You know, Judas could not have been a disciple in any way, shape or form. I've already pointed out the prophecies concerning his last fatal act. Psalm 41.9 states..."He that eateth bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me!" And in Matt. 10.36, our Lord Himself, points out that often, "...a man's enemies are those of his own household"! He knew Judas' heart, just as He knows our hearts.
We need more than the words and example of Jesus as He lived out His life in the flesh; we can see that from Judas' example. If your will is not completely enmeshed with the will of God, then you are very fallible indeed! And if your spirit is not one with the Spirit of God, then you won't have the power to resist Satan's hurled darts. Whether it be the lure of position or power or possessions, he will find that chink in your spiritual armour.
This short passage concerning Jesus and Judas should serve as ample warning of the risk involved in harbouring a half-hearted commitment to Jesus. To be unmoved and unchanged by the very presence of the very Lord of creation, will only result in an eternal longing for just a droplet from the finger of the poorest creature gone to heavenly rest (Luke 16), when the riches of God's grace could be yours for the asking! My, oh my.
You know, as much as Judas only posed as a disciple, Peter was a true Believer...one who possessed his Lord, and whose Lord possessed him! You see, the problem with Peter's faith, was that it was slightly misplaced. His faith was focused on his own worth, and on his own strength and in his own confidence. That's where Peter failed, just as it is often where we fail as well. Peter was yet to learn a hard lesson...that we must "have no confidence in the flesh". And this is the example that Holy Spirit has left for us...that we daily, even moment-by-moment, seek out the grace of God.
Do you see where Peter faltered and fell? In fact, it was relative to his strongest point, and that's where we are often most at risk...when we find ourselves walking on the water, and when our sword is drawn against the enemy, ready to cut off an ear if need be! And yet, put him up against the accusations of a young girl in the courtyard of Jesus' executioners, and Peter "turns his coat" to hide his identity...a turncoat for Jesus! Suppose he had never recovered from that last sinful act? That's a question that we'll never know the answer-to. Thank you Lord, for second chances!
I hate to tell you, friends, but we know nothing at all. The seeds of sin are alive and well preserved in our very own hearts! That old saw..."There but for the grace of God...", is just as true for us as it was for Peter. And those seeds often result in a harvest for us...not of eternal heartbreak and sorrow, but most certainly, of temporary. It's only when we confess our weaknesses that we find His strength. So we may as well give it up sooner as later. I don't know why we hold out until we trip up and fall down, but there we are! So let's get back to the scriptures.
Read vs. 21...Jesus, troubled in His spirit! And no wonder, eh? He was just like you and me. When we're betrayed, we get plenty troubled as well. And it just goes to show, that there's no need for us to feel any sense of guilt when we experience that old familiar feeling. Jesus was perfectly guiltless, and we're not nearly so sensitive to our sin as He is! He is "the Son of Sorrows", and He is touched, as the scriptures teach..."...with the feeling of our infirmities".
Believe me, although He never committed a sin, He knows the weight of sin. And He knows the burden of our sin. All throughout His life, He had known and seen the consequences of sin, at the hands of Satan and His enemies in the flesh, and even of His very friends...from His own brothers, as well as countrymen.
We, every one, know how deep the hurt can be, from an unwarranted personal attack, or even undeserved neglect. "You are clean, but not all"...indeed.
From vs. 22 we can see three very important points. First of all, that what Jesus had said as recorded in vs. 18, had gone completely over the disciples' heads. They were most certainly puzzled by the events of the evening, but they were blissful in their ignorance. Secondly, we clearly see that Judas had been completely successful in keeping his deep, dark secret, a deep, dark secret...from everyone but the Lord, that is. They all trusted one another, apparently, even more that they trusted themselves! Even Judas the hypocrite, before Satan had taken full control, turning his face to the Lord's, asked..."...Master, is it I?" (Matt. and Mark)
Thirdly, Jesus apparently held nothing against the man who held His life in his hands. He is just as gentle and gracious and kind to Judas, as to any of the rest, probably inflicting a much sorer sting than any rebuke would have inflicted. And even on His cross, Jesus prayed..."Father, forgive them..."!
Read vss. 23-25...
You know, we're part of the family, aren't we? But to be sure, some of us feel more like part of the family than do others. Just as, apparently, John was closer to Jesus than was Peter (vss. 6, 8, 37-38). And as we later read...Peter "...followed (the Lord) afar off, into the High Priest's palace." Oh, those seeds of sin and guilt!
Later, in ch. 21.17, Peter was to profess..."Lord, Thou knowest all things; Thou knowest that I love Thee!" And therein lies the difference between the Judas' and the Peters. The Lord really does know our hearts, and thank You Jesus, that You do!
Read vss. 26-27...
This is almost too horrible to even comment. No agony of guilt; no repentance of sin; no tears of remorse; no fear of judgement... just..."What Thou doest, do quickly". You realize, of course, that Judas was thereby dismissed, not only from the Lord's presence, but from His service, and His grace, as well. He no longer had anything to offer, nor did he have anything the Lord would want, or could use anyway, other than his haste in carrying out his godless deed.
Read vss. 28-32...night, indeed! "Now no man knew...". And that having been said..."...he went immediately out."
Now Jesus' glory was His cross! What do you glory in? Not an instrument of torture, I'll bet my bottom dollar. Not the most horrible experience of your life, for sure. But Jesus wasn't disgraced...in fact, quite the opposite; He was about to fulfill the calling of His Father, God! What greater purpose could any man serve? It's no wonder that, in the midst of His suffering, there would be a voice from heaven proclaiming..."This is My Beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased!" Even as He hung there between the thieves...not guilty, but glorified!
Howso? Well just think of it...first, this was the greatest single work since creation itself. Second, He was able to reverse the work of Satan, through Adam. And thirdly, as He was glorified, He gave God the glory. And He was, and is, richly rewarded for it! (vs. 32)
Can you imagine the power and the justice and the love of God, demonstrated in these last acts of our Lord? And not by His mighty power, but by His mighty weakness...His humility and His grace, and His boundless love. Those are the be-attitudes of God, and His will as well, for the lives of you and me, just as we read there in vss. 34-35...the second commandment, "...like unto the first".
True love, even today, is a pretty rare, but important grace, to be spoken-of so plainly by the Lord, as the footsteps of Judas echoed on the pavement outside.
It's wonderfully strange to me, that as a nation performs its most horrible deed...the execution of the very Lamb of God, the seeds of the church are sown...the greatest thing to ever come out of the human experience. Food for thought, eh?
I've already referred-to the last three verses, and in fact, they speak for themselves. Don't ever underestimate the power of Satan, or believe that he thinks anyone any more important to bother than yourself, because just as certain as our Lord has His eye on us, Satan has us as a target as well.
So...would you "lay down your life", or "deny Him thrice"?
Time for sober second thought, do you think?
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