Weekly Bible Study – August 18, 2014

The opposite of the invisible heroes - invisible betrayers.

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1 John 1:9 says: "If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (known sins) and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [unknown or forgotten sins]." NKJV (New King James Version) [italics added]

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John 6:47 says: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." NKJV [italics added]

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John 3:14-18 says: "¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵ that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. ¹⁸ He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." NKJV

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Robert R. McLaughlin Bible Ministries

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STUDY TITLE:

The opposite of the invisible heroes - invisible betrayers.



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Terms & Abbreviations used:

PPOG = Predesigned Plan of God
Human Good = Evil + Good Deeds while not in fellowship with God
OSN = Old Sin Nature
TLJC = The Lord Jesus Christ
SSE = Spiritual Self Esteem
PVTD = Positive Volition Towards Doctrine
+H - The Happiness of God
NVTD = Negative Volition Towards Doctrine
Doctrine = Bible Truth

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BEGIN BIBLE STUDY
Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotes and references
are from the NASB – New American Standard Bible

The opposite of the invisible heroes - invisible betrayers.

The opposite of the invisible heroes deals with the invisible betrayers. I say invisible because most traitors use deception as their power to mislead those who are naive or stupid. PRO 19:5 tells us what inevitably happens to the betrayer when it says, A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who tells lies will not escape.

It’s interesting that the betrayal of Judas was a shocker to the other eleven apostles, after all he was the Church treasurer.

In fact, look at JOH 13:27, And after the morsel, Satan then entered into him. Jesus therefore said to him, “What you do, do quickly.” Now no one of those reclining {at the table} knew for what purpose He had said this to him. For 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. (JOH 13:27-29)

Twenty centuries later the Bible’s account of Judas’ treachery still raises all sorts of questions, several of which we don’t know the definitive answers to. But as we consider this passage, let’s not to spend as much time speculating about what we don't know, as trying to understand what we do know about Judas. Today, his name is used in a negative connotation. To be called a Judas is a derogatory belittling name.

It’s also interesting and a part of the betrayers agenda that they have knowledge of where the one that they are betraying are. For example, TLJC would spend His Nights on the Mount of Olives (LUK 21:37-38).

Now during the day He was teaching in the temple, but at evening He would go out and spend the night on the mount that is called Olivet. And all the people would get up early in the morning {to come} to Him in the temple to listen to Him. (LUK 21:37-38)

Each day Jesus was teaching at the temple, and each evening he went out to spend the night on the hill called the Mount of Olives. These verses describe Jesus’ pattern the last week of his life. In fact, our Lord knew that He was being betrayed not just by Judas but by His own people. For in JOH 1:11, He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. Betrayers always have others who accompany them in their betrayal. The Betrayer always tries to destroy others.

And He was teaching daily in the temple; but the chief priests and the scribes and the leading men among the people were trying to destroy Him, and they could not find anything that they might do, for all the people were hanging upon His words. (LUK 19:48-49)

And it came about on one of the days while He was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, that the chief priests and the scribes with the elders confronted {Him,}That is simply not the thing to do to our Lord, or for that matter to anyone who has more doctrine and truth than you do. (LUK 20:1)

This is why betrayers won’t confront the ones that they are betraying so they get out ASAP. They know they don't have a doctrinal leg to stand on. In fact, usually the ones that they are betraying are the very ones that taught them the doctrine they are using against them.

and they spoke, saying to Him, “Tell us by what authority You are doing these things, or who is the one who gave You this authority?” And He answered and said to them, “I shall also ask you a question, and you tell Me: Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?” And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.” And they answered that they did not know where {it came} from. And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.” (LUK 20:2-8)

Jesus would start teaching in the temple rather early in the morning, and would teach there throughout the day, but in the evenings he would spend on the Mount of Olives, a hill just east of Jerusalem.

Interesting Judas Iscariot was probably the sharpest of the twelve and that’s why he held the purse or he was the treasurer. However, don’t be impressed by the sharpest of the group. Don’t always think that the brightest is the best of the bunch. What you want to pay attention to is character, attitude not intellectual ability only.

Our Lord does not grade according to SAT's, He looks at the heart. And that’s why Jesus prayed, He wanted to know who had the goods, who has the stuff.

Let’s begin our study with what the Lord called Judas in Joh 17. Judas was called the son of perdition in

“While I was with them, I was keeping them in Thy name which Thou hast given Me; and I guarded them, and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. By the way notice what He says, not one of them perished but the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.” (JOH 17:12)

That’s important because if Judas was a believer, which he was not as we will see this morning, but if he was a believer and he perished than our Lord did not fulfill the Father's will. For example, look at JOH 6:38-39, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.”

Back in JOH 17:12, “While I was with them, I was keeping them in Thy name which Thou hast given Me; and I guarded them, and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.”

To be the son of perdi¬tion denotes that Judas is a man identified with eternal destruction and whose destiny is the Lake of Fire. This word perdition is also used for the anti-Christ in 2TH 2:3, Let no one in any way deceive you, for {it will not come} unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction [perdition] . Betrayers are usually anti-Christ which means against Christ.

“The beast that you saw was and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and to go to destruction.” (REV 17:8)

“And the beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth, and is {one} of the seven, and he goes to destruction.” (REV 17:11)
So the phrase son of perdition is a predictive designation. Furthermore, Acts 1:25 says something very interesting about Judas which is that he went to his own place the place of his own choosing.

And they prayed, and said, “Thou, Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, show which one of these two Thou hast chosen to occupy this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” (ACT 1:24-25)

It was not that Judas was foreordained from eternity past to go to hell without an opportunity to be saved. Instead, he chose to reject Jesus Christ and will suffer the consequences of any person who rejects the Savior.

It’s interesting that Judas held the position of treasurer.

Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving; but Lazarus was one of those reclining {at the table} with Him. Mary therefore took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, said, “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii, and given to poor {people}?” Now 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 [steal a little bit at a time] what was put into it. (JOH 12:1-6)

We might have supposed that Matthew would handle the money needed to sustain the Lord’s ministry because he had been a tax-collector and well acquainted with money matters. Judas, however, was the treasurer of the Lord's group of apostles indicating that he was no imbecile. He knew the ins-and-outs of collect¬ing, managing, and spending money better than the others, including Matthew. Notice a few things about his character.

Now 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. (JOH 12:6)

Character trait #1: He did not care about the poor. He was a hard-hearted man, too concerned with feather¬ing his own nest while others, less fortunate, suf¬fered around him.

Character trait #2: He was a thief, pilfering funds from the Lord’s money box, which exposes that Judas was full of avarice or greed. Judas was not in tune with Jesus, rejecting the Lord’s message.

To the poor, Jesus preached the gospel, LUK 7:22. The Pharisees didn’t do that. This is because as LUK 16:14 says, The Pharisees were lovers of money. For the needy, Jesus taught that we should go out of our way to help them, so far as we are able; (parable of the Good Samaritan, Luke 10:29-37). Judas did not welcome that message, nor did he want to help the needy. So, the comment from John that Judas was a thief is intended to stress the avarice of Judas, who saw in the price of the ointment nothing of the beautiful deed which Jesus praised the woman for, but only a means by which his funds would be increased, and he would be able to line his own pocket. Even this motive was cloaked under a specious and deceptive plea that the money could be given away to relieve the poor. Thus to covetousness there is added the trait of deceit.

Now, was Judas saved? Well, let’s look at the scriptures.

As a result of this [in context, hard sayings from Jesus] many of His disciples withdrew, and were not walking with Him anymore. Jesus said therefore to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. And we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.” Jesus answered them, “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. (JOH 6:66-71)

When Jesus says, “one of you is a devil,” it reveals His omniscience. And by the way, look at JOH 6:64, “But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. He knew Judas would not believe and He knew that he would betray Him. Just like He revealed His omniscience with Nathanael in JOH 1:47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!”

Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” (JOH 1:48)

Sure enough, on Tuesday night following a dinner party at Mary, Martha and Lazarus' home in Bethany, where Jesus rebuked His disciples and particular¬ly Judas, the traitor rejected the Lord one time too many. The devil then possessed him the first of two times during the final week of Jesus’ life.

Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was approaching. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how they might put Him to death; for they were afraid of the people. And Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, belonging to the number of the twelve. (LUK 22:1-3)

The phrase Satan entered into Judas is the preposition eis plus the aor-act-ind of the verb eiserchomai which is Eiselthen with a capital Epsilon that literally means to enter into someone. This same verb with the same preposition and construction is used in LUK 8:30, And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion”, for many demons had entered him.

We have the prepositional phrase eis plus the aor-act-ind of the verb eiserchomai which is eiselthen again.

In Luk 22 the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was approaching.

And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how they might put Him to death; for they were afraid of the people. And Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, belonging to the number of the twelve. And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Him to them. (LUK 22:2-4)

The gospels do not state why Judas betrayed Jesus, however we may infer at least two reasons. Judas did it after becoming convinced that Jesus was going to die and not reign as King (MAR 14:3-11). In that passage Jesus was rebuking some of His disciples because a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard broke the vial and poured it over His head. Some of them were irate and they began to say to one another, “Why has this perfume been wasted?”

“For this perfume might have been sold for over three hundred denarii, and {the money} given to the poor.” And they were scolding her. But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you bother her? She has done a good deed to Me. For the poor you always have with you, and whenever you wish, you can do them good; but you do not always have Me. She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial. And truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, that also which this woman has done shall be spoken of in memory of her.” And Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went off to the chief priests, in order to betray Him to them. (MAR 14:5-10)

So perhaps the first reason is that Judas did it after becoming convinced that Jesus was going to die and not reign as King. Thus, Judas’ hopes for political power and influence were dashed.

Secondly, Judas also did it for money (MAT 26:14-16). So, his expectation of financial wealth no longer existed, therefore, he bargained for what he could receive from the religious leaders (30 pieces of silver). Judas thought, What’s the use of continuing to follow Jesus when the whole world is turning against Him and the governmental authorities may swallow me up with Him?

The night of Christ's betrayal began with the Passover feast and Judas was apparently still smitten ¬from Jesus' rebuke. Jesus reclined at the table getting ready to explain what was about to happen and at the same time, the religious leaders were meeting to discuss how they could arrest Jesus and put Him to death. However, the multitudes intimidated them. Therefore, they needed and discussed a private way to apprehend the Lord.

Now the Passover and Unleavened Bread was two days off; and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to seize Him by stealth, and kill {Him;} for they were saying, “Not during the festival, lest there be a riot of the people.” (MAR 14:1-2)

Satan’s demons attended that meeting also. Once they knew of the religious leaders desire, they beat a path to Satan with the news. The devil had stepped out of Judas for a short time and then Satan then hatched a plan and imparted it to Judas' soul while he sat at the Passover table with Jesus.

We read in JOH 13:2, And during supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, {the son} of Simon, to betray Him,

This Satan apparently did without possessing Judas because it is not until after Jesus gives bread to him that Satan re-enters Judas.

{Jesus,} knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God, and was going back to God, rose from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself about. Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. And so He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, “Lord, do You wash my feet?” Jesus answered and said to him, “What I do you do not realize now, but you shall understand hereafter.” Peter said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.” (JOH 13:3-9)

Here is something very simplistic which describes the fact that Judas was not saved. It was the subject of washing the feet (rebound) and being completely clean (salvation).

Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all {of you.}” For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, “Not all of you are clean.” (JOH 13:10-11)

Now, as the Last Supper continues, Jesus proceeds to train His apostles, giving them a huge lesson in humility, servant-hood, and forgiveness, which He illustrates by washing their feet.

In John 13:21-25, the Lord’s announcement of betrayal, during, the solemn Passover occasion, bewilders the apostles.

When Jesus had said this, He became troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray Me.” (JOH 13:21)

Thus, Peter gets John to ask Jesus who the traitor is. As the Last Supper continues, Jesus proceeds to train His apostles, giving them a huge lesson in humility, servant-hood, and forgiveness, which He illustrates by washing their feet.

The disciples {began} looking at one another, at a loss {to know} of which one He was speaking. The disciples {began} looking at one another, at a loss {to know} of which one He was speaking. There was reclining on Jesus' breast one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore gestured to him, and said to him, “Tell {us} who it is of whom He is speaking.” He, leaning back thus on Jesus’ breast, said to Him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus therefore answered, “That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him.” So when He had dipped the morsel, He took and gave it to Judas, {the son} of Simon Iscariot. And after the morsel, Satan then entered into him. Jesus therefore said to him, “What you do, do quickly.” (JOH 13:27)

As we compare the other Gospel accounts, we see the devil next motivate Judas to tell the religious leaders that he will find a way to betray Jesus. His plan would avoid confrontation with the crowds gathered in Jerusalem for the Passover (LUK 22:6). Then the religious leaders promptly paid Judas for his treacherous scheme (MAR 14:10-11). Judas figured that the Garden of Gethsemane would be an ideal place to arrest Jesus because it was outside the city’s eastern wall and away from the crowds.

Satan, who anticipated the Lord's movements, had put this plan into Judas' head.

The traitor notified the religious leaders that he would identify Jesus with a kiss.

Now he who was betraying Him gave them a sign, saying, “Whomever I shall kiss, He is the one; seize Him.” (MAT 26:48)

Why a kiss? Because it would be nighttime and not immediately apparent to the soldiers who Christ was among His disciples! Once the religious leaders called together the Roman soldiers (a military unit, or cohort, of 600), they tagged along themselves, and Judas led them to the place in the Garden where Jesus prayed. In fact, this treacherous act by Judas became embedded in the minds of the apostles, so much so that Paul, when explaining the communion service says: For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; (1CO 11:23)

Now, do you still think Judas may have been saved? Well, if you still do even after all this, look at what Jesus had said at the Last Supper.

Now when evening had come, He was reclining {at the table} with the twelve disciples. And as they were eating, He said, “Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me.” And being deeply grieved, they each one began to say to Him, “Surely not I, Lord?” And He answered and said, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl is the one who will betray Me. 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.” (Mat 26: 20-24)

Why would it be good for that man if he had not been born? If he was going to go heaven after his betrayal isn't that better than non-existence? Of course it is! Being in a place where there shall no longer be any death; no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; a place of perfect happiness! How much clearer can you get than that?

In John 6:64 Jesus says that some of His disciples never believed from the beginning and He mentions Judas as one of them. Now, someone says well Judas did miracles, healed the sick and cast out devils in the name of the Lord; you mean to tell me he was never saved? That's exactly what I mean to tell you! In MAT 7:21-23 Jesus speaks of that class. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.”

They had done mighty works in His name; but He says, “I NEVER KNEW YOU, depart from me ye that work iniquity.” They were NEVER His. He had no personal knowledge of them. They were NEVER born again.

Yet they did these mighty works, so did Judas.

Peter denied the Lord three times, Luke 22:31-34, but he had faith and was graciously restored; but Judas was a betrayer who never had faith to begin with so he died and went to his own place (ACT 1:25). Those who are not real eventually die and go to their place in eternal damnation.

“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.” (MAR 14:21)

So the character of Judas being such as we have described, reveals the possibility of his turning a traitor and becomes very comprehensible.

The following link is to a good news message describing how one can receive eternal life:
Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.