THE KING’S BUSINESS
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(like every Jew) he knew, of the teaching and example of Jesus with which he was in daily contact, is certain. We know it, and Judas’ own confession and remorse are wit nesses to it (27:3-5). This reasoning ap plies to us all. There is no appeal from a man’s own consciousness and convicting conscience. IV. T h e B etrayal . 1. Jits Motive. Judas’ notions of the kingdom were of the flesh. (1) Taking Jesus the miracle worker to be the Christ he joined Him expecting worldly advance ment. Finding his mistake he soon came to hate the cause of it, the Truth and the Teacher. After the affair at Bethany (26: 6-13) “then Judas,” stung by the Lord’s re proof (John 12:4-6), convicted of avarice, thievery and hypocrisy (John 12:7), deter mined “to get even.” Conviction of mean ness and sin begets either penitence or ven geance, hatred of self or of the preacher. They who are nettled by the truth are al ready in the tracks of Judas. (2) Judas’ sagacity saw the imminent death of Jesus, and took His announcement (John 12:7, 8) literally, the simplicity and faith of the eleven could not so apprehend it, but he, the object of his ambition having vanished, resolved to get what he could out of the cir cumstances. So the hatred of truth and love of lucre goad to crime and apostasy still. We need look no further for Judas' motives. 2. The Conspiracy. Bent on Jesus’ death (John 11:47-53), afraid to take Him in the open (21:46), for an “uproar” (Mk. 14:1, 2) might bring Pilate’s dreaded vengeance on them and even issue in their Victim’s escape, they were “glad” (Mk. 14:10, 11) for Judas’ offer. "What,” said he, “will ye give?” They agreed on the "goodly price” (Zee. 11: 13) of less than $20, the market value of a slave. So Judas estimated “the Pearl of greatest price” and so they estimated Judas. They would have given more to be rid of Him. What would you give to be rid of His words that condemn; His example that bemeans; His purity that shames your pleas ures ; His precepts that trammel your busi-
his own fault. Every word of the Lord to Judas from Bethany (John 12 :l-8) to Gethsemane (26:21-25, 50, etc.), and even his remorse, may be viewed as designed to make him think and repent. 3. Judas' Progress In Sin. Most com mentators on the lesson, assuming that Judas was a fairly good man at the first, make his case an example of progress in sin. We cannot put too much stress on the dreadful fact that if we let the devil, like the camel, get his nose under our tent cloth he will soon take full possession, but Judas was a full-grown man when he became “one of the i twelve” and is father an example of such as, confirmed in sin, join themselves to Christians for purely worldly ends, as Judas did through mistaken messianic ambi tions; and the warning is to such conscious hypocrites lest they become “sons of perdi tion.” T h is needs em pha sis . Judas’ prog ress was not from good to bad, but from bad to worse. III. T h e B etrayal P redicted . 1. Typically. Ahithophel is the O. T. Judas. The trusted friend and counsellor of David who for politic reasons betrayed him, and when his plot failed in despair hanged himself. Read the story (2 Sam. 16: 23; 17:1-3-23). 2. Prophetically. The Spirit of prophecy anticipated the traitor and treason in Psalms 41:9; 109:1-20, and Acts 1:16-20 so applies them. Zechariah 11:12, 13, is very explicit and one of the most definite proofs of the veracity and literality of predictive Scrip ture. 3. Jesus Foretold It. As He knew “from the beginning” who should betray Him (John 6:64) so He foretold it at the end (John 13:21-35). It is He who knows “the end from the beginning” and challenges the world with that fact (Isa. 45:8-13). 4. Can Judas Then Be Held Guilty? Since it was pre-determined that Judas should betray Christ can he be held respon sible? See II. 2.) That Judas did what he did of his own choice in spite of the protests of his conscience, of the Scriptures, which
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