Friend?

Friend?

Mat. 26:46-50

And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him. (Mat 26:50)

Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me. (Psa 41:9)

Christ’s love for Judas

His attempt to make Judas see and confess that he was betraying One who had been a friend to him

Judas’ hardening

I. Reminder of their friendship

a. A word about the nature of friendship

i. Friends trust and love one another

1. Trust is necessary in order to please Him

ii. Friends delight to meet one another’s wishes

iii. Friends talk and share freely

1. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. (Joh 15:13-15)

b. Privilege of being called a friend of God

i. Abraham

ii. Moses spoke face to face with God as friends do

c. Christ attempted to restore their relationship

i. Christ is not harsh and unforgiving (WWJD)

1. “Real friends are those who, when you’ve made a fool of yourself, don’t feel that you’ve done a permanent job.”

2. Matt. 18

ii. God’s love persists in spite of sin

1. Perhaps not money

a. Acceptance

b. Ease

c. Pleasure

II. Request for confession

a. The blame game started with the fall of man

There is an old story which tells of an Italian duke who went on board a galley ship. As he passed the crew of slaves he asked several of them what their offences were. Every one laid the blame to someone else, saying his brother was to blame or the judge was bribed. One sturdy young fellow said: “My lord, I am justly in here. I wanted money and I stole it. No one is to blame but myself.” The duke on hearing this seized him by the shoulder, saying, “You rogue! What are you doing here among so many honest men? Get you out of their company!” The young fellow was then set at liberty, while the rest were left to tug at the oars.

– Spurgeon

b. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1Jo 1:9-10)

i. Sin is deceitful – the heart is deceitful

ii. Examine yourselves

iii. Count on God to reveal your need for confession

1. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. (Phi 3:15)

2. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. (Joh 7:17)

c. St. Augustine – “When a man uncovers his sin, God covers it.”

III. Rejected opportunity

a. Silent but rebellious all the same

i. Rebellion can be violent or silent

1. Absalom or Ghandi and MLK

b. Judas did not listen to his conscience – Jesus spoke to it

i. Saul kicked against the pricks – how about you?

c. Every opportunity Christ offers = softening or hardening

i. Pharaoh