AND IT WAS DARK

 

John 13:18-30

 

It is one thing to be hated by your enemy, but to be betrayed by a friend is one of the darkest experiences that anyone could endure. In the ancient Near East, to betray a friend was considered a heinous crime, but far more heinous was to betray a friend. With whom one shared bread with. How could a person who had spent three-plus years with Jesus, as one of his most intimate followers, turn against Him and betray Him? It is hard to understand, and yet he did. Judas’ betrayal was a dark time. A time when the spiritual forces of evil were doing their best to put out the light that Jesus had brought. Nighttime usually brings out the worst kinds of people. Usually, a greater evil presents itself more freely in the darkness. Darkness in its proper context usually represents unbelief, sin, and evil according to the Scriptures. To which darkness is usually is associated with: death, ignorance, and those things which are sinfully bad, and opposite to what is good and pure. Darkness describes a hardened, or stiff-necked heart, which results in accusing, justifying, disruptive behaviour when being corrected from God’s Word. Darkness represents all that is contrary to light and God’s truth. “The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know what makes them stumble.” Prov 4:19

Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 6:23 “But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” The word “light,” here, signifies “the mind,” or principles of the soul. If this is dark, how great is that darkness. If that soul is debased by attending exclusively to earthly objects - if it is diseased, and not fixed on heaven how much darker and more dreadful will it be than any darkness of the eye.

Darkness, darkens the mind, obscures the view, and brings in a dreadful and gloomy night over all the faculties.

Remember Jesus is the ONLY Light which drives out darkness. His Light drives out sin and death. Jesus revealed that in the chapter leading up to this time with His disciples. "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." John 8:12. If a person does not have Jesus, who is Life and light to humanity, then he or she is in darkness continually. John describes this the Upper Room Discourse with such detail as they closed in with Jesus, before He is arrested. Because he writes and reminds us at the end, “and it was night”

 

Why does the time-of-day

matter to the reader?

 

Not only was it physically night time helping us to understand it was in the evening when all this took place in the upper room. but the description of the time of day also helps us to understand the spiritual state of one man in the upper room. This man Judas Iscariot would betray the One who loved him to the end, the cross.

It’s sad to think that this man would be in complete darkness for all eternity.

It’s sad to think that this man would never again wake up to the sunshine.

It’s sad to think that this man would be forever be in torment for the foolish choses he made.

It’s sad to think that this man would never have the opportunity to repent and be restored to God.

 

What drew a man to such a humiliating end? I want you to think of not just about Judas, but maybe someone you know or knew who felt like Judas, who lost everything in the end. John wrote earlier in his gospel “They love darkness rather than light” What hatred drew this man away from God’s mercy and grace? What hatred drew this man to take his own life over the

forgiveness found in Christ?

Who was Judas and what was he like?

His name is a form of Judah, which means “Jehovah leads” that’s sad! Maybe his parents had great hopes for his future when they named him. It’s interesting that he was the only disciple that didn’t come from Galilee. Historically he was probably a young, zealous, and patriotic Jew, who didn’t want the Romans to rule over them. He obviously was intelligent enough to recognize that Jesus had powers like no other man. He was a man who had no real or genuine attraction to Christ or spiritual things. He was selfish and desired wealth and power; maybe that’s what keep him following Jesus. He wanted what Jesus had when it came to power and popularity.

 

We know according to the scriptures Judas was ordained before the foundation of the world to betray Christ.

 

Psalm 55:12-13 says “For it is not an enemy who reproaches me; Then I could bear it. Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me; Then I could hide from him. But it was you, a man my equal, My companion and my acquaintance.”

 

Zechariah 11:12-13 we read “Then I said to them, "If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain." So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD said to me, "Throw it to the potter"—that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD for the potter.”

 

King David was the first to predict that someone would betray the Messiah. David said “Even My own familiar friend in whom I trusted, Who ate My bread, Has lifted up his heel against Me.” Psalm 41:9.

The figure here is taken from a horse that turns and kicks the one who just fed him. This is someone who is betraying him into the hands of his enemies. Judas was a prime example of a fool; claiming to have it all together by his own ignorant heart, he become a fool. Rom 1:22 “fools” unlike our English term is not a fun-loving clown; but an ungodly man or woman. This behaviour doesn’t invite laughs, but pity and punishment. Judas is an warning to the unsaved world, the complacent professing Christian, about the evil of darkness and the potential of spiritual carelessness. Its here we have seen the unceasing love, and patience of God, and results of squandered opportunities to be unwilling to receive His mercy and grace.

Judas is the poster child of what wrong choices, sinful lusts, and a hardened heart leads too.

 

Judas was a man who took his own life because his personal weight of sin, not his love for Christ, was to much for him to bear.

 

Judas was filled with remorse, but not repentance for his betrayal of Jesus. “Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money.” So they took counsel and bought with them the potter's field as a burial place for strangers. Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.” Matt 27:3-8

 

There are some things we can learn from this scene in the

Upperoom to be aware of so that we don’t follow after Judas.

 

HOW NEAR A PERSON CAN BE TO CHRIST AND BE SUPERFICIAL AND UNCONVERTED BY HIS AMAZING GRACE.

 

Think about……. Judas was present in many occasions of Jesus performing the miracles that we only get to read about. He was there seeing the sadness of many turning to joy, as Jesus ministered and cared for the lost in this world. Sadly, most of the time when Jesus did something amazing and mind blowing, and showed, demonstrated His love, this would only upset Judas more. Judas would reveal what was truly in his heart by saying something like this “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for 300 denarii and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it” John 12:4-6

As one writer said “He did not care about the poor. He was a hard-hearted man, too concerned with feathering his own nest while others, less fortunate, suffered around him.”

See we need to understand………Judas wasn’t a man who was coerced into doing what he did. There was no invisible hand forcing him to betray Christ, he acted freely without any external compulsion, which makes him responsible for his own actions and sin. See, Judas’s heart was evil; which is a reminder to all of us about the natural man and woman of any generation who are dead in their trespasses and sin. What a clear reminder for us as God’s children. Scripture is very clear in salvation, its the power and prompting of God to remove the deaf ears, give sight to the blind, and resurrect the dead. Judas demonstrates to us the natural man who wants nothing to do Christ! Why? He hates the gospel and most of all the God of the gospel. We can go through the motions, attend church services, attending bible studies and never truly be converted by the power of God. We can easily play the game in fooling our parents, our friends, to make them feel you’re saved, so they get off your back about the issue of your life choices. We can even deceive ourselves in thinking I’ve accepted Jesus, but it’s like I’ve said before! “You may know Jesus, but does Jesus know you?” Do we have Judas’ in our churches today? Yes, we know this is true because Jesus said so. (v21)

 

NO MATTER HOW SINFUL YOUR PLANS ARE THEY WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO STOP THE PURPOSES OF GOD IN REDEMPTION.

Even His own disciples, in their finite understanding were blinded to Judas’s betrayal, this was all part of God’s plan in His redeeming work. If you go back a few chapters you would see Jesus already warned them about the betrayer! “Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?" He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.” John 6:70-71. John wrote, “The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke.” (v21)  Uncertain is translated “doubting” this denotes that kind of anxiety a person feels when they are puzzled, and doesn’t know what to say or do.

We could say that they were at a loss, not

knowing what to do about this.

No matter what scheme Judas was trying to achieve it would never stop the sovereign God of the universe to fulfill His plan and purposes for His glory. As Isaiah wrote "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isa 55:8-9. According to the Scriptures this was God’s plan all along when it came to betrayer…………Judas fulfilled his part. Sadly, what Judas didn’t see through His scheming, is that Jesus had to be handed over to the officials and die for the sins of mankind. This had to happen for redemption to even become an eternal promise for sinners like you and me….and even Judas. Christ had to be handed over for the fulfillment of God’s perfect plan to save us from the life choices like Judas. In all honesty Judas was doing his part to fulfill a greater purpose…. SALVATION FOR LOST SINNERS. That’s why we read that Jesus had to be handed over numerous times throughout the gospels that lead to His arrest and betrayal by Judas. In Mark 8:31 we read “And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.”

 

IT’S THE GOSPELS UNFAILING LOVE AND DESIRE THAT WE REPENT AND FOLLOW HIM.

Judas had ever opportunity from the foot washing, to Jesus giving him the piece of bread to stop and say “Lord forgive me a sinful man”

That’s THE GOSPELS GRACE, isn’t it?

The lowest of the low, having an opportunity to turn from their wicked ways and genuinely repenting to a holy God, whose cup overflows with love for fallen sinners. There are many Judas’s around the globe today…even possibly in this church or someone you know personally, whether they are close to you or distant to you. In order to be truly saved by this unceasing grace………. The Holy Spirit has to be the one to call you out of darkness though the finishing works of the cross. That’s why I find it very interesting that after Jesus washed the disciple’s feet [including Judas] He waited until after Judas left to institute the Covenant of the Lord’s Supper. This is evidence that this privilege is only for true believers in Christ, not the Judas’ of the world. He is calling out to sinners to repent and be restored to an eternal relationship with a holy God A God who gave Judas every opportunity to repent, and stop what his natural heart desired to do.

Do you know that Jesus even loved Judas when he betrayed Him with a kiss? “Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him." Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed Him. But Jesus said to him, "Friend, why have you come?" Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.” Matt 26:48-50

He called Judas “friend” giving him yet another opportunity to repent of his wickedness.

Jesus had always treated him as his friend, a familiar friend, who had been of his councils, and had eaten, at His table. This simple act carried in it something that would be very cutting to a child of God. Sadly, though Judas had no conscience, or sense of gratitude, because he sold his soul to the devil for 30 pieces of silver. This would be worth approximately $91 to $441 in present-day value (USD) In 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. This small amount money was enough for his betrayal. So, Judas stepping out into the night reflects the wretched destruction he's chosen for himself. As Proverbs 29:1 says, “He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing.” “There is no healing” this means: No cure of their disease, which is determined; no pardon of their sins; no recovery of them out of their miserable and undone state and condition. 

Judas had the privilege to be one of the twelve closet followers of Jesus. The dark and tragic story of Judas reveals to us the depths of evil the human heart is capable of living. Again! You can attend church all your life. You can say all the right things or words. You can even fool your family and friends but you will never be able to fool a sovereign God who knows everything! Yes, everything. You can go through his whole life professing Jesus as Lord and still end up having a tragic story like Judas.

Only because it was night, rather than light.

If this is you! I plead with you to examine your life in light of God’s word and heed the warning signs of this tragic story of a man named Judas, who sold his soul to devil because he loved his life and sin more than Christ Judas gave his life to follow Jesus, but he never gave Jesus his heart. Please don’t let this describe your life; the end results are devastating and eternal. Think about it….. We have Judas’s in the church today around the globe, sadly, we even have Judas’s in our homes. But we also have a loving Saviour who will save even the vilest of sinners by His grace. You are evidence of that truth. So, heed the warning signs and let us as J C Ryle said about this passage “Let us watch jealously over our hearts” Let us walk with awareness of the dangers of sin and darkness. Let us jealously cling, hang on to Christ, which is the glory and promise of our salvation. Jesus is calling you to run to light, before darkness completely consumes you and your heart; because he wants you see sin as He sees sin as wicked and defiled. Seek His face in genuine repentance and be transformed by the power of God and His salvation…..….genuinely not superficially as Judas did. History’s greatest injustice was underway, yet Jesus declared, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in Him.” (v31). In a few hours, the disciples would experience panic, defeat, and sadness, because it was night. But remember…. When it seems as though the darkness is winning, we can recall that God faced His dark night and defeated it. He walks with us. It won’t always be night.