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February 17, 2021 2:00 am
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a traitor as "one who betrays another's trust or is false to an obligation or duty." In the message "Jesus Loves Traitors," Skip takes a look at two people who betrayed Jesus.
This teaching is from the series Jesus Loves People .
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Two men walk with Jesus Christ once – the other saw life and Jesus even spoke of this reality did he not, he said people are going to come to me and that they say Lord more. Did we not prophesy in your name, and cast demons out in your name and your wonderful works in your name and I will say to them depart for me. I never knew you. You workers of iniquity. Experiencing betrayal is pink always leaves an emotional scar can heal from it and move forward into the future God has for you today on connect with Skip Heitzig Skip dives into two monumental betrayals in Scripture. You see what it takes to experience God's healing. But first we want to share about what you can hear even more uplifting teachings from Skip Watts connect with skip.
I think Fontana on Saturdays at 4:30 PM Mountain or catch it on TV and on Sundays at 5:30 AM Eastern here more solid Bible teaching you play a vital role in keeping the power of Scripture on-air for you and so many others now more people can have real life-changing encounters with God connectwithskip.com/donate to get a gift now that's connectwithskip.com/donate or call 800-922-8800 92. Thank you. Now where in Matthew chapter 26.teaching with Skip Heitzig years ago a speaker and author by the name of Dale Carnegie, who had written and said many great things said this to man looked out of prison bars one saw the mod. The other saw stars. It's a great little saying because think about it you got two men in exactly the same place showing exactly the same experience at the same time, but two of them have a different outcome because they have a different outlook one is looking down the mod one is looking up at the stars to man looked out of prison bars.
Once the mod. The other saw stars. Let me introduce you to two other men. Both of them are well-known. Both of them were followers of Jesus Christ. Both of these men were apostles of our Lord. Both of them were hand picked by Jesus to be on his team in both of these men shared a close proximity with Jesus for between 3 to 3 1/2 years, which means both of them saw with their own eyes all the stuff Jesus did in great power they saw the power Jesus out over disease. The power he had over demons.
The power he had over death. The power he had over nature. They both saw that. Furthermore, both of these men heard some of the most profound truth ever spoken both of them heard Jesus sermon on the Mount. Both of them heard Jesus all of that discourse in the upper room discourse.
Both of them heard the answers Jesus gave to difficult questions that people close to him. And beyond that both of these men experience what it was like to have power themselves. Jesus gave to them power to cast out demons and to heal diseases. Both of them. Both of these men became preachers. Both of them went out after Jesus sent them out to proclaim that Christ was the Messiah, the Savior of the world, the son of God, and both of these men were traders.
Both of them betrayed Jesus Christ openly, strongly, and when they did betray Jesus.
They both knew that what they were doing was wrong. They both had strong remorseful emotional feelings.
In fact, one was so remorseful but he took his own life. The other was so remorseful that he repented of his sins.
Now, in spite of the fact that both of these men were traders. Both of them for a time were in league with Satan against the cause of Christ.
In spite of that fact. One of these men's names is still so noble and so honorable that some of you are named after him or some of you have named her son after him. Churches have been named after him for the last 2000 years. Not that his name is anything special. Peter just means are a rock stone like Rocky know great spiritual meaning there. I'm in a calm Rocky, but the other trader. His name is so dishonorable that you have never met a man named Judas.
I've never dedicated a baby named Judas you've never never met a dog named Judas. Even though his name is a spiritual name Judas means praise.
It's an honorable name but it was given to a very dishonorable man. Furthermore, these two apostles in every single list in the New Testament were the apostles are named Peter is always name first. Judas is always name, last one of these traders every true believer will meet one day in heaven. The other trader. Every unbeliever will meet in hell, so allow me to revise what Dale Carnegie said. He said two men looked out of prison bars. One saw the mod. The other saw stars all revise it to this two men walk with Jesus Christ.
One saw death.
The other saw life and Jesus even spoke of this reality did he not, he said people are going to come to me in that day and say Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast demons out in your name and do wonderful works in your name and I will say to them depart for me. I never knew you. You workers of iniquity. Question is why.
What makes the difference between the traitor Judas and the trader Peter was a big difference between them and furthermore what did Jesus do with these guys. How did he handle them. So we want to look at these two in Matthew chapter 26.
First of all, will begin with Judas the traitor who didn't live up to his name. I want to begin with me in verse six when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table when his disciples saw they were indignant saying why this waste this fragrant oil might of been sold for much and given to the poor. When Jesus was aware of it. He said to them, why do you trouble the woman, for she has done a good work for me, for you have the poor with you always, but me you do not have always for imploring this fragrant oil on my body.
She did it for my burial. Okay, so Matthew tells us that the disciples piped up and complained John's gospel tells us who started it.
John tells us it was Judas among the disciples who said why this waste was Judas and then John actually adds a comment he said it wasn't because Judas cared for the poor because he was a thief. John said, and he was the treasurer he kept the money box and he used to take out what was in it. That's why listen to his words why this waste sounds so noble doesn't it sound so spiritual you want to try to save you guys money around here are likely are spending on Judas.
Francis Bacon said a bad man is worse when he pretends to be a saint like Jesse James.
You know him because he was a notorious murderer and a thief.
Do you know that Jesse James loved the church. He loved going to church his own words is that he loved church one day he robbed a bank and killed a man the next day he was baptized in the Kearney County Baptist Church and Jesse James joined the choir if he was any good, but he was in the choir and uses say you know I love Sundays but I can always make it to church force he was robbing banks you know you gotta do what you gotta do pure hypotheses. Same with Judas and his high progress. He was made worse by his treachery. If you go down a few verses to verse 14 it says then one of the 12 call Judas Iscariot went to the chief priests and said what are you willing to give me if I deliver him to you and they counted out to him 30 pieces of silver.
So from that time he saw an opportunity to betray him.
Did you know that 30 pieces of silver. According to Exodus 21 is the price of a slave price of a slave who is been gored by an ox 30 pieces of what was Jesus worth to Judas slaves wage is very insightful to me shows me that Judas really wasn't wanting to serve Jesus.
He was wanting Jesus to serve him to fulfill his needs, his wants his expectations.
The price of a slave no.
Some people have conjectured that Judas was really trying to force Jesus into acting. That's why he betrayed him.
The theory goes like this. Judas expected Jesus to be the political Messiah to overturn the Roman government and so he got Jesus arrested. So Jesus would have to act. I don't quite buy that theory.
What I tend to see the reason he betrayed Jesus is because Judas hated this the cross we despise the cross and that night after he complained about the woman wasting God's money. Once Jesus said she did it for my burial. He had been predicting his death along when Jesus announced that its iPod is true, then all that is been saying all along he is again overturn Rome. He isn't gonna set up his kingdom. Immediately he's gonna die and he went out and he betrayed Jesus, Judas, despise the cross. Let's go down to the Passover meal. The Last Supper beginning in verse 19 look at the proximity of Judas to Jesus. So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and they prepared the Passover. When evening had come.
He sat down with the 12 and as they were eating, he said this just sort of comes out from nowhere, out of the blue. In the middle of the supper.
Assuredly, I say to you one of you will betray me. I don't know what the meal was like up until that point, the Passover meal was generally a very fond familial, endearing, relaxing, wonderful contents kind of a meal.
All of that ended now. Jesus announced one of you was going to betray me. This sends shockwaves through all of the disciples, they become very introspective.
It says they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to him, Lord, is that I answered and said he who dipped his hand with me and the dish will betray me.
The Son of Man indeed does just as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed, it would have been good for that man if he would've not been born.
Then Judas who was betraying him answered and said Rabbi is that I and he said to him you said it.
If I were to stand up here and make an announcement that one of you will betray Jesus. I think I could make that announcement I think I'd be safe in with the crowd.
Besides making a prediction that that will happen. I lived long enough to watch people who say they follow Christ. I think in the crowd.
The size for me to save one of you before you die you turn away from GZA I be safe to say that in probably you go back. I can see that but in that room with these 12 men. These hand-picked disciple apostles of Jesus. They were all shock which goes to show you no one in that group suspected Judas's and I said I said I wanted you to send it as I you said it.
At this point Judas gets up and leaves the room and goes out to do the deed to betray Jesus? Where in that meal at that table was Judas sitting well we don't exactly know that I'm in a make a suggestion to. I know that we love Leonardo da Vinci's picture of the Last Supper and he's been a wonderful inventor and artist but he is done as a great disservice by that picture because now in your mind you all picture that's how the Last Supper was that they were actually sitting in chairs in Iran one side of the table facing the camera or the painter. I'd like to pose but that's not how meals were conducted 2000 years ago. They didn't sit in chairs like you are sitting in chairs. Now they were on the ground they were reclining in the table was a low table you shape table known as a try clean him and at that table. People would lean on their left elbow and have the right arm free there be a pillow under their elbow so they were all leaning reclining. We know where John the apostle was. He was right next to Jesus. In fact he was a Jesus right side because it says in John that John was leaning on Jesus breast on his bosom, which means he was leaning left and Jesus was to his left. John was to Jesus right to get that head toward the chest of Jesus question is where was Judas in John chapter 13 Jesus as the one that I give the bread once I have dipped it is the one who will betray me and says he dipped it and he gave it to Judas. Judas had to be close enough in this huge U-shaped try cranium and I suggest it was right to Jesus left side. He dipped it could give it to John David to Judas Judas would've taken it and pass it to the rest and here's what's interesting about that. The right hand and the left hand at a meal like that were only given by the invitation of the host which met that before the meal Jesus probably walked up to John. John watches it right here and he walked up to Judas and said Judas friend I want you seated right next to me on my left knowing that he was being betrayed by this man. It's as if he takes this trader and reaches out to him one final time in love, sit here place of honor among this table identified, and done that. I know Donald Trump would of been Donald Trump is a Judas Iscariot get fired Jesus a Judas Iscariot sit here, sit here. So that was the trader who did live up to his name.
Now go down with me to verse 30 and let's look at the trader whose name is still loved and that is Peter. Peter was a pretty confident fellow we see in verse 30 when they suddenly hand they went out to the Mount of olives and Jesus said to them, all of you will be made to stumble because of me this night, for it is written, I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered, but after I been raised. I will go before you into Galilee, Peter answered and said to him, even if all are made to stumble because of you I will never be made to stumble. Now we know peters pretty confident right we remember the night or the day when they were far up north and Jesus asked the question, who do men say that I am followed up by the question, who do you say that I am.
Peter was the only one of the 12 that got the answer right.
He said you are the Christ. You are the son of the living God, and we remember what Jesus said back to Peter. He didn't say yeah that's right, he said, blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah flesh and blood didn't reveal it to my father in heaven reveal this to how would that make you feel better, Peter Oregon, you do hear that other 11 disciples is as you were blessed.
He said I am blessed took a confident manner made her more confident a little too confident because of the conversation goes on. Our Lord tells his disciples I'm going to Jerusalem I'm going to be arrested. They're going to kill me. And Peter says, far be it from you, Lord.
This will never happen to you. Remember that I'm sure Peter expected Jesus to say a second time.
Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, you did it again, but he didn't say that Betty said get behind me Satan.
Now, here is Peter saying if everybody stumbles or is made to stumble or offend. I will never be made to stumble in the Greek it's more emphatic than it reads in English as I myself will not.
Not now, not ever betray you.
Jesus said him assuredly, I say to you this night this night, before the rooster crows, that is before morning to deny me three times. Peter said to him, even if I have to die with you, I will not deny you and so said all of the disciples well let's keep reading us go down to verse 69.
Let's see the great catastrophe for Peter that night. By this time Jesus has been arrested.
He's a trial goes through six trials in 24 hours.
Verse 69 now Peter sat outside in the courtyard and a servant girl came to him, saying, you also were with Jesus of Galilee.
There's a fire outside is enough light cast by the illumination of the fire to see the features of Peter's face, and she recognizes him, but he denied it before them, saying, I do not know what you are saying that strike one. We had gone out to the gateway so Peter gets up at this point gets away from the light but somebody recognizes them still by the gateway. Another girl saw him and said to those who were there this fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.
But again, he denied with the know it's a solemn oath he's bringing God into it.
It's like saying I swear to God with an oath. I do not know this man that strike to later those who stood by came up to him and said surely you are one of them for your speech betrays you, that's a nicer way of saying we can tell by your unsophisticated provincial hick accent that you are Galilean you are not from Jerusalem. I could tell by how we are talking the true Galilean and then he began to curse and swear, this is Peter.
This is St. Peter began to curse and swear, saying, I do not know the man immediately a rooster crowed and Peter remembered the word of Jesus. Good said to him before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.
So he went out and he wept bitterly that Skip with a message from the series Jesus loves. Now we want to share about a special resource that helps you better understand the unconditional nature of God's love. People everywhere have a deep God-given need to be loved, but sadly sometimes the people who need love the most the most rejected here.
Skip I think we all crave love. We will do sometimes almost anything to get it to know that we are loved by somebody else unconditionally. No one did that better than Jesus love the worst of sinners. You love the best of saints Jesus. So the love of God in human flesh we want to give you a glimpse of God's relentless love for all people including you by sending you the Jesus loves people for booklet collection by skip. I think all four Jesus loves people titles including Jesus loves the broken RR thanks for your gift of $25 or more today to help connect more people to God's love through his word connectwithskip.com/offer to give online securely or call 892 1888 now real quick. We want to them by you to follow Skip on social media to get important updates and biblical encouragement. Just follow Skip on Facebook, twitter and Instagram for all the latest from Skip and from this ministry that's at Skip Heitzig at Skip HPI CIG tune in tomorrow as Skip Heitzigs examines what made two famous traders different from each other in the hope you can find from the one who turned back to Jesus one despise it when received one from our sledding to take his life. The others remorse led him to receive life from the life-giving Satan.
Jesus reached out to Judas by saying sit here next to me reached out to Peter without a look of love brought conversion Skip presentation of connection communications go through