I've entitled the message for
tonight, What Do We Learn From Judas? What Do We Learn From Judas? Judas Iscariot is one of the
most, if not the most, infamous names in history. His name is associated with betrayal. His name is associated with treachery. He's the man that betrayed the
Lord Jesus Christ. And Christ said concerning this
man, it would be good for him had he never been born. The Lord said that. The Lord
called him a devil. The Lord called him the son of
perdition. And the Lord also called him
friend. And when he called him friend, I dare say, I know that's
exactly what he meant. Wherefore comest thou friend? Now, what can we learn from this
man? On some levels, I feel very sorry
for him. And the reason I feel sorry for
him is I, in my heart, believe myself to be just as bad as him. That's not an exaggeration. Let's
look at his end for just a moment, Matthew chapter 27. Verse 3,
Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was
condemned, repented himself. Now let me say this about repenting
yourself. If you're repenting yourself,
it's not true repentance. It's not. It's not the gift of
God the Holy Spirit. If you repent yourself, remember
those men in John chapter 8? that went out being convicted
by their own consciences. They felt a measure of sorrow,
but it was not Holy Spirit conviction. And what Judas did, he repented
himself. He saw what he did was wrong,
and he went out and repented himself and brought again the
30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders saying, I
have sinned and that I betrayed the innocent blood. Now, let
me ask you a question. If Judas would have come to Christ
and asked for forgiveness, would Christ have received him? You can be sure he would. He
said, him that cometh to me, I don't care if he's as bad as
Judas Iscariot. Him that cometh to me, I will
in no wise cast out. But you'll notice Judas didn't
come to Christ. He came back to the law. He came
back to the chief priests with his confession. 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. And Judas has an Old Testament
type, a Hithophel. We've been looking at him in
the Bible study on Sunday mornings. David's close friend, he betrayed
David during Absalom's revolt and he ended up hanging himself
and everything regarding Judas is actually foretold in the Old
Testament Scriptures. The Scriptures actually said
he did these things that the Scriptures might be fulfilled. Now what Judas did, listen to
me real carefully, What Judas did in betraying the Lord Jesus
Christ was predetermined and predestinated by God himself. Now let me repeat that. What
Judas did was nothing more than a fulfilling of the scriptures.
And God predestinated this, and God determined for this to take
place. It was all a part of His glorious
purpose in giving His Son to die for sinners. Now before anybody
starts objecting to this, let's look at a couple of scriptures.
Look in Luke 22, verse But behold, the hand of him that
betrayeth me is with me on the table." You know, Judas took
the Lord's table with him, the first Lord's table. He was there,
and he partook. Truly the Son of Man goeth as
it was determined, but woe unto that man. by whom he is betrayed. See, it was determined. Look
in John chapter 13, 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. So everything Judas was guilty
of, was already determined in Holy Scripture. Look in John
chapter 17, verse 12. While I was with them in the
world, I kept them in thy name, those thou gavest me I've kept,
and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the
Scripture might be fulfilled. So we see that everything that
took place in the life of this man Judas was predetermined by
God and everything that took place took place that the scripture
might be fulfilled. And before anybody starts thinking
about all the implications and ramifications of that statement,
let me remind you that everything is determined by God. Everything
is determined by God. There's nothing that happens
that's outside of His sovereign will, purpose, and control. Everything is determined by God. Whatsoever the Lord pleased,
that did He in earth and sea and all deep places. He doeth
according to His will in the armies of heaven and among the
inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay His hand or say
unto Him what doest thou. He always does His will. Somebody says, well, how can
we be held responsible? You take that up with him. That's
about the only way I can think of to say that. I say the same
thing that Paul said in Romans 9 when they said, who is resisted
is will. If he's determined everything
and there's nothing that we can do about it, who is resisted
is will. Why does he find fault with us?
Nay, but O man, who art thou to reply against God? Shall the
thing formed say to him that formed it, why hast thou made
me thus? Now, I'm not worried about this turning people into
fatalists in any way. It's just the truth. And I like
it this way. I really do. You know, when I'm
preaching, I love, I love the fact that God is in control of
everything. Judas is in His hand. I'm in His hand. You're in His
hand. Even the thoughts that are going
through your mind right now, He's in control of. And I love
it that way. Oh, what a glorious God. We have. Did he not say to Pharaoh, even
for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my
power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout
all the earth? Well, that does not in any way
take away from responsibility. Judas did what he wanted to do.
Judas wasn't compelled to do this. He wasn't forced to do
this. Judas did what he wanted to do
and is held completely responsible for it. But I think of this scripture,
Acts chapter 2, him being delivered by the determinate counsel and
foreknowledge of God, you have taken and with wicked hands have
crucified and slain. So we see God controls everything
and men are held completely responsible for their actions. You have a
problem with that? I don't. I don't. I'm glad it's
that way. Now turn back to Luke chapter
22. You know, I think it is, it's
almost interesting that people talk about what they call the
problem of evil. If God's good, how can He let evil take place?
How can He let these things take place? So, does somebody sit
in judgment on God like that, like God needs to give an account
to Himself? No, He doesn't. No, He doesn't. He gives no account
of His matters. He doesn't owe you an explanation or me an explanation
to anything He does. When we really believe that whatever
He does is right, don't we? I have such confidence in that,
I have such satisfaction in that, I'm not a bit worried about trying
to exploit, well how can God let that happen? Whatever he
does is right and we like it that way, don't we? God is God
in absolute control. So everything Judas did, it was
all a part of God's purpose and a part of God's plan. And Judas
did what he did freely, uncoerced. God is absolutely sovereign and
in complete control over the free and uncoerced actions of
men. Now that just shows how glorious
he is. We're back to chapter 22, verse 3. Then entered Satan, into Judas, surnamed Iscariot. Satan entered his heart. Let
me read this scripture to you. John chapter 13, verse 2. And
supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart
of Judas Iscariot Simon's son to betray him. Now, Satan couldn't
do this without Christ's permission. He can't make a move without
Christ's permission. He had to ask Christ if he could
do this first. And Christ said, yes, because
it was all a part of his purpose. But you know, Satan had so much
to work with with Judas like he would me or you. Now, Judas
was not a victim here. Judas was doing what he wanted
to do. And Satan entered his heart by the permission of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Now, do you remember when Satan
asked for permission to take Peter and sift him as wheat?
Satan, if desired to have you, literally he's asked for permission
to sift you as wheat. Christ said, I prayed for you,
that your faith fail not. He didn't pray for Judas like
that. He let Satan take possession. Now look in verse four of Luke
22, and he went, not Satan's way, he went his way, didn't
he? He went his way. He did exactly
what he wanted to do. And he communed with the chief
priests and captains how he might betray him unto them. And they
were glad. And they covenanted to give him
money. And he promised and sought opportunity to betray him unto
them in the absence of the multitude. They didn't want to get in trouble.
Now, the scriptures point out what precipitated. him betraying
Christ. Now you think about this. He
walked with Christ and the other disciples for three years. And when Christ said, one of
you will betray me, nobody suspected Judas. They didn't suspect him.
They all said, is it I? Is it I? So he was even taking
the Lord's table with him at this time. And the Lord called
him friend. And if the Lord calls somebody
his friend, he's not doing that insincerely. He was friends with
the Lord Jesus Christ. Now this is, once again, I don't
understand this. Christ knew exactly what he'd
do, he knew what he was, but yet he calls him friend. Now turn with me to Matthew chapter
26 and we can see what precipitated his betrayal. Matthew chapter
26, beginning in verse 6. Now when Jesus was in Bethany
in the house of Simon the leper, There came unto him a woman,
having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured
it on his head as he sat at meat. But when his disciples saw it,
they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste?
Now we know from John's account, it was Judas who said this. Maybe
the other disciples chimed in after they heard Judas say this,
but Judas was the one who was criticizing her for this. What
is the purpose of this waste? I mean, this was worth a lot
of money. We could have taken this and given, fed all kinds
of poor people with this, and she's breaking this box in such
a wasteful, extravagant manner, and just wasting it on the Lord
Jesus Christ. Let's go on reading. For the ointment might have been
sold for much and given to the poor. When Jesus understood it,
he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? For she hath wrought
a good work upon me. I can't express the significance
of this is the only time the Lord called something a good
work. That's worthy of our careful
attention, isn't it? This is what the Lord called
a good work. Why trouble ye her? She hath
wrought a good work upon me. For you have the poor always
with you, but me you have not always. For when that she hath
poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. Verily
I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the
whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done,
be told of her, a memorial of her then. Then, one of the twelve,
called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priest, and he started
looking to how he could betray him. He, for some reason, this
event, this is the last straw. This is the last straw. I'm done
with this guy. Then, when he, to betray him. Now, many have speculated what
motivated Judas to do this. Was it love of money? Some have
said he wanted Christ to be a political leader. He was very frustrated
when he saw that wasn't going to take place. So he just gave
up on him and said, I'm going to betray him. I'm not going
to have anything to do with him. But John tells us he was a thief. He held the one office in the
church and he was a thief. And he'd bear the bag and the
money therein, and he'd skim off the top for himself. He was
a thief. I guess when he saw all this
money wasted, he was thinking, this is money I could have had.
I could have benefited from this. And he was upset. Turn to John
chapter 12. John chapter 12. I promise you I'm going to preach
the gospel from this. It's a depressing subject in a way, isn't it? But
I promise you I'm going to preach the gospel from this, so stay
with me. Stay with me. John chapter 12, beginning in verse 2, There they
made him a supper, and Martha served. But Lazarus was one of
them that sat at the table with him. Then took Mary a pound of
ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus,
and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with
the odor of the ointment. Then saith one of his disciples,
Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which said, Betray him! Why was
not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the
poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because
he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.
Now, this tells us three things about Judas. Number one, he was
a very critical, judgmental person. He looked at what this woman
did, and he criticized her for it. He didn't see any beauty
in it. He criticized her for it. He
thought of all the good that could have been done with that
money, that she wasted it, breaking it, for what? anointing his feet. She was a critical person, a
judgmental person. Let me ask you a question. Know
anybody else like that? Know anybody else like that? I think
of what Paul said in Romans chapter 2, verse 1. Wherefore thou art
inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest. for you
that judgest, doest the same things." Whatever I criticize
you for, I'm guilty of doing the same thing. Second thing
that I would notice about Judas is John tells us he didn't care
about the poor. He talked like he did, but really
he didn't care about anybody but himself. And once again I
ask myself the question, you know anybody else like that? And then thirdly, he was a thief. He took that which did not belong
to him. I repeat, do you know anybody
else like that? Someone who has taken that which
belongs only to God and used it for yourself, robbed glory
of God, robbed, you know anybody else like that? That's why I'm
saying when I look at Judas, I don't look at him as, I look
at myself in the same light as him. Turn with me to Matthew
26. Matthew 26, beginning in verse
20. Now before I read verse 20, look
in verse 14. Then one of the twelve, called
Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priest. So he had already
betrayed him at this time. It had already taken place. Now,
look in verse 20. Now when the evening was come,
he sat down with the twelve, 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
unto him, Lord, is it I? And I asked myself the question,
If the Lord Jesus came into this room and said, one of you shall
betray me, I wonder if I would suspect myself as the first one
to do it. Well, the disciples did. 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
good for that man if he had never been born. Then Judas, which
betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? What base hypocrisy. He'd already betrayed the Lord.
But yet he says, when he hears all the other disciples saying
it, he says, well, I need to say the same thing. But notice
the difference. They all said, Lord, is it I? He said, Master, Teacher, is
it I? You know, he had never truly
bowed to the Lordship of Christ. And how odious he appears when
he betrays the Lord with a kiss. He becomes a master, master,
and he kisses him on the cheek. Judas, betrayest thou the Son
of Man with a kiss? The Lord called him in John chapter
6, verse 70, a devil. Have not I chosen you twelve,
and one of you is a devil?" But you know, he said the same thing
to Peter. Remember when he said to Peter,
Get thee behind me, Satan? Thou savest not the things that
be of God, but the things that be of men. Ask Peter if he knows
anybody like that. Turn with me for a moment to
Psalm 109. We know that this Psalm is about
Judas, because it's quoted in Acts chapter 1 as being about
Judas. But we get something of his character
in Psalm 109, beginning in verse 6. Set that, now this is what's called
one of David's imprecatory prayers. When he's praying against somebody,
and when he prays against somebody, he prays against them. But this
is also the Lord praying against Judas. Now, verse 6, Set thou
wicked man over him, and let Satan stand at his right hand.
When he shall be judged, let him be condemned, and let his
prayer become sin. Let his days be few, and let
another take his office. Remember that's quoted in Acts
chapter 1 as to why they were looking for someone to take Judas's
place. Let his children be fatherless,
and his wife a widow. Let his children be continually
vagabonds, and beg. Let them seek their bread also
out of their desolate places. Let the extortior catch all that
he hath, and let the stranger spoil his labor. Let there be
none to extend mercy unto him, neither let there be any favor
to his fatherless children. Let his posterity be cut off,
and in the generation following let their name be blotted out.
Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the Lord,
and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out. Let them be before
the Lord continually, that he may cut off the memory of them
from the earth, because that he remembered not to show mercy,
but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay
the broken in heart. As he loved cursing, so let it
come unto him. As he delighted not in blessing,
so let it be from him. As he clothed himself with cursing,
like as with a garment, so let it come into his bowels like
water and like oil into his bones. Let it be unto him as the garment
which covereth him, and for girdle well with his girding continually.
Let this be the reward. of mine adversaries from the
Lord, and of them that speak evil against my soul. Question. Now here's how I want
to end up the last few minutes of this message. Question. Do you feel morally superior
to Judas? If you do, congratulations. I'm
proud of you. Great, man. You're really special. But there
are some here tonight who believe themselves to be just as bad
as Judas himself. I know there's some people that
believe that about themselves. Judas is the worst of the worst. What can we learn from Judas? The difference between the saved
and the lost, between heaven and hell, is not found in man. Peter was just as bad as Judas. Todd is just as bad as Judas. Would you be insulted if I would
say, and listen I think you're all fine people, I really do. I think you're fine people. I
trust you with my money and all that kind of stuff. Well, most
of you anyway. But the point is, everybody in this room is just
as bad as Judas. Amen? Everybody in this room. The difference
between the saved and the lost is found in God himself. Now I want to give you four scriptures
that give us the difference between the saved and the lost. Between Judas and somebody, let's
say Peter. Turn with me to John chapter
13. Verse 18, I speak not of you
all, when he's talking to the 12 at this time, I speak not
of you all, for I know whom I have chosen. The difference is election. Christ said, I know whom I've
chosen. He never chose Judas to salvation. The difference is divine election. Our Lord said in John chapter
15 verse 16, you did not choose me, but I chose you. How does that resonate with your
heart? Don't you know that so? I love that song, "'Tis not that
I did choose thee, for Lord, that could not be. This heart
would still refuse thee, but thou hast chosen What amazing grace that God would
choose me. I could just as easily be Judas.
I'm no better. And I really believe that. But
God chose me. Christ chose me according as
He has chosen us in Him. before the foundation of the
world that we should be holy and without blame before him. Someone who denies election denies
that God is the difference. Now that's just the bottom line.
I speak not of you all. I know whom I've chosen. What
a blessed thing. What an amazing thing to be chosen
by Christ. The elect love election. Everyone
of them do. There's no such thing as a believer
that doesn't love election. Somebody says, I don't love election.
You've never seen Christ then. You've never been saved by his
grace. All believers love election. And here's why they love election.
They know that without God's electing mercy, they would be
no different than Judas. They're sure of it. John chapter
13, verse 6. Then cometh he to Simon Peter,
and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Now put
yourself in Peter's place. What if the Lord was getting
ready to wash your feet? You think you'd feel awkward? You
think you feel like, what's he doing washing my feet? That doesn't
seem appropriate. Peter said unto him, Lord, dost
thou wash my feet? Jesus answered and said unto
him, What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt
never wash my feet. I'm far too humble to let that
take place. Jesus answered him, If I wash
thee not, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter saith unto him,
Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith
to him, he that is washed, and he that is not saved to wash
his feet, but is clean every whit, and you are clean, but
not all. Judas is not clean. You see,
Judas was never washed. He was never washed in the blood
of Christ. What is the difference? between
Judas and somebody who saved, the washing, cleansing blood
of Christ that makes me clean every wit. The blood of Christ
is such that God himself sees me as without blame, without
guilt. Perfectly righteous. And you
know what? I believe that. I believe that. That's the power
of the blood of Christ. So what's the difference between
Judas and me if I'm saved? Christ washed me. He made me
clean. Every whit. John chapter 17. Verse 12. While I was with them in the
world, I kept them in thy name. Those that thou gavest me, I
have kept, I have preserved, and none of them is lost, but
the son of perdition, the son of destruction, that the scripture
might be fulfilled. He kept all of them but Judas. What's the difference? The keeping
power of Christ. Now, if you're a believer, what
would happen to you if the Lord removed his hand from you and
didn't keep you even for a second? What would take place with you? You and I would fall away so
quick that it immediately, immediately, there wouldn't be, if, if Christ
brought me all the way to the threshold of heaven, and it was
up to me to take the last step to get in. Without his keeping
power, I would be dashed into hell immediately. And you would
too. What's the difference? The keeping,
preserving power of Christ. Those thou gavest me, I have
kept. The reason I look to Christ right
now is only because He keeps me. That's the difference. And look once again in John chapter
17 verse 9. I pray for them. I pray not for
the world. But for them which thou hast
given me, for they are thine." Now Judas was part of the world. The Lord said, I don't pray for
the world, I pray for them. The difference is the intercession
of Christ. Having Him pray for you. Peter,
I pray for you. Let me ask you a question. If
Christ prays for you, are you in good shape? If Christ represents
you before the Father, are you secure? Well, sure. Peter, I've prayed for you. Not that you don't fall. You
need to fall. You need to fall. It's going
to be for your good. But I prayed for you that your
faith fail not. And Peter's faith didn't fail. Now, what was the difference
between Judas and Peter? Christ prayed for Peter. He didn't
pray for Judas. Now these things write I unto
you that you sin not, but if any man sin, or when you do,
we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And the difference is the prayer
and intercession of Christ. Now Judas was an evil man, used
of God, in the great work of redemption, and he reminds me
powerfully that the only difference between me and him is God himself,
the electing mercy of God, the precious blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ, him keeping me and preserving me by his Spirit and Him praying
for me as my great high priest and intercessor, representing
me before the Father. Now that's what I learned from
Judas. The only difference between me and Judas is God Himself. Let's pray. Lord, we're truly sorry That
there's no difference between us and Judas. That's how bad,
that's how evil we are by nature, by choice and by practice. And
Lord, we confess from the very depths of our heart that salvation
is of the Lord. That you're the difference and
Lord, how we are amazed at your grace toward us. and how we give
thanks for the complete salvation that's in your son. Now Lord,
take this message and cause it to glorify thy son and use it
to teach us that he is all in our salvation. In his blessed
name we pray. Amen.