I. FALSE AFFECTION R. Kent Hughes, Luke: That You May Know the Truth, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1998),

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1 BETRAYED! Luke 22:47-53 Dr. Jon McNeff, Senior Pastor July 21, 2013 Note: The following are the pastor s notes used in preaching this message. This is not a complete, word-for-word transcription of what was preached. These notes serve as a companion to the complete message, which is available by listening to the audio version. Bible quotes are primarily from NASB and ESV, respectively. H. G. Wells once said that the world is like a great stage production, directed and managed by God. As the curtain rises, the set is perfect, a treat to every eye. The characters are resplendent. Everything goes well until the leading man steps on the hem of the leading lady s gown, causing her to trip over a chair, which knocks over a lamp, which pushes a table into the wall, which in turn knocks over the scenery, which brings everything down on the heads of the actors. Meanwhile, behind the scenes God, the Producer, is running around, shouting orders, pulling strings, trying desperately to restore order from chaos. But, alas, he is unable to do so! Poor God! As Wells explains, he is a very little, limited God. 1 Some think this depicts the end of Jesus life marches into a trap in Jerusalem fantasizes about the Temple fails to motivate His disciples at the Last Supper one of them leaves to betray him the rest of them argue over who is the greatest His prize one curses Him when He is taken captive the best three can t even stay awake to pray with Him now events spin out of control as the traitor leads His enemies right to Him Is this what happened? no new series Take Up Your Cross Luke 9:23 If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. for Jesus this meant betrayal arrested tried convicted crucified are you ready to Pick up your cross? I. FALSE AFFECTION Luke 22:47 While He was still speaking, behold, a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was preceding them; and he approached Jesus to kiss Him. Set the scene: The situation Luke 22:47 While He was still speaking Jesus was still rousing the disciples out of sleep in Gethsemane He was still telling them to Get up and pray that you may not enter into temptation. Luke 22:46 Luke 22:47 continues behold, a crowd came three groups 1) Roman soldiers John 18:3 Judas then, having received the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. cohort was 600 Roman soldiers armed to the teeth and prepared to use lethal force a cohort was stationed at the Antonia Fortress doubtful that all would have come John 18:12 indicates the commander of the cohort was there so he must have had at least a maniple 200 soldiers committed to using lethal force if necessary intent on killing Jesus 2) Second group were officers Levitical Temple Guard maintained order on Temple grounds no authority on anything that affected Roman policy they carried the clubs ordered by the Sanhedrin their commander was there probably another 200 3) Members of the Sanhedrin and other looky-loos the chief priests had missed several opportunities to seize Jesus before John 7:45 they sent the officers to arrest Jesus came back enamored with His teaching! Judas appears his prior appearance was in the intimate upper room with Jesus and His disciples He went into the night to finalize his arrangements with chief priests Luke 22:47 says, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was preceding them if you or I had written this we would have said And then came that no good, larvae sucking scumbag named Judas! shows Luke had been touched by Jesus compassions too! but the irony of one of the twelve doesn t escape us R. Kent Hughes, Luke: That You May Know the Truth, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1998), 1

2 The kiss innocent and yet affectionate gesture first kiss of mother to newborn baby father tucking children in husband and wife making up after a quarrel last kiss of wife laying her husband of 55 years to rest now think of a kiss of betrayal a gesture of affection meant to deceive this happened to Jesus Luke 22:47 - and he approached Jesus to kiss him Matthew and Mark indicate he kissed Him repeatedly to clearly identify him not a simple howdy not a handshake a kiss a gesture of intimate friendship this was an awful gesture prearranged signal that marked Jesus for arrest and death Matthew 26 Judas went to chief priests, knowing that they wanted to kill Jesus! they hadn t been able to get to Jesus because of the crowds around him Judas offered to deliver him for a price his motivation was greed! Matthew 26:15 chief priests offered Judas 30 pieces of silver Exodus 21:32 says this was the replacement price for a slave who had been gored by an ox Genesis 37:28 Joseph is sold into slavery for 20 shekels of silver suggests the low value both the Pharisees and Judas placed on Jesus life Matthew 26:48 Judas told them, Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him. What a bitter betrayal this was for Jesus He must have experienced all the emotion we would if one of our closest friends betrayed us hard to fathom how Judas could betray Jesus think of what Jesus had done for Judas: He called him Luke 6:12-13 Jesus prayed all night before calling the 12 Judas was chosen by the deliberate choice of God! He taught him genuine spiritual conversion bear good fruit from a good heart love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength love your enemies he heard the parables that taught about His kingdom Luke 8:10 To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God Revealed Himself in miracles Judas had a front row seat to Jesus turning water into wine, causing the lame to walk, restoring sight to the blind, calming the storms, feeding the 5,000, raising the dead! Gave him opportunities to serve trusted him with their money gave him opportunities to preach and cast out demons (shows that serving in ministry is no guarantee one is saved!) Taught him to pray warned him not to go astray revealed His divine nature Luke 12:8-9 he received the promise that everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God; but he who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. Washed his feet in act of humility Peter refused not Judas Gave him one final warning Luke 22:21, 22 as they were eating the last supper But behold, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Mine on the table. For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed! Jesus cared for Judas loved him like He loved the other disciples even knowing that Judas was going to betray Him even His last words to Judas were spoken in love Luke 22:48 Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss? in Matthew 26:50 Jesus addressed Judas as Friend Have you ever been betrayed for some, it s all part of taking up your cross to follow Jesus II. VIOLENT RESPONSE The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas story of Edmond Dantes set in 19 th century France betrayed by three jealous friends on the day that he is to be married to lovely Mercedes, they conspire to falsely accuse him of treason he is sent to Chateau d If, a desert island prison where no one escapes he meets Abbe Faria, an Italian intellectual who educates him in astronomy, mathematics, science, politics, and the ways of the world Faria reveals the location of an incredible fortune Faria s death becomes Dantes way of escape Dantes finds the fortune and returns to France with a burning vengeance to repay his friends for their treachery eventually he finds and destroys all of his old friends. The reaction of the disciples to Judas betrayal was just like Dantes they couldn t believe it Luke 22:49-50 When those who were around Him saw what was going to happen, they said, Lord, shall we strike with the sword? And one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. John 18:10 says it was Peter There is a time and a place of the sword: 2

3 Romans 13 police and military have lethal authority Luke 22:36 Jesus acknowledged the sword as an instrument of personal protection The sword is never to be used by the church Jesus battle here was not with the soldiers or the chief priests or any earthly judicial system Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Jesus battle is for the heart of man it can t be conquered by the sword you might make someone bow on the outside, but you can t control their heart A violent response was so out of place here: This would have pitted Jesus as an urban guerilla waiting for the police and then ambushing them in surprise It would have placed the disciples into a battle they couldn t win Matthew 26:52 Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. Jesus was telling them that if they wanted to make the battle about swords, they would die like a gunfighter in the old west there is always someone faster Jesus didn t need any help anyway Matthew 26:53 Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? John 18:6 Jesus asked Whom do you seek? And they said Jesus the Nazarene He forced them to state their purpose So when He said to them, I am He, they drew back and fell to the ground. Greek text says, Ego, eimi I am! the Old Testament title for God! they had no idea who they were dealing with amazing power! Violence and revenge is never the solution to personal betrayal you may think you will feel good when you get your revenge but you will be taking God s part Romans 12:19-21 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord. what should be our response? But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. J.R. Ewing on Dallas used to say, Don t get mad, get even. that s the world s way not God s it shows a person cares nothing about God s vision for the world III. TOTAL CONTROL A. Jesus reaction Matthew 26:52-54 Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way? then Luke 22:51 says he repaired the damage done by His vengeful disciples He touched his ear and healed him. Jesus looks like the victim here, but He is in total control Everything about this night shows Jesus is in full control even knowing that He would be betrayed by Judas, Jesus said in Luke 22:22 the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed! in fact, Jesus had known all along that Judas was going to betray Him John 6:70-71 Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil? Now He meant Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray Him. B. The nature of evil But how do we explain this incredible evil that is beginning to work its way into history? All evil comes from Satan he has been a murderer and liar from the beginning Romans 5:12-14 says all mankind fell into sin when Adam fell into sin but man is held accountable for his sin everyone wants free will here it is man s free will can only choose to sin in the end, man wants exactly the same things Satan wants 3

4 D. A. Carson A Call to Spiritual Reformation Yet the passages we have just surveyed cry out in protest. To go no further than the last example: Herod and Pontius Pilate and the rest conspired together; they did what they wanted to do, even though they did what God s power and will had determined beforehand should be done. That is why many theologians have refused to tie freedom to absolute power to act contrary to God s will. They tie it, rather, to desire, to what human beings voluntarily choose. Joseph s brothers did what they wanted to do; Herod and Pilate and the rulers of the Jews did what they wanted to do; the Assyrians did what they wanted to do. In each case, God s sovereignty was operating behind the scenes: the human participants, to use the language of the early Christians, did what God s power and will had decided beforehand should happen. But that did not excuse them. They did what they wanted to do. 2 Iain Murray in The Forgotten Spurgeon But man s will is always exercised in harmony with his nature and, as his nature is at enmity to God, so is his will. Man being fallen, his will cannot be neutral or free to act contrary to his nature. Free-will has carried many souls to hell, but never a soul to heaven yet. 3 C. God s hand Gives us a glimpse into evil Man s choice Matthew 26:14 Judas went to the chief priests it was his choice he wanted to force Jesus to conform to his view of the world he had a political agenda Jesus didn t! scary thought Judas was willing to follow Jesus but not take up His cross you can be a follower or Jesus and not be a Christian! Satan s involvement John 13:2 During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him v. 27 After the morsel, Satan then entered into him. Therefore, Jesus said to him, what you do, do quickly. Satan entered Judas, but Judas did the acting same way demons entered the demoniac Rev. 13:4 indicates Satan will same way Satan will enter a man in the end times who God s plan - Acts 2:23 this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. Acts 4:27-28 For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur. We see here the synthesis between man s free will, Satan s work in this work, and God s controlling power this is the most heinous act of betrayal ever seen in human history Mark 14:21 For the Son of Man is to go just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born. at the same time Matthew 26:56 But all this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures of the prophets. God accomplished His perfect will in Judas betrayal of Jesus yet the weight of his sin rests fully on Judas shoulders! God is in perfect control over the one who betrays you! IV. FALSE PERSPECTIVE - SPIRITUAL BLESSING Luke 22: Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders who had come against Him, Have you come out with swords and clubs as you would against a robber? While I was with you daily in the temple, you did not lay hands on Me; but this hour and the power of darkness are yours. This was a large crowd left nothing to chance they were going to make this arrest like seeing the S.W.A.T. Team, snipers on the roof, helicopters swirling overhead to make a traffic stop! they had distorted thinking in a number of ways: 2 D. A. Carson, A Call to Spiritual Reformation, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 1992), Iain H. Murray, The Forgotten Spurgeon (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2009),

5 1) They thought this was about physical power it wasn t it was about the kingdom of God not the kingdom of man 2) They thought they needed swords and clubs they didn t Jesus could hear them coming stood there faced Judas never flinched 3) They thought they were in charge they weren t Jesus said, this hour and the power of darkness are yours. John 2:4 at the beginning of Jesus ministry he said, My hour has not yet come now it had but first would come Satan s hour Jesus was saying, Hit me with your best shot! This is your chance darkness is used many places in Scripture to depict the rule of Satan Satan entered Judas and used him and the chief priests to find and arrest Jesus he must have been gleefully laughing this was also the worst hour for mankind John 3:19-20 This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. BUT God turned this awful betrayal into spiritual blessing without it Jesus would not have gone to the cross William Tyndale the man most responsible for giving us our English Bible he s called The Father of the English Bible a brilliant scholar who never married and spent much of his life in exile from his home in England in order to translate the Bible into English and get it into the hands of his countrymen eventually he went to Antwerp, Belgium where he worked in secret in the home of Thomas Pointz but a bounty-hunter hired by Thomas Cromwell named Henry Phillips finally found him he feigned friendship with Tyndale, who invited him to his own dinner table and even into his study to see his work Philips eventually lured Tyndale out of his house, down a narrow alley into the hands of King Henry s men Philips was paid handsomely for his treachery Tyndale was taken to a castle in Vilvorde to await execution his response? in his last known letter, he wrote humbly to the local authorities asking for the return of his warm clothing I beg your lordship, by the Lord Jesus, that if I am to remain here through the winter, you will request the commissary to have the kindness to send, me, from the goods of mine which he has, a warmer cap; for I suffer greatly from cold in the head... a warmer coat also, for this which I have is very thin... My overcoat is worn out; my shirts are also worn out, he has a woolen shirt, if he will be good enough to send it... And I ask to be allowed to have a lamp in the evening; it is indeed wearisome sitting alone in the dark. But most of all I beg and beseech your clemency to be urgent with the commissary, that he will kindly permit me to have the Hebrew Bible, Hebrew grammar, and Hebrew dictionary, that I may pass the time in that study. 4 QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 1. Have you ever been betrayed by a friend? Explain how you felt. 2. What is so disturbing about the kiss of Judas in Luke 22:48? 3. What is the difference between the disciples response and Jesus response in Luke 22:49-51? 4. What signs do we see of Jesus total control in Luke 22:47-53? 5. What did Jesus mean by this hour and the power of darkness are yours in Luke 22:53? 6. How might this passage change the way you react when you are betrayed? 4 David Daniell, William Tyndale: A Biography (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1994),