Betraying Christ: A Tale of Two Disciples

deception is satan's stock and trade and he is the god of this world and he uses deception every possible way he can for this morning i i just i want to talk about the reality of of deception from a very [Music] clear narrative in scripture and i want you to turn to matthew chapter 26. now you're going to have to have your bible handy because we're going to do something like we've been doing and cover large portions of scripture together just to remind you of the fact that satan is a deceiver he planted he planted a deceiver among the 12 disciples right alongside the faithful this has always been his ploy i've been reading some surveys this last week or so in which quote unquote evangelicals have been surveyed evangelical is a term that comes from yuan galizzo in greek which means to preach the gospel so supposedly gospel believers and i read that the majority of gospel believers believe that jesus was created by god the father majority of evangelicals believe that god accepts any religion and lets people into his heaven that's contemporary evangelicalism it is not true a true gospel believer does not believe jesus was a created being the survey said the third of evangelicals does not believe jesus is god no true christian would say that heretics say that apostates say that and those who reject the gospel say that but somehow it's become acceptable to believe that and still be labeled an evangelical if you think the pandemic has created confusion just remind yourself that that confusion has to do with temporal life the confusion on the spiritual level is infinitely worse because it has to do with eternal life so i want to tell you a story that our lord provided through matthew and some of the other gospel writers but i i want to go back to history a little bit tell you about two preachers in the mid 20th century here in america there were two young very gifted evangelists they came on the scene together you know one of them very well billy graham his history is common knowledge the other one you likely have not heard of his name was charles templeton along with billy graham charles templeton and another preacher by the name of tory johnson whom i knew and for whom i preached when i was young founded what is known as youth for christ to reach young people with the gospel it was always said that charles templeton was the most gifted preacher he was intelligent he was irresistible in his personality he was winsome he was effective he was handsome in 1946 the national association of evangelicals gave an award out a bizarre award called best used by god what a ridiculous thing as if they knew and they gave it to charles templeton he and billy graham began to preach together and they were called the gold dust twins charles templeton overshadowed billy graham he was more eloquent he was more brilliant he was a more polished orator and the two of them went on a preaching tour to europe they went to england scotland ireland sweden other places they had a weekly television program that spanned the nation cbs nbc through the 1950s they were church planters charles templeton was engaged in that charles templeton became a pastor he held youth rallies with thousands of people he went to princeton seminary he preached across the united states to crowds of 20 000 people he preached for an entire week at yale university charles templeton he was at the peak of his ministry in the 1950s when he announced that he was an agnostic which is to say he doesn't know what he believes he rejected christ he rejected the gospel he rejected scripture he read he says in his biography thomas payne in 10 days beyond that he read voltaire bertrand russell robert ingersoll david hume and aldus huxley a list of atheists he abandoned all christianity and all biblical truth became a journalist in canada in 1999 he wrote a memoir on his life titled farewell to god and in it he listed his reasons for rejecting christianity and becoming an atheist he left all ministry at that point in 1957 returned to canada stepped into eternal blackness and apostasy blasphemed christ for his remaining years and died in utter unbelief are there other preachers like him of course do we know that they're frauds not always but this is how satan works but i want you to look at two other preachers that our lord tells us about in the wonderful story of matthew 26 and 27. this is a tale of two preachers and a tale of two sorrows it's a tale of two men that you know very well both had the most unique privilege both had the most unique opportunity that has ever been given any human being both were called by jesus personally both answered that call and both followed jesus for the duration of his ministry and both declared repeatedly their personal devotion to the lord jesus both were personally trained by jesus for ministry both were personally taught by jesus you could say in contemporary terms they were in his small group he taught them by precept he taught them by proposition he taught them by example he taught them to know god to know the will of god the word of god and to live it obediently both saw all the miracles jesus did both saw the comprehensive revelation of his divine nature every day both saw his power over demons his power over disease his power over death his power over nature both heard him answer every theological question perfectly truthfully clearly profoundly both saw him evaluate every person he ever met perfectly true to that person's heart condition both were daily confronted with the reality of sin and its effects the need for salvation both were taught about eternal heaven both were taught about eternal hell both received and used the available power of the lord jesus to do healing miracles and even exercise authority over demons both preached jesus as messiah and savior son of man son of god and they shared all of this together they were exposed to the lord jesus christ in exactly the same way and there's more both were sinners knew it well both experienced overwhelming guilt regarding their sin both gave themselves over to satan to take up his cause against the son of god both betrayed jesus boldly emphatically publicly and they betrayed him at the end of their years with him just before he was crucified both were devastated by what they had done one in spite of his wicked betrayal of the savior is considered so honorable a man so exalted a person that millions of people have been named after him through the centuries he is loved he is considered noble some of you even have his name peter morock stone the other one is considered so dishonorable so despicable that even though his name means praise no one has his name none of you do none of you would name your child with that name the name means praise it's the most hated and reviled name in the world it has even been illegal in some european countries to give a child that name his name is judas one we who belong to christ will all meet because that betrayer of jesus christ is in heaven the other those who reject christ may meet if there are meetings in hell because that's where he is along with other preachers like him one of these preachers ended his life a suicide hanging himself eternally banished the other ended his life a saint crucified upside down and taken into glory two men side by side 24 7 for three years with each other with jesus ended up separated as far as anyone can be separated as far as heaven is from hell one has his name always first in every list of the twelve the other has his name always last in every list of the twelve one enthroned in heaven the other consigned to hell and yet they both betrayed jesus they both regretted that betrayal they both were sorry one is honored in heaven the other is punished in hell what a contrast they couldn't have been more similar they couldn't have ended up more differently salvation can't be by works because essentially they both did the same things can't be by knowledge because they both have the same information we're taught the same truth what what made the difference what made the difference and this is an important message because churches are full of peters and judases and i'm convinced that there are many judases who don't know they are judas people sitting side by side hearing the same truth having the same experience seeing the same expression of divine grace and power in people's lives serving but in the end they're going to end up as far apart as one could ever be the story of both of these men is in matthew 26. let's look at it verse 1 when jesus had finished all these words words by the way about eternal punishment and eternal life as verse 46 indicates he said to his disciples you know that after two days the passover is coming and the son of man is to be handed over for crucifixion they didn't like to hear that but that is what the lord has been saying to them on a regular basis since they started toward jerusalem back in chapter 16 verse 21 from that time jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to jerusalem suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and be raised up on the third day he constantly told them of his coming death in verse 3 we find it was planned then the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest named caiaphas they plotted together to seize jesus by stealth and kill him but they were saying not during the festival otherwise a riot might occur among the people they wanted him dead because he assaulted their hypocritical false religion but they didn't want to start a riot because he was so popular with the people we were trying to figure out how to pull that off in verse six when jesus was in bethany at the home of simon the leper a woman came to him with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume and she poured it on his head as he reclined at the table but the disciples were indignant when they saw this and said why this waste for this perfume might have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor it says there that the disciples said but in john 12 4 it says it was judas it was judas and why was he protesting john tells us because he kept the money bag he had already decided to get out he'd already wasted three years and he wanted to get as much money on the way out as he could here is really the first revelation of his character none of the disciples had any suspicions of judas none but he reveals himself by being outraged that this is being wasted when the money could have been put in the bag and he said that because he held the bag verse 12 when she poured this perfume on my body she did it to prepare for my burial this is another crushing blow to judas judas wants money he wants power he was riding the messianic hope of jesus to the end he wanted significance primarily he was driven by avarice or greed now he hears jesus is going to die and jesus is going to be buried and all his hopes and three years of his life chasing this dream of prominence and power and money is being smashed all this talk of death is more than he can stomach so in verse 14 one of the twelve named judas iscariot judas from the town of karioth the only non-galilean went to the chief priests and said what are you willing to give me to betray him to you they weighed out 30 pieces of silver to him from then on he began looking for a good opportunity to betray jesus by the way according to exodus 21 32 30 pieces of silver was the price of a slave this is shocking disappointment we can understand betrayal is stunning given that he had been with the lord for three years given that he had been exposed to everything this is the most perfect relationship perfect environment that any human being could ever be in and the staggering reality is how can someone who's been three years with jesus walk away and betray him for money but that was judas we're now into the passion week and it's thursday night verse 17 and they're going to go eat the passover verse 18 our lord says go into the city to a certain man and say to him the teacher says my time is near i'm to keep a passover at your house with my disciples the disciples did as jesus had directed them and they prepared the passover when evening came jesus was reclining at the table with the 12 disciples as they were eating verse 21 he said truly i say to you that one of you will betray me be hard to imagine the shock the horror the disbelief and they had no idea who that betrayer would be and they were honest enough with their own sinfulness to think it might even be one of them verse 22 being deeply grieved they each one began to say to him surely not i lord and he answered he who dipped his hand with me in the bowl is the one who will betray me they dip bread in a in a bowl with a kind of a dip as part of the meal one who dipped his hand with me in the bowl is the one who will betray me the son of man is to go just as it is written of him but woe to that man woe means to curse or condemn to that man by whom the son of man is betrayed it would have been good for that man if he had not been born and judas who was betraying him said surely it is not i rabbi he needed to say that because everybody was saying it jesus said to him you've said it yourself i think that's the most horrible thing that could ever be said about a human being would have been better for him if he'd never been born because once born he'll never die judas can't hide from jesus down to verse 30 after singing him they went out to the mount of olives that evening that passover was over the betrayer was unmasked jesus took with him peter james and john to pray because he had to pour out his soul to the father starting in verse 36 you you have him come to gethsemane and he asks them to pray with him but they all fall asleep each time he comes back they're sleeping verse 43 he came and found them sleeping their eyes were heavy he left them again went away prayed a third time saying the same thing once more and he came to the disciples and said to them are you still sleeping and resting behold the hour is at hand and the son of man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners you couldn't pray with me as i faced this and he said get up let us be going behold the one who betrays me is at hand at that point judas goes into action verse 47 while he was still speaking behold judas one of the twelve came up accompanied with a large crowd with swords and clubs who came from the chief priests and elders of the people notice how judas has identified one of the twelve always always identified that way in the gospels always to underscore the shock and insidiousness of this man's betrayal at this point of course satan entered judas in john chapter 6 and verse 70 jesus looking at his disciples said one of you is a devil one of you is the devil in john 13 and verse 2 it says the devil put it into the heart of judas to betray jesus and in john 13 27 it says satan entered judas one of you is an adversary that was judas the devil put it in his heart to betray jesus gave him the thought and then took total control john 13 27 he entered into judas he was satan possessed verse 48 now he who was betraying him gave him a sign saying whomever i kiss he's the one sees him immediately judas went to jesus and said hail rabbi and kissed him repeatedly in the original and jesus said to him friend and he used by the way not the normal word for friend but associate friend do what you've come for then they came and laid hands on jesus and seized him at that point we dropped down to verse 57. those who seized jesus led him away to caiaphas the high priest and you know the rest of the story of the trials go down to verse 65. finally the high priest tore his robes and he said with regard to jesus he has blasphemed he is blasphemed blasphemed by declaring that he is the son of god what further need do we have of witnesses behold you have now heard the blasphemy what do you think they answered he deserves death they replied then they spat in his face and beat him with their fists and others slapped him and said prophet prophesy to us you christ you messiah who is the one who hit you the action of judas led to this true blasphemy as the jewish leaders blasphemed the son of god go to chapter 27 verse 1. now when morning came all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against jesus to put him to death and they bound him and led him away and delivered him to pilate the governor i just want to point out one word verse one all all the chief priests all the sanhedrin a body of seventy all the elders of the people all of them conferred together against jesus to put him to death it was unanimous a unanimous decision then the tragedy of judas comes to its crucial moment verse three then when judas who had betrayed him saw that he had been condemned he felt remorse and returned the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders saying i have sinned by betraying innocent blood but they said what is that to us see to that yourself you gave us what we wanted you led us to jesus in the dark he threw the pieces of silver into the temple sanctuary and departed very simple lending he went away and hanged himself he went away and hanged himself chief priests took the pieces of silver and said not lawful to put them into the temple treasury that is a statement of legalism like none i've never read they're about to kill the son of god but they're not going to break one of their ridiculous rules it is not lawful to put them into the temple treasury since it is the price of blood they would take the money and execute the messiah but not put it in the temple treasury so they conferred together and with the money bought the potter's field as a burial place for strangers for this reason that field has been called the field of blood to this day then that which was spoken through jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled and they took the 30 pieces of silver the price of the one whose price had been set by the sons of israel they gave them for the potter's field as the lord directed me and by the way that is from zachariah chapter 11 but it mentions jeremiah because jeremiah was sort of the head of the list of prophets the hebrew old testament list of prophets began with jeremiah the horrible tragedy of judas the greatest tragedy in human history because of unparalleled opportunity you know our lord said to whom much has given much is required and he said that as a warning as a warning you don't want to be too close to the truth because the implications of rejecting it are more severe than anything you could ever do judas is the greatest tragedy in human history because of his unparalleled privilege he is the ultimate in wasted opportunity he was greedy he was a materialist he was a money lover he was motivated by a desire for riches so strong was his selfish greed that he could literally be in the midst of the living truth and go to hell on purpose he loved himself way too much he rejected the truth way too easily and he resented jesus much too strongly most powerful demonstration of wasted opportunity ever that's judas but our lord has the writer weave in the story of peter so let's go back to chapter 26 verse 20. happening with the other of these two disciples these two preachers pick the story up where we were a little while ago when evening was come jesus was reclining at the table with the 12 disciples now we come to verse 26. while they were eating jesus took some bread and after blessing it he broke it and gave it to the disciples and said take eat this is my body by the way judas is gone look back to verse 14. he had left it was just the 11 that were together for the establishment of the lord's supper in verse 30 we see again after singing him they went out to the mount of olives then jesus said to them you will all fall away because of me this night that is just too shocking they all look like potential judases you will all fall away because of me this night for it is written i will strike down the shepherd and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered that's zechariah 13 7. that's a prophecy and it happened but verse 32 after i have been raised i will go ahead of you to galilee that's such an important statement because our lord is saying after your defection you're going to come back not like judas who hanged himself in the book of acts says his body was smashed on the rocks which means he couldn't even do a good job of hanging himself the branch broke and he plunged to the rocks and was crushed but we find hope in verse 32 i will go ahead of you to galilee you're going to be scattered you're going to be unfaithful you're going to forsake me you're going to leave me but i'm going to gather you back together and now we meet peter verse 33 peter said to him even though all may fall away because of you i will never fall away he was boastful jesus said to him truly i say to you this very night before a rooster crows you will deny me three times peter said to him even if i have to die with you i will not deny you all the disciples said the same thing too a shocking prophecy by our lord as evil as was judas betrayal as heinous and wicked as was his rejection of jesus his shame over christ peter would do the same thing back in matthew 16 when jesus said he was going to die peter said no no no lord that's that's not going to happen and jesus looked right at peter and said get behind me satan satan put things in the mind of judas satan put things in the mind of peter judas was influenced by satan peter was influenced by satan now let's pick up the story of his betrayal in verse 69. [Music] peter was sitting outside in the courtyard and a servant girl came to him and said you two were with jesus the galilean now remember this is the courtyard at the high priest's house where jesus is on trial and jesus has been deemed a blasphemer you too were with jesus the galilean but he denied it before them all saying i do not know what you are talking about and we gasp for breath because peter had just said even though all may fall away because of you i will never fall away even if i have to die with you i will not deny you so much for knowing his own heart when a little servant girl says oh you were with jesus the galilean he denies it not only to her but before everybody around the fire in the courtyard i don't know what you're talking about when he had gone out to the gateway he relocates to get away another servant girl saw him and said to those who were there this man was with jesus of nazareth and again he denied it this time with an oath i do not know the man a little later the bystanders came up and said to peter surely you too are one of them for even the way you talk gives you away you talk that sort of galilean jesus talk then he escalates he began first he said no then he said no with an oath and now he says no with a curse and swearing i do not know the man and immediately a rooster crowed sad account peter actually pronounced a death curse on himself if he was lying he pronounced a death curse on himself if he was lying did he kill himself no judas pronounced the death curse on himself and carried it out but there's an amazing moment in verse 75 peter remembered the word which jesus had said before a rooster crows you will deny me three times doesn't say he went out and hanged himself it says he went out and wept bitterly amazing moment at that moment by the way at that moment luke and his account of the same scene says in chapter 22 verse 61 and the lord turned and looked at peter the lord turned and looked at peter at the moment of his final betrayal when judas eyes met jesus judas boldly kissed him with the hatred of a hypocrite when peter was in the midst of his self-curse and he met the eyes of jesus he broke down in tears crushing sadness led judas to suicide without repentance crushing sadness led peter to restoration with repentance this is the crucial moment both knew they were betrayers one kills himself the other is restored how did peter fall so far well he boasted too much we know he prayed too little because he fell asleep we know he acted too fast he grabbed his sword and then we know he followed too far he was way out in the courtyard why was this not the end of peter what distinguishes peter from judas what's going on here i'll give you the simple answer this is where all of this goes judas hated jesus because he wanted something jesus was not going to deliver to him he had false expectations of what jesus intended to do for him when those expectations aren't met people hate jesus false preachers will give people lies about what jesus intends to do for them to fulfill their drives and ambitions and when it turns out that doesn't happen they will hate jesus for it the difference was peter didn't hate jesus he loved him jesus says to him in john 21 three times you know the story verse 15 simon son of john do you love me more than these yes lord you know that i love you second time simon son of john do you love me yes lord you know that i love you third time simon son of john do you love me peter was grieved because he said to him the third time do you love me and he said to him lord you know all things you know that i love you and the lord accepted that as true because he said feed my sheep feed my lambs feed my sheep that is the deep and compelling reality of a true believer love for christ that's where we're going right that's what sets people apart hypocrites don't love christ they love whatever it is that they love for their own personal fulfillment the apostle paul says in second corinthians 5 14 for the love of christ controls us there could not be a more clear statement than first corinthians 16 22 listen to these words if anyone does not love the lord he is to be accursed if anyone does not love the lord he is to be accursed what distinguishes a true believer from a false believer what distinguishes those who are of peter from those who are of judas is love for christ love for christ is this just an emotion no listen to the words of our lord in john 14 that night in the upper room at the passover jesus defined what it was to love him verse 15 john 14 15. if you love me you will keep my commandments that's not a command that's a statement of fact if you love me you will keep my commandments verse 21 he who has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me and he who loves me will be loved by my father and i will love him and will disclose myself to him again in verse 23 jesus answered and said to him if anyone loves me he will keep my word he says it again and again and my father will love him and we will come to him and make our abode with him verse 24 he who does not love me does not keep my words verse 28 if you loved me you would have rejoiced because i go to the father for the father is greater than i which is to say if you love christ you obey his word and you desire his glory and his honor because peter loved christ his betrayal did not send him to hell in fact in in luke 22 glorious moment in peter's life listen to verse 31 in response to peter's betrayal the lord says to him simon simon behold satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat yeah satan's been working in you just the same way he worked in judas but i have prayed for you that your faith may not fail and you when once you have turned again strengthen your brothers what was the difference jesus prayed for peter that his faith would not fail we sung it didn't we do you know the song he will what hold me fast my soul will not be lost he will hold me fast that's what john 17 is about the whole prayer in john 17 is the son of god praying to the father on behalf of all who belong to him and telling the father how precious they are to the trinity and how he will keep them the lord kept peter restored peter empowered peter and he's the powerful preacher as the church explodes first 12 chapters of the book of acts sin and guilt do not produce true repentance did you hear that sin and guilt which are normal human responses to sin patterns of sin the awareness of sin guilt over sin does not produce true repentance it can produce remorse it can produce regret it can produce suicide which is a kind of deadly sadness but awareness of sin and guilt for sin does not produce true repentance judas was sorry it didn't make him repent made him kill himself peter was sorry but even his sorrow did not make him repent what i'm saying is the ugliness of your sin and the reality of your guilt is not enough to make a sinner repent savingly you may have regret but not repentance what makes the sinner repent listen is not to see your sin but to see your savior judas looked in jesus eyes kissed him and went to hell peter looked in jesus eyes was crushed in tears peter loved his lord he saw him with eyes of faith and trust and love peter loved the lord earlier john 6 a lot of the disciples who followed jesus kind of the fringe disciples left him and he said will you also go away and peter said to whom shall we go you and you alone have the words of eternal life again jesus says to the disciples who do men say that i am and they said oh some say you're elijah or one of the prophets peter said you're the christ the son of the living god he didn't just know who jesus was he loved him as his lord and savior listen to peter's words go to first peter chapter one verse 3 here's a fully restored peter writing under the inspiration of the holy spirit and you can feel his own experience in what he writes blessed be the god and father of our lord jesus christ who according to his great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of jesus christ from the dead to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away reserved in heaven for you who are protected by the power of god through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time in this you greatly rejoice even though now for a little while if necessary you have been distressed by various trials so that the proof of your faith being more precious than gold which is perishable even though tested by fire may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of jesus christ and then this and though you have not seen him you what you love him though you do not see him now you believe in him and you greatly rejoice with joy and expressible and full of glory obtaining the salvation of your souls that is the outcome of your faith you haven't seen him but what you love him [Music] you see him in the word do you not two followers two disciples two students two preachers indistinguishable even to their own close companions one a suicide who went to hell one a saint who's in heaven both betrayed jesus in very adamant public ways all the similarities did not lead to a common end they are forever separated by an impassable gulf hated jesus peter loved him hear the words of paul ephesians 6 grace be with all those who love our lord jesus christ with an incorruptible love what does it mean to be a christian it means to love christ what does it mean to love christ obey his word right in 2001 charles templeton was dying dying an atheist according to people who were there these were his last words i miss jesus i miss jesus and he will forever that's the remorse that lasts forever our father we thank you for the scripture we thank you for its profound poignancy its power we thank you that all you ask of us is not that we earn anything but that we love you and we know we can't even do that if we do love you we love you because you first loved us i pray lord that everyone who hears this message will be given such a magnificent picture of jesus looking into his glorious face that it elicits from them love beyond any love more profound more exalted more deep more rich more all-consuming than any other affection lord grant the love of the savior to every heart may they see him as god the son who lived a sinless life died a sacrificial death as a substitute for sinners rose from the dead ascended to heaven and seated at the right hand where he intercedes for his own with love and one day will come to gather all of us into his kingdom and eternal glory give everyone the true understanding of christ it's to us who love christ inconceivable that someone could be with him for three years and not love him beyond all other loves but sin is profound and the fallen heart is hard and love of self doesn't die easily it has to be produced by you reach into every heart take out self-love replace it with love for christ we pray these things to the praise of your glory [Music] amen

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Keywords: John MacArthur, Bible, Preaching, Christianity, Expository, Exposition, Sermon, Jesus, Christ, Grace to You, Peter and Judas, judas iscariot

Id: 13PeKe5jQVI

Length: 58min 5sec (3485 seconds)

Published: Tue Sep 08 2020