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THE KING’S BUSINESS
semane. ‘‘There appeared an (ingel strengthening him.” An old saint called him, “My favorite angel.” No one knows his name. What cares he for that! To wipe the sweat from His Lord and Maker’s face was enough for him.
4. The Angel Ministrant. Here let us apply Hebrews 1 :14. Believe that angels “Ply to succor us, who succor want, And round us th eir bright squadrons plan t. And all for love, and nothing for rew ard.” Their favorite camping ground is Geth-
LESSON IV.—October 25.— J esus and J udas . —Matt. 26:14-25, 47-50; 27:3-10. G olden T ext . —Woe unto that man through whom the Son of man is betrayed !— Matt. 26:24. I. J udas .
company (John 13:29) ; (4) that he was ambitious,—the reason for joining himself to Jesus must have been desire to be great in the kingdom. (5) That he was unsym pathetic, unlovely, uncharitable, covetous, thievish; a liar and hypocrite; a sleuth and a traitor, is all evident; note: the account (each item) of his conduct at the supper at Bethany (John 12:1-6), at the Last Supper (26:25), and everywhere. Being one of the twelve he could keep tab on their move ments;. find “opportunity” for the betrayal (26:16); and, as spy and informer, notify the Jews. It was, probably, to guard against him that Jesus sent two, guided by signs, to find the place for the Passover supper (Mk. 14:13, 14), II. W hy D id J esus C hoose J udas ? 1. Was Judas An Intruder? It has been held that J. was one who thrust himself on the Lord despite His discouragements (see 8:19, 20). But Jesus chose him knowing what he would do (John 6:64, 70). It may be true, however, that Judas so pushed him self forward for the place that the Lord put him in it. It is so that most failures in the Lord’s service are made. 2. The Probable Answer. God’s eternal purposes do not interfere with man’s free dom. J. had qualities fitting him for the place (see I. 2) and wanted it. The Lord chose him regardless of His own knowl edge of the result. His evil moral qual ities were such as are common to all, though exaggerated in him; and there was hope that the Lord’s training would transform him as it did the rest; that it did not was
1. His Identity. “Judas," in Hebrew Judah, means Praise. It has become a syn onym for shame. If you have a good name keep it unsullied. “Iscariot ,"in Hebrew Ish Kerioth, means Man of Kerioth, a town in Judea, or Judah (Joshua 15:20, 25). He was, therefore, a Jew, one of Jesus’ own tribe, and the only one among the disciples (John 1:11). But there was another Judas (John 14:22). J. was “the son of Simon” (John 13:26). Jesus called him “the son of perdition” (John 17:12) and said that he was “a devil” (diabolos, John 6:70, 71) ; not because of his character and treason but be cause Satan “entered into” him and he be came pqssessed not of a demon but of Diabòlos himself (John 13:2). We must not fail to note the real agent of the be trayal here unveiled. The dread combat is between the Prince of Darkness and the Captain of our Salvation. The evangelists all (1) admit that J. was “one of the twelve" and we, too, must own that the same sort are among us, and (2) by this they emphasize the traitor’s crime; his in gratitude, incorrigibility and hypocrisy. We trust the proportion of false brethren is not greater among us. Judases we have, but if they were eleven to one it would prove nothing against the Gospel for the one hon est man is its fruit. 2. His Character. It is commonly in ferred that he had qualities of (1) leader ship,—note, his independent prosecution of the betrayal; (2) an assertive personality,— his official place a.s treasurer; (3) adminis trative ability—he was the commissary of the
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