Judas Revealed-Defects Series

Tom Lowe

Date: Thursday of Jesus final week.

Location: Jerusalem (Upper Room)

Title: Judas Revealed-Defects

Scripture: MATTHEW 26:21-25, MARK14:18-21, LUKE 22:21-23, JOHN 13:21-30 (FOCAL PASSAGE)

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

Introduction

Judas name has been linked to treason for over 2,000 years as a result of his betrayal of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Judas did not act alone for we are told that at “The Last Supper” the devil entered into him. Is Judas responsible for what he did? How was his evil plan discovered?

Commentary

When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. (John 13:21)

And as they sat and did eat, Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray me. (Mark 14:18)

But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. (Luke 22:21)

And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. (Matthew 26:21)

When Jesus had thus said

For what Jesus had just said look at the verses that precede this passage.

he was troubled in spirit

The knowledge that one of His disciples would betray Him caused the Lord to be deeply troubled. Jesus was both God and man, and He was troubled in the Spirit; that means that He was sorrowful because Judas, who had been walking with Him for more than three years, was about to betray Him to His enemies. He knew even at that moment that Judas would betray Him with a kiss and sell Him for the price of a slave. Also, the agony and distress of soul, under the pressure of the sin of the world, was bearing down On Him; very soon He would come face to face with the devil and all the forces of evil in the Garden of Gethsemane, and the knowledge of all this caused Him to be trouble in spirit.

and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.

By placing this after the institution of the Lord’s supper, though in Matthew and Mark it is placed before it, it seems plain that Judas did receive the Lord’s supper, did eat of that bread and drink of that cup; since, after the Lord’s Supper was over, Christ said, “Behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table” (Luke 22:21).” The double "verily” used here would serve to capture the attention of the disciples and cause them to pay close attention to what the Lord was saying.

Note: There have been those that have eaten bread with Christ and yet have betrayed him.

No one could betray Him except someone He had placed His confidence in. Although Jesus predicted His betrayal, that was not what caused Judas to sin, even though the event followed the prediction. Christ is not the author of sin, and yet, we can say of this heinous sin of Judas:

1. Christ foresaw it. Those things that are done secretly and in the future, and hidden from our eyes, are naked and open before the eyes of Christ. He knows what is in men better than they do themselves [2](2 Kings 8:12), and therefore sees what will be done by them.

2. He foretold it (betrayal), not only for the sake of the rest of the disciples but for the sake of Judas himself, with the purpose of giving him a warning and an opportunity to escape the snare of the devil. Traitors will usually end their plots when they are found out; surely Judas, when he finds that his Master knows his plans, will stop and perhaps repent; if not, it will intensify his judgment.

3. He spoke of it with an evident concern; he was troubled in the Spirit when he mentioned it. He had often spoken of his own sufferings and death, without any such trouble in His Spirit as he exhibits here when he spoke of the ingratitude and treachery of Judas. This touched him in a tender way.

Note, the sins of the disciples of Christ trouble the Spirit of their Master; the sins of Christians bring Christ grief. This went to His heart, like the unfaithfulness of children grieves their parents [3](Isaiah 63:10).

Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake. (John 13:22)

And they began to be sorrowful, and to say unto him one by one, Is it I? and another said, Is it I? (Mark 14:19)

And they began to inquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing. (Luke 22:23)