Hey Judas.... Why?

Betraying the KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS for thirty pieces of silver?

So he didn’t look like a king arrayed in all that requisite majesty, dripping with the air of royalty, when you followed him. But you heard him speak of things no man spoke before. You saw the miracles only God could do. You knew of the prophecies taught in your synagogue about that coming Just One. He was fulfilling them right, left, and center. Close to three hundred by the time you dined with him at that last memorable supper.

How did you gain control of the money bag? Did you run with that pack of money changers in the temple before you saw a greater opportunity with that rising Galilean, of whom John the Baptist kinda implied was heading for David’s throne? Maybe thoughts of riding in chariots of gold? Overthrowing the government of Rome? Chief Treasurer in the Kingdom of Heaven?

What then led to your change of heart? The revelation that his kingdom was not of this world? Thinking you could serve both God and mammon, when you realized you had to make a choice? Did that sermon on the mount provoke you? Particularly his charge to lay up your treasures in heaven and not upon earth, knowing full well where your treasure is, there will your heart be also?

How did you really feel when that woman came and anointed the body of Jesus with costly perfume in readiness for his burial? Good money wasted? Were you working on her the day before to sell and give you the money to give to the poor, as if you really cared?

Tell of the discomfort in the Upper Room when he looked into your eyes, dipped the bread into the broth and gave it to you, the others staring, as he revealed who the traitor was among them? Fortunately, he bade you leave quickly and do what the devil entered you to do, leaving the others rather perplexed.

Later you returned to where you knew they would be gathered, leading the soldiers and guards followed by those enraged Judaizers, who would kill to keep their seats of authority, and you finalize the betrayal with a kiss? After feigning your affection in his company for three years, you seal the deal with his enemies by tipping-off the soldiers with the now notorious Judas Kiss? You were going for rich, but ended up infamous.

True, his captors might not have recognized him, especially in twilight, and you obviously needed to avoid an “I’m Spartacus” moment. But keeping the facade going after he outed you in front of the eleven? How could you live with yourself? Oh, right, you couldn’t.

For the record, before throwing the blood money back at ‘em and hanging yourself, you did come clean. I mean, betraying the only innocent man to have ever walked the face of the earth, to his death — you did the only honorable thing left: repent, return the money and lose your life.

Well, it’s not like you lost it for Christ’s sake or the gospel’s, the way he said it. But it may be that your sentence will be lighter on judgment day due to the fact that the Scriptures needed to be fulfilled, and you rightly filled the bill.

In my heart, I want to believe you were pardoned for playing a necessary role. I certainly find it interesting that a thousand years earlier you get a prescient mention by your nation’s first king:

“Yea mine owne familiar friend in whom I trusted, which did eate of my bread, hath lift vp his heele against me.” — to throw in the tongue of another king’s era.

And that passage seemingly takes us all the way back to the cryptic language of Genesis 3:15:

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Then, Jesus himself, after washing yours and the other disciples’ feet, quotes the very verse King David penned:

…but that the Scripture might be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me. -- John 13:18

Did you ever wonder in your youth what great achievements you were destined for only to go down in the annals of history as the one who sold out the Savior of men?

Of course you couldn’t know, having fallen off your poorly tied noose and rotting openly in some field, that your Savior was hanging on a wooden cross thinking of you when he asked His Father to forgive you, as well as your kinsmen, for not knowing what you did.

What a Savior! Being accursed of God hanging on that tree, as your law describes it, and he asks His Father to forgive his enemies because the murderous act was done in ignorance. What a poor judge of character you turned out to be.

Wherever you are now, you probably heard the news that Peter -- yeah, the same who denied knowing him and ran away with the others when your Master was captured -- became the leader of the Apostles, after witnessing the greatest event in history, and later laid this charge to the nation:

And now brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. But, those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you. -- Acts 3:19-20

Send Jesus Christ who they had recently killed?!!

Aah, yes. That pivotal moment in history. Though some still deny it. Three days after the horrific suffering of that man, death lost his hold on him. As hard as he tried, he could not lay a single charge against him, which would have kept his body in the earth returning to dust, and his soul awaiting trial somewhere, if he were any other man -either in Hades because of his unbelief or in Abraham’s bosom had he feared God and kept the commandments -- his faith upholding him.

But he was not any other man. He was the very heir of God, appointed for that very hour to die for you and your people. As one of your own Prophets described it:

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. -- Isa 53:3-6

He became the one, final sacrifice for the sins of men that the Father accepted for all of time. The blood of bulls and goats were no longer accepted by God. But your priests sought to continue the practice, expecting the people’s Messiah to be forgotten.

Quite the contrary. A large believing church was growing under the Apostles leadership, and although those who believed not succeeded to persecute and kill many that followed and believed in Jesus, there rose up one of your fellow betrayers and murderers, a Pharisee named Saul, whom God chose as a witness to all that took place in Jerusalem. He then saved him by His grace, without the law, and gave him something to write about that completed The Book I now hold in my hands. A mystery that had been kept secret since the world began.

Jerusalem was sacked, and as your Lord prophesied… not one Temple stone left upon another… and your people were massacred. Those who escaped were scattered abraod into other nations, wondering what hit them.

To those scattered, Jews and Gentiles alike, Paul was sent, the writings of Romans thru Philemon, starting with the Good News that salvation was brought to the world. And all who would believe that this Jesus who died, was buried and rose again according to the Scriptures, would not see (eternal) death but would live forever. Faith in Him who dealt with sin and death at the cross would freely pardon his guilt.

But now, as the Apostle Paul writes about, the unregenerated man is not removed to outer darkness because of his sins; but because of his unbelief. God will not pardon the man who rejects so great salvation freely offered to the world.

Seriously, after he’s done everything on his end to satisfy the debt owed for transgressing against Him, who created all things by His Word… so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear… for man to trodden under foot the love shown by that righteous King… well, think about it:

• We don’t have to kill an innocent animal to atone for our sin as Abel was required to do;

• We don’t have the testimony of Enoch, who was translated that he should not see death, because he pleased God. Oh, don’t even try to justify you;

• We don’t have to spend one hundred years building an ark to the saving of our house;

• We don’t have to be put to the test of sacrificing our only, promised heir as Abraham was merely seconds away from doing, believing God would fulfill the promise made to him and his seed, “For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (that brilliant Chapter 11 of Hebrews sobers me up every time);

• We don’t have to keep the commandments of Moses or live under 613 laws, continuing the animal sacrifices, only to have our sins “remitted,” not forgiven as they are today;

• Heck! Our sorry hides can’t even try to fear God and keep ten commandments!

No. We live in an age when, knowing there is no good thing in our flesh, we are given the precious gift of salvation by simply trusting his word, without a single deed. And let me add, that Word is the 1611 King James Bible, which we will all be judged by.

He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. -- John 12:48

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. -- Acts 4:12

But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. -- Rom 4:5

Even Paul, made the Apostle to the Gentile world, penned these words to fulfill the Word of God:

But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

To declare, I say, at this time his righteousenss: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. -- Rom 3:21-26

So let’s recap, Judas. You, born at the pivotal point in history, raised under the law in Judea, called by Jesus to be his disciple, and called a friend whom he trusted (though he knew what was in you), witnessed all three years of his ministry to the House of Israel, heard him speak of his death and betrayal… fall ceremoniously into the trap set for you.

If it wasn’t you it would have been someone else, right? I mean we are all tempted. Some fall and others resist.

What did Peter say about the One you esteemed so lightly and considered thirty pieces of silver fair compensation for betraying him?

Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. -- Acts 2:36

Being absent from the earth, you might be wondering how the men and brethren took that bit of news. Well, they were indeed pricked in the heart and asked what they could do about it now?

Peter says, repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

And, some of them gladly received his word and did save themselves through repentance: about three thousand, continuing stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, breaking bread and praying together.

But the nation as a whole turned away, being persuaded by its leaders, who evidently had ties with the Roman authorities. Peter continues, nonetheless testifying and exhorting, even healing a lame man by the authority of the name of Jesus of Nazareth, but was only arrested for his troubles.

Though you and they were the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. And, unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities… they deemed themselves unworthy.

Those same Judaizers, who led Israel away from their promised Messiah, have been in and out of power for the past two thousand years, under the banner of the mystery of iniquity, and under the authority of that spirit that entered you, Judas, have been tirelessly working to bring about another kingdom on earth, raising up their own “Prince-of-the-power-of-the-air.” Of course he doesn’t die for anyone, but he does return to life after recovering from a deadly wound.

That spirit is Satan, who is transformed into an angel of light, who deceiveth the whole world. There is no man with wisdom or knowledge his equal on earth. He knows the heart better than the soul who bears its beating, and will gladly offer whatever price is agreed upon for him to sell out the truth.

We know those so-called Jews, those converted to Talmudic Judaism -- yes, I’m anti-Zionist -- are planning to rebuild the third temple; to re-institute the sacrifices of bulls and goats, in defiance of the blood shed by God’s Son. They are usurpers thinking to establish their own righteousness under their own laws, expecting to possess the whole earth under their own “savior.” They have rejected the true Heir. In Isaac shall thy seed be called.

The House of Israel, consisting of true Semites… only God knows who they are. There is still the 70th week of Daniel (seven years), one thousand when Christ returns and dwells on the earth, and then the new heaven and earth appear. Time will be no more. I haven’t discovered in Scripture yet what that timeless life looks like. But I’ll be there!

How does this grace age end? We who believe will either die fighting the good fight of faith, or be taken up alive in the clouds before the great tribulation begins. What does our Apostle Paul have to say about it:

But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. -- 2 Tim 3:13

Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father. -- Gal 1:4

That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world. -- Phil 2:15

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. -- Col 2:8

Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

As ambassadors, we are all over the world, in every country, preaching the gospel of the grace of God, and exhorting men to study the Scriptures. For men will be without excuse if they die without Christ. We are not preaching religion or another man’s doctrine. God gave us a Book to study and learn the depths of the riches of his knowledge, and the wisdom to understand if we continue in it.

Judas, I don’t know where you are right now. But I do know that had you stored up for yourself treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal, you would be enjoying life everlasting with those treasures to your name.

However, you did repent in the end and attempted to return the money. Could it be that you were shown God’s Amazing Grace (Oh, how sweet the sound!) that less than a decade later would be offered to all the world freely without the works of the law? The Book of Acts records that transition from God’s prophetic plan for the nation of Israel to unveil the plan kept secret since the world began. We now live in this dispensation of the grace of God which the cross of Christ affords each and every person who believes: namely, salvation by grace through faith alone.

I’d like to believe that God’s grace was sufficient in your time so near the revelation of the mystery given to Paul, as it is in our time with that completed revelation of God’s two-fold plan…

That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him;

In whom also we have obtained an inheritancce, being predestineated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. -- Eph 1:10-12

Yes, I think you experienced God’s mercy when Christ asked his Father to “forgive them for they know not what they do.”

God answered him by revealing the Mystery to Paul in Romans thru Philemon. Anyone, by trusting in the finished work of Christ, can be reconciled to God and escape the judgment of death for our sins by being made righteous by the pure blood shed for us at the cross. Will you believe it?