Sermon Tone Analysis

*THE TRAITOR’S BARGAIN Matthew 26:14–16*

*We have seen that the Jewish authorities wished to find a way in which to arrest Jesus without provoking riotous disturbances,this was presented to them by the approach of Judas*

*(i) It may have been because of greed*.

According to Matthew and Mark it was immediately after the anointing at Bethany that Judas struck his dreadful bargain; and when John tells his story of that event, he says that Judas made his protest against the anointing because he was a thief and pilfered from the money that was in the box (John 12:6).

*If that is so, Judas struck one of the most dreadful bargains in history.

If we work out the amount in Naira less than N1,250 .

If greed was the reason why Judas betrayed Jesus, it is shows how the love of money can be the root of many evils.

The love of money is the root cause of many of the evils in Nigeria.*

*(ii) It may be that Judas was a sicarri, a dagger-bearer, who hoped that Jesus would drive out the Romans.When Jesus chose the way that led to a cross perhaps the hatred of the Romans changed to hatred of Jesus because he was not the Christ he wished him to be.*

*(iii) Maybe he thought that Jesus was proceeding far too slowly; and he wished to force Jesus to act with more power .He may have betrayed Jesus with the intention of compelling him to act.

That is in fact the view which best suits all the facts.

And that would explain why Judas was shattered into suicide when his plan went wrong.*

* Judas refused to accept Jesus and tried to make him what he wanted him to be.We do not change Jesus we who must be changed by Jesus.

Judas thought that he knew better than God.*

*(Judas)  **LOVE’S LAST APPEAL** **   Matthew 26:20–25*

*Although Judas hid what he was doing from the disciples he could not hide what he was doing from Jesus.

(We can hide our sins from each other we can never hide them from Jesus who sees the secrets of the heart.

Jesus confronted Judas with his sin, to make him stop and think of what he was about to do.(The greatest security against sin lies in our being shocked by it.

Jesus tries to make us look at himself to see  clearly the terrible thing we are about to do) *

*Judas went on even when he was confronted with his sin and confronted with the face of Christ, he would not turn back.There is the sin of the passionate moment, when we are swept into wrong doing.

But far worse is the sin of deliberation, when we see clearly what we are doing and go ahead and do it.

*

*                                                               THE TRAITOR’S KISS Matthew 26:47–50*

* If in Judas’s heart there was nothing but black hatred and a kind of mad desire for the money , this is the most terrible kiss in history and a sign of betrayal.

If that is so, there is nothing too terrible to be said about Judas.*

*It is much more likely that Judas kissed Jesus as a disciple kissed a master and meant it; He then stood back waiting on Jesus to use his power and to act.

We see no more of Judas until he kills himself.

Suddenly he saw clearly the terrible mistake he had made as he saw Jesus led away to be condemned.(The

worst kind of hell is the full realization of the terrible consequences of our sins.)

The suicide of Judas surely shows us his plan had gone wrong.

He had meant to make Jesus fire out with power as a conqueror; instead he had driven him to the Cross and life for Judas was shattered.

*

*The terrible thing about sin is that we cannot put the clock back.

We cannot undo what we have done.

Once a thing is done nothing can alter it or bring it back.

No one needs to be very old to wish that some hour could be lived over again.*

*                                                          THE COLLAPSE OF PETER  Matthew 26:31–35*

* Jesus was confident for his confidence lay in God.*/ /After I have been raised,” he says, “I will go before you into Galilee.”

Jesus saw beyond the Cross to the glory of the resurrection.

* Jesus knew that they were going to run for their lives and abandon him in the most difficult moment of his life.

He is not angry, he does not condemn them, or call them useless.

He tells them that when that terrible time is past, he will meet them again.

Jesus knew them at their worst and still loved them.

The knowledge of our human weaknesss does not turn his love to bitterness or contempt.

*

*The  fault of peter is  /over-confidence in himself/.

He loved Jesus and he thought that all by himself he could face anything .

We shall be safe only when we replace over confidence in ourselves with the humility which knows its weakness and which depends not on itself but the help of Christ.*

*THE FAILURE OF COURAGE **Matthew 26:57, 58, 69–75*

*The New Testament is very honest.

It tells of peter’s betrayal in all its teribble shamefulness.

The amazing fact is that we possess the story of Peter’s denial because Peter himself told it to others.

So far from hiding what happened, Peter made it an essential part of his gospel; and did so because he could say, “That is the way that this Jesus can forgive.

He forgave me when I failed him in his bitterest hour of need.

He can forgive you.*

*The  fact is that Peter was a brave man .All the other disciples ran away: Peter alone did not.

For Peter to enter that courtyard in the centre of the High Priest’s house was to walk terrible danger.

However this story ends, it begins with Peter the one brave man.*

*The first denial happened in the courtyard;.

After that recognition anyone would have thought that Peter would have run for his life.

But not Peter.

In his heart there was a fear that made him want to run away; but in his heart, too, there was a love which kept him there.

Again, in the porch he was recognized; and this time he swore he did not know Jesus.

But still he did not go.Peter’s second denial gave him away.

From his speech it was clear that he was a Galilaean.

Peter actually cursed his Master’s name.

But still he had no intention of leaving.

And then the cock crew and Peter remembered  and he went and wept his heart out.The lasting impression of this whole story is not of Peter’s cowardice, but of Peter’s love.*

*THE SOUL’S BATTLE IN THE GARDEN**     ** Matthew 26:36–46*

*(i) We see the agony of Jesus*.

He was now quite sure that death lay ahead.

Its very breath was on him.

No one wants to die at thirty-three; and least of all does any man want to die in the agony of a cross.

Here Jesus had his supreme struggle to submit his will to the will of God.

No one who has not been tempted can enter the Kingdom of Heaven”   *We will all come to our own Gethsemane, God wants all of us to learn to say, “Thy will be done.”*

*(ii) We see the aloneness of Jesus.*

The disciples were so exhausted with the drama of these last days and hours that they could not stay awake.

*And Jesus had to fight his battle all alone.

(That also is true for everyone.

There are certain things we must face alone.*

* (iii) Here we see the trust of Jesus.*

Jesus’s use of the word /Abba/ in addressing God can be found nowhwere else in jewish writings.

It was the word used by a young child to its father; it was an everyday family word, which no one had ventured to use in addressing God.

Jesus did*.

He spoke to his heavenly Father in as childlike, trustful, and intimate a way as a little child to its father.”*

* (iv) We see the courage of Jesus.*

“Rise,” said Jesus, “let us be going.

He who betrays me is near.”

Jesus rose from his knees to go out to the battle of life.

That is what prayer is for.

In prayer we kneel before God that we may stand erect before enemy .

In prayer we enter heaven that we may face the battles of earth.

* (ii) He chose to die because he knew that his death was the purpose of God.

He took this way because it was the very thing that had been foretold by the prophets.

He took it because love is the only way.

“He who takes the sword will perish by the sword.”

Violence can beget nothing but violence; one drawn sword can produce only another drawn sword to meet it.

Jesus knew that war and might settle nothing, but produce only more and more evil.

He knew that God’s purpose can be worked out only by sacrificial love.

*

*Pilate*

*When Pilate came to Judaea, he found trouble in plenty, and much of it was of his own making.

He began with trouble.

The Roman headquarters were in Caesarea.