Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• We meet one of Jesus' disciples full of self confidence
• Instead of being bold and having confidence in the Lord he was swearing and cursing
• He was wonderfully restored
• He stood up and preached at Pentecost when 3000 were converted
• This story should teach us to treat others tenderly
• We meet another man who betrays
• It was better to have money and the seeming quiet life
• He rejected the Lord Jesus
• He was prepared to sell his own soul to get the money
• Could we be one of these?
• They were bought disciples - one of the twelve

The Betrayal

• It was foretold in Scripture
• The disciples did not see it
• Judas a couple of months before did probably not see it
• Maybe Judas had a form of faith (but not saving faith)
• Satan enters Judas' heart (14:1, 10-11)
• The temple soldiers come to capture Jesus with swords and clubs (v43)
• Judas would betray Jesus with a kiss (v44)
• What a way to betray Jesus
• Was to do with friendship and love
• Was to do with intimacy
• Judas greets Jesus with a falsehood
• "Rabbi, Rabbi" (v45)
• Judas hates Jesus
• Jesus permits these actions to happen (v46)
• In another gospel Jesus calls Judas "friend"
• These were the last words that Judas would ever hear from the Lord Jesus
• Betrayal is very hard to deal with
• Peter seeks to take violent action (v47)
• He cuts off the high priest servants' ear
• Jesus chastises Peter - violence is not the way
• The soldiers come violently against Jesus (v48)
• Judas showed remorse but not repentance
• He was one of the 'in' people who was a disciple, who preached, who did miracles - but he was not saved
• This should terrify us
• "We must make our calling and election sure"
• Are there Judas' amongst us?
• We need to be careful and think 'it will never happen to me'
• Judas is a warning to us

The Tribunal

• A little interlude in v51-52
• Only written about in Mark's Gospel
• It is absurd to think that God is now in the dock
• We are in the dock - God judges us
• The humiliation of Christ
• He would be exalted after
• This is the pattern given in Scripture (cf Joseph or Daniel)
• Jesus is silent before the court
• This is a quango court
• All the men are present (Pharisees, Saducees and elders)
• Jewish law said such tribunals should happen during the day - not at night
• Jewish law said such tribunals should happen in the temple - not at Caiphas' house
• The people who gave false witness were likely bribed - even their testimony didn't agree
• Think of the men of God tried by religious courts
• They tried to bring political charges - however, Jesus obeyed the state
• All the accusations were false
• Isa 53 - He would be silent before His accusers
• Everything in us cries out to speak the truth
• Jesus "kept silent and answered nothing" (v61)
• Jesus answers only a direct question
• "I am" (v62)
• The council and soldiers spat and hit Jesus
• What a way to treat the Son of God
• Isa 50:6
• The Lord Jesus submitted even to this ignominy and shame
• Who put Jesus on that cross?
• Consider AW Tozer
• It was I
• Lord help me to repent

The Denial

• Foolish Peter - I'll go to prison, I'll die for You
• Do we have too high an opinion of ourselves?
• Satan had sought to sift Peter but Christ had prayed for him
• Peter would be humbled - before a little servant girl
• Peter categorically denies Jesus
• Peter swears and curses
• The grace of God
• We would likely not choose Peter to be an officer
• Under pressure the old man rises up
• The very fact he was there in the courtyard showed he loved Jesus - the others had all fled
• He tried to protect Jesus (by violence)
• He was broken hearted when he came to his senses (v72)
• This gives us hope

Concluding remarks