Title: After The Heart of Judas
Text: John 13:21
Introduction: Jesus has just finished washing the disciples’ feet. He sits at the last supper table for a meal with them and the following takes place: READ JOHN 13:13-21
What an understatement “Jesus was troubled in spirit...”
Why wouldn’t He be?
‒ Within a few hours lay...
‒ The Garden of Gethsemene
‒ The Judgement Hall
‒ The Cross
‒ And the Grave!!
But with John’s account of the story, all of these things seem to take aback seat to one detail. The treachery of a friend.
‒ Though He had said, “The Son of Man must be betrayed...”
‒ The agony that was brought about here to trouble Him in spirit was due to the fact that it was a friend.
‒ Isaiah calls Jesus a “man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.”
‒ He was a man of the sorrow of loneliness, “...even his own brothers did not believe in Him.”
‒ He was a man who knew the sorrow of disappointment, “He came to His own and His own received Him not.”
‒ He knew the sorrow of rejected love, “How often would I have gathered you together as a hen gathers her chickens, and you would not.”
‒ He knew the sorrow of losing a friend, “Jesus wept.”
‒ Yet it was this sorrow of being betrayed and sold by a friend that causes trouble in His spirit.
Brutus said, “My heart doth joy that yet in all my life I found no man, but he was true to me.” Jesus could not make that statement.
‒ Though he chose 12 men to be His pupils, disciples, students, and friends, those who He would intrust with the gospel news of salvation, one of them has betrayed and sold Him away.
1. Judas Iscariot: Known for one thing, He sold the Lord away.
A. No one names their babies after this man.
1. He is forever marked by this one deed.
2. Jesus said, I have chosen you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil.”
3. His name will always be synonymous with shame.
4. His life ended with shame through hanging himself.
5. The words of Jesus ring true, “It were better for him to have never been born.”
2. How did Judas become an apostle? Have you ever wondered why? What was Jesus thinking?
A. Some say that Jesus chose Judas because He needed a traitor as a part of the scheme of things.
B. Others say that Jesus was deceived by Judas. They say Jesus “emptied Himself” of His omniscience when He came to the earth. He just did not know.
1. John 6:64 (NCV) "But some of you don’t believe." (Jesus knew from the beginning who did not believe and who would turn against him.)"
C. Truth is, we may never know the answer to that question.
1. No one ever questioned the fact the Judas was a disciple.
2. None of the others argued with Jesus about him.
3. Judas himself apparently followed with allegiance at first with Jesus. There is no evidence to show differently.
3. The problem with this whole thing is the why of Judas’s betrayal.
A. Why would he risk being with Jesus for 30 pieces of silver?
1. Many think Judas was angry at Jesus because Jesus was not the kind of Messiah Judas wanted him to be.
2. Many think that it was a ploy to put himself in a position of power.
3. Some think that Judas did it for hatred of Jesus because Jesus saw through his hypocrisy.
B. What was the reason? John 12:6 (NCV) "But Judas did not really care about the poor; he said this because he was a thief. He was the one who kept the money box, and he often stole from it."
1. That’s right. All for the money.
1. He was already a thief because of his greed.
2. Now his greed made him a traitor.
C. We might say, That’s too simple a reason for such a terrible act.
1. We forget what crazy things people will do for money.
1. Murder– People kill for money.
2. Lust– Prostitutes sell their bodies for it.
3. Betrayal– I have watched families split over money.
4. Hatred– Enemies are made every day because of the love of money.
Conclusion:
The sad thing is that Judas’ sin is a repeated sin.
‒ Not by him, but by us. You are thinking, “ Not me, I would not do that.”
‒ We look at the sin of Judas and tremble to think what it must have been like in his mind when he put that noose around his neck, yet we crucify the Son of God each day when we sin against Him.
‒ Jesus said, “One of you shall betray me.” (How do you think he said that?)
‒ The disciples began to ask, “Is it I Lord?”
‒ We too have to ask that question, “Is it I, Lord?”
‒ Are you thinking in your life right now, “I can’t believe I did _________.” I thought I would never do that!
‒ The Psalmist said, Psalms 19:12-14 (NCV) "People cannot see their own mistakes. Forgive me for my secret sins. 13 Keep me from the sins of pride; don’t let them rule me. Then I can be pure and innocent of the greatest of sins. 14 I hope my words and thoughts please you. LORD, you are my Rock, the one who saves me."
The most amazing thing about this is, had Judas repented, Jesus would have forgiven.
Had Judas only been at the foot of the cross when Jesus said, “Forgive them...”
Jesus will forgive you too.
