Where Does The Road End
4/2/2000 Proverbs 1:8-19 Mark 14:1-9
It’s good to know where a road is, but it’s even more important to know where the road ends. In a scene in Alice in Wonderland, Alice is lost and she ask the cat in the tree, “which way should I go?” The cat asked, “where are you going?” Alice responded, “I’m not sure.” The cat replied, “then I guess it does not matter which way you go.” If you’re trying to get from here to Chicago, it makes a difference whether you take I 77 South, I 90 East, or I-90 West. It has nothing to do with the view on the roads, or the number of pot holes. What matters is which of the roads will end in Chicago.
Now you can firmly believe I-77 south will take you there, but I can tell you unless you’re going to Chicago, South Carolina you’re wasting your time. You can be convinced that I-90 East will get you there and it just might after you have driven across the Atlantic Ocean, through Europe, over Asia, under the Pacific Ocean and try to Pick Up I-90 East in the state of Washington near Seattle. Just as it is important to know where a road ends when driving, it is equally important to know where a road ends that we are traveling on in life.
If you continue to travel on the same road in your life today that you’re following , where will you be five years from now if you do not make any changes in what you’re doing in school, at home, on the job or in the church. All of us should have goals in front of us that we desire to reach for ourselves and for our God. Otherwise we become like Alice, wandering aimlessly because we do not know where we want to eventually end up.
When God comes into a person’s life, God always comes with a purpose to make something happen The only problem with God is that God will not force us to do what we do not want to do. God can come up with some strong persuasion, but God respects our free will. God loves and respects us to much to turn us into robots. We truly have a freedom of choice as to whether or not we will serve the Lord or choose to love Him.
As we approach Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Easter, there are several important figures who chose different roads to travel. Let’s look at person who will always be remembered in history because of the choices he made. The person’s name was an honor to the Lord. His name means, “praise of the Lord.” He was a pretty smart young guy and had a good way with numbers. Very likeable person, with an honest and trustworthy appearance. He had a wife and some children. He understood the importance of networking and being around the right people at the right time. He could be very passionate in speaking up for the poor.
His life intersected one of the most important people in all of human history. One day he ran into Jesus Christ, and quickly followed the crowd in his pursuit. He probably had held several positions in his life, but none would have a greater impact than on that day when Jesus went upon on the mountain side. There were thousands of people there that day, and Jesus had to make a decision as to which twelve people he would fully invest himself in to become his 12 disciples.
Jesus said something to the effect, “will the following 12 people step out from the crowd. Simon and his brother Andrew, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, Phillip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James son of Alpheas, Thaddeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot. These are the people I’m choosing as my personal assistants and students”
After calling them to be his disciples, Jesus gave them authority to drive out evil spirits, to heal every disease and sickness, and to preach the good news. If only you could have seen that guy in action with the power of God upon His life. He was healing people left and right. Commanding demons to get out of people. You would have thought he was on the road to greatness in the kingdom of God. If you had of asked where will he be in five years, the answer to come to mind would probably be the pastor of a large church somewhere. But there was a problem, this guy was with Jesus, but he was not really with Jesus.
Well as the ministry of Jesus grew, people wanted to make offerings to thank Jesus for what he was doing. Plus there were a group of women, Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Sussana and many others according to Luke’s gospel who were sending regular offerings to help support Jesus and the disciples. It became obvious that someone needed to be in charge of the money.
The disciples had to have someone to be treasurer of their group. I can imagine someone saying maybe we ought to give the job to Matthew, he use to be a tax collector. I can imagine Matthew saying, “no, I do not want people seeing me with the money. They might think, I only came to Jesus to get my hands on the money.” Well Thomas what about you. Thomas probably said, “Well I doubt if I could keep the books straight.”
Up to this point, the disciple I’ve introduced you to had pretty much been in the background. He was not in the big three inner circle of Peter, James, and John. But nobody else had a special office, so I can imagined he jumped at the opportunity to be the treasurer. After all, he was the last of the twelve disciples chosen. This job could lift his standing in the eyes of the group. When he stepped forward for the job, he obviously looked trustworthy. Even Thomas did not doubt that he could handle the job. I can imagine Philip saying, “Well Judas, with a name which means “the praise of the Lord” you’ve got my vote.
Judas Iscariot becomes the treasurer for Jesus and the disciples. Then there is that first time, when Judas is a little short of his own money. He probably really needs some help, but whatever it is he wants or needs money for, it must not be quite above board because he does not bring the matter up to Jesus. Instead, Judas begins to steal money out the treasury of Jesus and the disciples. He does not bother to think, where is this going to lead if I keep on doing this.
His stealing leads to a contempt for Jesus and the disciples. We so often think, if we had seen Jesus for ourselves and actually watched Him do miracles, there is no doubt we would follow him with our whole hearts. No accepting Jesus’ call upon our lives is always an act of faith. Not only did Judas see Jesus for about 4 years, and listen to him preach, and saw the miracles that he did, Jesus had empowered Judas to do the very same miracles.
It’s frightening to know that God can use us to do great things, and we can still have a heart that’s not with the Lord. Judas begins to think that he has a right to do as he pleased with the money he took. Why should he follow Christ for nothing? There ought to be something in it for him. I can imagine that Judas starts to plan his life around what he’s going to purchase next with the money he is stealing. All he needs is just a certain amount of more money stashed away and he can split. Have you done that with sin. You only plan to do it long enough to get ahead, or to get a feeling, and then you’re going to stop. You already see your way out of the predicament or out of the relationship. Sometimes we are just too smart for our good, forgetting we really do not know what tomorrow is going to bring.
Then came that day when according to John’s gospel, a lady by the name of Mary came to Jesus with a bottle of very expensive perfume. Her desire was to present an offering to Jesus to demonstrate just how much she loved and cared for him. I can imagine that when Judas saw that perfume in that bottle his eyes lit up. He could hear cha-ching from the money they would get when they sold that perfume. Yes, finally he could take enough money and head for the hills. His deception of Jesus and the disciples would be complete. His road will have taken him to riches.
Can you imagine the utter horror and frustration which came upon him, when Mary took that expensive bottle of perfume and poured it on Jesus’ head and the rest on his feet. Do you know how much Mary was trying to demonstrate her love by working and saving up a year’s salary just for the privilege of pouring some expensive ointment on Jesus in an instant? She wanted to do something significant with her life and her possessions. She knew what road she was on and where she wanted it to end. Some of us our of love and out of a vision for Christ are going to make great contributions for the cause of Christ with our New Life Center, but get ready for somebody else to tell you what a mistake you have made.
Judas saw nothing of her love or her to desire to sacrifice for the Lord. All he saw was the money that could have gotten him over the hump, was being wasted. He blasted into her like nobody’s business. “Woman, why in the world did you waste this expensive perfume like this. Didn’t you know it could have been sold for a year’s worth of wages, and given to the poor? Do you know how many kids are going to be hungry and how many widows will be put into the street, because of your inability to think long term? Do you realize what would happen if everybody took the road you’re traveling on.” In the gospel of John, when Judas finishes carrying on like this, John ads the words, “ He did not say this because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put in it.”
At this point, Jesus has had d about all he can stand from Judas. He tells him, “Just be quiet and leave her alone. She has done something very special for me, and it will never be forgotten. You will always have the poor with you, and you can do for them whenever you please but you will not always have me.”
Now this was a little too much for Judas to take. With this kind of talk from Jesus, more and more people will be wasting gifts instead of putting money into the treasury. Judas needs to get the money now before this thing starts to fall apart. Judas is probably very upset with Jesus for embarrassing him like this in front of the other disciples. Here he is trying to stand up for the cause of the poor, and Jesus has the nerve to tell him off. Judas figures out, well if I can’t get money one way, I’ll go and get it another way. He does not stop to think where his anger and his desire for money is going to end up on the road of life.
Luke’s gospel tells us, that it was at this moment that Judas allows Satan to enter into him. We can find in Scripture, that whenever we make a choice to choose to be revengeful or choose to live in disobedience to God’s word, we are extending an invitation to Satan to come into our lives. Judas has in his head a certain sum of money he has to get in order to live comfortably with what he is going to do. Satan enters into him to make sure he will have the power to get what he wants. We need to be careful when we want something so badly, we’ll do what ever is necessary to get it. God always has a way to provide for our needs to complete his purpose in our lives.
Judas goes to the leaders and says, “Look I know you guys want to get rid of Jesus but you’re going to need somebody on the inside whose close to him, to make it happen without causing a riot among the people. Now for a price I can deliver him over to you in the dark, where nobody can cause a riot. What are you willing to give me?” The leaders probably discuss it among themselves. I can imagine them saying what about 10 pieces of silver, “Get real”, okay what about 20, “you’re getting close” Look 30 pieces of silver is as high as we go. You’ve got a deal. Judas takes his silver. Satan must have convinced them to pay him in full up front. That way if Judas even thinks about changing his mind, he can look at that silver and think about the good days ahead.
From then on, Judas begins to look for a time and a place to betray Jesus. Now Jesus knows all along what Judas is doing, but He never lets on with the other disciples about Judas. Jesus calls them altogether for the last meal He will eat before his death. They are all having a good time eating, when Jesus drops a bomb shell on them. He says, one of you is going to betray me. The disciples all become very sad and begin to ask him, “Surely not I Lord.” Jesus says, “Yes, one of you who is sitting at this table and eating with me is going to betray me. Not only that, it would have been better for the person if he had never been born.” At this point Judas said, “Surely not I Rabbi.” The other disciples had called Jesus Lord, only Judas is recorded as referring to him as rabbi or teacher.
Jesus tells Judas, in a voice only Judas heard as Jesus was giving him the bread, “Yes it is you.” As Judas takes the bread, John’s gospel tells us that Satan entered into him once again. Jesus then tells Judas, “what you are about to do, do it quickly.” Judas then knows that Jesus knows of his plan to turn him over. But Jesus only knows it because He is the Son of God.
The other disciples do not have a clue as to what Jesus means when he tells Judas to do it quickly. Judas is the master of deception when it comes to the other disciples. They think since Judas is in charge of the money, Jesus is telling him to either go get some more food for the Feast or to go and make sure the poor have something to eat. Appearances can be very deceiving.
Judas leaves thinking it will not be long and this whole thing is going to be over. Jesus will be in jail, and I’ll be gone with my silver plus the rest of the money bag I’ve been holding. He goes to the chief priests. He leads a band of thugs and hoodlums to the place where he knows Jesus and the disciples are praying. It’s dark out so he gives them a signal. He tells them, just watch me and the one that I go up to and give a kiss will be Jesus. Grab him. Judas is finally out front leading the crowd. I wonder if sometimes if pride had a role in Judas’ path down the wrong road. He was not getting what he thought he deserved.
Now I want you to notice that when we allow Satan into our lives, we lose our own ability to think straight. Now Judas knows that Jesus knows he’s betraying him. Yet Judas intends to walk up to Jesus and give him a kiss. When he gets there, he says “Greeting Rabbi” and kisses him. Jesus says, “So Judas are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss.” Well that’s all Judas had to do to earn his 30 pieces of silver. He can now take his money and run.
The problem with staying on the road of sin is that there is never an exit ramp just when you want to get off. You might be ready to turn and go a different direction, but trying to do it on your own just will not cut it. I do not know if Judas had thought Jesus would simply be thrown into prison. But for some reason that night, Judas did not take the money and get out of town. He decided to hang around and see what was going to happen.
Matthew tells us that when Judas saw Jesus was condemned to death, all of a sudden he was seized with remorse and felt terrible about what he had done. Maybe for the first time he realized that Jesus had actually loved him and was trying to give him another chance in life. Maybe he let go of his pride long enough to admit his choices was what led him down this road with such a disastrous ending. Judas thought, there may not be an exit off this road, but I can make a U turn. He took the pieces of silver and took them back to the leaders and told them, “I have sinned, for I have betrayed innocent blood.” The people he had looked to for help earlier, had nothing but scorn and contempt for him now. They basically told him, “You knew what you were doing when you did it. That’s your problem.
But Judas knew those 30 pieces of silver which he had put so much hope and confidence in, would never provide him with the life he had earlier imagined. The road he had traveled was getting darker by the moment. Maybe he remembered Jesus’ words, “the poor you will have with you always and you can do good for them any time.” He took his 30 pieces of silver and threw it into temple and left. Some kind of a way he got him rope and went to a tree that most of hung over a cliff with rocks below.
He was not interested in making a u turn on this road to suicide. He jumped off the cliff with the rope jerking the life out of his body as he hung on the tree. But Peter tells us in Act 1:18 that Judas fell headlong and his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. This means either the rope or the branch that Judas was hanging on broke and his body crashed headfirst into the rocks below. What a tragic end of a life which started with such promise. Judas traveled on a road that appeared to go down money lane but ended up without any hope of salvation.
The good news for us today, is no matter what road we are traveling upon, there is hope for us to get off if need be and make a turn for another direction. Jesus lets us know all of life is traveled on one of two roads. Most people take the super highway because it appears to get them where they want to go with the least amount of trouble. The other road is just a little one lane road that takes you through some difficult times in life.
The major difference is that the super highway ends at a cliff with death and destruction and once off the cliff there is no bridge to get you to the other side. That one lane road also carries you through life. But at the end of it is a bridge which carries you on over to God. In order to get on the road you’ve got to come into a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. He’s the only way to get on the road. He will also be the bridge that will take you over to the other side even though, death and destruction was waiting for you.
You know where your road has been, you know where it is now, are you confident of where it is it will end?
Sermon Outline Pastor Rick 4/2/2000
“Where Does The Road End”
Proverbs 1:8-19, Mark 14:1-9
I. When You’re Choosing A Road
A. Know The Ending
B. Alice In Wonderland “Which Way”
C. Heading To Chicago, Illinois
D. I-77 S, I-90 East, I-90 West
E. Chicago, SC. Long Route
II. We Are All Travelers
A. Five Years From Now ????
B. God Comes To Make It Happen
C. God’s Respect For Us
D. We Get The Final Decision
III. A Famous Easter Period Character
A. Name Means “Praise Of The Lord”
B. Smart, Numbers, Wife & Kids
C. Networker, Compassionate For Poor
D. Ran Into Jesus
E. Jesus Calls Him As One Of The 12
F. Had Mighty Ministry
G. ON The Road To Greatness
IV. A Need For Some Officers
A. The Offerings Coming IN
B. Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Sussana
C. Treasurer Needed
D. Matthew , Thomas, Declined
E. Judas Iscariot To The Rescue
V. Oops Something Is Going Wrong
A. I’m Just A Little Short
B. Stealing From The Treasury
C. Contempt Comes Into The Picture
D. Being With Jesus Not Enough
E. Being Used is Not Proof Of A Heart
F. What’s In It For Me
G. One Day I Plan To Get Out
VI. A Lady In Love With Jesus
A. Mary And The Expensive Perfume
B. Just Saying How Much I Love You
C. An Act Of Sacrifice Or A Waste Of Money
D. Just How Much Is Jesus Worth
E. A Whole Year’s Salary
F. Do It Anyways
VII. A Disciple Goes Ballistic
A. A Lashing Out Takes Place
B. Do You Realize
C. Just Using The Poor
D. John Tells The Rest Of The Story
E. Jesus Commends The Woman
F. Judas And The Rebuke
VIII. The Choice To Get Even
A. I’m Going To Get My Money
B. When Satan Enters In The Picture
C. A Plot To Turn Over Jesus
D. At 30 Pieces Of Silver, Price Is Right
E. Paid Up In Advance
F. A Spy In Disguise
IX. Jesus Drops A Bomb
A. Jesus On To Judas
B. Somebody Here Will Betray
C. Surely Not I Lord, Surely Not I Rabbi
D. It Is You
E. God Do It Quickly
F. Disciples Do Not Have A Clue To Judas’ Behavior
X. Judas Goes Into Action
A. Planning To Split
B. Leading The Crowd
C. Not Quite Thinking Straight
D. Greetings Rabbi—The Kiss
E. The Money Earned
XI. The Road To Sin
A. Exit Ramp Not There When Needed
B. Not Able To Turn On Your Own
C. Keeps You A Little Longer
XII. Judas A Different Man
A. Seized With Remorse Matt. 27:3-5
B. Recognized He Was Wrong
C. Tried To Make A U Turn
D. No Sympathy At The Temple
E. 30 Pieces For The Poor
F. Road To Suicide
G. Fate After Death Acts 1:118
XIII. God Offers Us An Alternative
A. Super Highway==One Lane Road
B. Jesus Makes The Difference
