The Master's Men Part 5: Judas Iscariot B

So the Lord was anointed out of love and betrayed out of hate. Same night. May I hasten to add that it is so still and that it is so with every man you either enthrone him or you betray him. There is no middle ground you are either married or you are Judas you either pour out your love to him or you sell him for what ever I should have been an addict on both of them notorious traders, but neither their treachery nor anyone else's can compare to that of Judas. And yet, as awful as Judas's betrayal was, there is still a lot that you and I can learn from his life and his sin today on grace to you. John MacArthur looks at some of the practical lessons that Judas Iscariot teaches us stay here as John continues his in-depth character studies of the 12 disciples. We call this series. The Masters men. If you have your Bible, handy, or the study Bible app. Turn to Matthew chapter 10 and here's John MacArthur with a lesson that we have met already.

The first 11 disciples.

We set about to learn everything that we can learn about the but one of them stands out against the background of the others. He is isolated he is lonely he is alone.

His name is Judas Iscariot.

I believe this man can teach us some profound and awakening lessons, so let's examine what the Bible says about it. First of all, his name is name Judas a common name BS Thaddeus in verse three is also called Judas is simply a form of Judah, the land of God's people.

Some say the root of it means Jehovah leads and others think the root of it might refer to one who is the object of praise, but what a paradox. Either way if it means Jehovah leads there never was one who was more obviously led by Satan then was Judas if it means one worthy of praise. There is never lived one more unworthy of praise in Judah.

So he is a very very enigmatic old man even in terms of his name from his name. We look at his call. Secondly, his call and I hasten to add that the call of Judas is not recorded in the Bible we medium the first time right here in this list and we don't know how we got in the group.

I mean we know the Lord called them in but we don't know any of the circumstances. We know he wanted to be involved, but we don't know how it was that he attached himself to Jesus and that brings us to the third port's progress into betrayal is progress. Let's follow the sequence.

John chapter 12 coming to the final events moving to the cross.

Judas is utterly and totally disillusioned.

The anticipation of anything good coming had totally removed itself from him. There was nothing good left and he no longer could contain his hypocrisy.

He no longer could mask the vile, filthy, wretched soul that was in him. And so in Bethany.

There was an incident that unmasked in. I don't think the disciples really picked it up because they have so little suspected him that they didn't really read properly what he was saying, but Marion verse three took a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, anointed the feet of Jesus wiped his feet with her hair in the house was filled with the odor of the ointment she was just pouring out loud just pouring out affections you give this very costly thing to Jesus and it's something that was once used and then forever gone in and so, in the sense that she wasted it. She wasted then sat one of his disciples, and this is the first time. The man ever opens his mouth in holy writ. Judas Iscariot, Simon son, who should betray him. I wonder who Simon is.

Poor fellow, why was not this ointment sold for 300 and area I'm given to the poor.

He hated Jesus so deeply now that he couldn't stand any homage paid to him that he had taken over. What started as attraction and love and fascination had turned to heat because Jesus didn't do what he expected and he became more frustrated and more frustrated until he had this love-hate and finally with hate wasting that on this one in whom I have invested three wasted years. By the way, it may not of been worth quite 300 that may have been his exaggeration because of the greed of his heart and over in order to overstate his case for affect.

It was it was 300 days work so nearly a year's wages worth of ointment. This, he said, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief even become one here.

He always was one. He was stealing from the thing the whole time all three years. He was a thief and he had the bag and watch this and the Greek says Andy pilfered what was put in it.

Can you imagine that kind of a guy here's a poor band of people going around doing good and he was stealing out of their resources, all the while yet absently, no love for them.

No affection for them.

The fact that he didn't know any of them and was from the South up late into the hands of his secrecy very well. They knew nothing about him and all the while he was stealing out of the bag. He was a materialist and he was in life. For one thing, what he could get out of it and he got any way he could and if he wasn't going to get the whole kingdom. He was going to get a few bucks get now that's the basic motive of Judas and some people try to describe him a good motive. You cannot ascribe a Judas a good motive anytime in any way for two reasons. One, Jesus said one of you is a devil to before he betrayed him.

Jesus said, and Satan entered into it was nothing good about it was wretched. That incident occurred and immediately that night, Judas left Bethany and brought about the first fatal interview with the chief priests and to begin to negotiate with as in Zechariah chapter 11 for 30 pieces of silver.

So the Lord was anointed out of love and betrayed out of hate. The same night. May I hasten to add that it is so still and that it is so with every man you either enthrone him or you betray him.

There is no middle ground you are either married or you are Judas you either pour out your love to him or you sell him for whatever price you have deemed proper look at John 13 after having initiated the betrayal our Lord is meeting in the upper room with his disciples. They've gone from Bethany to this place Judas has worked out his thing and now he comes back to join himself with the group and play the role of the hypocrite even further. He comes back in. He's welcome to the Fellowship again. Jesus washes his feet. If you can imagine that in the first part of the chapter and then Jesus says in verse 10 and here clean but not all of you and he's beginning to point out Judas not all of you for renewal should betray him.

Therefore he said you're not all clean verse 18. I speak not. I love you all. I know whom I have chosen. I know the 11 that are saved but that the Scripture may be fulfilled." Psalm 41, nine he that Edith bread with me and lifted up his heel against me. I'm telling you before it comes verse 19 so that when it comes to pass. You may believe that I meet.

He wanted them to know they knew this so that when it happened. They say my only God could have known that before it happened and they didn't know what he said one of you should betray me as it is Isaiah's eyes not it wasn't manifestly obvious who it was and if Jesus knew he had to be supernatural. I am always drawn to verse 21 when Jesus had thus said he was troubled in spirit. He was troubled in spirit. He was upset the ingratitude, the rejection of love that hate for hypocrisy.

The repetitiveness of the enemy.

The heinousness of sin the horrors of knowing that hell was waiting, Judas, and the anticipation of the sin bearing on the cross. You know he actually would be dying on that cross with all the sins of all the world. In addition to suffering. This was so much that it tore them up on the inside he testified is a truly, truly, I send you one of you will betray me. They couldn't believe it. They looked on each other. Dallying of whom he spoke that no reason to believe it was anybody there was waiting on Jesus was in one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him that he should ask who it should be, of whom he spoke.

He says John asking asking who was he talking about.

I think Peter asked because Peter and Judas were a lot alike in many they acted hypocritically. Peter knew he was a sinner of the first magnitude.

I think he was just checking in to find out if it was gonna be in since he had so many other failures. Jesus answered and said the one I give the soft it soon and I think that's what he told John, and I don't think the others hurt because of the others over at her that there would've been an attack John in his quietness accepted it as the plan because Jesus had said.

I say this now so you will know what happened but I'm he John would lower the plan gave the sop and then verse 27 horrifying verse after the sop. Satan entered into him and said Jesus on him.

What they'll do is do quickly and now know the table knew, for what intent he spoke this on to him. Nobody knew I sent them where they maybe thought is him to get some more food outings was over. Now the door was shut. Satan entered Judas can imagine anything more horrifying, wanting to be demon possessed some to have the devil himself.

Get in there. I mean, what is it that the devil himself gets it an individual to accomplish.

It must be the big ones right. Satan entered Judas and use a Judas went away.

Jesus remained with his own Judas went out to consummate the betrayal. Matthew 2616 says he saw an opportunity to betray him, Mark 1411 says he saw how he might conveniently betray him, and in Luke 22 six. It says he thought how to betray him in the absence of the multitude. He was afraid of the crowd you want to do it sneaky and you want to do it right and you want to do it. The easiest way he feared the populace because he was there at the triumphal entry.

He saw the crowds, he was afraid that they want to do it in a way that Jesus wouldn't suspect either he wanted to do it in a sneaky way so we met again with the chief priest and they made a negotiation. He was sold for 30 pieces of several today that would be worth somewhere between 10 and $20 at tells me three things number one.

The greedy people settle for any price number two that those chief priests had absolute disdain for Judas that would give many more than that number three that they hated Jesus because that's all they thought it was worth so I negotiated that he would point Jesus out to them in a secret place in a quiet place and in the pitch dark of the night they had to have a sign so we said the sign will be the one I kiss otherwise they wouldn't know which one he was in the darkness that brings us to John. 18. The next time we see Judas few nights later, Jesus is in the garden verse two. Judas also betrayed him, knew the place. Jesus often resorted there with his disciples, Judas not only profaned the Passover with blood money.

He profaned the secret, private place of devotion for our dear Lord, he profaned friendship. He knew the place he gathered together a band of men and officers of chief priests and Pharisees in the Cayman lanterns and torches and weapons.

Jesus therefore knowing all things that you come on upon him, went forth and said to them who sneaky. You see, Jesus knew the Judas is going to come in and he was going to come to Jesus and he was going to kiss him and then the soldiers would attack and Judas would say all you know in shock as if you knew nothing Judas would kiss him to put them at ease so he wouldn't think anything was up. Jesus knew all that really did you remove the necessity for the kiss he walked out and said whom CT and they said, Jesus of Nazareth and he said I am he, thus eliminating the need for the kiss, but just to show you the pit of blackness in the heart of Judas. He kissed him anyway. The diabolical heart forced him into that unnecessary kiss, even though it was no longer a kiss to point them out. It was a kiss to fake his innocence supreme active hypocrisy.

We asked the question, is the active Judas unique is that the only active it's kind not so for you will read in the Old Testament and the book of Ezekiel how that God was polluted among the people for handfuls of barley and bread and if you read the prophet Amos you will read of those who sold the righteous for money and may I suggest to you today that men have and always will sell Christ for whatever they think is worth more. Judas sold Jesus for greed. People still doing it for their ill-gotten gain their lifestyle and everything else.

Why did he do it.

Why sure there was malice sure there was worldly ambition, revenge, hatred of what was good rejection of what was pure pride and gratitude anger. But most of all just greed. Crass worldly tutorials I submit to you that no man is more like a devil than a perverted apostle. I guess that's why hate false teachers so much better talk for a moment about his death.

James says that lust when it is conceived, brings forth sin.

James one and when sin conceives it bring forth what death in Proverbs 10 seven says the name of the wicked shall rot Judas sold Christ.

He sold his fellow apostles.

He sold his soul and he bought Hill and the price was too high note. He did, he knew it because his heart was filled with such pain and remorse that it says in Matthew 27 verse three.

This Judas, who had betrayed him when he saw that he was condemned conviction must've been on them so that it pounded in his head. He repented it says now that might sound good to you, but that's not the Greek word for repentance. That's the word for wanting to change your feeling. He felt bad. He regretted it. Now a spiritually minded man deals with his conscience in a spiritual way. He goes to God for forgiveness but a materialist, a crass earthly man deals with his problems on an earthly basis, and so instead of going to God with his need. On the spiritual plane.

He went back to the chief priest on a physical level, and he threw the money back, thinking by the physical act of returning the money he could relieve the spiritual conviction, but he could. His unforgiven heart screamed out for vengeance on himself and so he took the vengeance on himself and the Bible says he hanged himself after having thrown the money on the temple floor in acts one it says he died having his bowels burst asunder. Some people think those conflict. They don't.

He couldn't hang himself any better than he could do anything else either. The knot was insufficient, or the branch broke and having hanged himself over a precipice. He plummeted to have his bowels burst on the rocks beneath and by the way, what did they do with the money that he threw in the house of the Lord they said it is not lawful to put it in the treasury. So now all of a sudden they're getting awful because it is the price of blood. We can use blood money in the treasury they took counsel and they bought with it the potter's field to bury strangers in that is exactly what the Old Testament said that the 30 pieces would be given to the potter in the house of the Lord and the plan was fulfilled final. We've gone through some important things.

His name is call his progress, betrayal and death got close and I want you to listen very close with some lessons learned from the life of Judas, just very quickly with number one Judas is the world's greatest example of lost opportunity. No man ever ever ever is a greater tragedy, then Batman 12 men in human history had the privilege of walking three years in the presence of the living God incarnate and he missed it the other 11 got credible and there are people who will sit in the presence of Christians, and thus, in the presence of Christ.

There are fathers and families, and mothers and families and people in Indian churches who come and go and live their life around them are all these people and who dwells the living Christ and they lose that opportunity and going to eternity without Judas is the worst and those who continue to miss the opportunity are in the line of Judas. He stood in the fairest surroundings. The world is ever known and he is damned forever.

He was content to associate nothing more. Second is the world's greatest example of wasted privilege.

The greatest example of wasted privilege. He wanted money. He wanted riches wanted possessions he could've possessed the universe forever, but he sold it for 10 or $20. God offers you and every soul the riches of eternity. What kind of a stupid bargainer you making by saying no to that to say yes some pittance that'll burn in the end of this earth. Thirdly, Judas is the world's greatest illustration of the love of money is the root of evil. You love money so much that he actually sold the living God. That's how far greed and to commit. He is a monument to the destructiveness and the damnation of greed forcefully and this is turning the corner. I believe Judas is the greatest lesson in the history of the world of the forbearing patient, love of God. Only God could have known what he knew and tolerated that man's presence that long. That is the patient forbearance of God and then to have reached out and affection to them and offered him the stop and even after the kiss said to him when incredible insight into the patience of God and finally, I believe Judas provides an essential qualification in preparing Christ for his high priestly role. He served the purpose. The Bible tells us that Christ was perfect through suffering that he became a sympathetic high priest. Many men are betrayed. Many men are wounded in the house of their friends.

People cut people up in all of us have known the hurt and the pain of that kind of thing.

And when we go to the Lord Jesus, and we say, you know, I've had this happen to my life. You understand old does he understand part of the perfecting of his high priestly work came in having to endure this from this man will for whatever lessons should be applied to your life. I pray the Holy Spirit would do that work. This man is the consummate hypocrite of all time and he is an illustration to us of people who can hide in the presence of Christ and be filled with Satan. Jesus said Judas went to his own place right where he belonged. That's the way it will be for people reject Christ. I close with this someone is written, I think it sums it all up. Still, as of old man by himself is priced for 30 pieces. Judas sold himself not Christ. That's John MacArthur, Chancellor of the Masters University in seminary here on grace to you. John showed you today that even in the best of spiritual environments. Unbelievers can hide among believers. John's focus today. Judas Iscariot part of his compelling study of the 12 disciples titled the Masters men and you know John, whether it's a positive example or a negative one like we saw today. There is much to gain from the lives of the apostles. It's just a matter of taking a close enough look at them.

What I think the disciples fascinate everyone.

Everybody knows something about them as they know there were 12 they didn't. Most people know, Peter, James and John and maybe Philip and Andrew and everybody knows Judas, but most people sort of stop at that level and don't go any further and you remember Phil we to have discussions about the fact that we thought this study of the Masters men should be a book yeah and we couldn't convince a publisher for a long 100 years, took years for them to to say well maybe it would make a great book in the course when we did the book, it just went crazy and it still is still a mess.

So it's still a syllabus or because their stories are absolutely fascinating.

Well, we wrapped up the study on the Masters men from Matthew chapter 10 looked at the disciples how the Lord shows them how to transform their weaknesses and to strengthen how he took people that most of us would think were useless and made them preeminently useful and it's encouraging to see how Jesus took people who lack faith, humility, commitment, power, and transformed them to turn the world upside down and he does the same today for those who are willing to follow him. That's the message of this wonderful history. The Masters men study gives you a pattern for how the Lord trains us and how we can train and influence others for usefulness in his kingdom. I think you need to have this study is available from Grace to you on MP3 download. You can also listen to every message using the free grace to you apnea. If you haven't done that. Try that and remember the new book.

We been telling you about 40 lives in 40 days.

Great devotional reading about the disciples more than two dozen other Bible characters you will relate to take advantage of these Bible teaching resources available from Grace to you yes do.

Jesus took people who lacked faith and he molded them into world changers and he still uses ordinary people like you and me for his purposes. Get motivated by the disciples example pick up the audio series called the Masters men or John's new book 40 lives in 40 days when you contact us today. You can call our toll-free number 855 grace or go to our website Jide TY.org 40 lives in 40 days and be a great resource to go through with your family. You might want to read a chapter each night at the dinner table and talk about your kids again to get your copy of 40 lives in 40 days. Call 855 grace go to Jide TY.that's our website and while you are there. Remember to download the messages from this series.

The Masters men.

In fact, all of John's sermons over 3500 of them are free at our website. If you want teaching on the family. God's view on work how to study the Bible, building self-discipline, how to pray dealing with sin will find all of those subjects and a lot more again. 3500 free sermon yours@tty.org and thanks for praying for us and for the people we're reaching each day with this broadcast. We are grateful every time you bring our needs before the throne of God.

Now for John MacArthur on Phil Johnson encouraging you to be here tomorrow when John will answer practical questions about the Christian life. Don't miss that helpful Q&A 30 minutes of unleashing God's truth set a time on grace to you