Dark Night of the Soul
Matt. 26:47ff & 69ff & John 19:25-27
I know that you have heard the expression “Dark night of the soul.” But have you ever experienced a dark night of your soul. Some one may say it is the feeling you have when you are, “down in the dumps”. David was feeling more than “down in the dumps” when he wrote Psalm 42:5-6 listen to his plead…
Have you ever been so far down that you can’t remember up?
Read the book of Job and you will see a man going through a dark night of the soul.
Let us look at three men, three decisions, and three results.
There are three men in the N.T. that went through some of the deepest anguish of the soul that man can pass.
JUDAS
When choosing life’s road it is good to know where that road is, but it is more important to know where it ends
In a scene in Alice in Wonderland, Alice is lost and asks the cat in the tree, “Which way should I go?” the cat replied, “Where are you going?” Alice responded, “I’m not sure.” The cat replied, “then I guess it doesn’t matter which way you go.”
When we make a choice we need to know the consequences of that choice.
A. Judas is a man who will always be remembered for the choices he made.
1. His name was an honor to the Lord. His name means, “Praise of the Lord.” His surname was Iscariot which means “A man of murder” or a “Hireling.” One who works solely for compensation, especially a person willing to perform for a fee tasks considered menial or offensive.
He did not start out with the name Iscariot but it was given to him later in life.
Have you ever heard of a mother naming her son Judas?
2. You would think that with a name like Jude, Praise of the Lord, he could not fail. A while back I had a man working for me named “Jesus” But that did not mean his work was perfect. In fact he wanted to be called Jessie.
3. He was a smart young man, good with numbers
4. A likeable person
5. A trustworthy look
6. But you had to watch him, he would try to get paid twice for the same job.
B. Jesus chose Judas as one of the 12.
1. He was given the same powers that the 11 had: heal the sick, cast out demons etc.
2. He had great potential but made the wrong decision.
C. Near the end of Jesus’ ministry we see the dark night of the soul of Judas.
1. Judas allowed Satan to enter into his life. Luke 22:3 Thus begins his dark night.
2. Satan did not force his way into Judas. He allowed him to come in.
D. Whenever we choose to be revengeful or choose to live in disobedience to God’s word we extend an invitation to Satan to come into our lives.
1. I am sure that Judas did not intend for his life to end as it did.
2. I have never seen a drunk that had his goal in life to be a drunk
3. I have never seen an addict that started out to be an addict.
4. It is the choices that are made day by day.
5. Judas was greedy and needed more money than he could steal from the treasury bag of the disciples
4. I am sure he bargained with the Jews for the price 10, 20, 30 pieces of silver?
5. During the last supper Satan entered again into Judas. He gave him a fresh determination to betray Jesus.
6. Then Judas went out to find the Jews. The die was cast no turning back. However Judas did not need to stay on his chosen road. He could have left town. Repented, changed his ways.
E. The road led to destruction.
1. After the deed was done Judas tried to correct his sin. Matt. 27:3-10
2. He felt sorry for what he did. Took the money back and asked them not to kill Jesus. I can imagine the anguish of Judas when what he had done became a reality to him. Oh what a dark night.
There is a difference in feeling sorry for your actions and real repentance toward God.
3. His repentance was not calling out to God for forgiveness.
4. Real repentance is turning around. One preacher said “Now I don’t want you to just half way repent I want you to repent 360 degrees.
5. That was Judas’ problem he turned 360, 90, or 45 degrees when 180 is what is required.
Now Judas, which means praise of the Lord, is always remembered as traitor of the Lord.
Judas hanged himself on a tree overlooking a valley. The rope broke and he fell over the cliff see Matt. 27: 3ff and Acts1:18.
PETER
Peter was much different. Judas was quiet kind of sneaky, but Peter was loud, he was usually the first one to speak or to take action. He was always out in front. The first one to step out of the boat, the first one to draw the sword.
A. Peter’s dark night began when Jesus told him that he would deny him, not once or twice but three times.
1.When Jesus led his disciples to the garden to pray he took Peter, James, and John a little farther and told them to pray. When Jesus came back they were asleep.
2. He told them a second time to pray.
3. This is the first step down when Peter’s prayer life went on the skids.
a. That is true for all of us.
b. Prayer is communication with God.
c. This is usually the step in our downward journey.
4. In Matt. 26:58 we are told that Peter followed at a distance.
a. Prayerlessness causes us to follow Jesus at a distance. Jesus gets farther away. Guess who moved.
Illus. The story is told about a young man who applied for a job with the
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. His application was accepted and he was given the job of painting the white lines on a nearby roadway by hand because all the machines were temporarily out of order.
The first day he painted eight miles. The second day he painted four miles.
The third day he painted two miles. The fourth day he only painted one mile.
His supervisor, who at first was very pleased with his performance, became curious why his production level continued to decrease. The young man replied, "I am getting slower and slower because the paint can is getting
further and further away."
b. So Peter followed but farther and farther away.
Love made Peter ashamed to run, fear made him ashamed to get too close. The disciples chose the left side of the road and ran. Jesus chose the right side of the road and obeyed. Peter chose the middle of the road; you know where you find the yellow line and dead skunks.
5. Peter’s third step down is found in Luke 22:55.
a. Peter sat down with whom?
b. Those that arrested Christ and eventually crucified him. He was warming his hands over the devil’s fire.
David told us in Psalm 1:1 blessed is the man who walks not with the ungodly.
Once you start following at a distance you discover that you have more in common with the world than with your brothers and sisters in Christ.
6. Then Peter began to deny the Lord.
a. His first denial in simple. He said I don’t know what you are talking about. Mark 14: 66-68.
It would be like asking you, “do you go to Simmons Loop Baptist Church?” And you answer Ah, um, well I, what do you mean?
b. His second denial was a little stronger Matt. 26:71-72
This time he took an oath and said I do not know the man. The Jews had this thing about taking oaths. But Jesus said swear not…
c. His third denial was strongest. He denied, he swore, he cursed. The language of the old fisherman came out.
7. Peter’s dark night, Luke 22: 61-63. The rooster crowed and Jesus looked at him and he remembered what Jesus had said. Then Peter wept bitterly.
B. Advance in time to after the resurrection just before the ascension of Jesus.
a. Jesus speaks to Peter about his commitment to him. Do you love me more than these? (Fish, boats, nets, etc.). John 21:15-17
b. Do you love me?
c. Do you love me? Peter was grieved because he said a third time. Maybe this reminded him of the 3 denials.
d. We know that all was forgiven and Peter became a great leader in the church and was later crucified for his belief in Jesus.
What a difference between Peter and Judas.
John
I am not sure where John’s dark night began but he is the one who writes the fourth Gospel
John is the one who stands at the cross as Jesus commended his mother to him.
Can you imagine the agony and deep anguish in the heart of John as he watched his Lord die?
John is the one who bears the dark night of his soul in silence.
John comes through his dark night by recording the life of Jesus in the Gospel.
Toward the end of his life he was on the island of Patmos when he received a revelation of Jesus and of heaven.
Con. Three men, three decisions, three results. With which one can we identify?
Judas, who was sorry for his crime but not sorry enough to ask forgiveness.
Peter, who was sorry for his sin of denial, repented to go on and live a life of obedience.
John, who never denied Christ but lived his life in obedience to the one who loved him.
