Judas Under The Microscope

One of the greatest accusations thrown at many Christians is hypocrisy!

"Have you ever looked under a microscope? You always see alot more than you could ever see with the human eye. Today I want to put Judas under the microscope lets just see what we will find?"

1. In Judas we see a man with another love! V14-16

a. His First love (Was it Jesus?)

Judas plays a prominent role with the disciples. He spent three intimate years with Jesus, he witnessed his miracles, his teaching and his perfect life. He saw what Abraham and Moses never saw he heard what David and Isaiah never heard, he was numbered with the 11 as Apostles Judas had immense Privileges and yet his heart was never changed. And this night for Judas would become a night of examination!

Let us learn by this that a person can make an outward profession, enjoy great privileges and yet still their hearts not be right with God

It reminds me of the Zafira car last year I was driving with no MOT for 6 months, I thought it was legal it was a fraud.

2Cor 13.5Examine yourselves to see whether your in the faith; test yourselves. 1Cor 11. 28 A person ought to examine himself.

But its through an act of real love we see the real Judas

Matt26: 6-8. Yet it is through an act of deep love shown towards Jesus in a home of Simon the leper at Bethany, where we see the beginnings of his hypocrisy the real first love of Judas. John.12: 3-6 through a pious phrase Judas hides his true motives

b. His first love (Money) 2Tim6: 10 The love of money is the root of all evil

After this event he goes to the Chief priests V15 What are you willing to give me?

Judas was the treasurer one in charge of the finances he held the purse strings and scripture tells us he often helped himself to it! Jhn12.6

Yet this wasn’t enough he desired more, maybe it was the thought of not have what was wasted at Bethany by Mary or the realisation that Jesus kingdom was not to be physical or political and his greedy desire for money and status will never materialise.

Where do we really put money in our life? 2Tim 4:10 Demas loved the world

It is said J.Wesley earnt £1400 per year equivalent to £600,000 today. He went beyond tithing he lived off £30 he gave away 98% of his income he lived off 2%

This was a gradual fall it began stealing form the moneybag. To the point of betraying Jesus for 30 pieces of silver his first love!

Sin is like heroin it generally begins with small beginnings which get bigger and bigger and harder to resist and deal with. Until we are completely hooked and will do anything for it!

Is there are underlying sin (love) in your life?

Billy Graham said ‘ there is nothing wrong with possessing riches. The wrong comes when riches possess men.’ Mark.8:36. What should it profit a man if he gain the whole world yet lose his own soul.

c. His secret love.

Have you ever had one of those telephone conversations in a middle of a blazing row with your wife and then a member of the congreagtion has phoned you up and all of a sudden the voice changes, it stimulates hypocrisy does’nt it.

To the other guys Judas was as devoted as they were. We see the evidence of this when Jesus speaks of one who is to betray Him not one of them pointed to Judas.

Matt26:.22 each one asked Lord is it I?

Have we got a secret love?

It was Moses who said to the people of Israel ‘be sure that your sin will find you out’ As we come before a God whom nothing is hidden, let us confess our secret sins!

’He died for it and you must die to it Psalm 139; 23-24. Search me O God!

2. In Judas we see a man with a mask

a. His life was counterfeit

Judas also was not the real thing but counterfeit. It was the first day of the feast of unleavened bread and the evening of the pass over meal. V16 And yet behind it all Judas was continually watching for the opportunity to hand Jesus over.

Adolph Hitler made use of Christian vocabulary, He talked about the blessings of the Almighty and Christian confessions which would become pillars of his new government. He assumed the earnestness of a man weighed down by historic responsibility. He handed out pious stories to the press especially to the Church papers. He showed his tattered Bible and declared he drew his strength from it. People welcomed him as a man sent by God. And yet he exterminated millions of Gods own people the Jews!