Winners and Losers: Part 25 - Judas:

Judas: The Disciple Who Wanted the World

Judas is the epitome of lost opportunity and greed. For more than three years he spent intimate time with the incarnate God yet he never came to see Him as anything more than the means to satisfy his selfish desires. He never came to really know His heart or to love Him and believe in Him. He saw Jesus perform countless miracles and heard Him forgive men of their sins but he never understood the significance of why Jesus was upon the earth. Instead, he saw Jesus as the keeper of a fantastic power that would usher in the golden age of Israel; he thought that he would reap material prosperity from his association with Him.

When that did not happen he determined to benefit from Jesus anyway, so he agreed to betray Him for the miserly sum of 30 pieces of silver. In the end, when he felt remorse for betraying Jesus, his unspiritual mind never thought of humbling himself before God and beseeching God for forgiveness; instead, as a materialist, he tried to deal with his guilt in a material way by returning the money. After all those years of missing out on who Jesus was and what He was accomplishing Judas missed his last opportunity for salvation. How did this happen? It was the result of a series of decisions. Let’s look at his life to see the progression.

I. Who Was He? (Psa 41:9; 55:12-14, 20b-21; 109:8; Zec 11:12,13; Mt 10:4; 26:14-16, 21-25, 47-50; 27:3-10; Mk 3:19; 14:10,11, 18-21, 43-45; Lk 6:16; 22:3-6, 21-23, 47-49; Jn 12:4-6; 13:2, 18-26, 29; 17:12; 18:2-5; Ac 1:16-25).

A. What was his name?

1. His name, Judas, is the Greek form of Judah, which means, “Jehovah leads” or “one who is the object of praise”.

2. Iscariot means, “man from Kerioth”; Kerioth was a town in Judah twenty-three miles south of Jerusalem and seven miles from Hebron.

B. Who were his people?

1. His father’s name was Simon (Jn 13:2).
2. Judas was a Judean Jew, a group who felt themselves culturally superior to the Galilean Jews.
C. When did he live? He lived in the 1st century A. D.

D. What was his occupation? Scripture gives no information about his occupation prior to following Jesus.

II. What Did He Do?

A. He followed Jesus.

1. He was a disciple.

WHAT IS A DISCIPLE? A learner; one who was called to follow.

WHY WAS JUDAS A DISCIPLE? PERHAPS IT WAS THAT:

a. He was drawn by the crowds.

b. He was attracted by Jesus’ power/ the supernatural.

1) Jesus was a miracle worker.

2) Jesus had wisdom beyond that of the scribes and Pharisees.

3) Jesus had power.

c. He had expectations of the Messianic Kingdom (Mt 16:16; Jn 1:41,45,49; 11:27).

d. He thought Jesus would overthrow Rome and make Israel independent (Mt 19:27; 20:20-23; Lk 24:21; Ac 1:6).

e. He had a desire for personal gain.

All of the disciples could have had these desires but Judas never evidenced a desire to worship Jesus, as the others did, nor did he ever rise above earthly concerns.

2. He was one of the twelve Apostles (“sent ones”).

a. Jesus chose him: He was called to be one of the inner circle of followers who would know Jesus and His teachings most intimately (Mt 10:1-4; Mk 3:14-19; Lk 6:12-16).

b. He was foreordained:

1) Psa 41:9; a friend who betrayed.

2) Psa 55:12-14, 20b-21; a treacherous hypocrite who would break covenant.

3) Zec 11:12,13; one who bargained for thirty pieces of silver.

4) Lk 22:21,22; one who was determined to be the betrayer.

c. He acted in the name of Jesus (Mt 10:1,2,7; Lk 9:1).

1) He preached the gospel with the others (Mt 10:7; Lk 9:1).

2) He cast out demons in Jesus name (Mt 10:1; Lk 9:1).

3) He healed in Jesus name (Mt 10:1; Lk 9:2).

He is like those disciples who said, “‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I [Jesus] will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me you evil doers!’” (Mt 7:22).

3. He was a trusted disciple.

a. He was the treasurer (Jn 12:6; 13:9)- yet he stole money from the group.

Jesus kept a bag of money to benefit the poor and it was this that Judas oversaw; and he pilfered money from the bag for himself (Jn 12:6; 13:29).

b. He was respected and echoed at the Bethany feast (Mk 14:3)- yet he left the table to arrange Jesus’ arrest.

c. He was honored at the Last Supper (Mk 14:20; Jn 13:26)- yet he left as Jesus commanded him to and no one suspected that he would become the betrayer.

d. He was pointed out as the betrayer (Mk 14:18-20)- yet everyone suspected himself and not Judas.

To establish this trust Judas must have been an accomplished actor.

B. He forsook Jesus.

1. He rejected his Master.

WHY? “My kingdom is not of this world” (Jn 18:36).

a. He was disappointed: after the Triumphal Entry Jesus did not overthrow Rome (Jn 12:13).

b. He was disillusioned: Jesus spoke of His impending death, not of the imminent Messianic kingdom (Jn 12:24).

c. He was rebuked: after he protested that Mary’s ointment was wasted on Jesus he was chastised by Jesus (Mt 26:6-13; Mk 14:3-10; Jn 12:1-8).

d. He was prompted by Satan (Jn 13:2,27).

2. He became demon possessed.

a. Lk 22:3, “Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve”.

b. Jn 13:27, “As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him”.

3. He betrayed Jesus

a. He planned to betray Jesus

HOW? He deliberately waited for an appropriate time to betray Him:

1) He wanted to find an opportune moment (Mt 26:16).

2) He wanted to find a convenient moment (Mk 14:11)

3) He wanted to find a private moment (Lk 22:6).

WHAT DID HE RECEIVE FOR HIS BETRAYAL?

Mt 26:15- THIRTY PIECES OF SILVER (SEE Zec 11:12,13).

1) The price of a slave

2) An insult to Judas and Jesus

b. He ignored Jesus’ warning (Mk 14:21; Jn 13:21-30).

c. He fingered Jesus

1) He acted as a guide for the Sanhedrin’s police (Mk 14:43; Ac 1:16).

2) He gave a signal to point Jesus out- the signal of ultimate hypocrisy, a kiss (Mt 26:49; Mk 14:44,45; Lk 22:47).

C. He failed himself

1. He gained nothing

a. He betrayed Jesus and lost his chance for salvation; “as a man lives, so he will die”.

b. He returned the thirty pieces of silver.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MONEY?

Mat 27:6,7, IT WAS USED TO BUY A POTTER’S FIELD (IN WHICH TO BURY STRANGERS) A FUKFILLMENT OF Zec 11:12,13.

2. He was remorseful but not repentant

a. He was not repentant as Peter was (who also betrayed Jesus)

b. He committed suicide

1) He hanged himself (Mt 27:5).

2) He fell headlong and his bowels burst out (Ac 1:18).

3. He “went to his place” (Ac 1:25)

WHERE DID HE GO? HE WENT TO HELL.

a. Hell is the abode of those who reject Jesus (Mt 25:41)

b. Jesus called him a “devil” (Jn 6:70)

c. Jesus said “woe”( disaster, judgment) would come to the betrayer (Mt 26:24; Mk 14:21; Lk 22:22)

d. He was called “the son of perdition (destruction or ruin)” (Jn 17:12).

e. Jesus said “It would be better for him (Judas) if he had not been born” [than to face judgment] (Mt 26:24).

III. What Can We Learn From Him?

A. A false disciple will fall away when his/her expectations are not met.

B. Having an experience with God is not a guarantee of salvation; only the inward working of the Holy Spirit on a soft heart will create the humility, contrition, and repentance that will lead to being “born again”.

C. The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.

Back to Winners and Losers