Three Things We Can Learn from Judas (Matthew 27:3-4)

Children's Lesson (click here)

I. A Not So Uncommon Name

Did you know that Jesus had a brother named... Judas? And did you know that brother wrote one of the New Testament (NT) letters? In our Bible it's called the book of Jude. But it really is Judas. Did you know that NT references to the land of Judah, or to the fourth son of Jacob, use this same name in Greek: Judas? Did you know there was a second apostle named Judas? Listed in Luke 6:16, John 14:22, and Acts 1:13, this “Judas” seems to be an alternate name for the apostle known as Thaddaeus. Did you know the first place that Paul stayed after being blinded on the road to Damascus was in the house of a man named... Judas? Did you know that in Acts 15, when the leaders in Jerusalem sent their well-known letter to the first Gentile converts, they did so by the hand of Silas and Barsabbas, whose given name was... Judas?

And yet, when you and I hear the name Judas, only one person comes to mind, right? Though it was an extremely commonname, Judas, a man from the town of Kerioth (i.e., Judas Iscariot) is the individual, is the historical figure, most closely connected to that name. And because that man did what he did, the name can also be used simply as a synonym for the word “traitor”.

But because their evil actions can be so unique in terms of historical significance, the temptation with people like Judas Iscariot (or Hitler, or Genghis Khan, or Nero, etc.) is to put them in a distinct box; maybe a box labeled, “villains” or “history's worst”. The problem with this is that such a tendency might keep us from considering the very thing we want to consider this morning; which is, what can we learn from such an individual.

II. The Passage: “He Changed His Mind” (12:16)

With that question in hand, look with me at Matthew 27:3-4. Since the Gospel of Matthew only has twenty-eight chapters, it's clear from the chapter number alone that we're nearing the end of Jesus' earthly story here in Matthew 27. But let me take a minute to set the stage for our main text by going back and pointing out a few things about this man, Judas. In Matthew's Gospel, we first meet this man when he is chosen to be one of Christ's first apostles in chapter 10. Between that point and the last week before Jesus' death, we don't know a whole lot about what Judas was saying or doing. Really the only things we know is that Judas was in charge of the group's moneybag. So when Mary (the sister of Martha and Lazarus) anoints Jesus's feet with her hair, it's Judas who criticizes Mary as wasteful, suggesting that the expensive ointment she used could have been sold for a good amount in order to help the poor. But this is what the author, John, tells us about Judas' true motives and character. John 12:6...

He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.

So near the end of Jesus' ministry, this man, who has spent countless weeks and months with the Son of God, is not only pilfering from the common purse, and criticizing those who are blessing Jesus, but he's doing so with a pretense of compassion. That one episode tells us a lot about this individual. And, returning to our main text, this story from John helps us make better sense of the shocking turn of events one chapter earlier in Matthew 26. Look back to 26:14-16...

“Then one of the twelve [apostles], whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the [Jewish] chief priests [15] and said, "What will you give me if I deliver him [Jesus] over to you?" And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. [16] And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.” And as most of you know, that's exactly what Judas did. He betrayed Jesus... with a kiss, of all things. So that night, after their Passover meal, after Judas told them where Jesus would be, and identified him for the soldiers, Jesus was arrested, convicted in a sham trial, and sentenced to die. All of that sets up our main text in 27:3-4. Look at that text with me...

Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, [4] saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." They said, "What is that to us? See to it yourself." [or in modern language, “That's your problem, not ours.”]

As we'll see, there's a conclusion to this story. But if we stop here and think about this man, and if we think about the little we do know about him, I believe there are some important things we can take away from the story of Judas.

First, I think Judas's story is a good reminder that being near Jesus is not the same as being with Jesus. For a very long time, Judas spent every day and every night with Jesus... who was God in human flesh. He had experienced his kindness, he had heard his teaching, he had wit-nessed incredible miracles. And he did all this, not as a casual observer, but as one who was given a front row seat; one who was appointed to be an apostle. That means Judas was not just a guy who hung around the edges of the Jesus' movement. He was one of the main participants.

And yet, after several years of ministering together, John describes a man who is simply pilfering and posturing. Unlike Jesus, who in the previous chapter prayed more than once, “Your will be done!”, Judas only seems to ask, “What's in it for me?” Had he become disillusioned with Jesus?

Did his initial reasons for following Christ revolve around dreams of messianic glory and wealth? Other than the money involved, we simply do not know why Judas decided to betray his rabbi.

What we do know is that proximity to Jesus did not guarantee a changed heart. Sadly, like Judas, there are many in the church who are present, who are professing, and even participating, but do so for the wrong reasons. They seek some other profit, rather than the glory of God. They like Jesus, in ways that work for them. But they do not truly love Jesus. They are near Him, in some sense, but not with him. I think that tragic truth leads us to another point.

Second, the story of Judas is also a good reminder that being the Betrayer is not the same as being the only betrayer. In Matthew 26:48 and Mark 14:44, Judas is given that title: “the betrayer”. In fact, in the lists of apostles provided in Matthew 10, Mark 3, and Luke 6, Judas is always listed last, and his name is always qualified by the phrase, “who betrayed him” or “who became a traitor”. This, of course, is the very thing that most people know about Judas Iscariot. It's why his name has become a stand-in for any traitor: “I can't believe you did that, you... you... Judas”. The other apostles, after Jesus' resurrection, described his betrayal and fate like this...

“...[show us, God, who “you have chosen”] to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place." (Acts 1:25)

But just because Judas came to be known as “the Betrayer”, that doesn't mean others have not, are not, and will not betray the Son of Man. Right? Do you recognize that to be true? Can you think of ways this morning that maybe... you and I have betrayed Jesus?

No, I don't mean betrayal in the same way Judas betrayed Jesus. What I mean is simply this: have you acted against the interests of One to whom you confess loyalty? Have you told your King one thing, and then gone and done the exact opposite? Have you taken that which God has entrusted to you, things intended to be used for his kingdom and his glory, and then unfaith-fully used them for your own profit and pleasure? Friends, those are kinds of betrayal; and I think all of us recognize that those are also descriptions of our ongoing struggle with sin.

So are there those within the visible Church who seem near Jesus, but are not really with him? Of course. Jesus and the apostles talked quite a bit about such people. But are there those who, by His grace alone, are really with him, but who, in different ways, could also be guilty of betrayal? If we think about betrayal in terms of vacillating and being unfaithful, then of course.

But there's one more important idea to which these verses point us. Third, the story of Jesus is a sobering reminder that being sorry is not the same as being saved. Though many people may not know this part of the story, as we heard in our main passage, Judas quickly regretted his decision to betray Jesus. Does that mean he returned to Christ and was saved? No. Abso-lutely not. These are the words of Jesus from the previous chapter: “The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” (26:24) Judas regretted his betrayal. But he didn't repent of his betrayal. He went to the chief priests and elders, not God. What may have looked like repentance was driven by what Paul would later call, “worldly grief”. 2 Corinthians 7:9-10...

As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.

And that perfectly describes Judas's fate. His worldly grief over his betrayal did not lead him back to the One who is life. It led only to death, his own death by suicide.

III. When the Story of Judas is Complete

Brother, sister, friend, please carefully consider your own life in light of the story of Judas. For some, Judas is the picture they've needed in order to see that being near Jesus is not the same as being with Jesus. For others of us, God wants to give us another look, as hard as it is, at human sin in all of its ugliness. Sin is not just breaking rules. It is that. But it's also betrayal. Can we see the ways in which we are like Judas? Or is he simply one of many infamous villains who fall into a category disconnected from the rest of us? Time after time, Judas witnessed the beauty and greatness of Jesus. But it never produced true repentance and true faith. If we've experienced those things, then shouldn't the beauty and greatness of Jesus make the ugliness of sin even more pronounced? Friends, read about Jesus. Meditate on Jesus. Trust in Jesus. Call out to Jesus. Follow Jesus. When you do, the kind of betrayal we talked about will be far less likely. But when we are disloyal, unfaithful, let us not settle for being sorry. Judas was sorry. He was grieved. So grieved he killed himself. But “godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret”. Godly grief is ultimately about our personal relationship, not our personal record. It isn't me being upset I failed. It's sorrow that I sinned against God. If He is precious to us, then true repentance will follow. But the story of Judas is only complete when we remember that the betrayal of Jesus led to the victory of Jesus. What Judas exposed about the human heart is the very thing Jesus defeated when he shed that “innocent blood”. So, yes, as we look into our own hearts, let us be sobered by the story of Judas. But let's also be thankful that his one of act of human betrayal led to full and final forgiveness for our countless acts of betrayal. Hallelujah!