I have a thing about names. When I was a young boy, my dad would make my brother and I memorize different things while we were riding in the car from Dallas to Kansas City to visit my grandparents. One of the things he taught was that we were named after all of our uncles, older male cousins, grandpa’s, etc. So my full name is “Jonathan, Joseph, Jeremiah, Timothy, Titus, Obadiah, William, Henry, Roderick, Sam, Nathanael, Daniel, Abraham, Simon, Timon, Nicholas Pat, Christopher Dick Jehosaphat, Robert Kenneth Joyce.”
Because of that, I have always had a fascination with names. You can get your name by one three ways:
1. You get your name by family
2. You get your name by fancy, or
3. You get your name by fact.
Let me illustrate.
Some of you have the same name as your father and your grandfather. I had a man in a previous church who was called, “Junior.” That wasn’t his name, it was his nickname. He was named after his father.
Some of you got your name by fancy. I have collected some interesting names that have been given by fancy. A man who was born on February 14, had the last name C-A-R-D. Would you guess, by the fancy of his father, what his first name was? His first name was Valentine, Valentine Card. I read about a man who was being inducted into the military and when he was asked his name, he said, “Half-Acre Jones.” The CO said, “Son, we cannot use nicknames on military documents.” The man replied, “Sir, my name is Half-Acre Jones. When my daddy was a share-cropper in Mississippi, the only thing he ever wanted out of life was to own was ½ acre of land. On the day he paid for that half acre of land, I was born, and in celebration, my daddy named me “Half-Acre Jones. That’s my real name.” I heard about a family name Lear, L-E-A-R. They named their baby girl Crystal Shanda … Crystal Shanda Lear. Dr. Bob Campbell, one time pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, said the treasurer of the first church he served was named M. O. Outhouse and everybody called him John.
There are some people who have instant name recognition with simply a single name: Cher, Elvis. There are other names that we avoid simply because of the infamy attached to their names. I have never met a person from the U.S. named Benedict, because that name is synonymous with the betrayer of our country, Benedict Arnold. No one names their daughter Jezebel, because she was the vile queen to Ahab. R. G. Lee called Ahab, the toad that squatted on the throne of Israel.
I did meet a girl at camp one time named Delilah and I wondered about the girl’s parents. And you know, I have never met anyone named Judas because it is a name that is synonymous with traitor.
All through the ages the treachery of Judas has been regarded as the foulest deed that was ever committed. And, yet, when you examine the man who betrayed Christ, you will recognize that he seemed to be the epitome of what we today would consider the premier Christian, the most up-standing member, a pillar of the church.
Let’s take a look at the man behind the name.
THE MAN OF BETRAYAL
Consider first his exemplary parents: First of all consider Judas’ heritage. He was from Judah, who was a descendant of Abraham. He had the same heritage as king David, the man after God’s own heart. He was from the elite people of the Jews …
God’s chosen people. Accordingly, Judas had the ultimate genealogy.
Next, consider his extensive preparation: Judas received the finest theological education ever received by mortal man. My theological education consists of some courses on the undergraduate level. I also have a Master of Divinity degree from SWBTS. It is the equivalent of 3 master’s degrees with theses, or two MBA’s.
It is a 92-hour master’s degree. A bachelor’s degree is somewhere between 120-130 hours. The typical master’s degree is 30 hours and an MBA is @ 45 hours.
When I began my studies at Southwestern, I thought, “How on earth can they dream up enough stuff to add up to 92 hours?” Some people are impressed when someone has a Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is extensive knowledge of a minute aspect of a subject. What do you know about patri-passionism in Paul’s letter to the Hebrews? I don’t know anything, but one of my professor’s did a Ph.D. on that subject. I have been a pastor for almost 13 years, and I have never had anyone question me about that subject.
At the end of my seminary career, it dawned on me that I know a little about a lot, but I don’t know a lot about anything. SWBTS gives their students a philosophy of education and pastors spend the rest of their careers educating themselves.
As extensive as my seminary training is, it is nothing when compared to the training Judas got at the feet of the Master. For almost 3 years, Judas had the benefit of the Lord Himself as He taught the disciples. There has never been an education to equal that of Judas.
Considering the environment, it is almost impossible for us to imagine that he could done what he did. How often have we seen someone who has apparently been a Christian for years, who has been instrumental in working in the church, who has served the church extensively and effectively, and have been the motivating factor in other people coming to Christ and then one day, they defect? But, this is in direct conflict with what they appeared to have been all those years.
Could it be that they were never truly saved?
Could it be that they were impostors all along?
Judas had the benefit of exemplary parentage and extensive preparation.
Consider also he had an exalted position.
Exalted Position:
He was one of the most trusted disciples. Wealthy women contributed to the maintenance and ministry of Christ and His disciples (Luke 8:3). Judas was made treasurer and administrator of the funds. The very fact that he was given this responsibility proves that the other disciples had faith in his honesty, and a confidence that remained unshaken up to the night of the betrayal. He had an exalted position. He also had received extraordinary power that could only be described as divine.
Extraordinary Power:
In Luke 9 and Mark 6 we are told that Jesus called the 12 (not 11), and He gave them power and authority over all the demons, and to heal disease. They went out and preached and their message was that all men should repent. Judas was among those men. He was given the same power, and I believe that he accomplished the same ministry as the others. I believe that people were converted through the ministry of the Judas. I believe that people were delivered of the demonic influences that overwhelmed their lives through the ministry of Judas. I believe that people were restored to full health through the healing ministry of Judas. Judas received the same extraordinary power the other eleven disciples did. And yet, he became the man of betrayal. Jesus knew the man of the betrayal and He continually warned Judas of the potential of what grew in his heart.
When Jesus sent the 12 out he told them to take nothing with them. He told them to trust God to provide through other people. We would like to think that at the time of choosing to follow Jesus, Judas was no conscious or deliberate hypocrite; that the fervor and enthusiasm he displayed were no sham; that he was sincere in his initial discipleship, having an honest desire to follow Christ. But the fact remains that while he may have been sincere, he was not whole-hearted in his decision. He did not leave all to follow, but offered Jesus a divided allegiance. The love of money had been in his heart from his earliest days, and he was thus a double-minded man. Had he followed the Master fully he might have had the noblest of lives, and the most blessed of destinies. But, he took his sin with him into the service of Christ until ultimately his habitation became desolate and his position as an apostle was taken by another.
He had every opportunity to repent. He had every opportunity to respond to the invitation of Jesus. When Jesus washed the disciples feet, He said, “One of you is a betrayer.” Finally, He looked Judas full in the face, eye to eye, man to man, and said, “What you do, do quickly.” He wasn’t giving Judas the “go-ahead.” He was saying I know it all. I know your entire plan. I am giving you another chance to turn back
before you make the mistake of all eternity.
The disciples assumed because he:
• had the most trusted position;
• had done the most tremendous good due to the ultimate power granted by God;
• knew of his parentage;
• had heard his dynamic preaching;
• had witnessed his powerful healing;
they believed that he as a man of excellence. But Jesus said, “You are the betrayer.”
He was the man of betrayal.
THE METHOD OF THE BETRAYAL
Let us consider for a moment the method of the betrayal. A kiss has always been a token of love and friendship; a symbol of fidelity; but the kiss of Judas was a profane one, marking out Jesus for arrest. Matthew 26:48 tells us, “Now he who was betraying Him gave them a sign, saying, ‘Whomever I shall kiss, He is the one; seize Him.’”
There is a fable about a man who took a poisonous snake to his breast to be warmed but it rewarded its benefactor by striking its deadly fangs into his flesh. As Judas approached Jesus and made to kiss Him, Jesus lovingly called him “friend” (Matt. 26:50), and doubtless reciprocated the kiss, for divine love never retaliates. But heaven and hell met in that embrace … there the Son of Man spoke his last word
to the son of perdition. The eternity’s united in that strange moment of a kiss on which history looks back with horror and pity.
There has been much speculation about the way in which Judas kissed Jesus. Years ago there was a movie titled The Last Temptation of Christ that portrayed Judas kissing Jesus on the mouth. Four years ago, I was watching the Olympics and I noticed that several of the male gymnasts would kiss their male coach on the mouth as well as the other male gymnasts. I was surprised. I was amazed. I couldn’t believe it. Man, that’s grosser than kissing your sister. But, apparently it is a common practice in some countries and cultures. There is no evidence that this was a common practice or part of the culture of Jesus day.
Possibly when Judas came to Jesus to betray Him, he kissed Him on the cheek.
That is quite appropriate. That is a common practice that has lasted until today.
In the Middle East, you still see men kiss each other on the cheek, much like we would shake hands with each other by way of greeting. So it is possible that this was the kiss that Judas gave to Jesus to betray Him.
Could we not speculate that the kiss Judas gave to Jesus was a kiss on the hand? Judas was approaching the Rabbi and he was attempting to do so in a manner that was customary and thereby not cause undue suspicion. He would always have approached to kiss His hand. This practice is still common among Roman Catholics, as they approach to kiss the hand of the Pope or a cardinal. This was an act of respect; a display of devotion. It was the highest way possible of letting someone know how highly they were esteemed.
The kiss on the hand is to the rabbi what a virgin is to her bridegroom. A kiss from John as he leaned on Jesus would be sweet, but from an apostle who had become a mortal enemy, such a token of affection was abhorrent and abominable. That kiss was not necessary for the success of the plot Judas had hatched. The soldiers had torches, and could have been guided by some other sign as Judas kept himself in the background. But no, still believing that Jesus was his Master, he acted as a bosom friend. But, Judas had a different agenda. He had a different motive.
THE MOTIVE OF THE BETRAYER
Jesus wished to spare Judas the part of his treachery, representing the last aggravation of sin, namely, from offering the hypocrisy of the traitor’s kiss. There was no need for Judas to point Him out, and Jesus tried to forestall the token of betrayal by saying to the soldiers who came to the garden, “Whom do you seek?” (John 18:4).
They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He said to them, “I am He.”
We have now reached the heart of our sad and sordid story. The betrayal and arrest of Jesus struck terror into the hearts of the other disciples, and they forsook Him and fled (Matt. 26:56).
Jesus was led away to face the High Priest and the Sanhedrin, there to suffer false accusation, shame and indignity. But by this time the hellish bargain had been clinched, and the betrayed One was safe in the hands of those who more than once had tried to kill Him.
If greed of money was the motive of betrayal, then the sum received was most trivial.
Perhaps it was a down-payment on an even greater sum to be paid later.
When Judas protested against the waste of a vial of costly ointment that was used to anoint Jesus, he asked, “Why wasn’t this ointment sold and the money distributed to the poor?” Judas wasn’t concerned about the poor. The amount of money he suggested as a possible value was about a years wagers. It was extravagant.
Yet, he bargained to betray the Son of God for 30 pieces of silver, not even half the value of the precious ointment. All Christ was worth to Judas was the price of a slave when killed by a beast (Ex. 21:32).
The very meanness of the bribe money offered must have been an insult to Judas, but he took the miserable sum without objection. If anyone had told Judas on the day he was called out by Jesus, that one day he would sell Him for 30 pieces of silver, he would have been indignant with the horror at such a suggestion. But he kept the sin of greed in his heart, and it grew until it drove him to commit a monstrous and unspeakable crime for which he is still despised. Do you understand now, why Jesus spent so much time talking about money. It is the means of betrayal. It is still the means whereby people betray Christ. Judas’ lust brought forth sin, and the sin when full grown brought forth a terrible death. What horrible deeds men & women will do for money!
Ladies and Gentlemen, young people, Judas had every opportunity to be one of the most revered, most adored – one of the most loved men of all times. If anyone could have benefited from his environment it was Judas. He had everything going for him that should have guaranteed that he, of all people, would have become one of the elect. But he chose a kiss over eternal life. He chose a kiss over a life of devotion to Jesus. He chose a paltry sum over limitless wealth in heaven for an eternity.
CONCLUSION
Lest you consider Judas beneath you today, let me tell you that there are still people kissing Jesus today. There are still those who sell honor and truth, barter away their souls for money, sacrifice religion and any hope heaven for material gain. Just like Judas of old, their consuming lust for gold brings eternal loss. Jesus taught that the soul of man is worth more than all the wealth of the world, yet His worth was estimated at being around $10.00. To John, who had discovered the preciousness of his peerless Lord, His price was above rubies. Never was so little paid for so much.
Too many people undervalue Christ. Many people come to church and think that they can get away with giving him a token of their love. They come to church thinking that they are giving Him an act of devotion when all along it is nothing more than the price of betrayal. Many come to church, not to bow beneath the majesty of the Almighty, but to try to squeeze a blessing out of God. Listen, if you think for one minute that God doesn’t know your heart, you are sorely mentally challenged.
“Be not deceived, God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap.”
Many come to church to crank the “God-in-a-box” hoping to crank out a miracle or a blessing. And when it doesn’t happen, they go away disillusioned. Many come to church seeking what they can get out of it, and what God commands is to come looking what you can put in to it. Too many people today just want to kiss Jesus,
they really don’t want to follow Him.
Many people believe if you can just have the right program and get the people stirred up in some activity, that they are doing the will of God. But activity never precedes relationship. Activity is borne out of a relationship with the Almighty.
Some have come looking for a fire engine to put out the latest fire in their lives.
Instead, people ought to be looking for the fairest Lord Jesus, to worship Him and devote their lives to Him in faithful service. But many today just want to kiss Him.
They simply want to see if He will magically cause all of their problems to go away.
Listen, God never promises that you will not have to go through the valley of the shadow of death; only that God will be with you. We are supposed to be the salt of the earth, but we either have no flavor of Christ, or we taste like the garbage dumps of the world. We are supposed to be the light of the world, but we shed no light,
instead we spread darkness with our lives. We are supposed to be the essence (the perfume) of Christ, but the stench that rises from our lives is the odor of the foulest sewers of the world.
Under God!!! It is time that we stopped kissing Jesus and started living for Him.
The tragedy is that some, like Judas, seem so right, so righteous, so genuine in their devotion to Christ. But the day will come when they are going to be utterly surprised when the King of kings denies He ever knew them. Jesus said in His Sermon on the Mount, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles? And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness’” (Matt. 7:21-23).
Ladies and Gentlemen, the Savior is not to be trifled with. He will not be kissed; He will not be manipulated to suit you. Judas appeared to be the genuine article, but in reality, he was just kissing Jesus. One thing you need to know, Matthew records that as Judas came to Jesus to betray Him, Jesus called him, “Friend.” In spite of Judas betrayal, Jesus still loved him. Jesus called Judas. He included him with the elect, the chosen ones; gave him every opportunity to repent of the treachery he committed.
Matthew tells us that Judas felt remorse, but it was not a repentance toward God.
You see repentance requires more than just feeling sorry. Too many people believe that just because they feel bad, and they ask God to forgive them that the matter is closed. But repentance requires a change.
All who betray innocent blood sooner or later discover the enormity of their sin. Before their sin, it was gain they saw .. after the sin, guilt and self-reproach. Poor Judas, he lost Christ, he lost his fellow apostles, he lost his ill-gotten bribe, and finally he lost his soul and heaven. Let me warn you that repentance may come too late.
In his remorseful state of mind, Judas knew he could not set back the clock. He had passed the redemption point.
God declares in the Scripture that He will not always strive with man. He says in Romans that He gave them up to a depraved mind. Judas may cry, “I have sinned,”
but Christ was not near to say, “Your sins be forgiven you.” Judas had reached the point in the history of his soul when the Lord was not at hand with His intervention.
Jesus let Judas go because He will never force or coerce people to repent. Jesus’ weapon is love, not force. Today, you may be on the threshold of treachery.
Oh, it may not seem like betrayal, but you are the one who is upset in the church, you are the one claiming to be wounded and you are turning your back on the Lord and on the people of God. You need to know that one of Satan’s most powerful weapons, for those who profess to be Christians, is for something to happen to destroy your good feelings about the church and to say, “If that’s how they act, I want no part of it.”
How many people have turned away from the church for years because they were not ministered to in some way, and instead of being long-suffering, and steadfast, they defect and render themselves useless for the kingdom of God.
You need to know, that is one of God’s tests to see if you will be faithful when people are not treating you in the way that you want to be treated. And some of you are only one upset away from betrayal. Are you just kissing Jesus, or are you willing to be faithful? Even when your needs aren’t met by the church, the pastor, the deacons, the Sunday School teacher, are you willing to go on and serve him when you don’t feel like it?
Jesus is not looking for limp-wristed wimps to trust His kingdom to. He is looking for those stalwart, faithful few, who will serve, no matter what happens. If you service is only dependent upon good feelings, you can bet that Satan is going to use that to knock you out of the box of service and faithfulness to Christ. If you will only cooperate when you like the leadership of the church, Satan is going to use that to dismantle your testimony so that the people of the church will realize that you are remiss or lacking in spiritual maturity.
It’s time to stop kissing Jesus and start loving Him with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. It’s time you put your money where your mouth is. It’s time you put your life on the line. It’s time you stopped whining about how you’ve been mistreated and start glorifying God with your life. It’s time you stopped pulling against the church and start cooperating with the church leadership. It’s time you gave up everything in order to follow Him. Will you do that today? Will you trust Him? If you do, you will find out that Satan no longer has the victory over your life. Your life will be a fountain of blessing.
Your life will be filled with peace that passes all understanding.You will be a fount of joy. You can find victory in Jesus.
Won’t you decide today? Take a step of faith. Give Satan a black eye. He’s been having a field day with us. It’s only as we cooperate and in unity go forward that Satan is defeated. Let’s put aside our differences and run with endurance the race set before us. Will you make that commitment
