Spiritual Warfare – The Transforming Power of the Gospel: What went wrong with Judas?
Much has been spoken and written about Judas over the years. He was hand-picked by the Lord Jesus, discipled & trained by Him, witnessed exactly the same things and heard the same things as the other Disciples, sent out with them to preach the same message and do the same miraculous signs. And yet …
We can’t speculate about what he was thinking or why he betrayed Jesus, but we do get hints about his motivations. His role in the events leading to Calvary were prophesied hundreds of years before, but that doesn’t remove his personal responsibility. However, what is said about him is recorded for our warning and instruction. So we have to challenge ourselves as to whether there is any Judas in us and learn what lessons we can regarding being in the best spiritual environment and yet still failing, so that we don’t fall short when it really counts!
We discussed the topic of Judas, focusing on what the Bible actually says about him rather than speculation. We examined Judas’ role as a handpicked disciple of Jesus who ultimately betrayed him, and discussed the lessons that can be learned from his story.
We determined that he was not a true believer (John 17:12) and had allowed Satan to have influence over him through concealing his sin in stealing from the common purse (John 12:6). However, we decided that the money he got for betraying Jesus was not his primary motivation as he took it back. (Matt. 27:3-5)
Matthew’s comment that ‘when he (Judas) saw that Jesus was taken’ indicates that he may have thought Jesus would be able to escape condemnation, and perhaps be forced into establishing His kingdom there and then. We noted the contrast between Judas’ remorse and Peter’s repentance (Mark 14:72). We discussed the fulfillment of prophecy and the idea that nothing takes God by surprise. We also touched on the concept of free will and the role of personal responsibility in one’s actions.
We discussed Judas’ double-mindedness and how reliance on our own works/ministry/experience can lead to betrayal of Jesus. We also reflected on the lesson that anyone, even a follower of Jesus, can fall short and the importance of relying on God rather than oneself.
We saw how the story of Judas teaches us that even the best example, the most compelling evidence, and the finest teaching cannot change the human heart (see article below by Colin Smith). We emphasized the importance of guarding our hearts and being receptive to the power of the gospel to change our lives.
We re-emphasised the power of the gospel to deliver believers from the power and penalty of sin, and the importance of saying no to sin and cooperating with the Holy Spirit to be transformed into the image of Jesus. We also touched on how the story of Judas illustrates the danger of putting our own desires in place of God’s will.
4 Things We Can Learn from Judas
By Colin Smith
It’s easy to dismiss Judas as a villain or a victim, but I’m struck by the fact that, in many ways, he was just like me. Judas was a follower of Jesus and a preacher of the gospel, but there was a doublemindedness about him. In the end, he abandoned the faith he once professed.
Here are four things that are easily overlooked in the story of Judas.
1. The Commitment He Made
Judas made a commitment to Jesus, and there’s no reason to think he was anything but sincere in his faith. Like the rest of the disciples, he left everything to follow our Lord. Judas was actively involved in ministry, and he was given remarkable spiritual gifts. Luke tells us that Jesus called “the twelve” together—that included Judas—and “gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal” (Luke 9:1–2).
Judas Iscariot was a gospel preacher! He was given the gift of healing, and he exercised authority over demons. Active involvement in ministry is a good and wonderful thing; but it is not, in itself, a guarantee of spiritual life or health.
2. The Opportunity He Was Given
Judas walked with Jesus for three years. He saw the greatest life ever lived up close and personal. You can’t have a better model of faith than Jesus or a better environment for forming faith than Judas had in walking with the Saviour.
He directly witnessed the miracles. When Jesus fed the 5,000, Judas was there. He took the bread and distributed it along with the other disciples. When Jesus calmed the storm, Judas was there. And he was there when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. You can’t have better evidence for faith than Judas had.
Judas heard all the teaching of Jesus, too. He heard the Sermon on the Mount, so he knew there is a narrow road that leads to life and a broad road that leads to destruction. He heard the warnings Jesus spoke to the Pharisees, so he knew there is a hell to shun and a heaven to gain. He heard the parable of the prodigal son, so he knew God is ready to welcome and forgive those who have wasted themselves in many sins.
With Judas’s own eyes, he saw the clearest evidence. With his own ears, he heard the finest teaching. With his own feet, he followed the greatest example. And yet this man still betrayed Jesus.
But Judas teaches us that even the best example, the most compelling evidence, and the finest teaching—the ultimate environment for incubating faith—cannot, in and of themselves, change the human heart. (Matt. 7:21-23)
3. The Choice He Made
Satan made a relentless assault on Judas’s soul, as he makes a relentless assault on everyone who chooses to follow Christ. We read about Satan’s attacks on Judas:
Then Satan entered into Judas Iscariot. (Luke 22:3–4)
The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him. (John 13:2)
Satan entered into him. (John 13:27)
The Bible’s clear statements about Satan’s activity have led some to say, “Well, poor Judas, he didn’t have a chance. Satan entered into him. What could he do about that?” But this evaluation overlooks the fact that Judas opened the door to Satan.
Judas had been stealing from the collective money bag, and when he kept this sin secret, Satan entered into him. He made a deal with the chief priests and then sat down at our Lord’s table with known sins he would not confess, and Satan entered even further into his life. Unconfessed sin always opens the door to Satan’s power.
Satan doesn’t gain a foothold in the lives of people who are walking in the light with Jesus. He only gains access when we open the door. As Klaus Schilder observes:
It is the peculiar majesty of Jesus that he can conquer man without man’s first approaching him. But Satan’s frailty is proved by this, that he cannot approach a soul unless that soul has first turned to him.
Sometimes we get this the wrong way around, fearing that Satan will somehow have secret access to God’s children, while doubting that Jesus can do anything for a person unless they open the door. But the Bible teaches precisely the opposite.
4. The Outcome He Embraced
Judas went out into the darkness he had chosen. When you get close to Jesus, one of two things will happen: either you will become wholly his, or you will end up more alienated from him.
Among those who hate Christ the most, some once professed to trust him. His claims are so exclusive, and his demands so pervasive that, in the end, you must either give yourself to him completely or give him up altogether. There is no middle ground.
Only those who have never known him can remain indifferent to him. For those who get close, the only outcomes are full devotion or eventual antagonism; and every day, each of us is heading in one direction or the other.
In an age when many are abandoning the faith they once professed, the story of Judas warns us to guard our hearts, lest we drift away. The story of Judas also equips us to reach out to those who may be close to walking away from the faith. Christ calls us to “be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire” (Jude 22–23). Finally, the story of Judas reminds us that nothing good can come from giving up on Jesus Christ. He is of supreme value, and following him is worth any cost.