Jesus cannot deny Himself.
Jesus cannot lie.
Jesus cannot fail.
11 The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
12 if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us;
13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.
Jesus had prepared Himself for the mission by being in prayer with the Father
He had already resolved in His heart to accomplish what the Father had sent Him to do
Jesus boldly confronted His attackers and didn’t flinch
He came forward as they were walking up
He addressed Judas directly, calling him “friend”
The word “friend here is not the intimate word for “friend”
Jesus had the power to destroy them all, but He kept that power under control so that the Scriptures could be fulfilled
Jesus asks them who they are looking for
They were looking for a man, but found God
Jesus (in the Gospel of John) replies to the question of who they are looking for with the sacred name (I Am) and they all fall down as dead men
At the word of Jesus, men fall down as dead
Jesus could have asked the Father to send 12 legions of angels (6,000 per legion at full strength = 72,000 angels)
See what damage 1 single angel caused in 2 Kings 19:35
35 And that night the angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.
Jesus speaks with His word and destroys His enemies
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.
12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself.
13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.
14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses.
15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.
16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
This is the same One who speaks and creation comes into being from nothing. He speaks again and the winds and the waves obey Him.
Jesus has power that no one can fathom
Illustration: Nuclear energy comes from splitting atoms. We saw what devastation a nuclear bomb can cause with Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Imagine what energy it took to bond atoms together.
And, who holds all of this energy in place and keeps it from spinning out of control?
16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
Even though this is the hour of darkness and Satan’s power, Jesus is the One who has given Satan this power and authority and only gives it that His proclaimed Word might come to pass as He has declared.
Satan is a pawn in God’s hand to accomplish His sovereign will
This is why Jesus could say to Peter, that he didn’t need his help or his sword
Jesus had everything under control and He still does today!
Conclusion
While Jesus was controlling the narrative and everything was happening that Jesus said would happen, don’t think for a moment that those who had betrayed Him were guiltless.
They wanted Jesus gone. They hated Him and sought to destroy Him. These men would be destroyed themselves.
They will one day stand before the real Judge, not some fake kangaroo court of high priest who bought his position from Rome.
God will call the court of heaven together and everything that has been done will be judged. Every thought and intention of the heart will be exposed and called to account. Every idle word that has been spoken will be judged.
Everyone will stand silent before the judge as Jesus stood silent before His judges. Every tongue will be stopped and everyone will stand guilty.
However, for the believer, even those who were weak and faithless, Christ will declare that his debt has been paid in full already. He gets to enter into the paradise prepared beforehand for the faithful.
You see, we are faithful because He was faithful. Our righteousness is His righteousness.
God did not require that we have much faith to be saved. We simply need genuine faith.
Do you have that tiny, genuine faith like a mustard seed today? Do you believe that Jesus died to take your sins away so that you can be guiltless?
Will you acknowledge Him as your Master and not just your guru?
Will you be faithful to Him, or will you betray Him?
