LANGUAGE:
Betrayal
(Mark 14:43–50: Matt 26:47–56; Luke 22:47–53; John 18:3–11)
I invite you to open your Bibles to the gospel of Mark, chapter 14. We have been following the Jesus story as told to Mark by Peter. Mark opens his account of the Jesus story in chap 1, vs 1, with these words: The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. We need to remember that the word ‘gospel’ in the New Testament is never in reference to what we know as the 4 Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. In the New Testament the word ‘gospel’ always refers to the message of salvation.[i] As in Romans 1:16 (NASB95) where Paul says, For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes . . .
The word gospel(εὐαγγέλιον) in the Gk means good news or glad tidings. So when Mark says The beginning of the gospel of Jesus, what good news does he have in mind?
To help us understand the ‘good news’, we need to backtrack to Isaiah 40. There Isaiah writes: 1“Comfort, O comfort My people,” says your God. 2“Speak kindly to Jerusalem; And call out to her, that her warfare has ended, That her iniquity has been removed, That she has received of the LORD’S hand double for all her sins.” . . .V5, The glory of the LORD will be revealed . . . V9, ‘so’ get yourself up on a high mountain, O Zion, bearer of good news, lift up your voice mightily, O Jerusalem, bearer of good news; lift it up, do not fear. Say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God. 10’for Behold, the Lord GOD will come with might, With His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him and His recompense before Him. 11Like a shepherd He will tend His flock . . . God is telling Israel, I have Good News for you!! Your troubles will end, your iniquity will be removed . . . The King is coming!! That is the good news.
Further, the name Jesus in Hebrew is Yeshua, meaning salvation. Matthew 1:21 (NASB95) “’Mary’ will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” So Mark is telling us that what he is writing about has to do with the the ‘good news’ of salvation ‘from sin and despair’ . . . and that salvation is rooted in one named Jesus, and His title is Christ which means Anointed One. And notice that Mark goes on to tell us that Jesus has nobility—He is the Son of God. That is, He is one in nature with God, coeternal and coequal with God. That’s what John tells us in the open words of his gospel-- 1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God (John 1:1-2). So the gospel of Mark is about the life of King Jesus, the Son of God, in person, on earth, come to rescue us from a life of sin, the dominion of Satan, and the coming judgment of God.[ii] And that, my friends, is really good news!!!
Let’s pause for a moment in prayer: Heavenly Father, help us as we turn to Your eternal word, that You will be our teacher, and the Holy Spirit will enable us to think properly and respond humbly. Apply this word to our lives for today, tomorrow, and beyond. Amen.
You should be in chapter 14, and we’ll begin our study at v43. I’m reading from a translation entitled God’s Word.
43while Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve apostles, arrived with a crowd carrying swords and clubs with him. They were from the chief priests, the experts in Moses’ Teachings, and the leaders of the people. 44Now, the traitor had given them a signal. He said, “The one I kiss is the man you want. Arrest him, and guard him closely as you take him away.” . . . V48, Jesus asked them, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as if I were a criminal? 49I used to teach in the temple courtyard every day. But you didn’t arrest me then. But what the Scriptures say must come true.” 50Then all the disciples abandoned him and ran away. 51A certain young man was following Jesus. He had nothing on but a linen sheet. They tried to arrest him, 52but he left the linen sheet behind and ran away naked.
Ever since Jesus healed the man with the withered hand in chapter 3, the religious hierarchy has been conspiring to see how they might destroy Him.[iii] Then beginning with chapter 11 things get pretty dicey with Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The Scribes, the Pharisees, and the Herodians tried desperately to trip Him up with trick questions. [iv] But they failed at every turn.
Then beginning with chapter 14, v1, the chief priests and the scribes began to deliberately seek out how to seize Him by stealth and kill Him. But they were stumped at every turn out of fear of the crowds and the Romans.[v]
Then somewhat unexpectedly, V10 (GW) 10Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve apostles, ‘came’ to the chief priests to betray Jesus.
Judas is a pyridoxal riddle. For over three years he walked with Jesus, talked with Jesus, witnessed miraculous healings, and was given power over demons. Now he deliberately turns on Jesus. He takes the initiative . . . V10, . . . and goes off to the chief priests in order to betray Him to them. Nobody prompted him. He did this on his own. And the antagonists were glad. V11 (The Message) When he showed up 11They couldn’t believe their ears, and promised to pay him well. He started looking for just the right moment to hand Him over. Matthew and Luke tell us that he began looking for a good opportunity to betray Jesus apart from the crowds.[vi] Matthew tells us that they negotiated 30 pieces of silver for the betrayal. John MacArthur points out that the 30 pieces of silver was the price of a slave.[vii]
Judas had such a twisted heart. Perhaps an hour before hand, Jesus had just pointed out that one of them would betray Him. And he had sat with the disciples and declared his innocence. Then came those frightening words from Jesus to Judas—“What you are about to do, do quickly”[viii] At that moment Satan takes over Judas, And he is now controlled by the most powerful demon ever. [ix]
Judas meets up with the chief priests and scribes. A couple of hours pass, he leaves the secret meeting with a ragtag army. He knows where to find Jesus, in the garden of Gethsemane.
It’s a perfect set up. Its night, roughly 2 am, the crowds are bedded down. Jesus has been in prayer for a couple of hours. We’re told that three times He asked the Father, “Let this cup pass from me, nevertheless, not my will but Yours be done.” The weight of the coming events weighed heavy. As awful as the crucifixion would be, the most dreaded part was His alienation and separation from the Father. V41, His intercession with the Father ended, He knew what He had to do. And so He tells the disciples: “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
By now it is roughly 4am Friday morning. The disciples can see the torches, they can hear the voices of the ragtag army coming with swords and clubs. In roughly 11 hours Jesus will be dead, and in the grave by sundown. It’s a horrific whirlwind of evil events starting with the betrayal, then the arrest, followed by two trials (one in the Jewish court and one in the Gentile court) and in addition, Peter’s denial and the freeing of one called Barabbas (an insurrectionist scheduled to be crucified).
Judas doesn’t want to screw this up. After all it is night. And it would be awful if they grabbed the wrong man. Remember Isaiah 53:2? Appearance wise, Jesus was not a stand out person. He was an ordinary looking guy. And it’s dark. So Judas gives a signal—V44 “The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard.”
Now we need to realize, this was no peck on the cheek. The Gk word here for kiss (kataphileō) is descriptive of a fervent expressional kiss.[x] In other words, Judas ‘hams’ it up. In Luke 22:48 it appears Jesus was just a tad irritated with him when He says, Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?!!
And so the ragtag army grabs Jesus. What a sad moment in time. Matthew 27 tells us 1When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. 2And they bound him and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate the governor. Then come these words: 3Then when Judas, His betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned . . .
Think about this: Judas hung around and watched the entire proceedings. Transfixed, captivated, mesmerized . . . soaking it all in . . . Suddenly the reality of the condemnation broke thru his mental hardness. And I believe that is when Satan left him. The horror of what was happening swept over him. Matthew tells us that 3when Judas saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, 3. . . ‘suddenly’ he realized that Jesus was doomed. Overcome with remorse, he gave back the thirty silver coins to the high priests, and he told them 4“I’ve sinned. I’ve betrayed an innocent man.” They said, “What do we care? That’s your problem!” And so he threw the silver coins into the Temple and left, and then he went out and hung himself. Matthew 27:3–5 (The Message)
Judas is one strange character. He was a key player on Jesus’ team. He was the Team’s banker. He preached, he healed, he cast out demons, and he experienced firsthand the power of Jesus.[xi]. He started out so well. But despite it all, he was in inner turmoil. His inner being was in disorder, he was caught between the rock and a cleft--lust for money, position, and power.[xii] According to John’s Gospel, chap. 12, in his selfishness he regularly pilfer out of the Team’s finances.[xiii] He was an excellent thief, none of the disciples ever grasp why they seemed to be always broke. We are warned in 1 Timothy 6:10 (NASB95) the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
With that said, let me share with you some Judas Iscariot life lessons:
The first life-lesson we can learn from Judas Iscariot is that we cannot serve two masters at the same time.[xiv] Jesus made that clear for us in Matthew 6:24–34 (NASB95) 24“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. 25“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
Judas was caught up with silver, status, and his own self-centeredness. He was first in his life pursuits. He was after power, significance, self-worth. Money held such a grip on him, that he despised Jesus, and the Kingdom message Jesus preached. It blinded him to the ‘good news’, and in turn gave Satan a foothold into his life. We are told in Ephesians 4:27 (NASB95) do not give the devil an opportunity. In the words of Rick Warren -- Satan wants to establish a foothold in ‘our lives’ in order to take over more and more of our lives. Once he gets us deep enough into an area of sin, he turns sin into a strong foothold, and making it most difficult for us to take back control of our lives.
How does Satan get a foothold in our lives?
For Judas it was the cares of the world that gave Satan a foothold into his life. And so I ask us, In what area of your life might be an opening for Satan to enter and take control so that you carry out his bidding?[xvii]
From the life of Judas we can clearly see that just because one might be immerse in Church life, it does not mean that one is truly a Jesus follower. Judas spent three years with Jesus. Rubbing shoulders with Him. Eating with Him. Hearing the stories. Being rescued by Jesus in the midst of the storms on the Sea of Galilee storms. He was in the midst of it all, but his heart was far away from Jesus. He was part of the crowd that heard Jesus say sternly in (Matthew 15:8 (GW) … 8‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
He had a pretense to know Christ outwardly, but prove to be otherwise with his actions. We need to be careful because there is a Judas in all of us. Titus 1:16 (NASB95) They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed. This is the case with many who profess to be followers of Christ with their lips but their hearts are far away from Him and deny Him in their works.[xviii]
Jesus said in Luke 9:62 (GW) “Whoever starts to plow and looks back is not fit for God’s kingdom.”[xix] Don’t let the pleasures of this world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life[xx]—consume you. Don’t be a Judas who lost his focus. And so I must ask each of us, how’s your focus? Are you fully devoted to the Lord?
Both Judas Iscariot and Peter had a character flaw. Both would be forced to face their flaws. Both were warned in advanced of their impending failure. Both would fail. All of us struggle with character flaws. But what we do after the sin they bring is crucial to our living.
Prior to Satan’s entering Judas, he had already rejected Jesus’ teaching against greed and hypocrisy (Matthew 6:20; Luke 12:1-3) and was regularly breaking the commandments against stealing and coveting (Exodus 20:15, 17). We’re told in James 1:14–15 (GW) 14Everyone is tempted by his own desires as they lure him away and trap him. 15Then desire becomes pregnant and gives birth to sin. When sin grows up, it gives birth to death. Sin tends to compound. When we commit one sin, it often leads to other sins.
When Judas saw that Jesus “had been condemned,” he became “remorseful and took back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, ‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood’” (Matthew 27:1-4). When he saw that these leaders didn’t care about Jesus’ innocence, Judas became very distraught. He “threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself” (verse 5). His sorrow didn’t result in true repentance and change. 2 Corinthians 7:10 “the sorrow of the world produces death . . .
Then there is Peter.
Like Judas he hung around and watched the proceedings. Jesus had told him that he would betray Him. In the midst of the Sanhedrin trial he did just that, denied Jesus three times. On the third denial Luke tells us, Then the Lord turned and looked directly at Peter. Peter remembered what the Lord had said: “Before a rooster crows today, you will say three times that you don’t know me.” Luke 22:61 (GW) Peter went out and wept bitterly.
Both Judas and Peter were filled with remorse for what they had done. But after their sins, they had very different responses. Judas hanged himself, while Peter in faith accepted Jesus’ forgiveness. He repents of his failure, and Jesus thrusts him into the front lines of ministry.
2 Corinthians 7:10, Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted.” Paul Carter’s words are spot on: Godly sorrow leads to a change in our thinking, our actions and our lives. It puts us in the right attitude so we can repent.[xxi]
If a person does not repent of sin, then they are still living in sin, and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Worldly, temporary sorrow will not lead to lasting change. Godly sorrow is a changed heart, and it will produce repentance leading to salvation” (2 Corinthians 7:10). [xxii] Godly sorrow results from a heart-felt conviction that we have offended God by our sin.[xxiii] Such a burning conviction produces in our hearts a godly sorrow. As we look upon Him who was pierced for our sins, we are deeply grieved in spirit. And we resolve within our hearts that we will, with the help of God, “cease to do evil, and learn to do good” (Isaiah 1:16).
Let’s close in prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us. Thank You for sending Your only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ to die on the cross to pay the price for our sins. Thank You that You did not turn away from us when through sin and rebellion we turned away from You and sought to live independently of You. Thank You for not giving up on us.
Father, if they be anyone here who is dealing with sin and they are far from You, may they join me in praying this prayer-- I admit that I am a sinner and have no right to approach Your holy Presence – except in and through the blood of Jesus Christ Who died to pay the price for my sins. I repent of all the wrong deeds that I have carried out in my body and all the lustful thoughts that I have committed in my mind.
I admit that there is no goodness in me, except that which comes from the Lord Jesus Christ I want to stop going my own way and by trying to live my life without You and I want to turn back to Christ Jesus, Who paid the price for my sins and Father I pray that I may learn to live in complete dependence upon Him – for I know that it is only In Him that I can only live a godly life.
Thank You that You are a forgiving God – long-suffering and of great goodness. Thank You for forgiving my sins and may I walk in newness of life for this day forward, In the name of Jesus, Amen
[i] Romans 1:16 (NASB95) 16For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 2 Timothy 1:8 (NASB95)8Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God,
[ii] 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NASB95) 21He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Colossians 1:13 (NASB95) 13For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, John 3:36 (NASB95) 36“He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
[iii] Mark 3:6 (NASB95) 6The Pharisees went out and immediately began conspiring with the Herodians against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.
[iv] Mark 11:27–28 (NASB95) 27They came again to Jerusalem. And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to Him, 28and began saying to Him, “By what authority are You doing these things, or who gave You this authority to do these things?” Cf., https://www.gotquestions.org/thirty-pieces-of-silver.htmlIn Hebrew culture, thirty pieces of silver was not a lot of money. In fact, it was the exact price paid to the master of a slave if and when his slave was gored by an ox (Exodus 21:32). The slave’s death was compensated by the thirty pieces of silver. There are two other places in the Bible that specifically mention the amount of thirty pieces of silver, and they are directly linked. The first passage is in Zechariah, which contains a prophecy that is later fulfilled in the book of Matthew.
Leading up to the prophecy of the thirty pieces of silver is a description of a strange episode in Zechariah’s life. God had the prophet Zechariah play the part of a shepherd and care for a flock “doomed to slaughter” (Zechariah 11:4–14). God used this to illustrate a prophetic judgment against Israel for crucifying Christ, predicting the fall of Israel in AD 70 and the subsequent scattering of the nation. There are several elements in this passage that point to it as a prophecy about Jesus. First, Zechariah says he “got rid of the three shepherds” of the doomed flock (verse 8). The “three shepherds” are probably a reference to the three religious offices during Jesus’ day that worked to condemn Jesus: the elders, the scribes, and the chief priests (Matthew 16:21). Second, Zechariah breaks his two shepherding staffs. One is named Favor and is broken to symbolize the breaking of the Mosaic Covenant by the disobedient people and God’s setting aside His favor or providential care to allow judgment to come upon them (Zechariah 11:10). The second staff, named Union, is broken to represent the breaking up of the nation by the Romans.
Another prophetic reference is found in the thirty pieces of silver given to Zechariah after his work as a shepherd. He went to those he worked for and asked them to pay him what they thought he was worth. They gave him thirty pieces of silver, which he sarcastically calls a “handsome price” because it was such a small amount (Zechariah 11:13)—the price paid for a slave’s accidental death. The employers meant to insult Zechariah with this amount of money. Returning the insult, God tells Zechariah to “throw it to the potter,” and Zechariah tossed the money into the house of the Lord to be given to the potter.
[v] V2 for they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people.”
[vi] Matthew 26:14–16 (NASB95) 14Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15and said, “What are you willing to give me to betray Him to you?” And they weighed out thirty pieces of silver to him. 16From then on he began looking for a good opportunity to betray Jesus. ; Luke 22:3–6 (NASB95)
3And Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, belonging to the number of the twelve. 4And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Him to them. 5They were glad and agreed to give him money. 6So he consented, and began seeking a good opportunity to betray Him to them apart from the crowd.
[vii] John MacArthur, Judas’ Betrayal (Mark 14:43-52) https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/41-76/judass-betrayal.
[viii] John 13:27
[ix] Cf., Luke 22:3–4 (NASB95) 3And Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, belonging to the number of the twelve. 4And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Him to them.
[x] John MacArthur, Judas’ Betrayal (Mark 14:43-52) https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/41-76/judass-betrayal. It’s got a preposition added at the front which intensifies the verb. This was an ongoing affection, expression of an affection. This is reminiscent of the prodigal son coming home and the father - remember? - in Luke 15, receiving the prodigal and kissing him all over the head. Luke adds this, Luke 22:48, “Jesus said, ‘Judas, are you betraying the Son of man with a kiss?’”
[xi] When Jesus called him, he responded to the call. He wasn’t only a disciple, he was called an apostle (Luke 6:12-16). He was endued with power to heal the sick, preach the gospel (Mark 6:7) and cast out devils (Matthew 10:1-5).
[xii] John 12:4–6 (NASB95) 4But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, said, 5“Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?” 6Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it.
[xiii] John 13:27–30 (NASB95)27After the morsel, Satan then entered into him. Therefore Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.” 28Now no one of those reclining at the table knew for what purpose He had said this to him. 29For some were supposing, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus was saying to him, “Buy the things we have need of for the feast”; or else, that he should give something to the poor. 30So after receiving the morsel he went out immediately; and it was night.
[xiv] Carly Silver, Judas Iscariot and the True Story of the Man Who Betrayed Jesus, https://allthatsinteresting.com/judas-iscariotJudas’ surname could also have meant that he was a part of a violent Jewish fringe group called the “Sicarii,” who themselves were a part of the radical movement of Zealots. The Zealots were sort of like political assassins and reportedly carried small daggers or “sica” underneath their garments to knife opponents in the street. Indeed, Jesus is said even in the Bible to have associated with known Zealots, like Simon Zelotes.
The Zealots were in a revolt against the Romans, who had conquered Israel, and may have seen in Jesus an opportunity to overthrow their oppressors. As first-century Romano-Jewish historian Josephus wrote, “When they [the Zealots] saw his [Jesus’] ability to do whatever he wished by word, they told him that they wanted him to enter the City, destroy the Roman troops, and make himself king, but he took no notice.”
As an apolitical, religious leader, Jesus apparently had no desire to lead the charge of a radical Jewish group. The Zealots had hoped to oppose the Romans united under a messiah, which they thought Jesus could be. In order to determine whether or not he was a true messiah, the Zealots needed to put Jesus to trial. In the Greek version of the Bible, the verb used to describe Judas’ confrontation with Jesus at the last supper is paradidomei, which translates to “handed him over.”
Thus, when Judas turned Jesus over to authorities, it wasn’t in betrayal but in a bid to test whether or not the martyr could be the messiah to lead a radical group in a revolt against their foreign oppressors
[xv] Rick Warren, Don’t Give the Devil a Foothold. https://pastorrick.com/devotional/english/don-t-give-the-devil-a-foothold
[xvi] Cf., https://www.businessinsider.com/lottery-winners-lost-everything-2017-8?op=1
[xvii] 2 Timothy 2:26 (NASB95) 26and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.
[xviii] Ed Stetzer, 4 Trends in Christianity That Could Scare You, https://www.charismanews.com/culture/44114-4-trends-in-christianity-that-could-scare-you-according-to-ed-stetzer. Jon Brown, Christianity quickly diminishing in US, on pace to become minority religion in decades: study, https://www.foxnews.com/us/christianity-quickly-diminishing-us-pace-become-minority-religion-decades-study. A new report by Pew Research Center and the General Social Survey published Tuesday found a surge of adults leaving Christianity to become atheist, agnostic or "nothing in particular." It predicted that if the number of Christians under 30 abandoning their faith accelerates beyond the current pace, adherents of the historically dominant religion of the U.S. could become a minority by 2045. Noting how approximately 90% of Americans identified as Christians in the early 1990s, the study observed that number, which includes children, had fallen to only 64% by 2020. The number of people in the U.S. who identify as religiously unaffiliated, meanwhile, skyrocketed from 16% in 2007 to 29% in 2020, the research showed. Other religions such as Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism, accounted for approximately 6% in 2020.
[xix] 1 Kings 8:61 (NASB95) 61“Let your heart therefore be wholly devoted to the LORD our God, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments, as at this day.”
[xx] 1 John 2:16
[xxi] Paul Carter, Godly Sorrow, https://lifehopeandtruth.com/change/repentance/godly-sorrow/
[xxii] Ibid.
[xxiii] Godly sorrow is a kind of wretchedness that can bring the repentant sinner to tears of grief. A good example of this is Peter at the time of Jesus’ arrest and trials. When accused as being one of Jesus’ followers, Peter disowned Jesus by cursing and swearing to his accusers that he did not know the Man. Upon hearing the rooster crow three times, he remembered the words of Jesus, who had prophesied Peter’s very actions, and he went out and wept bitterly (Matthew 26:74–75). godly sorrow was shown by David, “a man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22). David revealed his own godly sorrow for his sins in many of his psalms. In one, he pleads for God’s mercy and cries out: “I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears” (Psalm 6:6). The apostle Paul described his own battles with sin: “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” Then he gives the answer: “Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24–25).