Matthew 26:46-50 (GW)
46 Get up! Let's go! The one who is betraying me is near.”
47 Just then, while Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve apostles, arrived. A large crowd carrying swords and clubs was with him. They were from the chief priests and leaders of the people.
48 Now, the traitor had given them a signal. He said, “The one I kiss is the man you want. Arrest him!”
49 Then Judas quickly stepped up to Jesus and said, “Hello, Rabbi!” and kissed him.
50 Jesus said to him, “Friend, why are you here?” Then some men came forward, took hold of Jesus, and arrested him.
TOPIC---WATCH OUT FOR JUDAS IN 2026
This morning, we encounter the most notorious hypocrite in scripture.
Judas Iscariot.
The name Judas itself has become a kind of curse word for someone you can't trust.
Because Judas means betrayer,
Backstabber,
No good,
Can't be trusted.
And you do know that Judas will smile in your face
All the while trying to take your place.
You can't trust Judas
Because Judas wears a mask
And Judas wears his mask well,
In other words
You need to watch out for Judas
Because Judas is a picture of failed discipleship.
An apostate apostle.
Who walk with Jesus for 3 ½ years but didn’t know God
Because when you examine the story of Judas
Judas had a perfect resume.
He was a hand-picked disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Who had external devotion without an inner transformation.
Sat under the teaching of the best seminary instructor the world has ever known.
Trusted as the treasurer of the twelve.
Empowered to perform miracles.
Anointed to preach the gospel.
And this morning/evening
You ought not sit there like you don't know judas.
Because all of us got some Judas in us.
All of us have some devilish ways that not pleasing to God.
Because when we come to the gospel,
We are either like Jesus
Are like Judas
And Iet me suggest to you this morning/evening
That Jesus is perfect,
But Judas was imperfect.
Which suggest
You and I are more like Judas.
Because Judas had mastered playing Church in spite of spiritual performance.
Judas had no deep authentic devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ.
That’s why when we come to Matthew 26,
Jesus had got through praying in agony in the garden of Gethsemane.
Praying, father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me,
But nevertheless, not my will.
But your will be done.
And when Jesus got up from praying and groaning and agony in the garden of Gethsemane,
Here come Judas with an armed posse.
Who he had already given the sign of betrayal.
He says to them, the one I Kiss, is the man arrest him.
Notice – notice -notice
Judas moves with a great sense of urgency and kissed Jesus .
He kissed Jesus as if he loved him.
Which suggest to us this morning/evening
That Judas was nothing but a first-rate pretender.
And his kiss was just a physical smooch.
And that a word for somebody this morning/evening
Because sometime the fakest people you're ever gonna meet,
Sometimes the most hypocritical people you're ever gonna meet,
You meet them at church .
You see
They come to God`s house lifting up Holy hands
But won`t lift a hand to help anybody
And they don't mean anything that they are doing.
And the word God has for us this morning is,
Let Judas be a mirror for us to look at ourselves
And ask ourselves
A serious question.
Am I solded out
Or am I a sellout?
That's the question this morning/evening
Am I’m solded out to Jesus
Or am I a sellout to judas?
You see ______________
When Judas kissed Jesus,
Jesus don't rebuke Judas.
Jesus don't get upset with Judas.
But Jesus calls Judas friend.
And he says, friend,
Do what you came here to do.
In other words,
We can fool people some of the time,
But we can't fool God at no time.
You see the truth of the matter is
Somebody walked in the Lord House this morning
With the same old disposition that you had last year,
With the same old mindset that you had yesterday,
With the same stinking thinking that you had last month.
And I need to tell you this morning/evening
It makes no sense for you to sit up in the Lords House
And listen to the word of God
And go home living the same way you lived last year.
Jacked up,
Messed up, and Tore up,
Because Judas is a mirror for us to measure our discipleship.
And As I take my seat
I need to encourage you
Not to get upset with Judas,
Don't cuss Judas out,
Don't fuss with Judas,
Don't go back and forth with Judas.
Because spiritual maturity suggests to us this morning/evening
That we got to learn to thank God for Judas.
Because just like Judas had a role to play in Jesus’ life.
Judas has a role to play in each of our lives.
Because only God can take what Judas meant for evil and flip the script and make it work for our good.
Because only God can take the motives of a fake friend and push us into our destiny.
That`s why you ought to turn and tell your neighbor in your preaching voice
No Judas.
No betrayal.
No arrest.
No trial.
No condemnation.
No crucifixion.
No death.
No burial.
No resurrection.
No salvation.
No hope.
No future.
No church.
And I wonder Is there anybody in the house this morning/evening
Who can testify that even in a world full of Judas's
That God still gets the last word?
Because when you read Matthew chapter 26,
And flip the page to Matthew chapter 27
You see ________________
Jesus is betrayed in Matthew chapter 26.
But in Matthew chapter 27 there are two deaths.
There's the death of Judas and the death of Jesus.
In Matthew chapter 27, Judas dies a death of selfishness,
But Jesus dies a death of selfless sacrifice.
And if you stop in Matthew chapter 27, it seemed like Judas got the last word.
But you gotta keep on reading.
You see
Judas betrayed Jesus in Matthew chapter 26.
Judas and Jesus die in Matthew chapter 27.
But if you flip the page to Matthew chapter 28
Only one man got up that 3rd day morning with all power in His hands.
You see
Judas died and went to hell.
But Jesus got up from the grave.
Step out on resurrection ground gave the benediction
And declared that all power in heaven and earth in His Hands
And I wonder if there is anybody in the house this morning/evening who believes he got up
And if you believe he got up
You ought to stand up
And give your neighbor a high 5 and tell them
EARLY ==EARLY
EARLY SUNDAY MORNING
HE GOT UP WITH ALL POWER IN HIS HANDS
AIN`T HE ALRIGHT
