Lessons from the life of Judas - Life of Christ Part 87

Hi there this is on Solomon and I like to welcome you to our program today.

You know it's a tremendous honor that God is given us to be on stations all around the nation bringing the truths of God's word as it is uncompromising and straightforward and I'm so glad you tuned in to listen and be part of that. Thanks again for your support and your generosity that keeps us on the radio and now let's get to the word of God's morning. We want to look at the most famous backs ever in all history.

A fellow named Judas Iscariot, and we want to talk a little bit about his life and see what lessons there. We can learn from. So we don't end up like he did. Interestingly enough, his name is come to be synonymous with the idea of backstabbing or betraying. If you look up the word Judas in the dictionary. It will say a person who is treacherous enough to betray a friend and under trader and you know there's even the Judas goat the one that leads all the other goats in the going to get slaughtered. So this Judas.

His name is, become almost an interchangeable word for backstabbing or betrayal.

We want to look at his life and see what spiritual lessons are there for us and so here I want you to follow along.

Now in Luke 22 beginning in verse one. Now the feast of unleavened bread called the Passover was approaching and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, but they were afraid of the people. Now the rabbis as you know and as I know were trying for a long time now to arrest Jesus they wanted to figure out how to getting however without provoking a riot and that's what it says here when it says they were afraid of the people they know.

They grabbed him in a public arena that they have a riot on their hands and so they had to figure out some way to grant Jesus privately. Well, a fellow named Judas solves the problem for them. Verse three and then Satan entered Judas called Iscariot, one of the 12 he salaam what is Iscariot mean, I've always wondered Mina must have some phenomenally significant meaning, actually a means man of Cheerios that was the little village.

He was from. So that's all means. That's it that's all. Nothing profound.

But if you ever in a Bible trivia game you might need to know that so this is important okay so Judas came to them went to the chief priests and the officials of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus and they were delighted they were thrilled and they agreed to given the money in advance and he consented and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them. When no crowd was present. Remember they didn't need Judas to identify Jesus.

They knew who he was. They didn't need Judas to tell them where Jesus was during the day time he was in the Temple court in the open, they needed Judas to lead them to him at night when he was alone so they could grab them secretly now cut a deal with him for 30 pieces of silver. The infamous 30 pieces of silver, and the rabbis were tickled pink.

They thought this is great. Now why did you just do this. I don't know. I asked myself the question, why would he do this. I know on the sovereignty of God level that this was the sovereign will of God. And this was all part of God's plan to get Christ to the cross. I know that but on a human level. Why would Judas do this to his friend and his master. If you read the Bible. The Bible simply tells us in John chapter 12 that Judas was a thief. The Bible says the Judas held the moneybag of the disciples, he was the treasurer and used to steal from the moneybag and so maybe the motive was just simple. Read the wanted the 30 pieces of silver. It was just great.

I don't know the Bible never tells us exactly what was going on in Judas is mine, that he would do this.

The only thing the Bible says it's absolutely clear is right here where it says it in verse four that he betrayed Jesus. Since all the Bible makes clear he betrayed his friend that was one other very important observation.

I want to make your before we go on and that is do you know that this action of Judas had been predicted in the Bible hundreds of years before never happened. I want you to turn back with me into the Old Testament to the book of Zechariah know when was Zechariah written well.

The book tells us it was written between the second and the fourth year of Darius, the first of Persia, which means it was written somewhere between 520 and 518 BC that's 550 years before the events of Luke 22 ever happened in time and space. Let's read what it says here. Zechariah 11 and look with me in verse 12, and I told them if you think it best give me my pay, but if not, keep it so they paid me 30 pieces of silver, and the Lord said to me, throw it to the potter.

The handsome price that they paid me so I took the 30 pieces of silver and I threw them into the house of the Lord to the potter. Isn't it interesting that 550 years before it happened. There is an exact prediction of the betrayal price of Jesus Christ and not only that, not only that, but an exact prediction about what happened to that money after the betrayal took place. Listen to Matthew 27 and when Judas would betray Jesus saw that he was condemned that Jesus was condemn.

He was seized with remorse and he returned the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders and he said I send five betrayed innocent blood, and they said well that's not a problem that's your problem.

So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Does that sound like Zechariah chapter 11 verse 13 that he threw the money in the temple and left anyone away, and he hanged himself that way minute and the chief priest picked up the coins and said well you know it's against the law for us to take this money and put it back in the treasury because it's blood money was used to arrest somebody may not interesting that they're so concerned about not violating the treasury put 30 pieces of silver back unit but they would go ahead and be anxious, and willing accomplices to murdering Jesus Christ mean you talk about straining at a gnat and swallowing accountable here but anyway they said we can put the money back in the treasury. That's against the law so it says what they did is they decided to use the money to buy a potter's field as a burial place for foreigners and it was called the field of blood. This is exactly what was spoken by the prophet who said they took the 30 silver coins. The price set on him by the people of Israel and they use it to buy the potter's field with Zechariah said no. Zechariah wrote this 550 years before it actually happened is that when a women. Women, how in the world could to speak. Maybe what happened was after this took place. They went back and got all the copies of Zechariah. Together, and the changeable, they rewrote them so that all copies of Zechariah would say exactly what already happened in time and space so would look like there was prophecy, but there really wasn't any young Sam. That's a very common opinion and you know what up until 1947 it would've been very difficult to prove that that particular objection was wrong, but in 1937 the Dead Sea Scrolls were found and we know today. We have copies of the book of Zechariah from 100 BC that say exactly what you just read in Chapter 11.

That's 100 years before Jesus was born, there is no way in the world.

These people could've gone back and rewritten the book of Zechariah, no friend 550 years before it happened. This was already written. Exhibit 1. How can that be answer.

Isaiah 46 I am God and there is no other. I am God and there's nobody like me. I make known the end from the beginning and I make known from ancient times, things that are still yet to come see the answer is friends that there is a living God who lives above time and space. There is a living God who knows the end from the beginning. There is a living God, whose omnipotent power guarantee that the way he plans it is the way it's going to happen. Even 550 years later, my goodness. If you need proof that there is a living God, who else could predict something 550 years before it happened and so here's the story of Judas he went out through the money back, hanged himself in remorse and the life ends Judas's life ends with self-destruction. That's the end of our passage, but of course it leads us to ask a question what's the question very good.

Thanks.

Well, there are three lessons that I see in the life of Judas. Three lessons that we can learn from and hopefully three things that we won't copy because this is not the right person's life to copy, we can learn, even from a bad example right okay so in the three things I want to share with you and hear the three lessons that I see number one just being close by to Jesus doesn't mean you're related. I mean look all four Gospels referred to Judas as one of the 12 and is a matter of fact in acts chapter 1 after Jesus is gone back to heaven. Peter says about him.

He was one of us and shared in this ministry to understand what that means.

It means when Jesus sent the disciples out to buy two to preach the gospel. Judas was one of them even when Jesus went to the Mount of Beatitudes and preach a sermon on the Mount Judas was there listening in me that when Jesus stilled the storm on the Sea of Galilee. The Judas was in the boat.

It means that when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead and fed the 5000 turn water into wine. Judas was right there. I mean how much closer by. Could you be then Judas wants and yet in spite of all that Judas missed he missed the kingdom of God.

Why, because Jesus said this.

I know my sheep and my sheep know me see friends.

This is the language of personal relationship. This is the language of family ties and in his heart.

Judas never had this he never made the decision. He never crossed the line that turn that closeness into relationship into getting related and you know what, Judas is a perfect example of how close you can come to this kingdom of God and stillness, and my heart goes out to thousands and maybe even millions of people who sit in churches week after we receive sacrament singing hymns give money say the rosary and for people who do all kinds of other religious activity in our world somehow thinking and in many cases they are very sincere people somehow thinking that all of that being close by to God is going to eventuate in a relationship with God and eternal life and into heaven but friends. Judas is living proof it doesn't work that way. Being close to God is not good enough. You gotta be related how to get related simple. I want to show you John chapter 1. If you turn there with me. Verse 10 says Jesus was in the world and even the world was made by him, the world and recognizing more than that, he came to his own people. Verse 11 and they didn't receive it. Is that what you mean by that means they didn't embrace it. They didn't welcome him in. They didn't welcome him as the Messiah.

They didn't say you know Jesus were surrendering our life. Do you his death on the cross meant absolutely nothing to them. They did not receive or welcome him. Now watch verse 12, but to those who would receive it to those who would embrace what he did on the cross as payment for their sin, to those who would acknowledge him as the Messiah and the Savior of the world and invite him into their lives to be their personal Lord Messiah to those people watch to them he gave the right to become children of God. There is now were talking relationship now were talking family ties were not talking just being close, but were talking related, now and how did they get there by accepting and embracing and welcoming Jesus Christ into their life. Personally children.

He goes on to say, not born of natural descent.

Parents are everything to do with this.

We model was everything do with this North human decision or your husband's will or anything else borne by God as an act of God in a person's life and Fran I like to say to you if you're here this morning and maybe even close by church, her whole life being close by that mean being related and nobody gets to heaven just because they were close by.

Judas didn't you won't. You gotta be related and related comes we make a free will decision to embrace and welcome Jesus Christ into our life as our personal savior, and I hope you've done may also say to you if you're already a Christian that God is not interested in you and me just being close by but that we develop and we nurture that relationship with him close lies not good enough. He wants relationship okay. That's the first lesson. Second is a second grader will get you every time real get you every time I mean whatever else was wrong. When Judas we know for certain the Bible is clear that green was a major problem in the sky like it was stealing from his friends.

He was stealing from his teammates. He was stealing from his boss. I mean the guy was a greedy guy willing to sell out his friend and sell out his master for 30 lousy pieces of silver greed. That's all it is. And Jesus said to us. Watch out for greed be on your guard against greed literally vaccinate yourself against greed. Because Jesus went on to say that all forms of greed. They will they will damage a person's life.

Jesus in a person's life consists of a lot more than just the stuff they'll friends. Greed is so dangerous because it will drive us to make self-destructive choices that will ruin our life.

I think of Aldrich aid. He's the spot.

I remember the spy dude that they chase for years here at the CIA and he was a mole and they finally were able to catch up with him and finally be able to pin down in part would gave him away is on $50,000 salary he's driving a red jaguars and the work by brand-new homes out Great Falls rising new Jaguar in the next week to work as two of them now on $50,000 government salary usually you can't afford that stuff in this area right and they check to see if he got any inheritances in anything like that. And there was nothing they could trace and they said you know maybe this is our God, and they finally took him years to tracking down but they finally nailed the guy he's in prison for the rest of his life.

Now I read the story that guy Newsweek magazine, and you know he's a slog. I'm sorry but is a slog. The guys a slog friends are no better word to describe not only did he dishonor himself. Not only did he disgrace his family.

Not only is he going to spend the rest of his life in jail. Not only did he sell his country out, but as if that wasn't bad enough, do you realize what he was doing he was turning into the Russians.

The names of espionage agents in Russia that were giving information to the United States and the KGB was systematically killing every one of these guys whose name they got from Aldrich Ames and we don't know for sure how many of them were killed. There were at least a dozen maybe more of these men would put their lives on the line to try to help us and they're all gone. So, on top of everything else he did. There are men that are dead because of this guy. There are women who are widows because of this guy. There are children who are orphans. Because of this guy and you know what motivated him nothing but raw greed. That's all it was greed. Simple greed and you know, greed, lives in our lives to. I mean it's easy for us to say all that horrible man is so greedy.

Hey wait a minute. Greed is a part of the flesh and everyone of us of God.

Everyone of us and greed will drive us to do things we never believe we were capable of.

If you let it run rampant in your life by dear friend it will rob you of your principles and destroy your integrity it will violate your morals and turn your ethics into a Joe it will steal your soul.

Such a slimy little thing you hide behind every justification, every excuse that you've ever come up with a love with St. Francis of Assisi, the great missionary citizen people have confessed to me every sin known to man except the sin of greed never had anybody walking to go. My sin is greed. You why because it's such a slimy little.

I was up at the Orioles game. I took my son John up there a few weeks ago. He's with my 10-year-old.

We always get there early for batting practice because this is like personal dislike gladiator American gladiator competition to see if we can get a ball for batting practice.

I mean, you know, you're probably not wired that way, but I am now gotten to be fairly good at this iMac of the old box of American League balls and home but did not matter how many I have a home. I want more meat every gains a new challenge, so we had gone up and we'd gotten three and Jonathan says to me why don't we take one of these balls and give it to the person standing next to you, dad who hasn't gotten any bolts to someone batting practice was over and my first thought was no I'm not given somebody's ball. This guy had as much chance as I had is what I'm thinking on the inside and then it's like God said to me what is wrong with you what is wrong with you I mean you got more balls you have pockets to put them all in. You got a box of them all really know what to do with all of what is wrong with you, 000 okay now now now Laura and I snapped out okay sure John that's a great idea. So he gave the ball away and felt great about it but what was my problem but merely say it. Thank you very much agree that's right your simple, unadulterated, slimy greed, I had to balls.

I want three if I had three I wanted for Esther's greed. Well you know what you got that to yes you do, and it will hide under all kinds of little rocks and excuses in your life, but it's there and it's real and you know what Judas's life is a fabulous warning for us to stay on top of it and guard our lives against it because friends greed will drive us to do things. As Paul said in first Timothy chapter 6. Many people wanting to get rich have fallen into many foolish and harmful laws that have destroyed their lives. Is that true Judas you bet. 1/3 and final lesson and that is that when the world offers you something that glitters it's not gold.

I mean look at how the world applauded Judas a hero. He was with the world.

I mean, he went to the rabbis and didn't say Luke 22. They were delighted they were thrilled and probably Haley was a hero patted him on the back. I mean he was a hero with the world and at the story it ended their way to said well you sure made the right decision, but see the story didn't story ends with a hangman's noose in a suicide in a self-destructive life and you know what Judas learned about the world's offer of glitter he learned it's like snow white sample looks great on the outside but man it's deadly when you bite and when we sell our soul when we forsake Jesus Christ to grab a hold of what the world is offering us its rewards, its approvals, we always lived to regret that. But compare the apostle Paul reviled by the world hated by the world know glitter that the world had to give, but he ended his life by saying I ran the race.

I finished the course, I kept the faith. And now I got a crown laid up in heaven that God's going to give me when I get there, meaning that a whole lot better way to finish a rise in high school and high school English. I think a high school English.

I think what Paul Simon said what he said. After all the junk they taught me in high school to wonder.

I can think it all and ask, how I feel about what you have all that stuff he had read in high school English was that horrible without the most irrelevant junk that you ever read your whole life.

I mean think now some of the stuff you read that is incredibly irrelevant to everything else in the world. How about this one. Beowulf now is that irrelevant or what.

I agree about watering heights. I mean this is horrible stuff.

But you have to read it. I tell you, no one dating people have to read the Odyssey. They are a blessing another one. But you know there was one little piece in the Odyssey. The con is interesting you never when Odysseus was sailing home and the sirens were over on the island and they were singing their song, trying to draw the sailors all remember that if the sailors would listen. They were absolutely unable to resist. No man could resist their call and they would sing something like you. I don't know what they would sing something in the middle go oh okay okay okay and they would all go over and it is below monster come out to see if won't just eat them all up member that okay we member how Odysseus beat that what he do he took lacks any putting in their ears taught himself to the post after he put into their ears and sit on time for any reason and they still run on by never even heard I got to thinking when I was reading this passage you know when the world calls to us and says come on over here Judas you we got all kinds of neat stuff for you. That's what we need to take the word of God and we need use like wax.

We need to put it in our ears and say sorry, we don't hear you and sail right on by and say no I'm serving Jesus Christ I'm headed home. Home is heaven for me. I don't have time for any kind of sidetrip will receive you and just completely pay no attention for and that's what we need to do. I'm telling you the world's allure is like a siren call all of us have a flesh and the world knows how to appeal to it. That's why one of the reasons God gave us the word of God is to use like wax and even if you gotta tear the papers out, stuff them in your ear literally don't go over there is nothing but monsters go to eat you up and self-destruct your life. That's what Judas found out just what the world's glitter go right on by. Read a quote on that. And with this I love this quote is what it says is it when you were born you cried in the world rejoiced right mama was so happy that he was happy and you were miserable now live your life in such a way that when you die, the world will cry because you were so valuable they hate to see you go and you will rejoice that a great quote live your life in such a way that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice friends.

How do you do that we could do it but I paid a bit attention what the world's offer you. You stick with Jesus Christ and I love what Proverbs 10 says even the memory of a righteous person is a blessing, leave that, memory behind. Well I hope these are helpful to you and I hope you'll take on the heart hate number one.

Gotta be related because spa is not good enough. Number two renal get you every time. Watch out for that slimy little animal and number three, the world's glitter is not goal stay away from let's pray heavenly father, thank you so much for the word of God that reminds us of basic truths for living that will help us live successfully and father help us learn from the example of Judas who live so unsuccessfully help us to take stock of what he did wrong so that we don't repeat it.

I want to pray father for every one of us here that we would leave here this morning, having had our life challenged and even changed by our contact with the word of God, Lord, take the word of God and transform our life and insulate us against those forces that would end us up on the rocks like Judah said, as we seek to follow you with our lives and we pray this in Jesus name, amen. Listening to that 11 Dr. Lon Solomon plan is and how arrange online, found in ministering to listen to today's message, or for more information. As an online design.

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