Judas

5 March 2017

Dear Phyllis,

The other night we had what was probably the best meeting we have ever had in this house. Pammy has a lot of contact with Lahu minority people and we had about ten over for a meeting. The Lord had been speaking to me about Judas and I decided to speak on that subject.

Recently I saw Judas in totally new light. The name Judas has been universally accepted as the symbol of the ultimate evil and betrayal. But I look at him as much different. Judas must have been a good man. My goodness, Jesus selected him to be one of the twelve. Unquestionably there has never been a more elite group of men on this planet than the 12 - and Judas was one of them. These men would have been celebrities in Israel. Along with the 70 other disciples, on occasion (Lk. 10:1,7-10), Jesus sent the 12 out to minister; and undoubtedly they cast out demons, healed the sick, and did a number of amazing miracles (Lk. 9:1-6). It is hard to believe that Judas was any different than the other 11 in his ministry. The Scripture doesn't tell us how Judas was selected to be the treasurer and hold the bag, but that was an indication that he appeared to be the most reliable trusted man. At the last supper he had the place of honor as he was the first one that Jesus gave the “sop” to (Jn. 13:26). In His discussion at the last supper Jesus clearly spoke of the betrayal, and it is utterly amazing that, after all the indication that it was Judas, none of the other disciples suspected he was the villain (Jn. 13:28,29). He must have had a good testimony and reputation among the disciples. And that is after three years of close fellowship. No one suspected that he was a thief.

I believe the Lord has shown me that Judas never intended his dealings with Jesus enemies would turn out the way they did. It seems obvious that what Judas had in mind was a clever way to make some money and no one would ever find out. He could make some money, rip off Jesus enemies, and no harm would come of it. Time and again Jesus had established that He could not be captured. On several occasions Jesus was in the midst of a crowd intent on killing Him, and He just quietly walk right through them (Mk. 3:6; Lk. 4:2-30; Jn. 7: 44-46; 8:58,59). When Brother Yun walked out of the highest security prison in China he passed by two locked doors, but his last challenge was to walk through the court yard that was filled with guards who had just come to work. He walked right through them to the main gate, that was open, and it was as if no one saw him. I believe Judas was sure no one would ever be able to arrest Jesus. It was like someone who had a fish pond with an expensive fish that no one could catch. He could sell the fish, but in the end he would have their money, and the customer would go home without the fish.

From Matthew's account it seems obvious that Judas never dreamed that things would turn out the way they did. He was totally overcome with the consequence of what he did. Suddenly that easy money was the filthiest stuff in the world. He went back to the priests and cried, “I have betrayed the innocent blood” He threw the vile money on the floor, went out, and hanged himself. Judas had no intention of being a traitor. His clever scheme just went sideways.

From two other references it seems this plot came from the devil. Luke 22:3 tells us that the devil had entered into Judas suggesting to him this way to make some easy money. And then for the final betrayal, again, it took the devil to strengthen him to do it (Jn. 13:27).

The lesson here is the blood chilling danger of harboring secret sin. Eleven years ago the church in America was rocked when the president of the National Association of Evangelicals, Ted Haggard, was exposed as a pedophile having sex with young boys. Haggard was the pastor of a fine church in Colorado Springs and had the reputation of being one of the top pastors in America. But he had a secret weakness to pervert sex that he had successful covered up for many years.

Jim Bakker thought he was safe by paying off Jessica Hann to silence his affair with her and the fraud scheme he and Tammy were running with their hotel Heritage USA. But the Lord was gracious to him in exposing his secret sin that eventually led to five years incarceration in prison and deep repentance.

There is nothing as dangerous and deadly as successful secret sin. Living in darkness leaves the door open to the devil and when he gets in who knows where a person will wind up. I'm sure that Haggard and Bakker never thought that their weak point in character would lead them to the disastrous pit where they wound up. I feel convinced that Judas never intended to be a traitor. When I say he was a good man I am not discounting or excusing the historic sin he committed. Apart from his weakness to money and opening himself to further exploitation by the devil, he probably was a good man. He never intended it to go the way it did.

When the Lord showed me this side of Judas I was badly frightened. What man is there that doesn't have a few skeletons in the closet? Samuel Rutherford was probably as holy a man as any in Scotland but he considered himself worse than the vilest devil. Thank God the disgusting thoughts that pass through our minds each day are not posted on You Tube. But when these thoughts find a welcome home in our heart that is the seed that killed Judas and ruined Ted Haggard and Jim Bakker.

We have the OT example of Achan who thought there was nothing seriously wrong with hiding a Babylon style garment, a little sliver, and a wedge of gold (Josh. 7); and the NT example of Ananias and Sapphira who thought they could get by with pretending they gave their all when in reality they had held back part of the price (Act 5:1-11). By these two examples God has shown us what He thinks of secret sin. But the most frightening one is Judas who thought he was getting away with it by helping himself to the money in the bag from time to time and then a clever way to get some fast cash.

This has set off the alarm bells in my heart and jolted me to my senses to be careful that the devil doesn't have any welcome areas in my heart. Why Judas wound up like he did and 60 years later I am still on my feet is a great mystery. All I can say is that it is the grace of God and the amazing ability of Jesus to keep His own.

Oh, thank You Jesus,

                                  bill