False Disciples Series

FALSE DISCIPLES

Acts 1:15-20

(Antioch Baptist Church – Sunday March 9th, 2025)

Benedict Arnold was a general during the Revolutionary War. Arnold originally fought for the continental Army but eventually devised a plan to defect to the British Army. While fighting on the American side he obtained command at West Point, New York. His plan was to surrender West Point to the British forces. The plan was exposed and he then became a brigadier general in the British Army.

Ever since his act of treason the name Benedict Arnold has become a byword in America. One would wonder what exactly caused Arnold, a very successful fighting General to do such a thing. There are many speculations as to what pointed him to that point of treason. Some say it was because he was passed over for several promotions. Others believe that it was because he was accused of using Army equipment for personal profit. Some say that he betrayed America because he was constantly at odds with Congress. And still other think his actions were motivated by the fact that he married a woman who was a British loyalist. It is likely that there was a combination of issues boiling below the surface and then something happened that pushed him to the point where he decided it was time to defect.

Our selected text covers an action that is even more detestable than the treason of Benedict Arnold. In his address to those saints gathered in the upper room, Peter describes one of the most detestable acts in the history of the world. Judas Iscariot, (one of the Lord’s chosen Disciples) betrayed Him into the hands of His enemies. Judas had walked with Jesus for years, yet, after all that he had seen and heard, he chose to betray the Son of God. I would like to examine his betrayal and preach on the subject “False Disciples”.

This subject is relevant to us because there is an innumerable multitude of people in the world today who profess to follow Jesus, they may even be identified by others as belonging to Him, but upon close examination it becomes apparent that like Judas Iscariot, they are counterfeit Christians.

In the early days of His ministry, Jesus chose twelve men to be His Disciples. Eleven of those men would go on to become His Apostles. The word apostle means “one who is sent out”. In the context of the New Testament an Apostle is one who was chosen and sent out by the Lord Jesus.

Verse 13 lists the names of the Apostles of Christ, they were ”Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James.” After the events that took place in the upper room where the followers of Christ were staying, Matthias was chosen and “he was numbered with the eleven apostles”. Matthias was chosen because of the defection of Judas Iscariot.

The religious leaders in Jerusalem had been opposed to Jesus from the outset of His earthly ministry but two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Chief Priests and the Scribes “were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him” (Mark 14:2). Later, Judas approached them and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” (Matthew 26:15). In the end, they agreed on the sum of 30 Pieces of silver.

Like many others, Judas was expecting the Messiah to arrive and overthrow Rome, deliver Israel, and restore the Kingdom. He had hoped that Jesus was this Messiah; furthermore he hoped to be rewarded for his devotion with a place of power and prominence in that kingdom. When it became apparent that Jesus was not going to do those things, Judas became disillusioned with the Lord and this led to his betrayal.

Six days before the crucifixion, Mary of Bethany anointed Jesus' feet with a pound very costly perfume and wiped them with her hair. The timing of this event was no accident. Mary’s beautiful act of worship occurred on the day that the Jews first anointed the lambs they'd chosen to sacrifice for Passover. Rather than comprehending the symbolism in Mary’s worship, Judas was only concerned with the three hundred denarii the perfume could have been sold for.

In John 12:5 Judas said, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii, and given to the poor?” John goes on to point out that Judas “didn’t say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief. He was in charge of the moneybag and would steal part of what was put in it” (John 12:6). Jesus defended Mary’s actions; He said "Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.” (John 12:7-8).