Hands of Betrayal (Judas)

Betrayal & Loyalty; Remorse & Redemption

Marcus Brutus, Benedict Arnold, and Judas Iscariot. Some names are so synonymous with betrayal that everything else they ever did in life doesn’t really seem to matter. Betrayal befouls any and all former good deeds. Betrayal besmirches names into oblivion. You don’t run into too many Delilah’s or Benedict’s or meet many Judases. Betrayal is the blot that can’t be gotten rid of, it seems.

Betrayal is always a big deal, even if it isn’t as historically consequential as these. You’ve been stung by betrayal likely. Perhaps you were double-crossed in a bad business deal; maybe you were stabbed in the back by a gossipy friend, or maybe your heart was broken by someone you loved who proved to be untrue. It is deeply painful find out—after the fact—that someone you trusted, confided in, or even loved would sell you out so easily.

If you’ve ever felt like that, you are not surprised by how John describes Jesus in our reading for this evening. (Jn. 13:21) Jesus was troubled in spirit. His are disciples dumbfounded & disheartened. They began searching their own hearts, and even asking one another who he meant or if it could even be them. One by one they asked Jesus, (Mt. 26:22) Surely you don’t mean me, Lord? Of course, in this moment, Jesus knew exactly who would betray him. It was Judas. But as they continued to ask him, he continued to be vague about exactly who it would be. (Jn. 13:21) One of you.

That night, at that table, Jesus provided two clues the disciples missed. Like the other disciples, Judas asked Jesus if he was saying that Judas would be Jesus’ betrayer, and Jesus answered: (Mt. 26:25) You have said so. John also tells us when Jesus dipped the bread and gave it to Judas, (Jn. 13:27) Satan entered him. Jesus commanded him to (Jn. 13:27) do what he was going to do, quickly.

But, it is remarkable that the identity of the betrayer remained a mystery to the disciples until it happened. Jesus could have easily let the cat out of the bag from the get go. He knew when he called Judas Iscariot to be his disciple that one day he would be his betrayer. He could have sat down that night and shamed Judas in front of everyone. He could have put Judas through the wringer and exposed his deceitfulness, his embezzling, & his plots with the chief priests, too.

And indeed, that is likely what we would have done. Consider how we respond when we find out a close friend has become a betrayer. We are deeply wounded. We often become bitter and angry. We expect our enemies to have it out for us, but not our friends. We expect people in the world or in the workplace to sell us out when it benefits them, but not our buddies or loved ones. When they do, we tend to put an end to the relationship. We may even dramatically say that person is “dead to us”.

So imagine if you knew—without a doubt—that someone was going to betray you. How long would you keep that a secret? How quickly would you cut off communications with them? How soon would they “be dead” to you?

Yet our God has not treated us like that—or even as our sins deserved. What Judas did that night has not been soon forgotten. But what Judas did that night was not as rare or as unrepeated as we might like to think. Each one of us has betrayed our Jesus too!

Since the fall into sin, people have been betraying God. Choosing to give him up for a cost. Adam and Eve betrayed the Lord their God for the opportunity to be like God knowing good and evil. And ever since that moment, their children have followed in their parents’ footsteps. We betray God when we consider his Word to be no more authoritative or truthful than the popular views of our day or our own deeply-healed opinions. We betray God when decline the rest he offers to us in his Son, in his Word, in his house, for lesser relationships, lesser truths, and lesser places. We betray God when we disregard the authorities he has established because they don’t align with our ideas and ideals. We betray God when we consider lustful or angry impulses, greedy or jealous thoughts to be no big deal. We betray God when we grumble and complain about what we don’t have or what we do have to deal with. To choose to sin, in any form, after coming to know that Jesus is God’s own Son and your Savior is to betray God.

Jesus knows we don’t think of sin in terms of betrayal—exchanging God for something less than God. That is why Jesus asks poignantly (Mt. 16:26) What good is it for a man to gain the whole world but forfeit his soul? Jesus knows many have betrayed him for a price—at great personal, spiritual cost.

God knows, beyond a shadow of a doubt how you have betrayed him and how you will again and again. But he does not treat us as we treat our betrayers.

How quickly we would expose our betrayers! But not our God. He rebukes his betrayers clearly, but discreetly. He is more interested in winning them over than showing them up.

How quickly we would cut off all communication! But not our God. He reaches out. He breaks bread. He speaks and gives of himself—even with his betrayers.

How quickly we view our betrayers as “dead” to us! Yet, God saw that we were Eph. 2 dead in our transgressions and sins and deserving of his wrath, but because of his great love and rich mercy, he saved us, by grace through faith. God made betrayers like us alive. And that is what Jesus longed to do—even for Judas. Jesus was troubled in his spirit by what Judas was about to do, but he did not let Judas’ sin lead him into temptation. Instead he (Heb. 2:18) suffered this pain and resisted the temptation to lash out at Judas. (Jn. 13:1) Jesus loved his betrayer even to the end!

There is a tragic thing that happens in the lives of many betrayers. When they are finally caught, trapped by their treachery, and exposed for their duplicity and deceit, they are overwhelmed and become desperate. Some, like Judas, take their own lives out of guilt and shame. They take their lives out of a deep sense that what they have done can never be undone, the wrong they have committed can never be righted, the treachery they have perpetrated will follow them wherever they go. That is how Judas died. (Mt. 27:3) When Judas saw that Jesus was condemned to crucifixion, he was seized with remorse and tried to return the blood money. (Mt. 27:4) ’I have sinned,’ he said, ‘for I have betrayed innocent blood.’ Of course those wicked chief priests and elders had no mercy on this broken betrayer. (Mt. 27:4) “What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility!” (Mt. 27:5) Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

It is a grievous ending for Judas the betrayer, but not surprising. Because when sin becomes a sinner’s responsibility guilt grows; shame compounds; and it only ever ends in (Rom. 6:23) eternal death.

That is why Jesus came—to take responsibility for our sins—even our betrayal. The blood Judas betrayed was innocent, righteous, and pure. It washes us clean from all our sin. The blood of that Lamb took responsibility for our sin. That (Heb 12:24) blood speaks a better word: (Lk. 23:34) Father forgive them for they know not what they are doing.

Of course, those word first applied to the Roman soldiers who were crucifying Jesus. They were not unaware of the pain they were inflicting, the shame they were heaping upon Christ as they mocked and beat and crucified Jesus—but they did not understand the full ramifications. Judas, like those soldiers, was not unaware of how much the chief priests hated Jesus and wanted to kill him—but when he saw that Jesus was going to be crucified he began to understand what he had done. Like those abusers and that betrayer, we are not unaware of God’s commands to do and not to do—but in the moment we do not see those actions and inactions as cosmic betrayal. But they still are. Just as Judas’ actions were. Just as the Roman soldiers were responsible for torturing and killing the Author of Life and the King of kings. We are guilty of sin.

Yet this innocent blood was willing and joyful to take responsibility for our sins. He knew he would be crucified. He knew he would be betrayed. But (1 Cor. 13:7) love bears all things, even betrayal. So love commanded it to be (Jn. 13:27) done quickly. (1 Cor. 13:7) Love endures all things, even injustice. So love submitted to corrupt Jewish and Roman officials even though he was innocent. (1 Cor. 13:7) Love always perseveres, so love carried his own cross, to the point of physical exhaustion, and our sin debt to the point of death. Because (1 Cor. 13:8) Love never fails. Love continues to be loyal and totally self-sacrificing. Jesus is God’s undeserved love to even loathsome betrayers like Judas—and you and me. Jesus is (Proverbs 17:17) the friend who loves at all times, the brother who was born for this time of adversity. As physically, emotionally, and spiritual agonizing as it was, God’s own beloved Son was committed to shedding his innocent blood so that our guilt would not stick to us forever, so that our lives would not end as Judas’ did with remorse and hell, but redemption and heaven. And this is what he says: (Is. 43:25) I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more. Amen.