Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests 15and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty silver coins. 16From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.Matthew 26:14-16 (NIV)
That is when one of the Twelve, the one named Judas Iscariot, went to the cabal of high priests and said, “What will you give me if I hand him over to you?” They settled on thirty silver pieces. He began looking for just the right moment to hand him over. Matthew 26:14-16 (MSG)
…11in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.
2 Corinthians 2:11 (NIV)
1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3The tempter came to him… Matthew 4:1-3a
My father died today, March 12, 2005. The location? Mercy General, a Catholic Hospital in Sacramento, California. His age? 76. The care was exceptional. Each person offered words of comfort and professional advice that fit the moment. On the day of Dad’s death, apart from medical personnel, he died alone. Oh, some of his siblings had made their way to see him in the last couple of days, but my dad had been in the hospital for almost two months and not told anyone.
Over 40 years ago Dad abandoned his wife and five kids. He was a drifter. So, on that last day of his life, he died alone. Cause of death? A bleeding gall bladder. Two weeks before his death my dad rejected the doctors’ recommendation for surgery. It could have been different; so very different.
It could have been different at the age of 18. A family friend offered to pay for my dad to go to college (it included a baseball scholarship) but his dad refused. He was too proud for a handout.
It could have been different years ago when the state of California offered medical treatment for possible mental illness; my dad refused.
It could have been different if he had stepped up and taken responsibility for the six kids he fathered. Dad could have been the recipient of a lot of love, but he would not take responsibility as a parent. Mom refused to allow us to be subject to such irresponsibility and moved back home near her parents who helped raise 5 kids in Everett, Washington.
It could have been different when dad visited a few weeks after the birth of our first son, who was named after me. Dad was grateful we had given Kenny Squires the family name - his and mine. I was teaching at Southern California College and serving as a College Pastor at a church in San Diego. As we drove to class one day, I looked forward to introducing Dad to the students. The drive deteriorated as he reamed me out for not being there years ago when he lay in a hospital dying. My wife refused to let him get away with such nonsense; I had no idea he was sick. Once again, he refused to accept reality.
Two weeks before his death my dad refused major surgery that would have saved his life. The ironic thing is, one doctor was so bent on his having surgery that he was willing to rush my dad into surgery against his patient’s rights. A more seasoned doctor talked him out of it. To the end my dad blocked and refused. The day before his death I became the last in the series of “it could have been different” for my dad as I (the son) refused to allow the doctors to resuscitate, provide dialysis, or aid in his breathing. The doctors provided enough pain medication to keep him comfortable. The medical world looks to the kids of the ill over the siblings for those decisions. I wish it were not so!
My grandfather refused. My dad refused. My mom refused. My wife refused. And I refused. The only One that never refused was a loving, heavenly Father. Dad was alone from man but never alone from God. The devil may have tried to steal my dad’s life, but he could never steal his afterlife. The only non-family member that attended the small memorial service two days after Dad died was a man named Herb. Herb had been my dad’s friend for over 15 years. A dear Baptist brother on a mission to make sure that my dad knew Christ as his savior. Several years ago Herb had talked about faith in Christ and my dad had responded.
It could have been different. How could this happen? My dad was certainly responsible for his choices. He had a Christian heritage, was a gifted musician, and had a large and loving family. But I am not ready to lay all the blame on him. I am putting some of the blame squarely on the shoulders of the devil. He is the bully on the block. He catches us in the alley. He taunts us as we walk home from school. He badgers us on the drive to the store.
The devil will make your stomach tighten. He will steal the joy of your youth. He will rob you of peace in those final years. You should never face the bully on the block alone. Mark my words: THERE IS A REAL DEVIL!
Failure to understand these elementary insights about a REAL DEVIL will leave gaping holes in your defenses, thus allowing Satan to advance against you. Let me suggest the following theme for this message: Believers have a responsibility to secure the defeat of Satan, to continually remind him of his status before God and humanity. It is my conviction that in order to proceed in this responsibility, we need to know what to do and how to do it, “…be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (Ephesians 6:10).
Now I want to share why this message is so imperative.
1. I am sick of seeing believers who are ignorant of Satan’s schemes, who make insane choices in their Christianity, and who are more selfish than spiritual.
2. I am mad at the work of Satan and how he advances on well-meaning people with his tactics that leave their lives ruined and in shambles.
3. I am alert that Satan has served notice on believers in America that, “It’s time for War.” The net result has been the relocation of principalities and powers from other parts of the world to American cities and countryside.
4. I am aware that God is preparing His people for a day of great harvest of souls. He wants hundreds of unchurched people to come to salvation. For this to be a reality, God’s people have to know how to bring people to full deliverance from Satan’s strongholds through ministries like Celebrate Recovery.
Purpose of the Passion
To Expose Satan’s Schemes
How could Judas follow the Savior and then betray the Savior? He certainly did not set out to betray Jesus.
It’s important to note that Judas was the only non-Galilean among the twelve. His name means “Kerioth.” This gives us a little glimpse of his regional nationality, which was Judean and not Galilean. Judas was the only outsider. Did he fit? Was he on the outside of the city limits of relationships? If he was an outsider, could that have contributed to his actions? Maybe. Maybe not.
More than likely frustrated ambition was the leaven that poisoned the soul of Judas. Raised in a family of high expectations, he transferred those expectations to Jesus. When unmet expectations go unresolved they lead to disillusionment. Hurt turns to bitterness and then to resentment, and it isn’t long before the bully on the block shows up. Perhaps Judas’ problem was he had too much spirituality to start with. Not enough hang-ups in the early days to keep him from hanging himself in the later days.
In the end Judas could not live with his actions, so he went out and hung himself. It could have been so different. Judas refused an offering of forgiveness at the Lord’s Table. If only Judas had realized that although it was too late to save Jesus from the religious authorities, it was not too late for Jesus to save Judas. Betrayer though he was, he didn’t have to die in his sin. 1
What tactics did Satan use on Judas that we need to watch out for?
1. Satan uses any person to divide God’s people.
14Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests Matthew 26:14 (NIV)
2. Satan uses any method to destroy God’s people.
15and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty silver coins. Matthew 26:15 (NIV)
3. Satan uses any opportunity to deceive God’s people.
16From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over. Matthew 26:16 (NIV)
Enough about Judas; we need a story that ends with, “And They Live Happily Ever After.” Well, there is: He was evil. A lunatic. He was a madman turned missionary, an evil man turned evangelist. More people support Jesus than betray him. When they get a true taste of grace and mercy, they cannot help but want to do something with it.
So where do we find this madman turned missionary? Would you believe in a cemetery? We find him in Mark 5. This is the man who made emergency town meetings necessary. He is the one who makes you feel creepy when you walk by him. He’s the deranged man in the mental health ward. His face fills the evening news.
Like much of society, they couldn’t do anything with this man. Sedate him - he would become more rabid. Isolate him - he would wander more public than ever. He ran through the neighborhood naked! Threaten him – he slashed his wrists more. No one could help him. No one wanted him. He refused. Everyone refused. No one had a place for him - except Jesus. Jesus did not refuse 2.
Jesus and the disciples push onto the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee near a graveyard. An isolated area. The perfect place for a herd of skittish pigs to wander. No place for a good Jew to be found - too unclean. As Jesus’ feet hit the shore the madman hit the hillside. Suddenly naked bedlam is running toward them, arms flailing and voice screaming, and it is too much for the disciples. Back into the boat they go. The disciples are scared; Jesus is not. What would have taken the medical world a lifetime to analyze, diagnose, treat, and monitor, Jesus pulled off in seconds.
You see, Jesus wants the man back. When God sets a plan in motion, demonic spirits are reduced to sniveling, groveling wimps. The only plan they can come up with is an appeal to enter some helpless swine. Jesus says, “Your wish is my command,” and it’s not long before the demonic pigs are having lunch with Chicken of the Sea.
Look at Mark 5:15-17, it’s an interesting twist to the story. After all Jesus had done, the local towns’ people asked Jesus to leave.
It could have been so different if Jesus had stayed.
What a spirit of ingratitude. Instead of thanking the Son of God, they helped him back in the boat. Do you see that? As Max Lucado says, “What would cause people to prefer pigs and lunatics over the presence of God?” 3
What would cause an alcoholic to choose a bottle over a Bible?
What would cause a church to prefer the status quo to revival?
What would cause the Israelites to prefer leeks and onions to freedom?
What would cause the towns’ people to suggest that Jesus go back where He came from? What would cause my dad to prefer isolation, brushing and blocking the most important people out of his life? My only answer for my dad, for my life, for the towns’ people and for my church is - fear of change!
Change is hard work. The status quo is easy and acceptable. Well-worn paths are familiar and easier to see. Uncharted futures are too threatening for many. So the people dismissed Jesus. They did not want to change. One madman converted to missionary was all their little community could handle. And since Jesus never goes where He is not wanted, he gets back in the boat.
As Jesus was getting back into the boat, the man who was freed from the demons begged to go with him. But Jesus would not. (Mark 5:18)
Why couldn’t he go with Jesus? Jesus was not about to remove that community’s only hope by removing the evil man turned evangelist from the neighborhood.
…Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how he had had mercy on you. (Mark 5:19)
One minute he is insane and the next minute he is sold out to Jesus. No training. No teaching. All he knew was that Jesus had the power to scare the hell out of hell and that was enough4. What is more important? A man being sent back to his family illustrates the fact that we are called to our family.
Send a missionary to a place that gives you the heave ho? No missionary dollars for you, friend! But that’s not the way God works. He still sends his love, grace, and mercy to the unworthy, using unworthy messengers. So with that in mind, I must go to my family this week, somehow hoping it can be different.
Summary Insights
1. Failure to understand these elementary insights about a REAL DEVIL will leave gaping holes in your defenses, thus allowing Satan, to advance against you.
2. You see, Jesus wants the man back. When God sets a plan in motion, demonic spirits are reduced to sniveling, groveling wimps. The only plan they can come up with is an appeal to enter some helpless swine. Jesus says, “Your wish is my command,” and it’s not long before the demonic pigs are having lunch with Chicken of the Sea.
3. . As Jesus’ feet hit the shore the madman hits the hillside. Suddenly naked bedlam is running toward them with arms flailing and voice screaming, and it is too much for the disciples. Back into the boat they go. The disciples are scared; Jesus is not. What would have taken the medical world a lifetime to analyze, diagnose, treat, and monitor, Jesus pulled off in seconds.
4. One minute he is insane and the next minute he is sold out to Jesus. No training. No teaching. All he knew was that Jesus had the power to scare the hell out of hell and that was enough4.
Surprising Insights
1. My grandfather refused. My dad refused. My mom refused. My wife refused. And I refused. The only One that never refused was a Loving Heavenly Father. Dad was alone from man but never alone from God. The devil may have tried to steal my dad’s life, but he could never steal his afterlife. The only non-family member that attended the small memorial service two days after Dad died was a man named Herb. Herb had been my dad’s friend for over 15 years. A dear Baptist brother on a mission to make sure that my dad knew Christ as his savior. Several years ago Herb had talked about faith in Christ and my dad had responded.
2. Perhaps Judas’ problem was he had too much spirituality to start with. Not enough hang-ups in the early days to keep him from hanging himself in the later days.
3. If only Judas had realized that although it was too late to save Jesus from the religious authorities, it was not too late for Jesus to save Judas. Betrayer though he was, he didn’t have to die in his sin. 1
4. What a spirit of ingratitude. Instead of thanking the Son of God, they helped him back in the boat. Do you see that? As Max Lucado says, “What would cause people to prefer pigs and lunatics over the presence of God? 3
What would cause an alcoholic to choose a bottle over a Bible?
What would cause a church to prefer the status quo to revival?
What would cause the Israelites to prefer leeks and onions to freedom?
End Notes
1. Richard Exley. Witness the Passion. White Stone Books. Lakeland, Florida, 2004, pg. 27.
2. Max Lucado. He Still Moves Stones. Word Publishing, Dallas, Texas, 1993, pg. 157
3. Ibid, pg. 160
4. Ibid, pg. 160
