- [Narrator] Many of us don't take the time to look
at what the Bible says about Judas,
despite the fact that over the course of centuries
a great deal of folklore and idle speculation
have developed about him.
Number one, David prophesized about his betrayal.
The disciples recognized Jesus as their teacher and lord,
and they were right in doing so.
The Lord had given them an example,
an object lesson of what they should do
to one another spiritually.
Judas had been among those whom the Lord would send
to distribute the gospel throughout the world.
Jesus was well aware that the prophecies
pertaining to his betrayal,
such as Psalms 41:9,
had to be carried out.
Judas had eaten his meals with the Lord for three years,
yet he lifted his heel against him,
indicating that he had betrayed the Lord.
John 13:18, "I am not speaking of all of you,
I know whom I have chosen,
but this has happened
in order that the scripture may be fulfilled.
He who eats my bread has raised up his heel against me
as my enemy."
Number, Jesus knew from the very beginning
what Judas Iscariot would do.
Jesus told his disciples,
"Have I not chosen you, the 12?
Yet one of you is a devil."
John 6:70, "Jesus said Judas Iscariot was not clean,
meaning he had not been born again
and was not forgiven of his sins."
We presume that because Jesus possessed
both divine and human characteristics,
he had access to divine knowledge
and knew that Judas would portray him.
Since the gospels aren't written from Jesus' perspective,
we don't get his analysis of why Judas betrayed him.
However, we get descriptions of the scene
where Judas committed to betraying Jesus.
Number, Satan entered him.
Judas was empowered to do what he did
by the devil himself.
"As soon as Judas took the bread
that Jesus had given him,
Satan entered into him," John 13:27.
Luke 22 says that while Jesus
was in the Jerusalem-Bethany area for the Passover,
assuming that Luke doesn't suggest
that Satan possessed Judas
and overrode his free will,
this could be an expression
to mean Satan tempted Judas with this particular idea.
Number, he was very brazen.
Judas Iscariot betrayed the Lord with a kiss,
ideally in keeping with his brazen deception
and fulfilling the prophecy of David.
Luke 22:47-48, Amplified Bible,
"While he was still speaking,
a crowd came and the man called Judas
from one of the 12 disciples,
he was leading the way for them.
He approached Jesus to kiss him,
and Jesus said to him,
'Judas, are you betraying the son of man with a kiss?'"
Number, his guilt overpowered him.
After committing his heinous act,
Judas was seized with remorse
and returned the 30 silver coins
to the chief priests and elders.
However, we discover that feeling sorry for one's actions
does not necessarily equate to changing one's ways.
The tragic story of Judas
illuminates four important lessons for today
that should be taken into consideration.
To begin, simply because we are in the presence of godliness
does not mean that we will automatically develop
godlike characteristics,
joining a robust church
and developing meaningful connections
with people who are spiritually developed,
or to be high on one's list of priorities.
We require positive influences.
Associating with mature believers, on the other hand,
will not nurture the soul any more
than sitting at a table in a restaurant will.
We must personally take in what Jesus has offered
to grow wise and spiritually progress.
We must submit to the truth we receive from his word
for this to happen.
We delude ourselves
and become our own greatest adversaries if we don't.
A quaint old English couplet says it all,
"Still, as of old, man by himself is priced.
For 30 pieces, Judas sold himself, not Christ."
Second, concealed moral corruption
is more deadly than open moral corruption.
No disease is more harmful
than one that is not detected.
The same can be said about sin.
Keeping our sinful nature carefully concealed
keeps us from applying the remedy Jesus provided
through the gift of salvation.
Later, one of his disciples wrote,
"If we confess our sins,
he is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins
and to cleanse us of all our unrighteousness,"
1 John 1:9.
If we don't confess our sins and ask for forgiveness,
we are forced to deal with the destructive effect of sin
in a way that will almost certainly result
in more problems in the future.
In the case of Judas,
it wrapped itself entirely around him.
Third, Satan and his minions
are looking for any opportunity to work against God
in order to accomplish their goals.
According to a number of passages in the Bible,
unresolved sin is the ideal vessel for the devil to use
in order to attack the people
and plans that God has in place.
Ephesians 4:25-27,
"Wherefore putting away lying,
speak every man truth with his neighbor,
for we are members of one another.
Be ye angry and sin not.
Let not the sun go down upon your wrath,
neither give place to the devil."
1 Peter 5:6-8, "Humble yourself therefore
under the mighty hand of God,
that he may exalt you in due time,
casting all your care upon him,
for he careth for you.
Be sober, be vigilant,
because your adversary, the devil,
as a roaring lion, walketh about,
seeking whom he may devour."
At first, the person appears to be immune,
but when Satan has done all the damage he can do,
he allows the vessel to be consumed by the sin it carries.
Fourth, no grief compares to the regret of a person
who realizes too late that he misunderstood Jesus
and rejected his love.
Deception is Satan's primary tactic,
which he employs to manipulate unresolved sin
and selfish motivation for his ends.
And when he's done using someone,
he mercilessly reveals the fact
to expose the consequences of their poor decisions.
It's easy to feel overwhelmed by feelings of shame,
humiliation, regret, self-condemnation and hopelessness.
On the other side, Jesus said, and continues to say,
"Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him,
'If ye continue in my word,
then are ye my disciples indeed?
And ye shall know the truth
and the truth shall make you free,'"
John 8:31-32.
Let me ask, where are you in all of this?