BETRAYED TO BE CRUCIFIED
Matthew 26:1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples, 2 Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified. 3 Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, 4 And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him. 5 But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people.
Mark 14:3 And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head. 4 And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? 5 For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. 6 And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. 7 For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. 8 She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. 9 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her. 10 And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them. 11 And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray him.
The Scriptures speak of some making “shipwreck of faith.” The Apostle Paul actually lists the names of two who did! 1 Timothy 1:18 This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; 19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: 20 Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.
But how does one become an apostate? That is one who has made a profession of faith, but eventually reverts back to their former ways, turning their back on God and religion. And in so doing, they then have no recourse for their soul’s salvation! For Christ would then have to die all over again! Hebrews 6:4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
And listen at the Apostle Peter’s words concerning this matter: 2 Peter 2:20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
These remain dogs and sows! They never were the Lord’s sheep! They only became moralistic, escaping the pollutions of immorality for a period of time, by coming to a knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ! They intermingled with the church, but had only a degree of morality, but no righteousness!
It is certain that one who has been born from above (John 3:8), cannot be unborn! No one can be saved and then become lost again. In regenerating grace old things pass away, and all becomes new! 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. For the Holy Spirit only truly births them into eternal life, from which they cannot be ‘plucked.’ John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
For those who receive the word of God in the power of the Holy Spirit are the very elect of God. 1 Thessalonians 1:4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. 5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. 6 And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:
The basis of Judas’ apostasy was his wrongful seeking of an immediate, earthly national kingdom! For one’s righteousness – his right standing with God – is connected with his seeking Christ’s spiritual kingdom! Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. In fact, one can neither “see,” nor “enter” the kingdom without being birthed into God’s righteousness! (John 3:3,5). 1 John 5:18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
The problem is that seeking a physical, earthly kingdom breeds ambition. And ambition is the cancer of Christianity! Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. And this tiny “seed” of ambition resided within the heart of Judas, which led to selfishness and covetousness, and finally to stealing whatever he could get his hands on! – even at the cost of Christ’s betrayal!
2 Peter 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
Mama Zebedee brought her two boys (James and John), to the Lord and asked that they be allowed to be his right hand men in what she supposed to be an immediate Jewish kingdom. But the Lord told her she didn’t know what she was asking. And neither do those of our day who are seeking a Jewish kingdom! Matthew 20:20 Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. 21 And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. 22 But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. 25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. 26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; 27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: 28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Things we know about Judas: He was chosen to be a disciple, but was not elected unto eternal life. – Matthew 10:1-7. See John 6:70,71 listed below. The elect cannot finally fall away! Matthew 24:24.
He had gifts but no grace! Mark 6:7 with 1 Corinthians 13:1-3. He was, at first, undistinguishable from the other disciples. Matthew 26:21-26.
But Judas was constantly disappointed by the Lord Jesus’ actions for his obtaining his personal goals set forth by his inner ambitions. And that which was within, finally came to be seen without. Mark 7:20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
For in his mind, if Jesus was to be king, he should have avenged John’s beheading! But he simply walked away! Mark 6:28 And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother. 29 And when his disciples heard of it, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb. 30 And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught. 31 And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. 32 And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.
And the Lord refused to allow Israel to make him king! John 6:15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.
The Lord also refused to show himself openly. Isaiah 42:2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. See Matthew 12:15-19 in order to see this applied to the Lord Jesus.
Judas had to also be disappointed when the Lord refused to show the Pharisees and scribes the sign they requested. He not only called them ‘an evil generation,’ but also spoke again about his dying. And that had to be depressing to Judas! Matthew 12:38 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. 39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: 40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
In fact, the constant preaching of his death was a stumbling block to all the Jews! It only became a glorious thing after the sending of the Holy Spirit! 1 Corinthians 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Galatians 6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
Here are a few scripture references to alert you to just how many times our Lord spoke of his death. John 2:19; 3:14; 6:51; 10:11,15. Matthew 9:15; 16:18 & 21; 17:1,2,22,23; 21:8-11, 20:17,19; 21:38.
Then there was that one time when many ‘disciples’ turned back from him and walked no more with him. But notice in the following passage that Judas’ name is specifically mentioned. John 6:56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? 61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? 66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. 67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? 68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. 69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. 70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? 71 He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.
And then, finally, the last straw was the event listed above in our text passage of Mark 14. He strongly opposed the anointing of the Lord for his death, as provided by the Father through the woman who just wanted to worship the Lord! And he did it under the pretense of caring for the poor! But the real motivation was that he was a thief, and wanted to get his hands on that money! Notice that he even knew the appraised value of the ointment! – three hundred pence! John 12:6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. It would be a fearfully sobering thought if we knew just how much of today’s religion is motivated, not by the real care of souls, but by sinful inclinations in the hearts!
And just what did Judas use to try to exact his sinful desires upon the church? – guilt and pity! He used guilt on the others by holding up the poor to them. Seems like that is what motivated a lot of ‘charity’ today! That picture of the skinny little boy with that fly on his nose and a swollen belly has been strongly used to promote religions missions and the worlds charities! THAT is the element of pity that Judas, and Satan today, use in order to try to obtain what money he could when the Lord Jesus would not promote an earthly kingdom!
But what did the Lord Jesus say? And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. 7 For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. Glorifying God takes a higher precedent than feeding the poor! 1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
Pastor Gene Breed, January 30, 2015
