August 22, 2023

Traitor

 

“I do not speak of all of you. I know the ones I have chosen; but it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats My bread has lifted up his heel against Me.” John 13:18 (NASB)

 

            As we begin to talk about Judas (the traitor), MacArthur says this about one traitor “… the most infamous traitor of the Revolutionary War (and indeed all of American history) was Benedit Arnold. Annoyed at being passed over for promotion and seeking money to fund his extravagant lifestyle, Arnold offered to surrender the key fort at West Point to the British. When British Major John Andre, the liaison between Arnold and British General Sir Henry Clinton, was captured carrying incriminating papers, Arnold’s plot was exposed. He deserted to the British, and fought against his own countrymen. He died in exile in England, scorned by Americans and British alike.”[1] A traitor to those he served with each day, while plotting quietly.

           

            “but it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats My bread has lifted up his heel against Me.” Scripture tells us Judas was probably the only one of the twelve who was not from Galilee. There was no act in Scripture to assume because of his background that any of the disciples rejected him. In fact, Judas controlled the purse which carried the monies of the twelve. Some believe Judas followed Jesus with the possibility of fortune and prestige in the future. Judas may have followed Jesus thinking He would overthrow the Romans, and establish His kingdom. When Jesus made it clear He was not there to overthrown Roman rule, but had a different kingdom in mind, Judas was dismayed. Over time Judas became increasingly disillusioned. His hypocrisy is seem later in Scripture as he dipped into the purse, and plotted against Jesus. Just a few days before the Last Supper, Judas condemned Mary for wasting the perfume on Jesus. After Jesus rebuked him, this was the last straw. Jesus knew his plans, “I do not speak of all of you…” Jesus was aware. He was not deceived by Judas’ plan. Jesus called him out from the dinner, “He who eats My bread has lifted up his heel against Me.” He knew. The term “lifted up his heel against me,” could be interpreted today as “he kicked me when I was down” (MacArthur). The question often asked is, “So was Judas destined to betray Jesus?” To answer this correctly we have to decide one thing. Human beings have the ability to make choices. Just because Jesus chose Judas, does not mean Judas chose Jesus. Judas might have decided to be with Jesus, but he never became a true follower of Jesus. Judas was no robot, programmed to carry out the plan of God. He willingly made the choice to betray Jesus. Judas had every opportunity to turn from his sin. In fact many of the parables Jesus taught were geared towards Judas’ behavior (Luke 16:1-13, Matt. 22:11-14, Matt. 6:19-34 to name a few). With all the opportunity to turn away from his sin, he hardened his heart, and refused to repent.

 

            The spirit of Judas lies within each of us. For some it is to reject Christ as Savior. For others, it continues with a particular sin, when God says to abandon it. Each sin carries consequences. Some are more serious than others. One leads to eternal damnation. In spite of all the speculations about what Judas’ real motive was particularly, one thing is clear. It is sin that leads it. It is the same thing that tells us to reject God’s plan and do it ourselves. It elevates self over God. It becomes self-sufficient over all God has for our life, and it is satanic at the root.


[1] (John MacArthur, 2006), 72.

Previous
Previous

August 23, 2023

Next
Next

August 21, 2023