Becoming Judas
Judas is not seen as someone we would want to identify with. We tend to look at him as an "other" outside ourselves. We may not feel we have much in common with Judas - at least we hope so! Because a "Judas" is always thought of as the worst kind of human being there could be - and for good reason.
When we think of the name, "Judas," we cringe. A Judas is a betrayer. A two-faced hypocrite, who sold his Lord for thirty paltry pieces of silver.
But in each of us, there lies the potential to become a Judas.
Let's explore the path Judas took, in becoming what we think of as a "Judas."
...........
Early in Christ's ministry, we see him choosing his disciples. These are mostly quite rough, common men. But among the fishermen and common tradesmen there were a few who may have worn a bit softer clothing, such as Matthew, the tax-collector.
We don't know what Judas was in his former life. But he obviously had a gift for numbers. He was detail-oriented, and a good manager. God had put gifts into Judas, for His own glory. And Judas stepped into the work he was created for.
Matthew 10:1 tells us
"And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease."
Judas was among this number. Judas was an equal alongside Peter, James and John as a preacher of the Kingdom. Judas was empowered by Jesus to cast out demons and to heal all kinds of sickness and disease. And he did these things! Judas preached! Judas healed! Judas did miracles!
There is no indication in all of Scripture than Judas didn't measure up in the ministry; that he was a fraud, not operating by the power of the true Spirit of God. Instead, we see that at the end of Christ's ministry, on Passover night, the rest of the disciples still thought Judas was going out into the night to give money to the poor, at Christ's command. This was how Judas operated. Jesus said do something, and Judas did it.
Everyone else thought Judas was on the up-and-up. Everyone but Jesus. Only Jesus knew that Judas had a heart problem. Inside, something had been happening:
Judas started to love something more than he loved his Lord.
We don't know when it started. But somehow, the thing God had entrusted into his care had become more important than God.
Judas began to serve two masters. He may have told himself at first that his over-attention to the money in the bag was in service to Jesus. That his counting every little penny and watching jealously over every expenditure was simply being conscientious before the Lord.
Does any one of us know the moment idolatry germinates in the heart?
This is a crossing of the line from the thoughts to the intents of the heart.
It's a microscopic difference between the soul and the spirit, which humans often cannot discern.
One instant, you're loving God by caring for what he's entrusted to you... and the next, you can find yourself loving what you're doing, more than the God you were doing it for!
And this is how Judas became Judas. He himself probably didn't realize what was happening inside. If questioned, he would probably have justified everything... he wasn't idolizing the money! He was just being a good steward!
Eventually, he began "borrowing" from the bag... after all, Jesus often told him to give to the poor. And as a minister of the Gospel, with no regular income, he himself would possibly have qualified... at least in his own mind. What was the difference, anyhow, between taking care of other people, and taking care of himself? After all, "needs" were "needs," right? Perhaps Judas reasoned that if he asked Jesus, Jesus would probably have told him to go ahead and use a bit, but pay it back later. But Jesus was always so busy - and usually so tired when he wasn't preaching. Judas just couldn't find the heart to make one more demand on Him. No, he'd spare the Master the bother. He was sure it would be alright.
Judas no longer had a single eye. Spiritually, he was looking two ways at once.
When that happens, everything goes a bit out of focus. You lose your perspective.
Judas no longer saw Jesus clearly. He no longer saw money clearly. And he no longer saw himself clearly either. Spiritually, Judas was going blind. But if you had asked Judas, he would have said he was sharper than ever!
From that point, Satan pulled Judas further and further off-track.
Outwardly, Judas seemed like all was well.
But inwardly, he was turning into a devil.
Oh, he still believed in Jesus. But he believed like demons believe. He knew Jesus could do mighty works... but he thought Jesus didn't know everything about Judas. He thought he could sneak around the edges, going outside the lines, making up his own rules. As long as he kept up appearances - as long as others thought he was good - then Judas thought he was alright.
Maybe Judas stepped a bit outside the lines he drew for himself, and "repented" a bit. Maybe he eventually loosened those lines, and excused himself. We don't know the exact process, but that's often how it happens. When we become a god unto ourselves, we experiment with our rules for our behavior, loosening them gradually.
And then came a fateful day, when Jesus broke Judas' rules.
Jesus abused Judas' god, money.
One evening, while dinner was being served, a sudden, heady fragrance filled the air. Everyone knew - THIS stuff was expensive! And every disciple protested at the waste.
Jesus immediately came to the defense of Mary, because the Spirit of God had given her an unction that even she herself did not fully understand. It was by God's purpose that Jesus was anointed at this point. To anoint him for burial.
Judas felt his world reel around him. His god had been sacrificed, seemingly needlessly, on the altar of what seemed to him, emotionalism. And Jesus okayed it.
He had to get some fresh air. To think this over. Excusing himself from the table, he goes out into the dark night.
To such a fevered brain, right can seem wrong, and wrong can seem right.
Strange thoughts can take on lives of their own.
And Satan can push one into doing things unthinkable before.
Judas felt he had to do it. Driven by demon forces beyond his perception, he could see no escape.
He knew a way to use Jesus's miracle working power - His seeming ability to escape from all intended harm - to make himself a little money on the side. Yes. This thought seemed to bring calm to his soul. He could think more clearly now. This would work out perfectly, and no one would get hurt. It was all for the best, anyhow. Jesus would work another amazing miracle, freeing himself from the clutches of those who would harm Him, and He'd never know Judas was the one who made it happen. Ultimately, wouldn't God get glory from Judas' scheme? Wouldn't this just be another miracle in the books? Wasn't Judas just using his gift to benefit not only the Kingdom, but also himself?
Such goes the reasoning of one who tries to serve two masters.
Surely Judas never expected things to go down the way they did.
Jesus greeted him with "Friend," the last greeting Judas ever heard from Him.
Such grace! Such extended forgiveness!
But we do not find that Jesus prayed for Judas.
Jesus prayed for Peter, but not for Judas!
Jesus prayed "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do," for the soldiers who drove the nails, but he didn't pray that for Judas.
Why?
Because Judas had once known the way of righteousness, and had turned from it.
Like a sow, he returned to the filth he had been once been washed from.
And Jesus said it would have been better for him never to have been born.
Now, what does all that have to do with us, as Christians?
Paul said all these things were written for our example.
Because they can happen to us, if we do not carefully take heed.
Hebrews 12 is a warning to Christians:
15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
Like Esau, Judas sold his birthright, and he could find no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully, with tears.
Jesus warned his disciples, including Judas, that on that last great day of judgment many would say, "Lord, Lord, didn't we do many mighty works in Your Name?"
But Jesus will answer, "I never knew you, depart from Me, you who work iniquity."
How can this happen?
Jesus obviously once knew Judas: he chose him!
But just as God can choose to forget sins, when he forgives them, even so He can choose to forget righteousness, when one of His own turns to commit iniquity.
Ezekiel 33:12 Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth.
13 When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.
What a solemn warning!
Now I do not mean to say that any Christian who stumbles and sins is forever lost.
This is not what the Scripture teaches.
Instead, the Bible says a righteous man falls 7 times, but rises up again!
What this warning is about is that if we justify ourselves in doing what we know is wrong, it's an indication that we are starting to elevate another god in our lives. And at that moment, we have the opportunity to either repent, or justify ourselves.
Only God knows when the moment comes when every chance at repentance is gone.
If you at all feel the slightest urge to repent, be grateful!
And repent as thoroughly as you possibly can!
Also, there's a big difference between "cleaning up our act" and actually turning toward God. It's very possible to outwardly seem to have repented when inwardly we aren't truly born again.
"Trying to do better" isn't becoming a Christian.
Becoming a Christian is a heart change.
Pursue that change with everything within you, as long as you live.
Your eternal destiny hinges upon it.
When you stop pursuing God, that's when you start down the path to becoming Judas.
When we think of the name, "Judas," we cringe. A Judas is a betrayer. A two-faced hypocrite, who sold his Lord for thirty paltry pieces of silver.
But in each of us, there lies the potential to become a Judas.
Let's explore the path Judas took, in becoming what we think of as a "Judas."
...........
Early in Christ's ministry, we see him choosing his disciples. These are mostly quite rough, common men. But among the fishermen and common tradesmen there were a few who may have worn a bit softer clothing, such as Matthew, the tax-collector.
We don't know what Judas was in his former life. But he obviously had a gift for numbers. He was detail-oriented, and a good manager. God had put gifts into Judas, for His own glory. And Judas stepped into the work he was created for.
Matthew 10:1 tells us
"And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease."
Judas was among this number. Judas was an equal alongside Peter, James and John as a preacher of the Kingdom. Judas was empowered by Jesus to cast out demons and to heal all kinds of sickness and disease. And he did these things! Judas preached! Judas healed! Judas did miracles!
There is no indication in all of Scripture than Judas didn't measure up in the ministry; that he was a fraud, not operating by the power of the true Spirit of God. Instead, we see that at the end of Christ's ministry, on Passover night, the rest of the disciples still thought Judas was going out into the night to give money to the poor, at Christ's command. This was how Judas operated. Jesus said do something, and Judas did it.
Everyone else thought Judas was on the up-and-up. Everyone but Jesus. Only Jesus knew that Judas had a heart problem. Inside, something had been happening:
Judas started to love something more than he loved his Lord.
We don't know when it started. But somehow, the thing God had entrusted into his care had become more important than God.
Judas began to serve two masters. He may have told himself at first that his over-attention to the money in the bag was in service to Jesus. That his counting every little penny and watching jealously over every expenditure was simply being conscientious before the Lord.
Does any one of us know the moment idolatry germinates in the heart?
This is a crossing of the line from the thoughts to the intents of the heart.
It's a microscopic difference between the soul and the spirit, which humans often cannot discern.
One instant, you're loving God by caring for what he's entrusted to you... and the next, you can find yourself loving what you're doing, more than the God you were doing it for!
And this is how Judas became Judas. He himself probably didn't realize what was happening inside. If questioned, he would probably have justified everything... he wasn't idolizing the money! He was just being a good steward!
Eventually, he began "borrowing" from the bag... after all, Jesus often told him to give to the poor. And as a minister of the Gospel, with no regular income, he himself would possibly have qualified... at least in his own mind. What was the difference, anyhow, between taking care of other people, and taking care of himself? After all, "needs" were "needs," right? Perhaps Judas reasoned that if he asked Jesus, Jesus would probably have told him to go ahead and use a bit, but pay it back later. But Jesus was always so busy - and usually so tired when he wasn't preaching. Judas just couldn't find the heart to make one more demand on Him. No, he'd spare the Master the bother. He was sure it would be alright.
Judas no longer had a single eye. Spiritually, he was looking two ways at once.
When that happens, everything goes a bit out of focus. You lose your perspective.
Judas no longer saw Jesus clearly. He no longer saw money clearly. And he no longer saw himself clearly either. Spiritually, Judas was going blind. But if you had asked Judas, he would have said he was sharper than ever!
From that point, Satan pulled Judas further and further off-track.
Outwardly, Judas seemed like all was well.
But inwardly, he was turning into a devil.
Oh, he still believed in Jesus. But he believed like demons believe. He knew Jesus could do mighty works... but he thought Jesus didn't know everything about Judas. He thought he could sneak around the edges, going outside the lines, making up his own rules. As long as he kept up appearances - as long as others thought he was good - then Judas thought he was alright.
Maybe Judas stepped a bit outside the lines he drew for himself, and "repented" a bit. Maybe he eventually loosened those lines, and excused himself. We don't know the exact process, but that's often how it happens. When we become a god unto ourselves, we experiment with our rules for our behavior, loosening them gradually.
And then came a fateful day, when Jesus broke Judas' rules.
Jesus abused Judas' god, money.
One evening, while dinner was being served, a sudden, heady fragrance filled the air. Everyone knew - THIS stuff was expensive! And every disciple protested at the waste.
Jesus immediately came to the defense of Mary, because the Spirit of God had given her an unction that even she herself did not fully understand. It was by God's purpose that Jesus was anointed at this point. To anoint him for burial.
Judas felt his world reel around him. His god had been sacrificed, seemingly needlessly, on the altar of what seemed to him, emotionalism. And Jesus okayed it.
He had to get some fresh air. To think this over. Excusing himself from the table, he goes out into the dark night.
To such a fevered brain, right can seem wrong, and wrong can seem right.
Strange thoughts can take on lives of their own.
And Satan can push one into doing things unthinkable before.
Judas felt he had to do it. Driven by demon forces beyond his perception, he could see no escape.
He knew a way to use Jesus's miracle working power - His seeming ability to escape from all intended harm - to make himself a little money on the side. Yes. This thought seemed to bring calm to his soul. He could think more clearly now. This would work out perfectly, and no one would get hurt. It was all for the best, anyhow. Jesus would work another amazing miracle, freeing himself from the clutches of those who would harm Him, and He'd never know Judas was the one who made it happen. Ultimately, wouldn't God get glory from Judas' scheme? Wouldn't this just be another miracle in the books? Wasn't Judas just using his gift to benefit not only the Kingdom, but also himself?
Such goes the reasoning of one who tries to serve two masters.
Surely Judas never expected things to go down the way they did.
Jesus greeted him with "Friend," the last greeting Judas ever heard from Him.
Such grace! Such extended forgiveness!
But we do not find that Jesus prayed for Judas.
Jesus prayed for Peter, but not for Judas!
Jesus prayed "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do," for the soldiers who drove the nails, but he didn't pray that for Judas.
Why?
Because Judas had once known the way of righteousness, and had turned from it.
Like a sow, he returned to the filth he had been once been washed from.
And Jesus said it would have been better for him never to have been born.
Now, what does all that have to do with us, as Christians?
Paul said all these things were written for our example.
Because they can happen to us, if we do not carefully take heed.
Hebrews 12 is a warning to Christians:
15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
Like Esau, Judas sold his birthright, and he could find no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully, with tears.
Jesus warned his disciples, including Judas, that on that last great day of judgment many would say, "Lord, Lord, didn't we do many mighty works in Your Name?"
But Jesus will answer, "I never knew you, depart from Me, you who work iniquity."
How can this happen?
Jesus obviously once knew Judas: he chose him!
But just as God can choose to forget sins, when he forgives them, even so He can choose to forget righteousness, when one of His own turns to commit iniquity.
Ezekiel 33:12 Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth.
13 When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.
What a solemn warning!
Now I do not mean to say that any Christian who stumbles and sins is forever lost.
This is not what the Scripture teaches.
Instead, the Bible says a righteous man falls 7 times, but rises up again!
What this warning is about is that if we justify ourselves in doing what we know is wrong, it's an indication that we are starting to elevate another god in our lives. And at that moment, we have the opportunity to either repent, or justify ourselves.
Only God knows when the moment comes when every chance at repentance is gone.
If you at all feel the slightest urge to repent, be grateful!
And repent as thoroughly as you possibly can!
Also, there's a big difference between "cleaning up our act" and actually turning toward God. It's very possible to outwardly seem to have repented when inwardly we aren't truly born again.
"Trying to do better" isn't becoming a Christian.
Becoming a Christian is a heart change.
Pursue that change with everything within you, as long as you live.
Your eternal destiny hinges upon it.
When you stop pursuing God, that's when you start down the path to becoming Judas.
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