Luke 22:1-6 | What is Your Price?
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Good morning and welcome to Harvest @ Home.
My name is Jason Self and my family and I are working towards starting a church this fall in Ross, Ohio. We are on track but don’t know just yet what kind of impact to expect from the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the mean time, we wanted to put Sunday morning messages out each week. A lot of people aren’t yet comfortable going where there are large gatherings and so not only does this help as a Sunday School hour for our sending church, it gives our community the opportunity to get to know us and our ministry ahead of our launch this fall.
So this morning let’s open our Bibles to Luke 22
What is your price?
What is your price?
Engage
I want to start off with a question this morning.
The Columbian drug lord Pablo Escobar goes on record as being the richest criminal in history. His ruthless drug cartel controlled cocaine coming into the United States in the 80’s and early 90’s and as a result his net worth was estimated to be $30 Billion Dollars. Escobar is quoted as saying:
Everyone has a price, the important thing is to find out what it is.
When it comes to our faith, do you and I have a price?
Judas certainly did. In our passage today we are going to look at what Judas’ price was and maybe gain an understanding of how that price was set.
Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover. And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people.
Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them. And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money. And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the absence of the multitude.
And so our message this morning is entitled “What is your Price”
Pray
An Unbeliever
An Unbeliever
Tension
In Luke 21 we are presented with a pretty well known event. The betrayal of our Lord Jesus Christ by Judas Iscariot.
There is a book that was discovered in the 1970’s entitled “The Gospel of Judas” This is a forged gospel most likely by the second century gnostics. In this false gospel it is claimed that Judas was the only disciple that really understood Jesus and that Judas was Jesus’ best friend who was asked to betray Our Lord in order to fulfil prophecy.
And while that may have made an interesting tale for the second century Gnostics it doesn’t line up with what we find in the biblical account.
In John 6:64 Jesus says
But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
Continuing in v70
Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.
At the core of the issue is that Judas was in fact, an unbeliever. Which is staggering to consider. Think about it, even by the time this statement is made in John 6 consider what events Judas was around for: Healing the sick, causing the blind to see, Healing Lepers, the feeding of multitudes, walking on water, causing coins to appear in the mouths of fish, calming storms, walking on water, raising the dead and I could go on and on and on…Yet after seeing all of this Judas is still an unbeliever. How can this be?
I think we can start to see our answer back in John 12, starting in v3
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 odour of the ointment. Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should 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.
See here is the thing. We know that Judas was responsible for the disciples money and he is the one, as our Bible says ‘held the bag’. And he was the one that ‘bared what was put therein’. Being a thief, Judas much preferred that people cash in their expensive items and donate the money to the cause rather than use them to honor Jesus.
In the verse that inspired the great hymn ‘Turn your Eyes upon Jesus’ Paul writes in Hebrews 12:2
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
But while everyone had their eyes upon Jesus, Judas had his eyes on the money.
Think about it. All the while Jesus and the disciples were traveling throughout Judea and teaching, Judas had a pretty good gig. He could embezzle as he desired along the way but what happens when Jesus reaches the end of the line with the Jewish leaders? Jesus gets either killed or jailed but Judas is left holding the bag and all of the wealth within.
But the situation has changed. Jesus has the religious leaders out for his head and I am sure Judas is beginning to wonder what that means for his own head. And then, there is the tribulation Jesus keeps speaking about. The timing is interesting here. Jesus wraps up the Olivet discourse, preaching of the fall of Jerusalem and the hardship and trials that are ahead of them and none of this sounds like what Judas signed up for. It was time fo make his break.
Distracted from Greatness
Distracted from Greatness
Truth
We know that it is pretty common for kids today to spend the holiday’s not interacting with their families but glued to their phones or video games. But before we come down on the kids too hard we probably should consider if watching the game on the big screen during family gatherings is any different. But there is a company that specializes in vacation trips where you are required to unplug, put your phone away and actually enjoy being on your trip. The problem is that people will go to places like the Grand Canyon and spend there time messing with their phone rather than taking in the spectacular view. People will travel the world to see amazing once in a lifetime events in person, only to watch them through the tiny screen of their phone while they take pictures. Consider that every year an estimated 1 million people come to Times Square to watch the ball drop on New Years. How many of them end up watching it through the screen of their cell phone as they record a video of the event.
This is where Judas was. The money in that bag was like Judas’ cell phone. He was so fixated on serving himself rather serving the Lord that he missed it all.
In Matthew 13:17 Jesus tells his Apostles:
For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
And while sure prophets and righteous men in the Old Testament times may have wanted to see the time of the Messiah but even you and I can relate. Haven’t you ever thought of how amazing it would be if we had a time machine and could go back and sit at Jesus feet as he taught. But here was Judas, face to face with the second person of the God head, the word of God made flesh. He could talk to Jesus face to face whenever he wanted, he witnessed him performed miracles over an over again.
Your Price
Your Price
Application
Judas sold out the Lord for 30 pieces of silver, about $20,000. But remember the title of our message this morning is “What is your price?” What is your sack of gold? What has grabbed your attention to such an extend that you miss the presence of God? And it could be the obvious things that we tend to talk about, surely when we see that kids sports activities are scheduled for Sunday mornings it is clear where peoples affections are.
But let’s not forget that Judas was Apostle, he was a church member and in good standing. He was after all the treasurer.
Check out what it says in Luke 9:1
Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.
It doesn’t say that he called 11 of the disciples and then came to Judas and was like “Sorry bud, you are going to have to sit this one out because you are a devil”. No, he called all 12 disciples, including Judas and gave them power and authority over devils.
Even in church, people are often more consumed by church things more than by God. See here is what I know, christian music is good. But how often do we hear about Christian musicians who get some success and turn their back on the things of God when those things are unpopular with their new friends and new lifestyle brought on by their success. We know that preaching is good, but how often do we hear about preachers who are more interested in the authority and power offered by position and so as is ultimately the case, Pride comes before the fall. Even the church itself can distract us from Christ. If we stop from preaching the full council of God because it might offend; If we forsake righteousness and God’s justice because people might get upset, then our attention stopped being on Christ.
As we read through scripture you almost want to yell out…pay attention Judas, you have your eyes on the gold, But look up and see Jesus! Jesus is walking on water, and look at his disciple Peter. Peter got to come out on the water with him. Look now Judas, Jesus is raising Lazarus, turn away from the gold and rejoice with everyone! Judas, what are you scheming, don’t you know that in the mountain now, three of your fellow disciples are on a mountain with Jesus, Moses and Elijah and God the Father is speaking to them out of the Shikinah Glory!
Christians, what are we missing when our eyes aren’t fixed on Christ?
Eyes on The Prize
Eyes on The Prize
Inspiration
When this idea started bouncing around the Self household of planting a church, there were a few things that we had to chew on pretty hard. We have family at this church, and you can say but you aren’t related to anyone at Southland, but still we have a church family that we love dearly. There are a lot of comforts in an established church that we won’t have, at least not right away. And really, we gave a lot of thought to how this would impact our kids; They have a lot of friends here that they won’t get to see as often.
But you know what, I only struggle with those things when I am taking my eyes off of Christ. When I fail to have the great commission out in front of me. Like a kid with their cell phone out at the Grand Canyon. I have the opportunity to see God working in a way I have never seen before. Lord willing we will see souls turn to Christ and a community impacted. But none of that happens if we have our eyes on the wrong things.
Where will you look
Where will you look
Action
There came a day for Judas and we read about it in Matthew 27:3
Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.
Judas saw he was condemned. He knew he was guilty and our Bible says he repented himself. Don’t get this mixed up 2 Cor 7:10 says that
For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
This isn’t that, Judas didn’t become a believer and repent to salvation. Judas repented that he betrayed innocent blood and now someone was going to be killed because of his actions. He had a guilty conscience but plenty of people have guilty consciences. The problem is he still hand’t recognized Christ as Lord!
See, it seems some times that it is the Judas’ of the world who are making it. You see they have their gold that things just seem to go there way despite their lack of faithfulness; But in the end someone is going to offer them their price and they are going to be disappointed. It may seem difficult some times to not get distracted by those things in the world that distract us and tempt us. But how much better is our view along the journey if we have our eyes fixed on Christ and what he is doing, rather than on the world and what we might think we are missing.