The Judas Potential
The Life Of Christ • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
Theme: The Life Of Christ
Hope: To draw closer to our Lord through a closer look at his life and teachings while he was “in the flesh.”
One of the indications of the Bible authenticity is its truthfulness.
The bible, God’s word, makes no attempt to paint a rosy picture of various “heroes of faith” but rather points out the flaws as much as the faith.
Abraham offering his wife to different kings.
David, a man after God’s own heart, committing adultery and marrying “Uriah’s wife.”
Moses hitting the rock instead of speaking to it and not being able to enter the Promised Land.
Peter, whom the keys to the kingdom of God were given, cursing and screaming “he never knew Jesus.”
The great apostle Paul so terrorizing the church that it left Jerusalem and spread throughout the world to get as far away from him as possible.
These don’t even take into account all those mentioned that were simply evil in what they did.
Cain murdering his brother.
Ahab and Jezebel, two of the most wicked people to ever live.
King Herod who killed thousands of children in the name of trying to kill the Christ.
Of all the famous people in the bible there is one name that sticks out, Judas Iscariot.
The gospel accounts describe him over and over as “the one who betrayed Jesus.”
4 Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples.
In fact, Judas’ act of betrayal is so powerful on its own merits that there were no need to exaggerate his crime.
They never slander Judas because it was so evil it required no embellishment.
Because of this evil little is taught or said about Judas.
There is something about him and what he did that disturbs us and frightens us even.
Have you ever known of a kid named Judas?
Today, we are going to examine Judas and his life with Christ in hopes of learning from his mistakes so as not to fall prey to them ourselves.
So, with this in mind let’s examine our lesson for today, The Judas Potential.
The Real Judas
The Real Judas
His Wickedness.
His Wickedness.
How could anyone do something so despicable as to betray the “Son of God?”
The purity, innocence, and perfection of Jesus only makes Judas all the more guilty and such an act so unthinkable.
In fact, this act is so hard to fathom that it has led many to try and justify Judas’ betrayal.
William Barclay, who was born in 1907 and who has a commentary set on the New Testament, says…
“Judas was misunderstood by the gospel writers and still is today. Barclay maintains that Judas did not intend to betray Jesus to death, that he only wanted to spur him to action, to get Him to arise and take control as he thought a real Messiah should.”
Others have suggested that Judas was possessed by the devil because John 13:27 says “Satan entered into him.”
However, Satan entered into Judas only “after” he had already betrayed him and Mark 14:21 proves Judas was responsible for his own actions.
One guy went so far as to suggest this is a case of mistaken identity.
That it wasn’t Judas that betrayed Jesus but the apostle whom Jesus loved, John.
In spite of all this the bible and specifically the gospel accounts are clear, Judas betrayed Jesus the only begotten Son of God, who came to save the world.
47 While he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. 48 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; seize him.” 49 And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him. 50 Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him.
The question that has been asked by anyone that has come to love the Lord and even by those that presume to is, “Why did Judas betray his Savior?”
In other words, what was…
His Motive.
His Motive.
Why would anyone do such an awful thing to someone that had only been perfect to him in every way.
Jesus was a perfect teacher to Judas.
Jesus was a perfect mentor to Judas
Jesus was a perfect friend Judas.
The reality is we are not given insight into “why Judas” made the decision to betray Jesus.
We know money was a focus as Judas had a “love of money.”
He betrayed Jesus “for 30 pieces of silver.”
14 Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. 16 And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.
This was equivalent to 120 denarii or about 4 plus months of wage.
He was also stealing out of the missionary funds.
6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.
As we all know a “love of money” is the root of all kinds of evil.
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
Some other possible suggestions for Judas’ betrayal of Jesus are that…
Judas was disappointed in Jesus being a “suffering Messiah” instead of a “military Messiah.”
It is possible but seems unlikely since none of the apostles seemed to understand Jesus wasn’t going to be an earthly king.
Judas saw the end was near, after all, he had heard three predictions of the Messiah’s impending death from Jesus’ own lips (Matthew 16:21-23; Matthew 17:22-23; Matthew 20:17-19).
It is possible and this one could even be probable as each of the other disciples clearly understood what Jesus was teaching, even rebuking him for it, though most of them could not fathom it being true.
Judas could have simply never or come to not believe that Jesus really was the Messiah as did Saul of Tarsus.
This one seems like the most likely, that Jesus was simply a “false prophet” and the true Messiah in his eyes but later then realized Jesus was but instead of repenting like Peter, Judas killed himself.
We will never really know the motive behind Judas’ betrayal, and the reality of it is, it could be a combination of each of these.
Regardless of his motives, Judas committed a heinous crime.
Which is why this is such a shame when we think about…
His Plunge.
His Plunge.
I think the most disturbing part in studying Judas’ life is that we see such a fall from grace.
Here we have a disciple, and apostle, and even a friend of Jesus prior to Pentecost.
Peter reminds us of this in Acts 1:17 when he recalls Judas....
Acts 1:17 (ESV)
17 For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.
In other words, as James Stewart points out…
“Jesus called Judas for the same reason for which He called the other eleven. He saw in him a man of noble promise and boundless possibilities…Judas, when he first became a disciple, was a potential man of God.”
Now the reason this truth is so scary is because if Judas, one called by Jesus to be an apostle, could plunge so far as to betray his Savior, we recognize we too can easily fall prey to Satan.
Summary
Summary
We all have the potential to be a “man of God” and yet can just as easily choose to reject that potential for the proverbial “30 pieces of silver.”
That brings us in our lesson then to…
A Frightening Reality
A Frightening Reality
This Potential Lies Within Us.
This Potential Lies Within Us.
This Judas potential lies within each of us unfortunately.
I have heard far too many children of God say ignorant things like “that could never happen to me” concerning this sin or that sin.
“I would never deny Jesus.”
“I would never commit adultery and thus idolatry on God.”
Yet, when we look at scripture this mentality is simply a lie.
The great apostle Paul said that the spiritual war within us (Romans 7:15-21) forces us to “beat back” the Judas potential within us all.
27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
Philippians 3:12 (ESV)
12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.
God would declare that the Judas potential is ever present even in our walk on the “path of light.”
1 John 1:7–10 (ESV)
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
This is why the God writes through his messengers the importance of…
Guarding Our Heart.
Guarding Our Heart.
We must take great care in guarding our heart from the sin or Judas potential of putting God second.
23 Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Deuteronomy 4:9 (ESV)
9 Only take care, and keep your soul diligently…
Summary
Summary
The unfortunate truth is, we all sin and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
This means, if we don’t guard out hearts and minds, we can easily fall prey to the roaring lion that is waiting for us to be so arrogant as to think “this will never happen to me.”
Conclusion
Conclusion
“The Judas Potential” lies within us due to our own lusts and this spiritual battle being fought is fierce.
But thanks be to God that we have the power to over come these lusts, not on our own, but through our God who strengthens us by way of his glories power found in his word.
2 The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.