Reading: John chapter 12 verses 1-11.
Ill:
• Each year since 1970 at Madam Tussaud’s Wax Museum in London;
• Thousands of international visitors are asked a question.
• They are asked to name which person, past or present, real or fictional
• That they hated or feared the most.
• The name that has topped the list the most number of times has been Adolph Hitler,
• This past couple of years it has been Osama Bin Laden.
• But through the years the list has included Idi Amin, Richard Nixon, Margaret Thatcher,
• Jack the Ripper, Liam Gallagher (front man for the British rock band Oasis).
One made who has never made the list was Judas Iscariot:
• Even though he commited the greatest act of betrayal for a human being to do;
• He is the man who betrayed Jesus Christ, the son of God, King of Kings, Lord of Lords.
• ill: His name is synonymous with betrayal.
• None of the other eleven disciples made Collins English Dictionary,
• But Judas did!
• Ill: Collins defines Judas as “Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Jesus, a traitor or betrayer.”
• Ill: The dictionary also tells us that a "Judas kiss";
• Is a false expression of affection.
• Ill: And that a "Judas hole";
• Is a hidden slit in the wall through which guards spy on prisoners.
Ill:
• Judas is a great name, it means: ‘Praise’.
• Yet as a result of this one man, nobody ever names their baby Judas!
Ill:
• For that matter you might remember;
• That Jesus younger brother’s name was Judas Mark chapter 6 verse 3).
• But when he wrote the letter that would eventually become a part of our New Testament
• He used the diminutive of his name which was Jude.
• Now we don’t read the books of I I and II and III Jack,
• So why was it that Judas felt that he had to shorten his name to Jude?
• Answer is simple:
• Because he didn’t want to be identified with Judas Iscariot...............would you?
(1). His Name:
• When it comes to Judas Iscariot, we don’t really know all that much about him,
• We do know that his father was Simon.
• We do know that his surname Iscariot was a combination of two Hebrew words;
• ‘Ish’ and ‘Kariot’, which would then be translated, ‘Man of Kariot’.
• The city of Kerioth belonged to the tribe of Judah (Joshua 15:25).
• And was in the South. (Cariot) was a city in Judea 12 miles south of Hebron
• This would mean Judas was probably the only disciple who was not a Galilean;
• The others were all northerners, but Judas was a southerner!
• Ill: You may have Noticed that in all of the lists of the names of the twelve disciples,
• Peter is always listed first and Judas Iscariot always last.
(2). His motive.
Ill:
In most films about the life of Jesus;
• Judas is often pictured as a political figure, a nationalist, a disillusioned zealot.
• He is often portrayed as betraying Jesus to force him to politically ‘come out’;
• To force the hand of Jesus to establish his kingdom on earth.
• I cannot find that insight in the scripture;
In fact there is only one motive that consistently reveals itself in the gospels;
• One motive for his betrayal of Jesus;
• Money!
Example 1:
• In verse 6 of our reading we are told (John chapter 12) that;
• Judas was the treasurer of the group of disciples.
• We are told that one of his jobs was to distribute money to the poor;
• (John chapter 12 verses 5 hints at this and chapter 13 verses 29 confirms it).
• Notice with hindsight; John is able to record;
• That Judas had been pilfering money out of the treasury:
• “He was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it"
• (John chapter 12 verse 6).
Example 2:
• John chapter 12 verse 4:
• When Mary is worshipping Jesus by giving to him expensive perfume.
• It was an extravagant act of love that Mary was demonstrating;
• The ointment was worth a year's wages, this was a costly act!
• All Judas was thinking about was not the Lord but the money;
• Judas' question is really quite telling; "Why this waste?" (Matthew 26:8)
• He has no appreciation of her act of worship;
• He is thinking about what a year's wages would have done for the treasury; & of course Judas!
Example 3:
• Matthew chapter 26 verse 15;
• Judas was given a bribe of 30 pieces of silver to betray Jesus;
Matthew 26:14-16
“Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, "What will you give me if I betray him to you?"
They paid him thirty pieces of silver.
And from that moment he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.”
• The Greek is quite specific that Judas was negotiating a deal a business arrangement;
• Seeking economic advantage, by getting the best price that he could manage,
• From my experience in life, when someone says,
• "It’s not about the money" generally you can bet that it is about the money.
For Judas it was about the money!
• And so for 30 pieces of silver he sold his relationship with Jesus.
• For 30 pieces of silver he sold his friendship with the Son of God.
• We don’t know what those thirty pieces of silver were valued at:
• If it were shekels, they would be equivalent of about 120 day’s wages.
• If it were denarii ,
• They would be equivalent of about 30day’s wages for a soldier or working man.
• Judas sold Jesus for at most 120 days wages and at least 30 days wages;
• What a contrast with Mary who gave 365 days worth of denarii the value of her perfume!
Example 4:
• Matthew chapter 27 verses 3-4:
• When his conscience bothered him,
• He thought mainly about returning the money!
• Notice that Judas did not repent of his sins.
• He was remorseful but not repentant.
Quote: Matthew chapter 27 verse 3:
“When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders.”
Remorse and regret are not the same as repentance.
• Remorse & regret are feeling sorry for what you have done;
• Realising that those actions were foolish and misguided.
• But the emphasis is on how you are feeling;
• You feel bad and wish you could undo the damage.
• Repentance is much deeper;
• It is not only a feeling of guilt and regret,
• Repentance is a change of thought and action to correct a wrong;
• And also it involves gaining forgiveness from the one wronged!
• As far as I am aware Judas nowhere cries out to God for forgiveness;
• Ill: He had seen Jesus forgive those who to the religious leaders unforgivable.
• Ill: He had heard stories of the lost son;
• So he must have known forgiveness was available.
But sadly Judas leaves this world and the New Testament as a man without hope.
• Acts chapter 1 verse 18 states that Judas;
• "Acquired a field with the price of his wickedness. . . . "
• And there he killed himself;
• End of Judas, end of story!
(3). The Contrast.
Note: Two things about this ridicule:
(a). They were Worried about Waste (vs 8)
"Why this waste?" they asked”
Ill:
• Charles Francis Adams, the 19th century political figure and diplomat, kept a diary.
• One day he entered: “Went fishing with my son today—a day wasted.”
• His son, Brook Adams, also kept a diary,
• Which is still in existence.
• On that same day, Brook Adams made this entry:
• “Went fishing with my father—the most wonderful day of my life!”
• The father thought he was wasting his time while fishing with his son,
• But his son saw it as an investment of time.
• The only way to tell the difference between wasting and investing;
• Is to know one’s ultimate purpose in life and to judge accordingly.
The disciples said that pouring all of the perfume on Christ was a waste:
• All they were doing was showing their ignorance!
• They were showing their limited understanding!
• Ill: I think Mary was the only one who smiled at the cross!
• When she saw his head and his feet, she said to herself I am glad I done it!
(b). Worried about Wages
• The disciple Judas said that the perfume could have been sold for 300 pence,
• which was almost 1 years wages.
• He was the keeper of the bag & he was more concerned about getting money for himself;
• Than in collecting money that could be spent on the poor.
Note:
• Both Matthew and Mark note that it was THEN;
• That Judas went out to strike a deal with the chief priests.
• Question: Why THEN, do you suppose?
• Answer: The point seems to be this:
• Jesus’ acceptance of Mary’s extravagant worship was the last straw for Judas.
• If this rabbi was going to countenance such waste,
• Such a hideous waste,
• Then it would be better for him to die.
Ill:
• If you can take two ten pence pieces and place them in front of your eyes;
• You can shut out the most beautiful view in the world.
• Just go to a high mountains and just hold two coins closely in front of your eyes;
• The mountains are still there, but you cannot see them!
• All because there is a ten pence piece shutting off the vision in each eye.?
• It doesn't take large quantities of money to come between us and God;
• Just a little, placed in the wrong position, will effectively obscure our view.
• Sadly that was so true for Judas!
(5). The statement (vs 13):
“Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."”
I believe Jesus praised her act of devotion for two reasons:
(a). It was an act of great faith.
• Jesus praised Mary for taking a risk!
• Ill: Faith is spelt R.I.S.K!
• Quote: Playwright Neil Simon said,
• “If no one ever took risks, Michelangelo would have painted the Sistine floor.”
Ill:
“There was a very cautious man
Who never laughed or played;
He never risked, he never tried,
He never sang or prayed.
And when he one day passed away
His insurance was denied;
For since he never really lived,
They claimed he never died!”
• She was spiritually alive;
• The others in the room might as well been spiritually dead!
• True faith always leads to action;
• Even though it may result in misunderstanding and criticism.
(b). It was an act of great financial cost.
• Mary had saved along time to buy the ointment that she poured out on Christ.
• It was worth almost an entire years wages.
• That was probably the most precious thing she owned;
• Perhaps, this was a family inheritance.
• Some speculate that it might have been part of dowry saved for her wedding day.
• Others say it may well have been her life’s savings, her pension plan!
• We do not know, what we do know is:
• Mary was not thinking about herself she only had Jesus in mind!
The real point of the story is the contrast between extravagant love and cheap love.
• Cheap love finds excuses.
• It asks how much I have to give or how much do I have to do.
• Extravagant love looks for ways to voice its gratitude and express its devotion.
• Extravagant love cares little for what others say or do.
• Extravagant love sees only the blessing of the Lord;
• And an opportunity to honour him.
Ill:
David Shepherd
Note:
• Jesus said that the thing she done would be remembered in the years to come;
• You and I are a fulfilment of those words.
• We are remembering the faith of this lady right now;
• But are we prepared to follow her example?
