GROUP FELLOWSHIPSPRING 2003 11/13 FEBRUARY 2003

‘THEY MET AT CALVARY’:

(2) JUDAS – THE TRAITOR WHO SOLD HIM

BACKGROUND: JUDAS – WHY DID HE DO IT?

• WHAT PEOPLE HAVE SPECULATED: Judas and popular speculation

The difficulty of understanding and accepting that one of the 12 disciples should betray Jesus has led people over the centuries to speculate about Judas. Their speculative explanations of the enigma of his behaviour fall into one of the three following types:

 *Judas ‘the true patriot’. Believing that Jesus was endangering the nation by his actions, he betrayed him out of love for Israel.

 *Judas ‘the impatient disciple’. Judas believed in Jesus, but was impatient of his methods. So precipitated a crisis to force a show-down to accomplish Jesus’ (supposed) aims.

 *Judas ‘the uncertain’. Wavering between the disciples’ belief in Jesus as the Messiah and the leaders’ disbelief, he precipitated the crisis that he felt would clearly reveal the truth.

All of these speculative attempts to explain the enigma tend to whitewash Judas to some degree. None of them has any Scriptural foundation (and it is only in the Bible that we read of Judas!) Each of these in fact runs against the evidence of Scripture at some vital point.

• WHAT THE SCRIPTURES SAY: Judas and the pages of Scripture

All the gospel passages referring to Judas are recorded below. The main ones are underlined.

*Judas chosen to be of the Twelve: Matt 10.1-4; Luke 6.12-16; Mark 3.16-19;

Acts 1.16-17

*Judas act of betrayal:

Promised to the Authorities: Matt 26.1-16 (Mark 14.1-11, Luke 22.1-6) Notice the context: the Supper at Bethany, the ‘waste’ of money! See John’s revealing comment in John 12.4-6

Predicted by Jesus: Matt 26.20-25 (Mark 14.17-21; Luke 22.21-23) John 13.18-30

Performed in Gethsemane: Matt 26.47-50 (Mark 14.41-46; Luke 22.47-48; John 18.1-9)

*Judas’ remorse and suicide:Matt 27.3-10 (Acts 1.18-19)

*Judas’ avarice and dishonesty:John 12.4-6; Matt 26.14-16 (John 13.29 : Treasurer)

*Judas and Satan:John 13.2,27 (21-30) Luke 22.3

*Judas’ guilt:Matt 25.23-24 (Mark 14.20-21 Luke 22.22)

*Judas – Jesus knew from the beginning! John 6.70-71, 13.10-11, 13.18-19, 17.12, 18.24

Mark 14.41-43Luke 18.31-33 (And the predictions of betrayal mentioned above)

STUDY NOTES

JUDAS – the betrayer who sold him: Matt 26.48f

"Now the betrayer has arranged a signal with them: "The one I kiss is the man; arrest him". Going at once to Jesus, Judas said "Greetings Rabbi’ and kissed him."

JUDAS – UNDERSTANDING THE MAN read key passages (underlined on sheet) and

*Talk over your understanding of Judas, the man and his motives.

How could he, why did he, do it? What do you think of the theories? What does the Bible say?

JUDAS – LEARNING THE SPIRITUAL LESSONS

It is important not just to have a debate about Judas but to learn the vital lessons from his life!

• What for you are the spiritual lessons to be drawn from Judas’ life?
• (Some or all of the following questions may help you in your discussion of this)

The apostle who fell away!

• Discuss together the possibility of being so close to Jesus, regarded as one of his closest followers, yet falling away.

 - Was he a true disciple who fell away? Or Was he never a true disciple?

-Can people be ‘in the church’ without a true heart commitment to Christ?

 And if so, why are they there in the first place?

 Are such people ‘calculated deceivers’? or self-deluded’?

• When the test came, Judas was revealed for what he was.

 - What was the test for Judas?

 - What sort of tests today in our modern world reveal truth in discipleship?

The man in love with money!

• The Bible makes it clear that Judas’ love of money was a most serious pitfall.

 - How great a temptation does materialism pose for the modern disciple?

 - What specific temptations can a love of money pose in today’s world to lead us astray,

or into disobedience, or to falling completely away from Christ? (See Mark 4.19)

Satan and the follower of Christ (Judas acted freely and yet Satan played a key role too)

• Does Judas’ situation give any insight into how temptation works?

 - How do you understand the relationship between our freedom and Satan’s power?

 (See Peter’s experience and insight: 1 Peter 5.8-9 with Luke 22.31)

Judas and forgiveness ‘He forgot his betrayed Master’s message of forgiveness.’ (Sangster)

• Would there have been forgiveness for Judas if he’d sought it? (Give reasons!)

• How does Judas illustrate the fact that remorse for our sin, however deep, is not enough? What else is absolutely essential?

• Why was this so difficult (impossible?) for Judas to understand? (Think of the moment in time he lived and died – What did he not live long enough to come to understand?)

DON’T BE LIKE JUDAS: PUT NO LIMIT ON THE MERCY AND GRACE OF GOD!