#178 Lu. 22:21-23  JUDAS IDENTIFIED AS THE BETRAYER

Introduction:
	
    Last Sunday I spoke to you about Jesus observing the Passover
Supper with His disciples and also about Him instituting the Lord's
Supper.  Today I will speak to you about Judas being identified at the
Passover Supper as the one who would betray Jesus into the hands of
His enemies.

I.  Noticing the time element again

    Last Sunday I pointed out to you the difficulty of putting
together the information gathered from all four gospel accounts into
one picture.  The chief difficulty is trying to follow the time
sequence.  I tried to give you a sketch of the events in their proper
time order.  First Jesus washed the feet of His disciples.  Then He
related to them the events of the first Passover in Egypt and
explained the significance of the elements of the Passover Supper.
After this, they proceeded to eat the Passover meal.
	While they were eating the Passover meal Judas was identified as
the culprit who would betray Jesus into the hands of the Jewish
leaders.  Then Judas left before Jesus instituted The Lord's Supper.
	Luke does not follow this time sequence in his record.  Perhaps
you may recall that in the very opening of this Book, Luke said that
he wrote for the purpose of setting in order the things most commonly
believed among the early Christians.  Thus, Luke'spurpose was not to
set in order the events in their proper time element.  Rather, he
sought to set in order the doctrinal teachings of the early
Christians.  Luke did relate many events pertaining to the life and
ministry of Jesus, but he did not attempt to follow the time sequence
in which they transpired.
	Our text last Sunday along with today's text are examples of the
scrambled time order in which Luke wrote.  Luke first recorded the
observance of the Passover Supper.  Then next, instead of telling
about the exposure of Judas as the betrayer, he recorded the
institution of the Lord's Supper.  Then after the record about the
Lord's Supper, he backs up and tells about the exposure of Judas,
which actually took place before the Lord's Supper.

II.  The three stages in which Judas was exposed as the betrayer

	So, if you will, please envision the scene with Jesus and His
disciples at the table as they are still involved in eating the
Passover Supper.  Jesus proceeds to expose Judas Iscariot as the one
who would betray Him.  He did not just name Judas outright.  Rather He
exposed Judas in three stages.
    The first stage was an announcement that one of them at the table
with Him would betray Him into the hands of the enemy.  This was a
startling announcement.  V.  21, "But, behold, the hand of him that
betrayeth me is with me on the table."  Keep in mind that as they
journeyed toward Jerusalem Jesus had repeatedly told them that once
they reached Jerusalem He would be put to death.  He had told them who
would be responsible for His death.  The chief priests and elders
would be responsible for His death.  He even told them how He would be
put to death.  He would be crucified.  So they were not shocked that
He would again tell them that He was about to be put to death.  They
were grieved, but they were not shocked.
	They were not shocked that the chief priests and elders were the
people who wanted Him dead.  They knew that the chief priests were
just looking for an excuse to arrest Him and put Him to death.  They
were, however, shocked at the news that one of their own group would
betray Him into their hands.  They had no idea that one of their own
group could do such a thing.
	Jesus then went on to explain that God would hold the guilty party
responsible and would see that the guilty party would suffer the
consequences.  V.  22, "And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was
determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!"  It was
true that God the Father had planned for Jesus to die on the cross.
It was true that this was the purpose for which the Father had sent
Him into the world.  It was true that by His foreknowledge God had
known that the Jewish leaders would set about to put Jesus to death.
But God did not make them do it.  He did not prompt them to do it.  He
did not tempt them to do it.  God does not tempt anyone to do evil.
Satan is the one who tempted them and those men are the ones who chose
to yield to the temptation of Satan.  Therefore, God would hold them
responsible for their evil deed.  He would use their evil nature to
accomplish His purpose in bringing Jesus to the cross, but He would
hold them responsible and would punish them for their actions.  Even
so, God would hold Jueas responsible for betraying Jesus and God would
see that he is punished for his evil deed.
    V.  23, "And they began to inquire among themselves, which of them
it was that should do this thing."  Matthew says they asked, "Is itI?"
Now here is a surprise!  The disciples did not at all suspect Judas as
being the culprit.  Neither did they point an accusing finger at
somebody else.  Rather, each one of them asked, "Is it I?"  Now surely
each one of them knew concerning himself that he had never planned to
do such a thing.  Each one knew that such a thing had never crossed
his mind.  But each one also knew that he was capable of doing it.
Each one was thinking, "I sure hope I am not the one.  I hope I never
do such a thing."
	Luke does not tell us anything beyond this point.  We are
dependent on other gospel writers to finish the story.  From John's
writings we learn that John, himself, was seated next to Jesus and had
leaned his head over on the chest of Jesus.  This was because of his
great love for Jesus and because of the sadness of the occasion.  The
Apostle Peter was next to John and he beckoned to John and asked John
to inquire of Jesus who the betrayer would be.  John did inquire and
Jesus responded by saying that man who dipped in the sop with Him was
the guilty party.
	Apparently not everybody heard that conversation.  Therefore, most
of them still did not know that Judas was the betrayer.  Most of them
were still asking, "Is it I?"
	So finally, even Judas, himself, asked, "Is it I?" Now Jesus had
not bothered to answer the others when they asked, but He gives Judas
an answer.  Jesus answered, "Thou hast said" which is equivalent
saying, "Yes, Judas, you are the man."  Of, course, Judas had not
really asked for information.  He knew full well that he was the one.
He knew that he had already been to the chief priests and had offered
to lead them to Jesus away from the multitude.  He had already agreed
to lead them for thirty pieces of silver!  It was then that Jesus said
to him, "That which thou doest, do quickly."
	Now once again, the rest of the disciples did not get in on all of
the conversation.  They had apparently missed that part where Judas
asked, "Is it I?" and Jesus had answered, "Yes."  They did, however,
hear Jesus tell Judas to do quickly the thing that he was going to do.
So when Judas got up and left, the Scripture says that they just
thought Jesus had sent him out to purchase some supplies.  They did
not know that he was leaving to go and make contact with the chief
priests and that he would lead them to Jesus this very night.

III.  Mixed feelings about Judas

	Listen, I have mixed emotions concerning Judas.  I can easily get
very angry at him.  He knew full well what the chief priests and
elders intended to do with Jesus.  He knew that they planned to put
Jesus to death.  The very idea of walking so closely with Jesus on a
daily basis for three years and then selling Jesus out to men whom he
knew would put Him to death!  The very idea of being so greedy after
money that he would betray the Lord for thirty pieces of silver!  It
can make you just downright angry to think about it.
	Back in verse 22 Jesus pronounced woe on the man who would betray
him.  Judas would never enjoy the thirty pieces of silver.  He would
have a miserable existence for what short time he had left here on
this earth.  He would be so filled with despair that he would end up
taking his own life.
	Then after taking his own life, he would go out of this world
unprepared to meet God.  He would go into the everlasting fires of
hell.  He was miserable in this life, but he would go to a place where
he would be exceedingly more miserable.  The rich man of Luke sixteen
went to this place.  The Scriptures record him saying, "I am tormented
in these flames."  I am quite certain that Judas is no less tormented.
To make it worse, there is no escape.  There is a great gulf fixed so
that nobody who goes in can get out.  Here was a man who had greater
opportunity to be saved than any other lost person in the world, but
he never trusted Jesus for salvation.  He never got saved.  He will
spend all eternity wishing that he had gotten saved when he had the
chance, but he waited too late.
	Listen, I feel sorry for anybody who goes to that horrible place.
I feel sorry even for Judas.  I know he deserves to be there, but I
feel lsorry for him.  Yet Judas is not alone in the fires of hell.
There are a lot of other people who are there.  There are no doubt
people whom you and I have known personally who are right there right
now in the fires of hell with Judas Iscariot suffering untold agony.
	They can weep aloud, but it will do no good.  They can cry out for
mercy, but it will do no good.  They can cry out for Lazarus or for
somebody to come and put a little cool water on their tongue, but it
will do no good.  They can beg God for mercy, but it will do no good.
They can turn on God and curse God in anger, but it will do no good.
	Listen, Judas Iscariot had his chance to be saved and he turned it
down.  The people who are in hell today had their chance, but they
turned it down.  Judas heard the gospel message, but he turned it
down.  He heard Jesus Christ, the very Son of God, preach the gospel
message, but he turned it down.  He heard Jesus say, "Come unto me all
ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest," but he
turned it down.  There is many a soul in hell today who heard the
gospel of Jesus Christ and turned it down.  We can all feel sorry for
them, but it will do no good because they turned the gospel down.
Yes, I can feel sorry for Judas just like I feel sorry for every other
man, woman, boy and girl who is lost and on the road to hell.
	But there is another thing I feel about Judas.  I am not glad that
Judas is the one who betrayed Jesus into the hands of the chief
priests and elders, but in all honesty I can say that I am glad that
somebody did.  You see, if Jesus had not gone to the cross to give His
life a ransom for the souls of men, I would still be lost and on the
road to hell.  I would be without hope in this world.  Of all men, I
would be one of the most miserable.  I would be doomed to spend
eternity in the fires of hell because the only hope I have of going to
heaven is Jesus.
    Yet if He had not gone to the cross there would be no hope for any
of us.  All men would be lost forever.  We would all suffer forever in
fire.  So even though I am not glad that Judas is the man who betrayed
Jesus, yet I am glad that He went to the cross.  I am glad because
through the death of Jesus on the cross of Calvary all my sins are
washed away.  Praise God, I am saved!  I called on the Lord Jesus
Christ and I asked Him to same my soul.

Conclusion:

	Listen!  Today God is sending out the message to lost men, women,
boys and girls.  God is calling for all who are unsaved to turn to Him
in repentance of their sins.  God is calling for them to put their
faith in Jesus Christ and be saved.
    So, as one who is called of God topreach the gospel message, I am
calling upon you who are lost to trust in Jesus Christ today and be
saved.  I am calling upon you to stop trying to save yourself by your
own works of righteousness.  I am calling upon you to not trust in
baptism to get you into heaven.  I am calling upon you to not trust in
church membership to get you into heaven.  I am calling upon you to
trust Jesus Christ, the Son of God, to save your soul and keep you out
of hell.  I am calling upon you to place your soul in the care of
Jesus Christ and trust in Him to take you to heaven.
	Then there are those of you who are already saved.  I am calling
upon you to place your life in the hands of the Lord and let Him have
His way with your life.
	Some of you who are saved may not yet be baptized and you would
really like to get baptized.  You know that is what Jesus wants you to
do.  Are you ready to come this morning saying, "I'm ready, Bro.
Davis.  I am saved and I want to be baptized and I want to join this
church."
	Are there Christians here this morning who are in need of a church
home, who can say, "Bro. Davis, I am ready, too.  I want to move my
membership to Pleasant Hill to serve the Lord."
	If you ready, then come!