Alright, this morning we are going to look at the text that was announced earlier on, and that is Matthew chapter 26. So please turn with me to the gospel of Matthew chapter 26. And I would like to read beginning in verse 14. So this is a long chapter, Matthew chapter 26. So I’m going to read from verse 14 through verse 25. So this is the Word of God.

“Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him. Now on the first day of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?” And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.”’” So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover. When evening had come, He sat down with the twelve.

Now as they were eating, He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, “Lord, is it I?” He answered and said, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me. The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.” Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, “Rabbi, is it I?” He said to him, “You have said it.”” Now, let us pray.

“Our dear Father in heaven, we thank You again for every opportunity that we are able to come and gather around Your Word. And we look to You. We look to You for blessing. We look to You for understanding. We look to You that You might not only grant us eyes to see the truth in Your Word but also a heart that is humble and obedient to Your truth. So bless our time together as we study this passage of Scripture. For we pray all these in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Now if you look at verse 14, it says here: “Then one of the twelve”. The twelve refers to the twelve apostles. Then one of the twelve called Judas Iscariot. Now today we are going to look at this man called Judas. And so what about Judas? Have you heard of Judas? Perhaps you have. If you have not, maybe this morning is a good opportunity to get acquainted with him. But why? Why talk about Judas? Why even consider him? Yeah, we know when we study the Bible we look at a man like Moses or a man like Joseph or men like John or James. We know why we want to look at these people. We know that they have much to teach us. These are men we can hold up as examples. They have these exemplary lives for us to emulate.

And so what about Judas? Now, that is an important question, isn’t it, as we come and study or look at this man? So why even look at him, Judas? Now some time ago if those of you who were probably older, I’m not sure whether the younger people are aware of this that it was uncovered alright in fact with the help of the National Geographic Society a copy of a document called “The Gospel According to Judas”. In fact, you can go back and Google if you’re not familiar, and you’ll find this document there: “The Gospel According to Judas”. And the National Geographic Society helped to authenticate and translate and preserve that document.

And in its introduction, it says that this is the secret account of the revelation that Jesus spoke in conversation with Judas Iscariot. And he also quoted Jesus as saying to Judas these words: “You will exceed all of them”, that is referring to all the other apostles. So according to this document (the gospel according to Judas), that Judas was a good man. A great man. A man exceeding even the other apostles. And Bart Ehrman (supposed to be a New Testament scholar have now become an anti-Jesus person), now he said this concerning Judas. He said that he’s the good guy in this portrayal. He is the only apostle who understands Jesus.

So that is the gospel according to Judas that Judas is the good guy and that Judas is the only man who understands Jesus. Really? But what does the gospel tells us about Judas? That is the gospel according to Judas, but what about the Judas according to the gospel? Now there is a world of difference. What about the Judas according to the gospel? And that is our interest this morning, and that’s what we want to find out from the Bible and see what the Bible has to say about Judas. Who was he? What did he do? Was he a good man? And here in our passage this morning, we have a record alright about this man. And so Judas, what about him? And there are three things I want to bring out here about this man, Judas, according to the gospel.

Now number one, that the gospel reveals to us that Judas was a man of wasted opportunity. That Judas was a man of wasted opportunity. Now look with me here in your Bible in the gospel of Matthew chapter 26. Look at verse 20. Verse 20 is kind of the setting or the context. We are told in verse 20 that when evening had come, Jesus sat down with the twelve disciples. The evening was the evening of the Thursday. It was before the Friday when Jesus was to be crucified, where He was to die on the cross. And so on this Thursday evening, He gathered His disciples together to observe the Passover. And earlier on, we have seen Him giving instructions to the disciples to prepare the Passover. He is going to eat that one last supper with them.

And so in verse 20, we are told that the evening had come. The Sun has set, the disciples were with Him. Where were they? We are told that they were in the upper room of a man. Jesus told them to go into the city and look for this man and tell them that we are coming to your house to observe the Passover in the upper room, some kind of a upstairs or maybe a kind of a rooftop that was common in those days. And so Jesus and the disciples were gathered in the upper room. And Jesus was going to institute the Lord’s Supper as we read later in this chapter in verse 26 that as they were eating Jesus took bread, blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat. This is My body.”

You see Jesus on that evening, He was about to institute the Lord’s Supper. He was eating with them the Passover feast and in the midst of it instituted the Lord’s Supper. Now during that evening as He was eating with the disciples, now what was He doing? You see, He was going to give a speech to the disciples. In fact, He was going to give a long speech to the disciples, and that speech was recorded by the Apostle John in his gospel in chapters 14, 15, and 16, where that conversation was recorded for us. And then in John chapter 17, He prayed that great high priestly prayer. But what did Jesus talk about that evening with the disciples? What did He talk about? What was in His heart that He wants to share with the disciples?

Remember this is His last evening; tomorrow He will die, and He has something in His heart that He wants to speak with the disciples. We are told that He spoke to them about sin. He spoke to them about sin. You see, people do not like to talk about sin. They say that that is a negative subject. Let’s be more positive. But Jesus talked about sin. He spoke about offending the Son of God. He spoke about rejecting Him. He spoke about putting other things before Him. He spoke about betraying the Son of God. That was what the conversation was about that one of you is going to betray Me and he is going to betray Me for other things because there are other things that are more important to him.

Thirty pieces of silver, that is all he’s looking for. He talked about offending God. You see on the last night of His life on earth, He did not talk about other things. He did not talk about the stock market. He did not talk about the election results. He did not talk about the pandemic. To Him, there are more important things to talk about. Amazing in these days, now all we hear are people talking about the things of this world- health concern, economic concern, and other things. But Jesus, He spoke to His disciples on His last night on earth about sin, about betraying the Son of God. He said in verse 21. Verse 21: “Now as they were eating, He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, that one of you will betray Me.”. One of you will betray the Son of God.””. The Son of God.

You see, Jesus as I said is going to institute the Lord’s Supper. Why? You see, you cannot make head or tail about what Jesus was about to do if you do not understand what Jesus is saying here. The Lord’s Supper is about sin. It is about your sin. It’s about your rejection of the Son of God. It is about your betrayer of Jesus. It is about your condemnation. The Lord’s Supper is about a Saviour who is going to the cross to die because of your sin. You see, we must understand the Lord’s Supper in light of this. And so Jesus said I’m going to institute the Lord’s Supper, but I want to talk to you about your sin. In fact, that’s why He said that’s the reason why I want to talk to you about your sin, about a terrible sin, about betrayal.

Now pause and think about it. You see, betrayal is a terrible sin. Betrayal is a terrible sin. Betrayal is when the wife is cheating on the husband. That is betrayal. Betrayal is a high-ranking government official selling or passing state secrets to the nation’s enemy. Now that is betrayal. Betrayal is a man who smiles in your face and at your back, plotting your downfall. That is betrayal. And Jesus says and one of you is going to betray Me. It could be any one of you. Jesus did not specify Judas here, but His point is that it could be any one of you. Now any one of us is capable of betraying the Lord Jesus Christ, of sinning against the Son of God.

So that is the first thing we see here that Jesus was with the disciples. On the night before He was crucified, He spoke to them about sin. Now, why did Jesus talk of this now? Ever wondered why Jesus on this night gathering with the disciples to eat the possible talk about sin now? Now the reasons are these because He loved Judas. Jesus talked about sin because He loves the people. You see, when you talk about sin to people, it’s not because you hate them. It’s not because you do not like them. Jesus talked about sin to His disciples and here particularly to Judas because He loved Judas. And it was not His desire that any man should perish. He’s saying to Judas sin leads to perishing, but I do not want you to perish.

So that is the reason why Jesus spoke about sin to Judas because He loved him. But there is a second reason why Jesus spoke of sin now. He spoke of sin to Judas now because He is in effect saying to Judas it was not too late for Judas to repent. It’s not too late, Judas. Tomorrow I’m gonna die. Tonight you still have the opportunity to change. Now think about the thief on the cross with Jesus. He changed his mind as it were, he repented at the very last minute. And Jesus said to him: “Today you shall be with Me in paradise”. It is not too late, Judas, to change, to repent.

You see, it was already in Judas’ mind to betray Jesus because we read earlier on in verse 14 that he went to the chief priest and he said to the chief priest: What are you willing to give me so that I betray Jesus to you? You see, it was in his mind. It was his plan to betray Jesus. But Jesus said that there is still time for him to change. Yes, it is in your mind. It is in your heart to betray Me, but there is still opportunity to change, to repent, and to seek forgiveness. Now imagine that Judas was there and he was listening to Jesus. And then Jesus was eating the Passover feast with him and the others. And then Jesus in verse 26 broke bread and then He handed out to the disciples. And He said: “Take. Take, eat”.

What Jesus is saying in a symbolic manner to them is Judas, here is the offer of forgiveness through My death on the cross. My body will be broken. My blood will be shed, and here is the opportunity to come and receive by faith salvation through His death on the cross. In a vivid and maybe in a sense a dramatic way, Jesus looks at Judas and say take. Take the offer of salvation. Judas perhaps look into the eyes of Jesus. He could have changed his mind, but Judas wasted his chance. He wasted his opportunity. He didn’t do what Jesus told him to do.

And so when we come to verse 47 (verse 47 of Matthew 26): “And while He was still speaking, behold- behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people.”. Here is Jesus pleading with Judas, Jesus pleading with him the danger of sinning against the Son of God. And here is Judas. Here is Judas in spite of being offered the opportunity, in spite of being warned of the consequence of his betrayal, he acted as if he has never heard. He acted as if he has never heard. That is a terrible thing.

There are many people who are like Judas. You have been warned again and again. You have been told of your sin. You have been pleaded and being persuaded to turn from your sin, but you act as if you have never heard. And that is Judas. The gospel reveals to us that Judas was a man of wasted opportunity. Secondly, the gospel also reveals to us that Judas was a man doomed in eternity. What happened to Judas? What happened to Judas? Where is Judas today? Is he in heaven or is he in hell? Now Acts 1:21 tells us this. (Acts 1:25). It says here to “to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place”. That he might go to his own place.

Where is Judas’ place? Where does he belong? Where will people like Judas go? That is the important question. Where will people who reject the Lord Jesus Christ go? Where will people who betray the Son of God go It’s hell, and that is Judas’ place. In John 6:70. John 6:70, the Bible says this. Verse 70 of John chapter 6: “Jesus answered them, “Did not I choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?””. One of you is a devil. Where would the devil go? And all those who are like the devil, where is their place? Where is the place of the devil? Finally, in fact, the Bible, again John in Revelation tells us this.

Now listen to what John says. He says the devil who deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone. The devil who deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone. And one of you, Jesus said, is the devil. That’s where the devil would go. Or in John 17:12. John 17:12. Jesus said in the midst of His high priestly prayer. John 17:12 says: “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition”. Except the son of perdition, he’s lost.

So the Bible is clear as to where Judas is now. The Bible is clear as to where people like Judas will go, people who reject the Lord Jesus Christ, who betray Him. The place is a place of eternal fire. In fact, Jesus said in Matthew 26:24 in this verse. He says: “The Son of Man goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”. It’s a terrible thing, Jesus said, to betray the Son of God, to sin against the Son of the living God. It is a terrible thing. It would have been better, Jesus says here, that if he had not been born.

Yes, never. Better never to have been a baby, better never to have been a schoolboy, better never to have succeeded in life, better never to have lived to a good old age and to be cast into the lake of fire forever. Never to have existed, Jesus says perhaps, than to become a byword for wickedness. Today, people would not even call their baby Judas, and I believe not even their dog. That is Judas. One preacher put it this way. He says there is a clock in hell with all twelve numbers on its dial, and a great pendulum that swings back and forth but no hands on the clock. And as the pendulum swings, it says: “Forever, forever, forever, forever”. And the inhabitants of hell cry: “We wish we had never been born.”

Hell is a terrible place. The Bible mentioned that again and again. But there is a place for those who reject the Son of God. That is where Judas is today. Judas is a man doomed in eternity. And thirdly, the gospel teaches that Judas is a warning, not a model to us. Judas is a warning, not a model to us. That is the reason why Judas is in the Bible. It is held up not as an example, but it’s held up as a warning. It is a warning to those who perhaps could be a follower of Jesus Christ and yet they are going to hell. This is a terrible thought. Judas is a warning to those who perhaps like Judas are followers of Jesus Christ but they are going to hell.

Remember Judas was one of the apostles. He was a follower of Jesus Christ. He followed Jesus for three years. He has experienced the most wonderful ministry. Sometimes we fail to realise what a great privilege and a blessing it is to sit under a blessed ministry where you hear the Word of God preached, where you enjoy the fellowship of God’s people, where you are given opportunity to serve Christ. And that is all about Judas. He experienced the most wonderful ministry ever on earth because he was there when Jesus was there. Because he was there when Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount and many other sermons. He was there when Jesus spoke the parables.

And he was there when Jesus did many wonderful miracles. He was there when Jesus caused the lame to walk and the blind to see and even the dead were raised to life. He witnessed the most blessed ministry under the Lord Jesus Christ, and yet he was lost. Now that is a great danger. That is what Judas is saying to us that he is a warning to those who perhaps look like they are a great follower of Jesus Christ. Remember, Judas was even a treasurer among the apostles. So Judas is a warning. He’s a warning to those who think that just because they are so-called followers of Jesus Christ, perhaps even a prominent one that they will never go to hell.

And secondly, Judas is a warning to those who actually do betray Jesus Christ. Lord, is it I? I’m not sure whether you ask that question. The apostles alright, they’re apostles. When Jesus said that, they were wondering who could that be. Lord, is it I? Do you ask the question when Jesus said that one of you will betray Me? He said any one of you. Any one of us is capable of betraying the Lord Jesus Christ, capable of rejecting the Son of God, capable of we sinning against Him. He is a warning to those who do betray Jesus Christ, those who love money more than Him or anything more than Jesus Christ.

Would you betray Jesus for money? Would you betray Him for a million dollars? Just one time I’ll bribe to get that money and forsake about God, about Christ. Would you betray Him for a man or a woman, betray Him for pornography? Will you betray Him for position, for fame, for a better grade in school? You see, actually, Judas didn’t get very much. Thirty pieces of silver. That’s the price for a slave. That was how much he thought of Jesus Christ. That was how much he thought of Jesus Christ. Perhaps that is how much some of us think of Jesus Christ. He’s not worth. Anything is better than Him. Here is a warning to those who do actually betray Jesus for other things.

And thirdly, Judas is a warning to those who having heard preaching, having been told of their sin, refused to change. They have been told. Judas was given the opportunity. He was told of his sin. He was given the opportunity to change, but he did not alright- but he did not. Have you ever been told of your spiritual state? Have you ever been told of your sin in your life? Let me tell you, thank God. Thank God for those who do have the courage to tell you that, to tell you of the danger that you are in. If you are in your sin, thank God for those who in a sense give you that opportunity, the chance to change so that you may not end up in the place where Judas is today.

You see for Judas, it is too late. For Judas, he’s in hell today. But you don’t have to be. You don’t have to be. You don’t have to continue sinning against God. You do not have to continue to pretend that you love God. You do not have to go where Judas is today. You can turn from your sin and accept the offer of forgiveness from Jesus Christ. So Jesus said: “Take, eat. This is My body”. Let us pray.

“Our Father in heaven, we thank You that in the Scripture that You have words of warning for us, for we know that in life we so often need to heed this warning that we might not be complacent in our lives. And so we pray and give thanks that even today perhaps You have given to some of us that opportunity to change, that opportunity to turn from our wayward life, from our sin, and to turn to the Lord Jesus Christ and to trust in Him and to receive forgiveness that is only available through Him because of what He has done for us. For these we pray and ask in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

This transcript has been lightly edited for readability.