KJV - Luke 22:1-6 Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover. (2) And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people. (3) Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. (4) And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them. (5) And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money. (6) And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the absence of the multitude.
NIV - Luke 22:1 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, (2) and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people. (3) Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. (4) And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. (5) They were delighted and agreed to give him money. (6) He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present.
Judas Iscariot’s betrayal of Jesus is Legendary! The name or word “Judas” has come to be synonymous with being a traitor. But is there a little Judas in all of us? Are we more like Judas than we care to admit.
First let me set the stage. It is my understanding of the scriptures that Judas made his own decisions and went his own way. He was not forced or in any way manipulated to do this deed, any more than anyone else is tempted to sin. We MUST understand that there is a difference between God knowing something is going to happen and God making a person perform an action. At the point that Jesus chose him to be an apostle, he was as deserving as anyone else that was selected. He simply followed a different path than others. There lies within each of us the potential to rebel against God in a similar vain as did Judas.
1 Corinthians 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
That potential or weakness MUST be guarded against and protected at all times.
Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Judas makes some key decisions that led to his demise. They are traps that Satan is constantly setting for us that we must ALWAYS be on Guard for.
1. He Spent too much Time with the WRONG People.
Luke 22:4 And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them.
This is a mistake that so many people make. I saw a video just last week of a popular celebrity that is now known for hisChristian lifestyle. He was telling the story of his younger years in which he too followed a similar path as Judas. He fell into a life of drugs and alcohol. The story was so poignant. It started out like so many of these accounts do: “I met these new friends....”. And there began the downfall. There are so many warnings in the Bible to beware of those that have influence over us. The reason that the Jews entering the promised land were to destroy all of their enemies was for this reason.
Deuteronomy 7:1-4 When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou; (2) And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them: (3) Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. (4) For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.
We tend to put our guards down when we are around people that we invite into our lives. But some of those people do NOT help us to be better Christians, in fact they are just the opposite. They influence us very subtly to turn away from him. Judas was around Jesus for much of Jesus’ ministry. That was not enough to protect him. When we have free time, do we choose to spend time with people that will encourage us to be faithful to God or are they subtly encouraging us to Sin?
2. He Loved This World too Much
Luke 22:5 And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money.
Loving this world is a major temptation for Christians. It can be very difficult to be in this world without getting influenced by it. The troubling yet subtle point about this is that the things that can cause us to love this world too much is not always inherently sinful. In fact, they may even be things that are encouraged by God. Take family for instance. We are commanded to care for our families but we can so love them that they take priority over God.
Matthew 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
The same with our careers. I believe the Bible teaches us that we need to provide for our family, but we can get so caught up in success that it becomes our focus and not God. Loving this world comes down to keeping our priority on God. Judas allowed this world to draw him away from God.
We must learn from the sin, poor judgements and short comings of Judas. Judas was not an isolated incident. He was not so overwhelmed with fate. He chose his path and followed a life of self-indulgence. Unfortunately, we too can follow the same path as Judas.
Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Reflecting His SON,
Dennis Hogan
Minister, North Hardin Church of Christ
1804 Sam Stewart Dr.
Radcliff, KY 40160
Questions, comments or further explanation? Contact me at: dennis.hogan@icloud.com
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