The text for our meditation is the first lesson appointed for the day. Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
“He was numbered among us and allotted his share in this ministry.” These may be the most tragic words in all of Holy Scripture! They were spoken about Judas by Peter as he and the rest of Jesus’ disciples were assembled together in those days following Jesus’ ascension and before the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The same week that we are in right now in the church year.
What incredible, wonderful days those were for the disciples! Jesus had risen from the dead. The One that they had seen die on the cross rose up again. Not even death had power over their Lord and Savior!
Jesus stayed with them over a month following his resurrection. Teaching them. Eating with them. Just enjoying fellowship with them. And then at his ascension the disciples saw him once again take his rightful place as the One who rules heaven and earth. He promised to come again in the same way and promised to be with them always. The same promises he makes to us here this morning.
In the meantime, the disciples were to go back into Jerusalem where Jesus said that they would be clothed with power from on high. That is where we find the disciples in our text today—waiting for the Pentecost gift of the Holy Spirit.
They spent those days following the ascension of the Lord worshiping in the temple and praising God for what he had done for them in Jesus Christ. They were grand and glorious days for the disciples–full of joy and hope-- and the promise of a new and exciting life.
For all of them-- save one. For all of them except, Judas Iscariot. Their fellow disciple–their friend who had shared in their ministry.
When we hear that name “Judas” today we think “traitor”. We would never name our child Judas. But to the disciples’ ears the name “Judas” was the same as saying Bill or Ann or Bob. We have a difficult time thinking about him as they must have thought about him: just one of their friends. Judas. One of us who shared in our ministry.
All of the disciples, including Judas, had been together with Jesus for three years. They had the closest of relationships. They had walked together and talked together–worshiped together and laughed together. Judas had been with them from the beginning and what things he had seen and heard during those three years!
He had seen a few loaves and fishes feed thousands. He had been there when Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount. He had seen Jairus’ daughter raised from the dead and Lazarus come out of his tomb. He had been with Jesus and the disciples in that triumphant entry into Jerusalem and shared a last supper with them–the night Jesus was betrayed. He had been with them through thick and thin–he was one of them and he shared in the ministry.
But during those days between Christ’s ascension and his sending the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, Judas was not there. He had betrayed Jesus into the hands of those who eventually executed him. The disciples must have questioned this among themselves over and over again.
“How could this be? He was one of us, he shared in the ministry. He saw what we saw and he heard what we heard. Just think of what he is missing now! The Lord has risen from the dead–our betrayal-- and his death—are not the end of the story at all–we all failed him, even betrayed him, but he forgave us and restored us and we have an exciting life and ministry before us. How could this happen, the disciples must have asked? “He was one of us and shared in our ministry.”
Scripture offers us few clues as to the motivation of Judas that transformed him from a disciple into a betrayer. But this is what we know: though God knew in advance it would happen, Judas was responsible for his actions. At some point in time during his three years with Jesus, Judas had begun to live a double life and it involved money. He grew more and more greedy. Sure, he had heard Jesus tell the people that you can’t serve two masters–that you will love one and hate the other–that no one can serve God and money. But for Judas, these were just words.
Maybe there was even a smirk on his face as he said to himself, “Oh yeah, what do you know, I’m doing it right now and I’m doing all right”. But of course what Jesus meant was that no one can serve two masters forever without consequences-- and how horrible are the consequences! Judas gave Satan a foothold in his life and Satan took it with a vengeance.
Judas found out that Jesus was right after all–you can’t serve two masters-- and somewhere Judas stopped living a double life–he hated Jesus and loved his evil ways. The Bible says that on the night when Jesus was betrayed Satan entered into Judas and took full possession of that which was already his.
You see, dear friends in Christ, Judas made a terrible trade. He traded away: his life with Christ, forgiveness of sin, the fellowship of other believers, and ultimately his own soul for thirty pieces of silver. He didn’t sell Jesus. Jesus became a slave of his own free will so that we would be freed from bondage to sin and death and the devil. No, Judas sold his own soul. He thought he was getting the freedom and independence that comes with money, but he was in reality, buying his own slavery to Satan. “How could he do it” the disciples must have asked, “he was one of us and he shared in our ministry”.
The story of Judas- and his betrayal of Jesus- is not told by the Gospel writers so that we can talk about what a bad man Judas was. It is not written so that we can waste our time trying to reconcile the philosophical problem of God’s foreknowledge and our free will. It is not told so that we can raise our voices in holy indignation at his betrayal of our Lord.
Instead, the story of Judas is conveyed to us by the Gospel writers as a warning. When we see what happened to Judas, we ought to take heed lest we fall in the same way. These tragic words, “He was one of us and he shared in our ministry” are a warning to us, given in love, from Almighty God here this morning.
In that light, I want to ask you a question in all seriousness. No one will know the answer but you and God. Have you made some terrible trade like Judas? At some point along the way in your life of discipleship, have you begun to serve two masters–confident that no one will ever know? Have you traded away the joy and peace that comes from knowing the resurrected Christ for some lie and deception and counterfeit of Satan? Money? Pornography? Cheating in School? Substance abuse?
Are you leading a double life? Have you ceased being a “whole-hearted” disciple of Christ and become only a uncommitted pretender: going to church, helping out, putting money in the plate-- but all the time in your “heart of hearts” loving and serving some sin more than Jesus? Have you made some terrible, soul destroying trade?
If so, Satan wants to do to you what he did to Judas. You see, Judas’ fatal mistake was not his double life or even his betrayal of Jesus, these sins could be forgiven. No, his fatal mistake was the despair and despondency that got in the way of his repentance and return to Jesus. It is Satan who wants you to despair. He wants you to believe that it is too late to return to Jesus. He wants you to think that God will never take you back. He wants your soul for time and eternity.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, do not give in to despair over your sin or doubt God’s love for you! There is no need-- just like there was no need for Judas to do what he did after he came to his senses and saw the horrible mistake he had made. Our resurrected Lord Jesus Christ has a better way--a way to forgive you and restore you and make you his precious child once again.
I direct your attention to the man in our text who is conducting this meeting of the believers to choose a new apostle. Peter. Peter. Confident. Joyful. Unashamed. Strong in the Lord. Holding his head up. Leading the church. And yet, how close he had come to following in the way of Judas!
The fact of the matter is, Peter fell even farther than Judas did! Peter was in the inner circle of the disciples. He had been witness to even more of the wonders of the Lord than had Judas. He was the leader of the disciples. But he had denied the Lord when the Lord needed him the most. He had made a solemn oath to never betray Jesus but to save his life he called down curses upon himself to convince a little girl of his lie-that he had never known Jesus at all. And when the rooster crowed twice–when Jesus looked right straight into Peter’s heart–with that gaze, Peter saw the truth about himself–he saw the depth of his sinfulness and betrayal--and Peter went out and wept bitterly at his own weakness and failure.
Peter and Judas. Two disciples. Two betrayals. The unbearable, crushing weight of sin upon two human hearts. One of them-Judas- bore that horrible weight all by himself into eternal damnation and one of them-Peter- took that sin burden and laid it at the feet of the crucified one who lifted it off his shoulders and placed it on his own.
In this week, between the Ascension and Pentecost, we see two very similar disciples in two very similar situations with two very different outcomes. Judas hung himself. At some point his decaying body fell from the rope and he burst into pieces upon the ground–a truly horrible death.
Judas’ life ended in despair. Though he had heard Jesus say that he was the resurrection and the life–though he had seen Jesus forgive sinner after sinner–though he had witnessed Jesus restore that which was broken by sin--he refused to receive it for himself.
He refused to believe that mercy and forgiveness were intended by God for him too just as they are for all people. He refused to receive in faith the power and goodness and love of Jesus that fixes what is broken and makes beautiful what is ugly in all people who put their faith and trust in him.
He was blind to the power of the resurrection to heal his soul and the only thing his ears could hear was the satanic lie that it was too late, until finally, with his death, it was.
On the other hand, Peter inherited eternal life and received a martyr’s crown. The Greek word for martyr is the same word as for witness. Not only was he was a witness to the physical resurrection of Jesus, but his entire life was transformed into a witness as to the power of the resurrected Christ to fix our broken lives.
That power of the resurrected Christ to forgive and heal and restore the broken-ness in your life is just as true at this moment as it was that day for Peter. Jesus Christ, the resurrected Lord seeks you out this morning just like he sought out Peter after the resurrection for the purpose of forgiving you and restoring you as his disciple and assuring you of his everlasting love. Nothing you have done in the past–no mistake that you will make in the future--is greater than the power of the resurrected Jesus in your life to make right.
If you have made some terrible trade–if you have fallen from the heights of a disciple of Christ to the low of one who has denied Christ by your actions, I encourage you in the Lord to turn away from despair and despondency and turn in faith to Christ for healing and strength.
The disciples were assembled in these days between Ascension and Pentecost to prepare for their new life as witnesses to the resurrection. A replacement had to be chosen to fill Judas’ spot so that in all things, even in the painful things, Scripture would be fulfilled. The Lord chose a man named Matthias to fill Judas’ spot. It is the first and last time Matthias’ name is ever mentioned in the Bible. We know nothing else about him other than he was a witness to the resurrection.
Let the same be said of us. For just as surely as the Lord chose Matthias to bear witness to the resurrection-- so has he chosen you and me for that same purpose—to bear witness that in Jesus Christ—in his death and resurrection—there is forgiveness and new life for us no matter what we have done. Amen.
And now may the peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting. Amen.
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