Like everyone else who followed Jesus, Judas was probably expecting Jesus Christ to overthrow Rome and break the yoke of Roman oppression and deliver Israel, establishing a restored kingdom, and richly reward His followers. But every day Judas and the other disciples witnessed the character and compassion of Christ, they heard His words and they saw His works. Every single day was a display of the grace of God for Judas and for the rest of the twelve.
A study of Judas’ life reveals that he enjoyed many of the same privileges of the other disciples
- Judas was exposed to the same things the other disciples saw and heard
- He sat at Jesus’ feet and learned of His teaching
- He was taught the gospel and heard about the kingdom of God – (Luke 8:1-3)
- He heard the meaning of the parable of the sower – (Mark 4:10-12)
- He was foretold about Jesus betrayal and death
- Read: (Matthew 20:17-19) (Mark 10:32-34) (Luke 18:31-34)
- He was one of those sent out to preach to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and given power to confirm the word
- He was given power over unclean spirits – (Matthew 10:1-4)
- He preached the gospel to Israel – (Matthew 10:5-15) (Mark 6:7-13)
- There is no question that Judas was chosen to fulfill a divine plan – again – (Matthew 3:13)
Every miracle, every parable, every sermon, every single act of compassion, was designed by Jesus to reveal His identity to His men.
- Eleven of them got the message – Judas never did
- Jesus looked at Judas and called him “a devil” – (John 6:70-71)
- This is a sobering thought!
- He looked like a saint – but the Lord said he was “a devil”
- He acted like the rest of the disciples – but the Lord said he was “a devil”
- He was a preacher – but he was “a devil”
- He was trusted by everyone – but he was “a devil”
- Judas was nothing more than a wolf in sheep’s clothing – he was “a devil”!
- Yet everything Judas did was part of the eternal plan of redemption ordained by God before the foundation of the world – (Acts 2:23)
Three Old Testament prophecies need to be considered right here when it comes to Judas
- Read: (Psalm 41:9)
- In – (John 13:18) – Jesus said that this prophecy would be fulfilled in His betrayal
- Read: (Psalm 55:12-14) – This passage also speaks of the betrayal of Jesus by Judas
- Read: (Zechariah 11:12-13)
- In (Matthew 27:9-10) – This passage was also fulfilled when Jesus was betrayed
3. Judas’ Lack Of Faith
a. It is clear from the Scriptures that Judas was chosen to betray Jesus Christ
- There is tension here between divine sovereignty and human responsibility for some
- Some would say – “Is it fair for God to condemn Judas for doing the Lord’s will?”
- This is the same argument Paul both anticipated and answered in – (Romans 9:19-24)
- Can God use people for His purpose as He pleases? – The answer is yes!
b. One thing we must also realize from our passages this morning is that Judas had not put faith in Jesus Christ for his salvation – therefore – Judas was not condemned because he betrayed Jesus – Judas was condemned long before that because he was a sinner – (John 3:18, 36) (1 John 5:11-13)
- Just because a man/women – preaches – prays – witnesses – gives – works in the church – attends church – etc. – does not prove that he/she is saved
- A lost man can do all of that – and he can do it with success
- You can’t base your relationship with Christ on what you do
- It must be based on what you believe!
- Salvation is by faith – (Ephesians 2:8-9)
c. Some people have a hard time with the idea that Judas could live with Jesus for over three years and still not believe in Him as the Christ
- Yet – we see the same thing happening around us all the time
- People sit in church for a lifetime – under the Word of God – the preaching of the Gospel – the prayers of God’s people – and the clear evidence of His saving power in the lives of those around them – and still some of those people die in their sins – (Matthew 7:21-23)
- It is a real tragedy – Don’t let it happen to you
d. There must be a moment of commitment when you come to Jesus Christ by faith – repenting of sin and calling on Him for salvation – If that moment is missing from your life – then you are lost!
- I say these things because I love you – I say them because I am a preacher of the Gospel – I say them because I care about your soul
- If you have never been saved – you are just like Judas
- There is a part of you that is controlled by Satan – (John 8:44) (Ephesians 2:2-3)
- You wonder why you do the things you do
- You wonder why you can’t break the cycle of sin in your life
- The reason is simple – you need to be born again to effect change – (2 Corinthians 5:17)
While the eleven disciples were used of God in amazing ways, Judas stands as a failure as a disciple, who was a very successful hypocrite
- It is possible to be near Jesus and to associate with Him closely and still be hardened in sin
- Judas is a clear reminder that the purposes of God stand sure – (Ephesians 1:11)
- It also challenges us to be sure that we are saved in Christ – (2 Corinthians 13:5)