The Lord looked at the 12 men
that he had spent night and day with for three years. And he looked at that group and
he said, one of you will betray me. Now, I don't know of anything
that could be worse in being the betrayer of Christ. What a horrible, horrible sin. And he said, one of you shall
betray me. And in verse 19, it says, they
began to be sorrowful and to say unto him one by one, is it I? One by one. Who began? We're not told. Somehow I think
it wasn't Peter, because Peter went on to say after the Lord
said, you're going to deny you know me. He said, though the
rest of this bunch will, I'll never do it. So I have a tendency
to think Peter was not the first one that spoke up. But each one
of these men said, is it I, John? Is it I? James, is it I? And they were saying this was
sorrow. Andrew, is it I? Matthew, is it I? Nathaniel, is it I? Philip, is
it I? All 11 of them ask this question,
is it I? Am I the one that will betray
you? But notice the last phrase of
verse 19, and another said, is it I? Now this distinction is
Mark's way of letting us know that this other one who said,
is it I, did not mean it. This is Mark's disclaimer. Turn with me to Matthew's account
in Matthew chapter 26. Verse 21, Matthew 26 verse 21. And as they did eat, he said,
verily I say unto you that one of you shall betray me And they
were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say,
Lord, is it I? And he answered and said, he
that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray
me. The son of man goeth, as it's written of him, but woe
unto that man by whom the son of man is betrayed. It had been
better, it had been good for that man if he had never been
born. Then Judas, which betrayed him,
answered and said, Master, is it I? Now he had already made plans
on betraying the Lord. That's already been pointed out
in the scripture. But do you notice the difference
between Judas and the rest of the 11? What did the 11 say? Lord, is it I? What did Judas say? Master, teacher, is it I? Do you know not one time in the
inspired record we have did Judas ever call Jesus Christ Lord? Even when he betrayed him with
a kiss, he said, master, master, teacher, teacher. He never addressed Jesus Christ
as Lord. Now, as I read that and pondered
that, I wondered if the Lord were here in the flesh tonight,
and looked at every one of us and said, one of you shall betray
me. I know from the scripture how
I ought to answer. Is it I? That's how I ought to answer.
But I wonder if that would be the first impulse of my heart.
I wonder if I would say, is it I? I know I would say it is I,
because I know that's the thing to say. All the other disciples
did. But I wonder if that is the first
impulse of my heart, or if I think it was probably so-and-so. They're
probably the ones that will do it. Now, Judas went to the priests
to betray Christ after Mary's beautiful work. Turn back to
Mark 14. and Judas Iscariot. Now the reason that word and
is there, the conjunction and, is it's part of the previous
verses. We considered last week Mary's beautiful work, but Judas
was so offended by this, this was the straw that broke the
camel's back. I don't know what happened before this, but this
was the final straw with Judas. After he saw this, He went, according
to verse 10, and Judas Iscariot, one of the 12, went unto the
chief priests to betray him unto them. Now, when he said, is it
I? This had already taken place.
He had already planned the betrayal of the Lord Jesus Christ. And
when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him
money, and he sought how he might conveniently betray. Turn with me to John chapter
13 for a moment. This is the same story from John's
gospel. Verse two, and supper being ended, and they'd
taken the Lord's table together. Judas did as well. I hope we
can remember this. Anytime somebody thinks, well,
you need to use the Lord's table to discipline people. If somebody's
not living right, you need to withhold it from them. I wonder
who thinks that they have the ability to do something like
that. That's amazing. But the Lord
allowed Judas to take the Lord's table. And that lets you know
it should never be used by someone making a judgment over somebody
else. The only reason not to take the Lord's table is you
don't believe the gospel. That's the only reason. But all 12 had
taken the Lord's table and the supper being ended, the devil
now having put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son,
I can't help but notice how the devil put this in his heart.
You know, the Lord said in John chapter eight, verse 44, you
of your father, the devil and Judas wasn't any different than
any other natural man. You're of your father, the devil,
the devil had plenty of work with, with Judas. He'd had plenty
of work with, with me or you, he could turn us inside out so
easily. And he did this with Judas. Now
look in verse 18. Now this is after he had washed
the disciples feet. He says in verse 18, I speak
not of you all. I know whom I have chosen. Now he's saying that the one
who betrays me is not one of my elect. I know whom I have
chosen. This is the way the Lord use
this language. Why is that important for us
to understand? We're to understand that one of God's elect, all
of God's elect will be saved. Everybody that Christ died for
will be saved. Everybody that God the Holy Spirit
has given spiritual life to will be saved. And here's the point
behind all this, salvation is by grace. It's not by your works. It's by grace, and that's pointed
out even at this time. He says in verse 18, I speak
not of you all. I know whom I have chosen, but
that the scriptures may be fulfilled. He that eateth bread with me
hath lifted up his heel against me. Now, this betrayal of Judas
was a fulfillment of the scriptures. That's very important. This betrayal
of Judas was predetermined by God himself. You know, folks
have a hard time with that. I don't have a hard time with
it. God's God and whatever he does is right. And he predetermined
that Judas would commit this deed. And he quotes that passage
of scripture from Psalm 41, 9 that refers to David's friend Ahithophel. He's the one that would join
up with, he was a good friend, he was David's counselor. They
took sweet communion together in the house of God, but he would
join up with Absalom. And he's the one David speaks
of when he talks about that one who was my friend who had betrayed
me. And this is interesting. You
know who Ahithophel was? Bathsheba's granddaddy. Now I imagine there was a time
when David and Ahithophel were really good friends. And Ahithophel
loved David. But I kind of think that after
what took place with his granddaughter Bathsheba, he began to despise
him. And it went on and on and on
from that. There's a story behind it, but
the main story is that God is in control of this event. Now, that's true with regard
to everything. You see, God is completely sovereign
over the free actions, the uncoerced actions of men. The thoughts
that are going through your mind right now, God is completely
sovereign over. Now, with regard to the death
of Christ, him being delivered by the determinant counsel and
foreknowledge of God, that's strong, isn't it? you have taken
and with wicked hands have crucified and slain. Now that's man's responsibility.
It didn't get him off the hook, but it happened according to
God's determined counsel and foreknowledge. What about that
scripture in Acts chapter four, for the truth against the holy
child, Jesus, whom thou has anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate
with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together
to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before
to be done." Everything with regard to the death of Christ
and who put him to death was determined before by God who
is completely sovereign over the free actions of men. Judas' conduct was predetermined.
He's called the child of perdition. Predetermined. Question. Does that mean Judas was a helpless
pawn, a victim of the sovereignty of God? Judas was doing what he wanted
to do. He wasn't forced to do this.
He did what he wanted to do. And me and you do what we want
to do. We can't blame God's sovereignty.
We can't say, well, I couldn't help it that I did this. God
determined that I do it. No, you and I are completely
responsible for our actions. Amen? It's true. And yet God
is completely sovereign over all of our actions as we see
in this passage of scripture. Just like the murderers of Christ,
they did what they wanted to do, But they did what God's hand
and God's counsel determined before to be done. Now remember
this, with regard to everything, with regard to everything, I
think of what Joseph said to his brethren. He didn't say, well, you guys
didn't mean to do this. He said, you meant it for evil. It was
a wicked action on your part, and that's what you meant it
for. He didn't take that away. You meant it for evil. But God
meant it for good. And it is always that way. May we be enabled to trust the
Lord. He always brings good out of
evil. Nobody else can do that, but
he can and he does. Now, Judas, the pawn of the devil,
was willingly the devil's servant. I don't think he knew that, but
he was willingly the devil's servant. Look in John chapter
17 for a moment. This is the Lord praying his
great high priestly prayer. And he repeats what he'd said
in John chapter 13 in a little bit different way. He said, while
I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name, those
that thou gavest me, I have kept and none of them is lost, but
the son of perdition." Speaking of Judas, that the scriptures
might be fulfilled. This was determined. It's done
that the scriptures might be fulfilled, but Judas is not one
of those people that I have kept. Judas wasn't one of the people
the Lord was talking about when he said, all that the Father gives
me shall come to me. Judas wasn't one of those people. He wasn't
one of those people of whom the Lord spoke of when he said, this
is the will of him that sent me with all which he had given
me. I should lose nothing, but raise it up again at the last
day. Now, God's people are secure because he saves them. Somebody
says, do you believe in eternal security? Well, if the Lord's
the one that does the saving, I do. If it's up to us, no, I don't.
I'll fall away and you will too. But if it's he that does the
keeping, if it's he that does the preserving, yes, we believe
in the eternal security of God's people. But Judas wasn't one
of them. The Lord calls him a son of perdition. And the Lord said to Judas, that
which you do, do quickly. Not that which my sovereignty
is compelling you to do. Not that which you're forced
to be doing. That which you do. You're doing
this. Do quickly. Now I have no doubt about this
man Judas, who was one of the 12, that he at one time admired
the Lord Jesus Christ. He was around the Lord day and
night for three years. Peter tells us that he was numbered
with the apostles and obtained a part of this ministry. He had
a highly trusted office. He was the treasurer. You're
not going to put somebody in that office that you don't trust
their integrity. He had a highly trusted office as the treasurer. And he saw the miracles of the
Lord. He heard the preaching of the
Lord. He saw his life. And I have no
doubt that Judas preached the gospel when he was sent out. I have no doubt that Judas performed
the same miracles that the other apostles did. You know that if
he didn't, they'd think, what's wrong with this fella? Or if
he didn't preach the gospel, they would have known that. No,
he mouthed the gospel and he was enabled to perform these
miracles. Now we're not told of any particular
event that changed his heart toward Christ, but the action
of this woman. was the straw that broke the
camel's back. It was Judas who said, why was
not this ointment sold for 300 pence and given to the poor?
He criticized this woman for what she had done. And John says
this, he said, not because he cared for the poor, but because
he was a thief. And had the bag and bear what
was put therein. Now let's stop right here. Judas
was a thief. Judas was a thief. That's an evil thing. I wonder if I've got any thieves
listening to me right now. Oh, I hope nobody in here is
going into department stores and grocery stores and shoplifting
things and stealing things. I hope you're not doing that.
I hope I'm not doing it. But being a thief goes a whole
lot farther than walking into a store and stealing something
that doesn't belong to you. A thief is one who takes what
does not belong to them. You do that? You do that? Have you Through silence, taking
credit for something that you really didn't do, that you made
it appear as if you did. You know, God said when we fail
to give, we're said to rob God. That's a thief. Have you ever
taken credit for something in salvation? That's called being a thief.
Something as simple as not doing your best is stealing something
from someone. Not giving your spouse due benevolence
is called defrauding. That is being a thief. We could go on and on about what
a thief is. When someone is failing in this thing. They're
a thief. Judas was a thief. You know what
else Judas was? First, let me ask you, do I have
any thieves listening? Well, you're looking at one. You're looking at one. I'm a
thief. And Judas was a critic. Look at the way he criticized
this work that's the only work the Lord ever called a good work. And he was a critic of it. He
criticized her. He called it a waste. He said
this could have been sold for 300 pence, and look at all the
poor people that could have been fed by this, and what you're
doing is wrong. Offer a smell. He couldn't understand
that. He was a critic. He criticized
what other people did. Trying to make himself look better.
Have any critics listening to me? Right here. Judas was an insincere man. When
he said, it is I, he had already made plans to betray Christ.
And the only reason he said it is because he heard everybody
else say it. That's his only reason for saying
it. He thought, well, I need to fall in line. You ever say
things you don't mean because you know it's the right thing
to say? Insincere? Yep. What was it that he used to betray
Christ with? A kiss on the cheek. Now, the
people that loved him kissed his feet. Judas kissed his cheek. An outward show of affection
to cover up what was really in his heart and what his real intentions
were. An absence of humility, presumption. Judas sold the Lord for 30 pieces
of silver. That was foretold in the scripture.
You know, it's amazing, everything around the death of the Lord,
it's almost like the guys looked up in the Bible and they all,
what do we do next? Judas, he sold the Lord for 30
pieces of silver, just like the scripture said he would do it.
But his religion was about personal gain. Whatever he did was about
enriching himself. He could not conceive of this
woman doing what she did because she loved Christ. He couldn't conceive of that. You know why? He had never loved
the Lord Jesus Christ. He never saw him as the altogether
lovely one. He thought he did, but he didn't. He loved the benefits he got
from being a disciple of Christ, but he never loved the person
of Christ. He couldn't say with Peter, Lord,
you know, all things, you know, that I love your person. Judas couldn't say that. It speaks
volumes that Judas never called Jesus Lord. All the other disciples did,
and he said, you call me master and Lord. You say, well, for
so I am, but Judas never called him Lord. You know why? Because he had no love for his
lordship. Now let me tell you this that
I know about every single believer. Every single believer without
exception loves his lordship. Jesus is Lord. No man can say that but by the
Holy Ghost. Now you can say it and articulate it. I've heard
people do it. I remember the one semester I
went to a religious college, I hated it, but I mean the preacher
boys would come by each other and they'd do their fingers like
this and they'd say, Jesus is Lord. And that was proven, I
guess, to them that they had the Holy Spirit because they
said that. And I thought, you bunch of hypocrites. I mean,
it just, I hated that place. That's why I only stayed there
one semester. I couldn't deal with it. Got an F in chapel,
as a matter of fact. I couldn't go to chapel. I mean,
I couldn't listen to that stuff. But at any rate, you can say
things, but to love his Lord. His Lordship is his will being
done in all things. He's Lord of creation. He created
this universe as an act of his will. Providence is Him controlling
everything as an act of His will. Whatever happens, it's His will
being done. And if you're saved, you're saved
for this reason, He willed your salvation. And you know, as sure
as you're a foot and a half high, if He hadn't willed your salvation,
you would have never been saved. Every believer loves His Lordship. Jesus Christ is Lord. That's what Peter preached when
he summarized his preaching. Peace by Jesus Christ. He is
Lord of all. We love saying that, don't we?
Jesus is Lord. I love saying Jesus is God. I
love saying that. He's God. Jesus is Lord. Poor old Judas couldn't say it. He had no love for his lordship. Let me tell you something else
about Judas. And you know, everything I've said about him up to this
point, I would have to say no difference between us. Although
I do love his lordship. Lord knows whether I'm real in
saying that. But I do love his lordship. But
all the other stuff about Judas, no difference between the two
of us. No difference. Judas never practiced. Repentance
toward God. Look in Acts or Matthew Chapter
27. Verse 3. Then Judas, which had betrayed
him. When he saw that he was condemned, repented, what's the
next word? Himself. He didn't have any repentance
toward God. He repented himself. and brought
again the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and the
elders saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent
blood. Now he was accurate about that. He had done that, but he never
saw the problem was his evil nature. He was thinking of this
event that took place. And there was never any true
repentance toward God. Just, oh, I've done a bad thing. And they said, what is that to
us? See thou to it. And he cast down the pieces of
silver in the temple and departed and went and hanged himself just
like Ahithophel did. Ahithophel went and hung himself
after he was caught up in this thing with David. Judas did the
same thing. But let me tell you something
to notice about Judas. Where did he go when he saw he
was in trouble? The law. The law. What do you reckon Christ
would have said to Judas if Judas said, would you please forgive
me and have mercy on me? I guarantee you he would have
done it. No doubt in my mind. There's never been anybody to
come to him for mercy that he turned away. Judas came to the
law and he heard the only thing the law can say, what's that
to us? I can't do anything for you.
And he went out and threw down that 30 pieces of silver and
went out and hanged himself. Is it I? Now, I'm gonna close
with this thought. If I know myself, I will say, is it I? I'll see so much similarities
between me and Judas that I'll say, and mean it, is it I? You see, I am a thief. Right now, I'm a critic and a
judge. I have so much insincerity. So much covetousness is I. Now, what is the difference between
me and Judas? Back in the 80s, American Avenue,
Henry Mahan brought a message. He entitled four questions for
thoughtful people. And he used, as an example, Judas
and Peter. Judas and Peter. Peter was saved. Nobody's gonna
argue against that. Peter was saved. Judas was not
saved. Nobody's gonna argue against
that. The Lord called him the son of perdition. The Lord said he
didn't choose him. Judas was not saved. Judas, and
I hope I say this with a broken heart right now, but Judas has
been in hell a long time. He's not saved. Now, what was
the difference between Judas and Peter? Here's the difference. God loved
Peter. He did not love Judas. God willed the salvation of Peter. He did not will the salvation
of Judas. Jesus Christ died for the sins
of Peter. He did not die for the sins of
Judas Iscariot. God the Holy Spirit gave Peter
a new heart to believe the gospel. He never did give that to Judas. Peter and Judas, I say without
any hesitation, were equally sinful men. And I say with even
less hesitation that me and Judas are equally sinful men. What's the difference between
me and Judas? the will of God, the love of God, the blood of Christ, the work of God the Holy Spirit
in me. That is the difference. Is it I? Well, it would be. Except for this one reason. Grace. Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you. That salvation is of you. How we thank you for your will
and salvation. How we thank you for your saving
love. How we thank you for the effectual
blood of Christ that cleanses us from all sin. How we thank
you for the work of God the Holy Spirit that causes us to look
to thy son as all. Lord, give us this spirit of
is it I. Don't let us think is it so and
so, but let us say from the depths of our heart, is it I? And Lord, we ask that you would
have mercy on us for Christ's sake and keep us by your grace. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.