Judas Iscariot: The Traitor Series

#13~JUDAS ISCARIOT: pt.1 APOSTLES 3-1-14

Today we'll continue with our study of the APOSTLES, and we'll think on and talk for a few minutes about JUDAS ISCARIOT, there's a lot of information about Judas so our study to do with him may take a couple of broadcast.

~The name "JUDAS ISCARIOT" is found 9 times in the 4 gospels.

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"ISCARIOT" was not his last name; he was from a town of the tribe of Judah called "Kerioth." -- "Kerioth" was the name of two towns, one was in Moab.

>Amos 2:2 But I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the palaces of Kerioth. --

~ And the other is in Judah, on the south-east border, close to Edom in southern Judah.

>Joshua 15:20 & 25 -- 20This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families. -- 21And the uttermost cities of the tribe of the children of Judah toward the coast of Edom southward were -- 25 And Hazor, Hadattah, and Kerioth, --

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~Judas was a native of the Kerioth that lay in Judah. -- Kerioth, the town from which Judas was from has passed out of existence.

~ It may be that the "Iscariot" was attached to Judas, to distinguish him from six others named Judas; it was a common name of the time. -- Most of the time that this Judas is mentioned in Scripture, we also find a notation about his being a traitor.

>John 12:4 -- Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, --

>John 12:6 he was a thief,

> Matt.10:4 -- and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

> Mark 3:19 And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him:

>Luke 6:16 and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.

>John 6:70-71 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? 71 He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him,

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~All the other apostles came from the Northern Province called Galilee. -- some of them were brothers, friends, and working companions even before meeting Christ, but Judas being from the Southern Province of Judea was not known to them, he starts out an outsider, but none of the others every suspected Judas to be a traitor, he blended in so well.

~As a pure Jew from Judah, Judas found himself practically alone in the circle of the twelve, yet he seemed as zealous as the rest in supporting and furthering the cause of the Messiah.

~Judas' name appears in three of the lists of the disciples (Matt. 10:2--4; Mark 3:16--19; Luke 6:14--16), although his name always appears last. -- His name is missing from the list of the 11 apostles in Acts 1:13; by that time Judas had committed suicide, and had gone to his own place, "Acts 1:25" we'll talk about his own place at a later time if the Lord be willing.

--- Judas held an important position among the 12; he served as their treasurer. (John 12:6; 13:29).

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~He spent about three years with Jesus Christ, he was a disciple just as the others, they were first learners and followers of Christ, they all had to learn before they could become apostles, you and I today are Christ disciples, we're learners, but none of us will ever be an apostle.

-- Judas was familiar with everything Jesus taught, yet he remained in unbelief. Judas was as common as the rest, without earthly credentials and without any characteristics that made him stand out from the group. -- He began exactly like the others had begun. -- But he never laid hold of the truth by faith, so he was never transformed like the rest.

~ While the others were increasing in faith as they heard Jesus speak, (whatever Jesus said was the word of God, because He is God) and saw first hand the many miracles that Jesus did their faith grew, but Judas was never really interested in becoming a believer, his interest was to do with riches.

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~ The 11 didn't know a thing about him or his family; they knew nothing of his background, or his life before he became a disciple. -- So it was easy for him to masquerade as a believer, there is no evidence that he was ever excluded or looked down upon by the rest of the group, he may have thought of himself as an outsider, which to him, would have helped him justify his wickedness.

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-- The others put their trust in him, they never considered him to be a thief, but that is what he was.

>John 12:6 This he said, (Judas) not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.