Chapter 4.16
Judas
Make-Believer
Did Judas have a Choice? Was he predestined?
Was this the Sovereignty of God?
Background
The
Jews were under oppression from Rome, particularly in the area of heavy
taxation. They were praying for
redemption by a Messiah that would come and set up a kingdom and overthrow
Rome. Many believed that Jesus was that
person, and it would happen soon.
The Kingdom
All
Twelve of the Disciples were common fishermen or farmers with little
education and all were from Galilee except for Judas Iscariot. Judas believed that an economic militant
kingdom would happen shortly and that Rome would be overthrown and he wanted to
force it to happen right away.
He reasoned that
all the disciples would then be in leadership positions and receive lots of
wealth, not realizing that it was the final reward that was the most important.
What’s in this deal
for us?[1]
We can see in the scriptures, James and
John arguing about who would be the greatest in this new kingdom. Jesus EXPLAINED the kingdom to the inner circle of twelve and
they all understood it and received it except for Judas.[2]
Many of the
other Disciples or followers of Christ who had witnessed the power of the Holy
Spirit through miracles, healings and feedings of thousands still did not “get it” and they turned away and left Him,[3] only
those who SPIRITUALLY discerned the
kingdom stayed.
Judas Iscariot
Judas
was the son of a man named Simon. Judas’
name means “Jehovah
leads” – Isc means Man of;
Cariot means he was a man of Kerioth, his home town.
He was the only Disciple that did not come from Galilee, but probably
came from a small town in South Judea, Kerioth-hezron and probably felt as an
outsider and was jealous of the others.
He was a Judean and Judeans actually hated the crude people from Galilee
anyway.
Iscariot comes from the
Latin word “sicarius” which means “Dagger Man”, a designation for the most fanatical
radical anti-Roman terror group known as the Zelotes, which carried daggers and
would kill a Roman in a heartbeat.
Judas Iscariot is painted, not as
spiritual, but as an extremist; a patriot who was probably disappointed that
Jesus failed to take a radical stand and lead them into a revolt against Rome. Judas was placed in the privileged high
position of “Treasurer”;
in charge of the Money Bag, the
finances of their ministry. Don’t you think that it would be good to have a man
in this position that was a KNOWN Zelote at heart that
possibly carried a dagger in his waist band protecting the money?
Just saying
He had a love of
money; scriptures bear out that he was a thief and embezzled money, and most of
his comments were about how to get more money into the treasury, so he could
embezzle more.[4]
You could say Judas moved money around. The Book says; he that is faithful in little
will be faithful in much;[5] Judas failed.
A Test for a Christian; what does your
CHECKBOOK look like? How do you handle your own finances; how is
your church handling their finances? Do
they move money around for things other than for what it was designated? Did you notice it?
In Leonardo da Vinci’s greatest
masterpiece; the picture of “The Last Supper”, Judas is depicted sitting
silently clutching the “Money Bag”.
Judas was
politically inclined, looking to Jesus to deliver them from the oppression of
Rome and Judas being a disciple, would be a part of the new governing
authority. He was a disciple for nearly
three years and had the benefit of being close to the Savior, but was
spiritually careless; he did not share Christ’s Spirit. Judas at best referred to Jesus as “Rabbi”
(teacher), never “Lord”.
His name appears last in three of the
four lists of the Twelve Apostles, with some kind of description that
negatively labels him. His name does not
appear at all in the fourth list which was written after his death; that’s
probably why his name was left out.
Jesus
had SPANKED
Judas
with an earlier rebuke in front of the other Disciples when he fussed about the
expensive perfume being poured out on Jesus and not being sold with the money
given to him to hold “for the Poor”. Jesus
said; “Leave her alone, why
do you trouble her; she has done a beautiful thing to me.”[6] That hurt
Judas’ feelings and with furious disillusionment, this probably motivated him
to initiate a meeting with the Chief Priest. Jealousy, greed, bitterness and
disappointment now turned into spite and a plan was hatched. This dark character of Judas remains an enigma
to this day.
The Plot
GET THIS: Judas wanted
Rome overthrown by the new government of the Messiah and planned to FORCE it to happen by getting Jesus Arrested. Judas believed that Jesus would declare
Himself as the Messiah and perform a miracle which would result in his new
kingdom being formed, and all would be well and Judas would be one of the main
players.
If the plan didn’t work, ALL the disciples including himself would now be in
some DEEP TROUBLE, so Judas figured out a way he could “Turn States Evidence”, save his own skin and
make a profit too. Anyway Jesus was
already speaking about His own death and besides that if He was not the
Messiah, then he would just look for another Messiah to follow. It would be a WIN, WIN situation
for him.
Note: Scripture
bears witness that Jesus would never use miracles or His powers to benefit
either Himself or his disciples when natural resources were readily available
to Him. The sin of Judas allowed Satan to enter into him and take control
of his spirit; betraying Christ. I can
see how Satan could instill thoughts in Judas; that Jesus was a “FALSE MESSIAH”, because by now Jesus would have already set up
His kingdom.
Serious plots on the life of Jesus had
already taken shape and Judas decided to join in on the plans as if he was one
of them. He appeared before the Council
of the Sanhedrin and contracted to betray Jesus for a price. 30 pieces of silver was the prize for which he would receive for
betraying Christ; this was actually only a month’s pay; the price of a slave,
but it was still a profit for him.[7] Judas
planned, watched and waited for the right “opportunity” to “privately” hand over Jesus.
The Last Meal
Judas, The Son of Perdition, was never saved, he was a MAKE BELIEVER. Jesus called him “FRIEND” right up to the end, and even washed his feet
knowing that he would betray Him.[8] In OT times, a FRIEND was someone
you were in covenant with. Judas was
reclining right beside Jesus when He dipped the bread into the broth and handed
it to Judas indicating he was the one that would betray him. As Jesus spoke, this would be Christ’s Final Appeal to Judas and Judas’ Final
Refusal.
Frustration and
Disillusionment of expectations filled Judas’ heart because Jesus was talking
about His death and not about fighting against Rome. Judas
believed in his Plan, not in the Man.
What you are going to do; do quickly,[9]
and Judas got up and left the room to finalize his arrangements to betray
Jesus. The Lords Supper was instituted
by Jesus after Judas was asked to leave the room, taking with him his
unconfessed sins. The Book
admonishes us that BEFORE we come to The Lord’s Table for communion that we should examine ourselves
and confess our
sins so as to not partake unworthily.[10]
Sovereignty of God
This
brings us up to how could Jesus select someone to be a disciple who
would betray Him? This is known as the Sovereignty
of God. Nothing can thwart
the plans of God. Jesus said that one of
the twelve is a devil meaning a demon or DEMON POSSESSED. [11]
As part of God’s plan, before Judas was
ever chosen, Jesus knew that he would betray him and at the last supper even
told him so. All along the way, Jesus
gave Judas opportunities to make a decision to choose Him as the Messiah. When he did not repent; Satan entered into
him.
Judas is the only one that “was given”
to Jesus by the Father that would be lost from Him, and that was so that the
scriptures might be fulfilled; so in my BS, my BELIEF SYSTEM, I see Judas as
predestined
because of prophecy, but fore-knowledge is not the same as fore-ordained.[12] Matthew 7:16
Make Believers are known by their fruits.
Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes
nor figs from thistles, are they?
Predestination
God
as the Potter can make a man into any kind of vessel that He chooses.[13] So then you might say God has made SOME destined to go to
Hell; however that’s
just not true; ALL are destined to
go to Hell, but the
Holy Spirit has enabled the man
that is DEAD in Christ to be able reach out and claim
the promise of LIFE and redemption
from Hell.
A man’s SOUL is like a lightbulb;
the Holy
Spirit has REPAIRED his dead
filament making it possible to light up; the Word of God has
screwed the bulb firmly into the Socket; God has provided the Power; it’s now up to the man with his FREE
WILL to
make the choice “to turn on” the Switch.
There was a man
in scripture that was sick, which the Disciples asked in so many words; why was
this man sick? Jesus replied that he was “predestined to be
sick” so that the Son of man could be glorified. If we used just this one example of sickness,
we would be forced to conclude that the reason people get sick is because they
were predestined to be sick. STOP; as students of the Word, we know that
this was really a single incident, a TEACHING
MOMENT
that was pre-ordained by the plan of the Sovereign God to bring glory to His
Son in the presence of His followers.
It is God’s Will that none should perish,
but all come to the redeeming saving grace of Jesus Christ.[14] If it’s God’s will for us to be saved, then WHY ARE WE NOT ALL SAVED? It’s because He gave us FREE WILL to choose and He will not break His promises;
God does not Change, nor does He drag us screaming NO
into the Kingdom of Heaven. Everyone that
will be in heaven will be there because they want to be there.
The Fore-knowledge of Jesus Christ
does not imply Fore-ordination. Judas’ actions were voluntary, being led by
his own heart. God, seeing the end from
the beginning, used him in his plan.
Judas was predestined by his own heart; he was doomed and damned because
he chose so.
Life is Choice Driven, It’s in the Book.
John 9:1-25 – Specifically; this healing was
predestined.
1 And as Jesus
passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.
2 And his
disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents,
that he was born blind?
3 Jesus
answered, NEITHER HATH THIS MAN
SINNED,
NOR HIS PARENTS: BUT THAT THE WORKS OF GOD
SHOULD BE MADE MANIFEST IN HIM.
7
"Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word
means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
25 He answered
and said, whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know: one thing I know, that,
whereas I was blind, now I see. NIV
The Betrayal
A
KISS
was adopted as a formal greeting among “Believers” and was usually given on the
forehead, cheek or on the beard. Judas
planned and waited for a favorable private opportunity for the “Kiss of Death”. When the solders said they sought Jesus, He
stepped forward and said TWICE, “I AM He”. Already identified, there was no reason for
Judas to identify him with a kiss, but he did anyway securing his reward of the
30 pieces of silver.
Did you see it,
Jesus uses the name of Jehovah God; I AM.[15]
John 18:4-9 - Jesus, knowing all that was going to
happen, went out and asked them, "Who is it you
want?" … "Jesus of
Nazareth," they replied. "I AM HE," Jesus
said. (Judas
the traitor was standing there with them) … Again he asked
them, "Who is it you want?" And they
said, "Jesus of Nazareth." "I TOLD YOU THAT I AM HE," Jesus answered. "If you are looking
for me, then let these men go." This
happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: "I have not lost one of those you gave me." NIV
Remorse
Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces
of Silver, the “going price” of recompense for the accidental killing of a
slave. When Judas figured it all out, he
wanted to reverse things and give the money back[16]
and when he could not; in remorse he threw the money back into the Temple and
went out and killed himself. His remorse
was not that he had betrayed the “Son of God”, but that Rome would NOT be overthrown and now everybody would hate him
for what he had done to Jesus and would extract revenge on him.
Judas had witnessed the power of Jesus
Christ through miracles, healings and the feedings of thousands, YET he remained only a MAKE BELIEVER.
The money was used by the
Priest to purchase a much needed cemetery to bury; the poor, criminals,
foreigners and the unknown.[17] The Priest purchased the land by proxy for
Judas from a Potter who had it for sale and it became known as “The Potter’s
Field”. Later it became known
as “The Field of
Blood” because of the betrayal of the innocent shed blood of Jesus
Christ, as well as the spilled blood of Judas as a result of his fall and consequent
bloody death.
This fulfilled
the PROPHECY
of Zechariah.[18]
Did you see it? The Priest had money to pay for Judas’s
treachery, but none to buy the much needed cemetery for the poor; what hypocrisy!
Forgiveness; Judas turned to
the religious rulers confessing that he had sinned, but never turned to God.
Nowhere in scripture do we find that Judas ever asked God for forgiveness,
mercy or deliverance from his sin, but sought SUICIDE
to SILENCE his tormented
mind.
Death of Judas
Reading
the different accounts of his death, my BS, BELIEF SYSTEM seems to say Judas hanged himself from a tree
limb which hung over a cliff and the tree limb broke off and his body fell head
long down into the ravine and his body burst open.[19] Again
in my BS,
I have personal emotions that says he most probably “had a
little help” coming off that tree limb. That just what I think, no scripture implied
The Tree: Legend has it
that the Redbud
tree is the type tree that Judas
hanged himself on; its leaves are shaped like a heart and it has reddish flowers that appear before the foliage like drops of blood
on the young branches as well as on the trunk itself. It is
said to weep blood each spring and therefore it is also called “The Judas Tree”.
The Book indicates that
Judas went to the “Place Reserved for Him”[20],
it did not say Hell or the Lake of
Fire; so is there a WORSE
place? God says WOE to the man that betrays His Son, it would have been better for
him, if he had not ever been born.[21] Ponder that
The Take Away
You
can witness the power of the Holy Spirit through miracles, healings and the feedings of
thousands, YET
remain still only a MAKE
BELIEVER.
The Holy Spirit has
enabled you to open
the Door, but it’s up to YOU to
walk through it. The choices we make on this side of eternity have eternal
consequences.
NOTE: The classic trilogy
movie, THE
MATRIX is actually the Gospel of
Jesus Christ hidden as a futuristic
thriller of good against evil.
In it NEO is shown the DOOR and is told what’s on the
other side;
BUT
it’s up to him to CHOOSE to
walk through it.
It’s in the Book
[1] Matthew 19:27 – What’s in it for ME?
[2] Luke 18:29-30 –
Believer’s will receive in this age and the age to come
[3] John 6:53-66 – Many
disciples did not spiritually understand and left Jesus
[4] John 12:6 - Judas was in
charge of their finances; an embezzler -- John 12:4-6 – Judas wanted more money in his money bag.
[5] Matthew 25:23 – He who is
faithful in Little will be faithful in much
[6] Mark 14:6 – Judas was SPANKED;
Rebuked, Leave her alone.
[7] Matthew 26:14-16 – What
will you give me? 30 pieces of silver -- 1 Timothy 6:10 – The LOVE of money is the root of all
evil. -- Exodus
21:32 – 30 pieces of silver; price for the DEATH of a slave
[8] John 13:12 – Jesus had just washed the feet of Judas
[9] John 13:10-11 – Jesus
knew Judas would betray Him -- John 13:2
– Satan tricks Judas and spiritually blinds him -- John 13:27 - What you are going to do, do
quickly
[10] 1 Corenthians 11:27-29 –
Examine yourself before taking communion
[11] John 13:18 – Jesus quotes
the prophets of Judas’ betrayal -- Psalms 41:9 – Old Testament Prophecy; Jesus’
heart hurt -- Psalms 55:12-14 – Jesus lamented about His close Covenant FRIEND -- John 6:70 – One of you is A Devil; A Demon, Demon Possessed --
John 13:25-27 – Lord, who is the one that will betray you? -- Matthew 26:23-25
– YES Judas; It is you that
will betray Me. -- John 17:12 – Judas fulfilled the prophecy of the scriptures
-- John 6:64 - Jesus knew Judas was a Make-Believer; a betrayer
[12] Ephesians 1:11 –
Condition of Judas’ heart was known; thus predestined
[13] Romans 9:21 – God can predestine us into His plan for anything that He
wants
[14] Matthew 18:14 – It is NOT
God’s will that any should perish -- Romans
8:9 – Judas did not have the spirit of Christ thus did not belong to Him -- Matthew 7:22-23 – Didn’t we do good stuff
in your name; I never knew you.
[15] Exodus 3:14 – What is the name of this
God who has sent you, I AM that I AM
[16] Matthew 27:3-4 – Judas
figures it out, he was tricked and it’s all over
[17] Matthew 27:6-8 – Bought
the Potters Field; the Field of Blood
[18] Zechariah 11:12-13 – PROPHECY; the price of treachery
foretold, 30 pieces of silver -- Matthew 27:9-10 – PROPHECY; they purchased the
Potter’s field
[19] Matthew 27:3-5 – Judas
realizes he has been duped and hangs himself -- Acts 1:18-19 – Tree Limb broke;
he fell headlong, his BODY BURST OPEN
& his intestines spilled out. … Maybe – Just saying
[20] Acts 1:25- Judas went to HIS OWN PLACE
[21] Luke 22:22 – WOE to the man that betrays
the Son of God -- Mark 14:21 – WOE; It would be better if Judas had not been born.
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