One of the greatest accusations thrown at many Christians is hypocrisy!
"Have you ever looked under a microscope? You always see alot more than you could ever see with the human eye. Today I want to put Judas under the microscope lets just see what we will find?"
1. In Judas we see a man with another love! V14-16
a. His First love (Was it Jesus?)
Judas plays a prominent role with the disciples. He spent three intimate years with Jesus, he witnessed his miracles, his teaching and his perfect life. He saw what Abraham and Moses never saw he heard what David and Isaiah never heard, he was numbered with the 11 as Apostles Judas had immense Privileges and yet his heart was never changed. And this night for Judas would become a night of examination!
Let us learn by this that a person can make an outward profession, enjoy great privileges and yet still their hearts not be right with God
It reminds me of the Zafira car last year I was driving with no MOT for 6 months, I thought it was legal it was a fraud.
2Cor 13.5Examine yourselves to see whether your in the faith; test yourselves. 1Cor 11. 28 A person ought to examine himself.
But its through an act of real love we see the real Judas
Matt26: 6-8. Yet it is through an act of deep love shown towards Jesus in a home of Simon the leper at Bethany, where we see the beginnings of his hypocrisy the real first love of Judas. John.12: 3-6 through a pious phrase Judas hides his true motives
b. His first love (Money) 2Tim6: 10 The love of money is the root of all evil
After this event he goes to the Chief priests V15 What are you willing to give me?
Judas was the treasurer one in charge of the finances he held the purse strings and scripture tells us he often helped himself to it! Jhn12.6
Yet this wasn’t enough he desired more, maybe it was the thought of not have what was wasted at Bethany by Mary or the realisation that Jesus kingdom was not to be physical or political and his greedy desire for money and status will never materialise.
Where do we really put money in our life? 2Tim 4:10 Demas loved the world
It is said J.Wesley earnt £1400 per year equivalent to £600,000 today. He went beyond tithing he lived off £30 he gave away 98% of his income he lived off 2%
This was a gradual fall it began stealing form the moneybag. To the point of betraying Jesus for 30 pieces of silver his first love!
Sin is like heroin it generally begins with small beginnings which get bigger and bigger and harder to resist and deal with. Until we are completely hooked and will do anything for it!
Is there are underlying sin (love) in your life?
Billy Graham said ‘ there is nothing wrong with possessing riches. The wrong comes when riches possess men.’ Mark.8:36. What should it profit a man if he gain the whole world yet lose his own soul.
c. His secret love.
Have you ever had one of those telephone conversations in a middle of a blazing row with your wife and then a member of the congreagtion has phoned you up and all of a sudden the voice changes, it stimulates hypocrisy does’nt it.
To the other guys Judas was as devoted as they were. We see the evidence of this when Jesus speaks of one who is to betray Him not one of them pointed to Judas.
Matt26:.22 each one asked Lord is it I?
Have we got a secret love?
It was Moses who said to the people of Israel ‘be sure that your sin will find you out’ As we come before a God whom nothing is hidden, let us confess our secret sins!
’He died for it and you must die to it Psalm 139; 23-24. Search me O God!
2. In Judas we see a man with a mask
a. His life was counterfeit
Judas also was not the real thing but counterfeit. It was the first day of the feast of unleavened bread and the evening of the pass over meal. V16 And yet behind it all Judas was continually watching for the opportunity to hand Jesus over.
Adolph Hitler made use of Christian vocabulary, He talked about the blessings of the Almighty and Christian confessions which would become pillars of his new government. He assumed the earnestness of a man weighed down by historic responsibility. He handed out pious stories to the press especially to the Church papers. He showed his tattered Bible and declared he drew his strength from it. People welcomed him as a man sent by God. And yet he exterminated millions of Gods own people the Jews!
Hitler was a master of outward religiosity – with no inward reality!
He was living a double life on the surface he is a devoted disciple, he is privy to teachings of Jesus which others are not and yet inside he is fake! Elmer gantry!
Are we the genuine articles here tonight? Can we say Jesus Christ is our Lord!
V22 He is a good counterfeit because we see none of the other disciples expected him, when they hear of the betrayal they question amongst themselves and each ask surly not I lord?
He actually has already received the 30 pieces of silver. And even when he leaves them in the upper room some thought he was telling Judas to do something about the feast or give some money to the poor Jhn.13; 29.
b. His life was a mask v25
He begins to act like an actor (Greek hypocrite) playing an innocent role wearing a mask. He already has the blood money in his possession and yet the mask is on!
You see this mask the actor shall wear covers up their real life and identity.
Robert Redford was walking through a hotel Lobby, A woman say him and followed him to the elevator. Are you the real R. Redford? she asked as lift doors were shuting he said ’Only when I am alone!’
We see here Judas applying the mask of a hypocrite. Even after the disclosure by Jesus that one of them would betray him V23 Judas has the audacity to continue with his performance and to cry alongside the other disciples V25 ‘surly not I Lord!’
Here he is being deceitful he is saying one thing and yet knowing the truth. This should not be the character of a Christian we are called to 1Pet 2:1 rid ourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander of every kind.
c. v24 His life was without hope
These words of Jesus are solemn indeed. They would come back to haunt Judas Ultimately these words would awaken the conscience of Judas and lead him to a deep remorse and repentance but to late, it would lead to his suicide. Matt 27.3. A life without hope so many are living this way today without Christ!
Jesus could never have used this statement if there was such a thing as universal salvation. It teaches plainly that it is better to have never lived than to live without faith and to die without grace. And end ones life in Hell!
3. v24 In Jesus we see His omniscience in him fulfilling Scriptures
v26 The Son of man will go just as it is written about him
His whole life was a fulfilment of the Scriptures. Jesus was never ruffled about the situation at hand, he had a quiet confidence that all was to pass as the fulfilment of what was written about Him He knew his destiny was the cross!
26: 2.and the Son of man will be handed over to be crucified.
From his birth right through his life there has been hundreds of Scriptures fulfilled by him, whoever on the face of the earth has lived such an extraordinary life which has been written off hundreds and sometimes thousands of years before.
Zech 11.12 Here we have fulfilment’s taking place right before him His Betrayal for 30 pieces of silver 480 BC. v15 Judas has the money in his possession as he reclines with Jesus at the table
He was always aware of himself fulfilling the Scriptures
V21,23 We see Jesus was fully aware he reveals a friend who eats with him will betray him, fulfilling Psalm 41:9
In v31 He foretells there scattering of the disciples referring to Zechariah13:7
V54 As the garden arrest took place he speaks of the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.
We are unlike Jesus in that we don’t know everything that is to pass, but God does! He has a plan, which is just for you! Which will glorify God!
V25 In Jesus we see His omniscience seeing right through Judas
Jesus sees right through the situation, as he talks of his betrayer as one amongst them and is fully aware of the denial of Peter. We see that Jesus knows all things. It wasn’t just at this point, Jesus was always aware of where people were at Jhn.6: 64, 70 here we see an earlier awareness of his betrayal ahead.
Psalm 94;9-10 Does he who implanted the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see?
IN THE UK we have Big brother house where 40 cameras 38 microphones hear and see everything that goes on nothing is missed likewise: Psalm: 139 1-3. O lord you have searched me and know me, You know when I sit and when I rise you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and lying down, you are familiar with all my ways.
Jesus sees us all inside and out, the depth of our love, whether we are genuine or counterfeit, he sees the masks we wear .And whether we are living in hope!
There are many things we can hide from one another but nothing is hidden from the eyes of the Lord!
The depth of his love for us
The fact that Jesus knows everything about us really magnifies his love towards us he knew of all the treachery afoot, he knows all about our sin and yet was still willing to go through it all! The death upon the cross the sin of the world upon him!
In return we can experience forgiveness and real love towards God enabling us to be genuine human beings before God and taking away all masks of pretence
As Billy Graham would say come just as you are!
