it must be. Thus it must be. That's the way God the Father
ordained it to be. Therefore, thus it must be. I would to God that I could look that everything that comes my
way, every trial that comes my way, that I could say, thus it
must be. God, Almighty God, is never,
never has been, not now, nor ever will be, in a strait between
the two. You know what to do. God Almighty
is never that way. Thus it must be. It's the only
way it can be. It's the way he ordained it in
infinite wisdom, in his counsel. You know, everything that comes
to pass has been taken in to counsel. by Almighty God, weighed
in the balance, weighed by infinite wisdom, and
ordained to be so. Every tear I'll ever cry, every
heartache I'll ever have, was taken into counsel before the
foundation of the world, and weighed in the balance of wisdom.
And then God ordained it to be so, and thus it must be. That struck me so much when I
read this over the past two or three days, past few days. Thus
it must be. Our Lord is going to be betrayed
by one whom he calls over in the Psalms a familiar friend. How awful is this word, betrayed? In this same chapter, this same
chapter, one betrays Him, another denies Him. One is a son of a
devil, and one is a son of God. But there's a difference. I'm
not going to deal with the difference tonight, but there's a difference. Judas went to them to sell him
out. They came to Peter, and out of
fear, the Lord drew his hand back to teach Peter who and what
he is. He let him deny. But we're going to look at this
part here of Judas betraying him this morning. And what an
awful word. And he betrayed him through covetousness. through covetousness. Listen,
he betrayed him for thirty pieces of silver. The God of heaven and earth was
estimated to be worth thirty pieces of silver. Isn't that something? Spurgeon said he'd been betrayed
and sold out for a lot less cents, but for thirty pieces by an evil heart of unbelief. Let me read something over here
to you. Listen. In John, I saw this when Frank
was asked to turn over to John chapter 6. This caught my attention. It says here in verse 66, From
that time many of his disciples went back and walked no more
with him. They left him. Then said Jesus
unto the twelve, Will you also go away? Then Simon Peter answered
him, Lord, Whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal
life, there's no one else to go to. You have the words of
eternal life, and we believe and are sure. Now listen, that's
how assurance happens. We believe and are sure. That thou art the Christ, the
Son of the living God. Jesus answered them, have not
I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? Is that this mic making a noise? Definitely so. I don't think I need it. Vicki
tells me I don't. She tells me at the house, remember
you've got a mic. I don't necessarily need one.
So he answered them, have not I chosen you twelve? And one
of you is a devil. Now, the Lord's just
not calling names. He doesn't name call. He's telling
them, one of you is a devil. And he spake of Judas Iscariot,
the son of Simon. For he it was that should betray
him, being one of the twelve." Who could do such a thing? Who
could do such a thing? I could do such a thing, if not
by his grace. The Lord told them, one of you
shall betray me. And you know that each one said,
is it I? Our Lord had just come through
one of his darkest hours. We cannot even begin to imagine
the darkness of Gethsemane, an hour that we cannot even enter
into, the hour when he began to be made were laid on him for an hour. And in just a few hours of this
hour, Christ will bear all their sins in his body, it
says, on the tree. The true nature of man Don't go to some war, and there'll
be plenty of them, go to Calvary. There is truly our Creator, our
Creator, and this is what we did to Him. The true nature of man is coming
out here, but now you listen, listen, the finest hour The finest
hour of our Lord is going to shine here. The darkest hour of man and the
brightest hour of the Son of God happens at the same time. Where sin abounds, grace will
much more abound. Now while our Lord was talking
in verse 47, One of the twelve. He comes with
a multitude. Now, when it says multitude,
it means multitude. A great multitude. The Bible
is not given to exaggeration. It's given to exactness. And
when it says multitude, it means multitude. And they came with
swords and staves. I mean, this is an army coming
out to get one man. And they come out with this army
to get you. Why so many against so few? This is the way it has always
been. This is the way it has always
been. The people of God, the way of God, the truth of God,
have always been in the minority. It always has been and always
will be. There always will be a multitude against so few. Always. True Christianity is not popular. It is not popular. Not at all. Religion is popular. as the one who actually finished
redemption, who actually redeemed. That religion is not popular. It's in the minority. And we notice here that these
people that were carrying the swords and the staves were from,
they were come from the chief priest and the elders. These were the Sunday go-to-meeting
people. They got out the swords and the
staves and they were going to take him. One way or another,
they were going to take him. These were supposed to be the
best people in town. Well, this is as good as it gets
with men. This is as good as it gets. Man
at his best state is altogether vanity. That's what the Word
of God says. I didn't write that. God wrote
it. God wrote it. You know, he could have said,
I'll show you, I'll show you the one, now the one I point
to, that's the one. No, he says, the one that I kiss,
he's the one you want. Well, didn't they know him? This
is interesting. He said, I sat daily with you
in the temple. Did they not know what he looked like? Our Lord, now listen, this is
good. Our Lord so identified himself
with his disciples that he had to be pointed out by Judas. He dressed like they dress. He
spoke like they spoke. His identification is just melting
right into the people. So he said, I'll identify him
with the kiss. You know what they said about
Peter? They said, this is one of them. Let me see if I can
find it here. I didn't write it down. That one woman. She said, your speech betrays
you. You're one of them. You're one of his disciples.
You're one of his disciples because your speech betrays you. You sound just like him. You
talk like him. That's identification. Our Lord
so identified himself with us that Judas had to go pick him
out because they wouldn't be able to do it. And notice here how Judas betrays
him. He betrays him. Solomon said in Proverbs 27,
open rebuke is better than secret love. Beware flattering lips. Job said over there, he that
speaks flattery to his friends, even the eyes of his children
shall fail him. Beware of the man that continually flatters
you. betray him with a kiss, and if
you'll notice this, Judas was the only one who ever kissed
the Lord Jesus Christ on the face. No one ever did that. He's the only one who ever kissed
him on the cheek. One other time, in Luke, one
other time, a woman kissed She kissed his feet. She washed them
with her tears and dried them with her hair. But none but Judas
dared to walk up and kiss him in the face. Over familiarity. No reverence. Isn't that like
this generation of religious people? Jesus is my co-pilot. Just so much irreverence. And Judas just walks up and he
says, Hail, Master! And just kissed him right on
the face. This is how you'll know the one
that you want. I'll just walk up and kiss him
on the face. Kiss him on the cheek. No reverence
for Christ whatsoever. He's the Lord. He's the Master. The Lord knew what that kiss
was for, though. It didn't fool him, it was for betrayal. And notice this stinging, notice
this stinging statement that our Lord says in verse 50. Here
in verse 50, and Jesus said unto him, friend, he didn't say you devil, what
are you doing? He says friend. He called him
friend. Why? Why did our Lord call him
friend? I'll tell you why he did it.
To fulfill the scriptures. Turn over to Psalm 41. Everything our Lord did, everything
he spoke, was to fulfill the scriptures. As Frank said in the Bible class,
he never wasted a movement, he never wasted a word. Every word
he spoke is the word of God. When he opened his mouth, it's
God speaking, and not even a syllable was wasted. He says in chapter Yea, my old familiar friend,
in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted
up his heel against me." He said it to fulfill the Scripture. And
he also said it, and I think, showing this, there's no animosity. There was no animosity. in his
heart. When someone betrays you, you know, somebody can slip up
and tell something you shouldn't have told, but when someone betrays
you, the first thing you want to do is, do you want to get
even? Boy, I can't believe you betrayed
me. I'll get even with you. But our Lord showed no animosity. He said, friend, Therefore art thou come." He knew why. He wasn't asking
for information. He's shooting at the heart. He's
shooting at the heart. Then came they and laid hands
on Jesus and took him. And after they took hold of Christ,
Peter took hold of a sword. And they cut off the ear of the high
priest's servant. I personally admire Peter. I do. I personally admire Peter
for standing up to fight for his master. He said to his master,
he said to the Lord, I will die for you. I tell you what, he
proves it right here. He proves it. Peter was truly willing to
die for Christ's sake, but that's for another time. But I'll tell you what I think
happens here. I believe the Lord lets us, see
these things are written by our Lord. He lets us see that Peter
would die for him before he lets Peter deny him. He does let us
see. Yes, this man will die for me.
He's right, he will die for me. But before I show Peter that without me, you can do nothing,
I'm going to have to let him deny me. But he lets us see here
that yes, Peter will die for me. He takes that sword. There
is a multitude. Peter doesn't see this one man.
There is a multitude. And Peter, one man, grabs his
sword and he takes off. I mean, he goes to defend the
Lord. When they laid hands on him, oh, I wish we had that much
zeal. When our Lord is being blasphemed, when his gospel,
his glory, is being put into the mud, is being trampled on,
I wish that God would stand up with this sword, with this sword,
and defend him. Not that he need defend him,
but also, you know, contend for the faith, what's delivered to
the saints. But this is what happened here.
Peter has to learn, he's going to have to learn that without
me he can do nothing. But we get to see, we get to
see Peter's willingness to die. And he says to him, now Peter
in verse 52, all who take the sword shall perish with the sword. Now our Lord is not condemning.
He is not condemning defending one's family or one's country. He's not condemning that. But
what he is saying here, I do believe, is this battle, Peter,
is not fought with a glittering sword that men make, that man
has made. This is a spiritual battle that he's going to fight, the
Lord's going to fight. It's not going to be fought with that
type of sword. Turn over to Ephesians chapter
6. Here is the sword that Peter
has to learn, and we have to learn, to fight with. In Ephesians 6, in verse 17, this is the sword that we fight with. And the sword of the spirit,
which is the word of God. Peter, that's the sword you're
going to use. That's the sword you're going
to fight with. Not this, not this sword that men make. Whoever,
you know, if you fight with family, you're going to die with it.
But this is the sword, the word of God. If I took a sword this morning,
I mean took a sword, a real sword, and I came out of this pulpit
and I started just swinging it at you, you would leave this
room and I assure you somebody would be calling the police to
come and get me. Let me show you how dangerous
it is using this sword incorrectly. Look over in Hebrews
chapter 4. This is why it's so important that when we stand behind this
pulpit, we rightly divide the word of truth. We rightly handle
the word of God. It says in Hebrews 4.12, For
the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any
two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul
and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner
of the thoughts and intents of the heart." This sword is the
most powerful sword in anyone's hand, or the most dangerous. If I take it and twist it, I'm
playing with many souls. He says, Peter, put up that sword.
That's not the one you're going to use. Put it up. Listen. Verse 53. Thinkest thou
that I cannot now? Twelve legions, or more than
twelve legions of angels. I get it. I get it. Twelve legions is roughly 70,000. You know in the book of Revelations,
one angel is going to destroy one-fourth of the population
of this world. One angel. Over in the Old Testament, there
was one angel that destroyed and killed 70,000 men. And he
says, I can call more than 70,000 angels at my beck and call. And don't you know, don't you
know they were ready to do it? They were ready. Can you imagine
looking from that side? They served and worshipped before
you and I came around. Before He became incarnate. This
is the one they loved, they worshipped, they adored. This is the one
they obeyed before He became incarnate. Don't you know I could
call twelve legions of angels and deliver myself? He didn't even have to do that.
You know what it says? They fell backwards. When they said who they were
looking for, he said, I am. They fell down. He literally had to give them
the strength to get up and finish the job. But we see here in verse 53,
we see here his willingness to suffer. His willingness to be
made sin, His willingness to go to the cross, His willingness
to suffer the wrath of God against His people. We see His submission
to His Father's will, thus it must be. We see His power over
this whole situation. As I said in one other gospel,
they fall down. He picks them up, dusts them
off, says, all right, that's your job. to the Word of God. It says in
verse 54, but how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled?
That thus it must be. Oh, I'll tell you what he thought
of the Word of God. Thus it must be. The Scriptures
must be fulfilled. God must be God. God's the God
of His Word. It must be. Nothing that's written
could be left undone. Can't go around this one. Christ
could not be spared one ounce of suffering. If sin and art
are going to be in glory, if I'm going to be in glory, if
you're going to be in glory, you believe the gospel, thus
it must be. In that same hour, Jesus said
to the multitudes. He's speaking to the multitudes.
Here's the Creator speaking to His creation that hates Him. Are you coming out as against
a thief of swords and staves to take me? I sat daily with
you teaching in the temple, and you lay no What did Christ ever do to warrant such
treatment? He went about, the scripture
says, doing good, healing the sick. He taught the truth to them in
the Ten Commandments. He's exposing their sinful hearts. He's asking this question to
expose their sinful hearts, their sinful motives, their conduct.
What did I ever do to you that would make you come after me
like this? He's shooting at the heart. He
gives them the answer. You see, they're dumbfounded.
They're probably standing there holding the sword and spades,
and they're probably thinking, why are we here? I'll tell you
why you're here. The purpose of God. The wrath of man shall praise
him, and the rest he will restrain. the scriptures of the prophets
might be fulfilled, and all the disciples forsook him and fled."
The reason you're doing what you're doing, I'll tell you why,
I'll give you the correct answer. It's for the purpose of fulfilling
the scriptures of the prophets that was written of me a long
time ago. Isaiah 53. He was oppressed, and he was
afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. He is brought as a
lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is
done, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and
from judgment, and who shall declare his generation? He was
cut off out of the land of the living, from the transgression
of my people, and was why you do it, to fulfill what
the prophets wrote of me. Thus it must be. Then all the disciples forsook
him and fled. Henry said one time, no one ever
died as alone as Jesus Christ. God forsook him. His disciples He's going to do battle, not
only with the King of Darkness, but he's going to have to suffer
for the Prince of Darkness. He's going to have to suffer
under the wrath of Almighty God. This really happened. This is
something. Over in 1 Kings, I think of this
when I think of our Lord. He said, Satan hath come and
found nothing in me. He's got to grapple with the prince of
darkness. Over in 1 Kings 22, 31, it says,
But the king of Syria commanded his thirty-two captains, and
had rule over his chariots, saying, Fight! This is what's going on
here now. Fight! Neither was small nor
great, save only the king of Israel. That's what's going on. Satan, with all his forces, is
fighting with neither small or great, but with the King of Israel. Get the sheep out of harm's way.
That's why he let them scatter. The King of Glory has entered
the battlefield. Let me close with this. 2 Chronicles,
2017. I wrote it down. You can turn
to it if you want to read it. This battle is the Lord's battle.
The sheep are scattered. He's getting them out of the
way. Getting them out of harm's way. The King of Glory has entered
the battlefield. He's entered the fray and he's
going to take care of this. 2 Chronicles 20, chapter 20, verse
17, God speaking to Jehoshaphat,
you shall not need to fight in this battle. Set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation
of the Lord with you. If you're not, you'll be dismayed. He tells them, tomorrow go out
against them, for the Lord be with you. You know what? They
never licked a finger to win that battle. They ended up turning
on their own selves, slaying their own selves. Listen, you
shall not need to fight in this battle. This battle that's going
on right now in the garden and on the cross is the Lord's battle. You and I are just going to get
to see. Let's just sit here over the next week or two and see
the salvation of our God.