Grace and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. The Word of God through which the Holy Spirit touches our hearts is record in Luke 22:
While [Jesus] was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”(Luke 22:47, 48 NIV)
This is the the word of our Lord.
Dear friends of God in Christ Jesus our Lord,
As the American Revolution began in 1775, a former druggist helped Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys capture Fort Ticonderoga. Over the next year and half led troops against the British, and, although he did not defeat them, he slowed them down in their advances. In April 1777 he was promoted to the rank of major general. In September of that year his battle field leadership was a key part of the American victory in the Battle of Saratoga, which became a turning point in the war.
He became commander of Philadelphia in 1778. He and his wife led an extravagant social life and squandered money. Searching for more money, he began writing letters to the British commander in chief, offering to betray America. And that is why when you hear the name Benedict Arnold, you don’t think of a war hero, but of a traitor.
Such treason can lead to the deaths of many and the lose of freedom for all. Fews crimes are worse than betraying your country, unless it is the crime of betraying your God and Savior. And so the name Judas is of greater infamy than even the name Benedict Arnold.
Tonight as we walk with our Savior in his passion, we walk with the Betrayed. One of his own, Judas Iscariot, betrayed him and handed him over to his enemies. But before we smugly condemn Judas, we want to first of all see that 1) we, too, have betrayed our Savior and that 2) he calls us to repentance, just as he called out to Judas.
1) We have betrayed our Savior
As Luke reminds us, Judas was one of the twelve disciples, one of those who was continually with Jesus from early on in his ministry. Jesus knew the hearts of those he had chosen. Judas at first sincerely followed Jesus. He left behind whatever life he had had. He traveled with Jesus on foot from town to town, seeing his miracles and hearing his words. If asked, “Do you want to betray Jesus,” he could have honestly answered at that time, “Of course not, he is my friend and teacher.” He may have even confessed like Peter, “He is the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (see, Matthew 16:16).
Let’s pause here and ask ourselves a question, “What is that you want in life?” Like the early Judas, neither you nor I want to betray our Savior. But what is it that we really want in life? Do you what peace and quiet? Do you want a secure future and a safe retirement? Do you want to be out on our own and independent? Do you want family and friends? Do you want fun and excitement? Do you want respect and fame? Do you what happiness and satisfaction?
These can all be good things, things to work toward, things to ask God to bless us with. And I think that Judas may have given a similar answer. What did he want? Security in life, knowing that he had the resources to provide for himself and maybe a little extra for some of the nicer things? Could be. But instead of controlling his wants, Judas let his wants control him. He wanted to make sure that his future has secure in his own hands and the way to do that was with money.
Money can provide for us. Money can get some of the nicer things. And soon because of his wants, greed grew in Judas’ heart. He wasn’t content or satisfied. He needed more. His greed led him to help himself to the money bag. The devil used Judas greed to gain a foothold in his heart. And soon because of his greed, Judas was under Satan’s influence. The funds from the money bag were not enough. Would Jesus’ enemies pay him to help them out? Yes, they were happy to. They’d give him thirty pieces of silver, the price of a slave. That was about half a years wages, and, if Judas purchased a slave with it, he could take life easy for a long time. And as we’ll hear passion history next week, Judas got exactly what we wanted. They didn’t cheat, they gave him the thirty pieces of silver.
What about you and me, how often do our wants start controlling us? Think about how easily our goal or purpose in life is focused on what my earthly wants are. Earthly security and happiness can be good things. But should they be the focus of our life? No! When our wants start to control us, then Jesus is set to the side. That is sin. That is not loving God first above all. It’s putting our wants first.
And when we do that, we start making bad decisions and choices, just like Judas did. Judas knew better. He had the same training as the other disciples. You and I know better as well. Don’t think that being brought up in the church is a guarantee that you won’t fall. Rather think about the choices you have made on how to spend your time and money, how to use your abilities and talents. What led you to make those choices? Was it your earthly wants or was it love for God?
I, for one, must confess, that all to often I follow Judas and let my earthly wants infect my choices. That is not only sins; it is betraying Jesus. At first we might want to object: “I haven’t betrayed Jesus like Judas did. What Judas did is much worse. It led to his death.” That thinking, my friend, is wrong. It was not only Judas’ betrayal that led to Jesus death, but each one of my sins and each one of your sins as well. Remember those words of the hymn writer: “Ah! I also and my sin Wrought your deep affliction; This indeed the cause has been of your crucifixion” (Christian Worship 98: 3, “Jesus, I Will Ponder Now”). We have betrayed our Savior. As you walk with the Betrayed tonight, remember who it is who has betrayed him. You and I have.
2) He calls to repentance
But what wondrous love Jesus shows to those who have betrayed him! If someone betrays you or me and we know about, it’s highly unlikely we’ll ever be friends again. But look at what Jesus does when betrayed. He calls Judas to repentance. He tries to jar his conscience so that Judas sees what a great sin he is doing. “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” Jesus asks him. He wants Judas to see how low he has fallen to use such a friendly greeting as kiss to do the unfriendly work of betraying.
Judas, though, ignores the Savior’s love. He hardens his heart. Jesus can not bring the promise of forgiveness to Judas because he refused to see his sin. And later when Judas finally confesses his sin and throws the money down, he doesn’t trust Jesus’ promise of forgiveness. Instead he gives up and hangs himself and is lost forever. He is lost not because Jesus’ love failed, but because Judas failed to believe God’s promise of forgiveness through faith in Jesus.
Jesus calls out to you and to me as well. Each day he works through his word to show us our sins, to show us how we let our wants push him to the side. He works to show us how easily we try to cover up these sins with excuses and good sounding explanations. “After I achieve my goal, I can spend more time with Jesus.” “After I feel happier, I can live more like Jesus wants me to.” And the list goes on.
Jesus wants us to see our sin, not so we can go around with sad faces remembering how bad we are. Jesus wants us to see our sin, so that he can tell you that you are forgiven. He wants you to trust the Good News that he has paid for all of you sins. That’s what repentance is all about: Trusting in Jesus for full and free forgiveness, after we see how serious our sin is.
That’s why he let Judas betray him. He knew it was going to happen. He could have avoided the Garden of Gethsemane that night if he had wanted to. He could have called down twelve legions of angels to defend himself. In fact, remember how those who came with Judas fell down when Jesus told them that he was the one they were looking for? The only reason the betrayal worked, was because Jesus let it work.
He did that for Judas, for you, and for me. This is how he how he paid for all of our sins. He handed himself over to his enemies. As a lamb led to the slaughter, he silently and willingly sacrificed himself. He suffered all in our place, as our Substitute. On the cross he suffered even his heavenly Father’s anger and hatred in our place. He bore the full weight of our punishment for our sins and betrayals. He did that for Judas, for you and for me.
Will you follow Judas ignoring the Savior’s call to repentance until it’s too late. He got the thirty pieces of silver that he wanted. And you might get what you think you want. But how tragic that end!
Listen to the Savior call out to you. Turn away from sin and drink in his promise of forgiveness. He has truly paid for all your sins. His death has accomplished it. His resurrection has proven it. Believe the Good News.
