Good Friday Service
Easter Upside Down • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 7 viewsNotes
Transcript
Great expectations and an opportunity missed
Great expectations and an opportunity missed
April 4, 2021
How the world could someone have a front row teaching to everything that Jesus taught and did and instead of choosing to faithfully follow him …then betrayed him like Judas Iscariot did?
Perhaps this answer can be summed up in 2 words: Great Expectations. We don't know exactly when Judas decided to betray Jesus. We don't know the exact moment he decided to miss the greatest opportunity in all of history. But we can see snapshots of moments throughout Jesus and his ministry where we saw that Judas had a view of the Messiah that was upside down when compared to what Jesus was trying to do. In fact the expectations Judas had of the Messiah work completely misguided and they caused him to miss the greatest opportunity in history to follow Jesus.
We need to remember that Judas was almost certainly a zealous Israeli Patriot. He wanted to see Israel freed just as many of his countrymen did. This was a time when the thumb of Rome sat heavily on the nation. He was raised in the heart of Judah in a place called Kerioth like many Jews Judas was probably looking for a Messiah who would kick the Romans out and turn things right side up for the Jews. It was looking for a Messiah that would restore the Kingdom of Israel. And after three years watching and listening to miracles and teachings Jesus he thought Jesus might just be this Messiah. Perhaps Jesus could win freedom and hope for the Jewish nation.
I imagine no one Judas had ever seen had done what Jesus did no one could draw crowd. No one could truly speak to people's hearts. Obviously no one else could heal the sick give sight to the blind give legs to lame . Jesus did this regularly and Jesus did this everywhere he showed supernatural power. He spoke with both authority and profundity.
Judas was there when Jesus took a lunch from a boy and used it to feed 5000 people more than 5000 people
Judas was one of the 12 who passed out the loaves and fish sandwiches to the thousands of hungry people and I can only imagine that he thought this is a man who can feed the thousands of hungry brothers and sisters of mine throughout our nation. And yet I wonder if this moment where Jesus fed 5000 people was also one moment that caused Judas to doubt.
14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”
15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
Can you imagine Judas standing there with all of his hopes and dreams and thinking to himself what are you doing Jesus?! Everyone wants you to become King and you are blowing it! These people want you and yet you are slipping away an hiding like you are a thief or a robber! How could you make such a big mistake Jesus? What a messed oppurtunity.
I wonder if Judas went to bed that night shaking his head at what could have been and then the very next day Judas listened to Jesus teaching more about his body being the bread of life and his blood being something that was necessary for eternal life . I wonder what Judas thought of this.?
I wonder if this moment or snapshot stung Judas with doubt as well?
67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?”
68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,
69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
70 Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.”
71 He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.
Obviously we don't know how Judas responded to this but it's clear that in some way doubt had already crept into Judas and his mind. A few more chapters later even more space is made for the evil 1 to corrupt how Judas thought about Jesus.
1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.
2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table.
3 Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said,
5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”
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.
7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial.
8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”
Judas wanted a powerful Messiah. Jesus gave a disappointing showing of this powerful Messiah he wanted. Jesus called Judas out in front of everyone in the house. None of them probably knew that Judas was a thief. I wonder if Judith thought to himself that if all of his hopes that Jesus would be the Messiah that saved Israel we're dying then at least he could make himself feel better by skimming some extra money for himself. The money wasn't being put to any good use anyhow was it?
So in the story above Judas wasn't interested in the poor he was interested in his own good. As one author put it:
“While the costly perfume and oil seeped into the floor the Devils influence slipped deeper into Judas’ soul” –Unknown
Matthew shows us what Judas did after Jesus put him in his place.
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.
Over the Passover meal we would see the final moment when Judas would make his move that would seal his fate leading to something he would regret for eternity. It's shocking to me that while Satan was making the move in the heart of Judas leading him to betray Jesus . While Judas was plotting the death of Jesus, Jesus demonstrated love by washing the feet of Judas.
1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
2 During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him,
3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God,
4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist.
5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?”
7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.”
8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.”
9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!”
10 Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.”
11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
As long as Judas remained convinced that the Messiah was some political ruler who would come later no one could scrub away the sin on his heart. all four of the gospel accounts recount some sort of conversation where Judas is at the moment of decision. John tells us a little bit more here.
21 After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”
22 The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke.
23 One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus’ side,
24 so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking.
25 So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?”
26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.
27 Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.”
28 Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him.
29 Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor.
30 So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.
In this moment Judas chose instead of repenting to move further tord darkness. Jesus had a side conversation with one of the disciples probably John . Jesus would have been reclining on his left elbow and eating with his right hand as to us the custom of the day . Peter asked Jesus who he was referring to. I wonder if the conversation that John and Jesus had was whispered to the side. When Jesus dips his bread in the bowl with Judas it was actually a sign of friendship. I wonder if this was one last opportunity for Judas to choose to do the right thing? Sharing bread in a bowl was a sign of intimacy and friendship.
That night Judas was sitting in the company of friends with a Messiah who loved him. He was eating a good meal. And regardless of all the connections he had an all that he saw he crossed over the line that night. He left a room full of friends and in many ways walked out into the darkness.
It's easy for us to pick on Judas as the traitor because hindsight is 2020 but Judas was very good hiding his doubts and plans behind an outward veneer of religiosity. He was good at hiding his true self behind a religious looking outside soberingly perhaps there is a bit of Judas in each of us.
I wonder what would have happened that night if Judas had reached out and repented if he had turned to Jesus and cried out for help in defeating Satan and his hold on him how could Jesus have turned things upside down for Judas we will never know the answer to this question but we will know the severity of the choice that Judas made that night
24 The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”
Judas knew that Jesus would head to the garden of gas me after dinner like he traditionally did. Judas knew that Jesus would pray there and be isolated from the crowds that surrounded him at the temple. It was the opportunity that Judas had been looking for to turn Jesus over. Judas had to interrupt the religious leaders in their Passover meal in order to take advantage of this opportunity to catch Jesus. How sadly ironic it was that the religious leaders interrupted the meal that commemorated God's Salvation to kill God's Messiah.
So a mob of religious leaders gathered and marched to the garden led by Judas. He would give the sign with a kiss.
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.
51 And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.
52 Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword.
53 Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?
54 But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”
55 At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me.
56 But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.
What followed was a chaotic night. With an unjust trial Monday Thursday transformed to the morning of Good Friday. A bribe had been paid to betray Jesus. A bribe had been paid to get rid of the one who had caused so much disruption in the religious system. The one who had caused everyone to see things from an upside down perspective was now going to be dealt with . The religious leaders were doing everything they could to get their power back and to keep it.
It was very quickly that Judas discovered the error of his ways . He quickly came to his senses and realized how full of regret he was.
1 When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death.
2 And they bound him and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate the governor.
3 Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders,
4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.”
5 And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself.
This was such a sad ending to the one who had so much promise. I can only imagine is like their Judas when Jesus 1st called him I can only imagine what it was like for Judas to get the call and yet over the next few years to become disillusioned. Judas was closer than any one of us to Jesus and yet this proximity did not ensure his eterniti.
One can walk with Jesus and not have his life turned inside out . Just because someone associate with Jesus. Just because someone goes to church. Just because someone calls themselves a Christian doesn't mean they've accepted Jesus as Lord.
Instead of turning to God and repentance in the end he chose to wallow in shame and regret to the very end.
Good Friday was a bad day for Judas. He died at his own hand. But no one took Jesus life later that day. He laid down his life so that everyone who calls on him could do what Judas never did. They could receive forgiveness from their sins. Jesus told the disciples just hours earlier when the greatest expression of love was:
13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
14 You are my friends if you do what I command you.
Judas chose his own way and it cost him eternal death. Jesus did what God told him to do in obedience and he won life for everyone. All who call on Jesus name will know the forgiveness that Jesus brought. I pray that we do not miss the opportunity to call on the name of Jesus as our Lord and savior. I pray that we do not make the mistake of believing just because we call ourselves believers that our lives have been transformed by the savior we are supposed to serve. Good Friday is glorious because of what happened , it made us friends with God. The sacrifice of Jesus gives us forgiveness.
Let us not make the mistake of Judas. in our world and in our minds demanding Jesus to be something. But let us look **** ** who Jesus is and who he wants to be in our own hearts. Let's look to the Jesus that gave himself up for our sake. And end him find our world turned upside down.