So Close But So Far Away

“So Close But So Far Away”

Elder Lance Vinson

11/10/24

The World and your flesh want to feel for Judas

• If God Judas was going to betray Jesus, how could he possibly be guilty, and condemned?
• had to do it.
• It was the plan………….Right?

Proverbs 9:10

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

noun

1.the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise: “listen to his words of wisdom”

Judas’s with Christ

• He was committed: Judas Iscariot was a gospel preacher! He was given the gift of healing, and he exercised authority over demons. 
• Judas was actively involved in ministry, and he was given remarkable spiritual gifts.

Luke 9: 1-6

1Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.

² And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.

³ And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece.

⁴ And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide, and thence depart.

⁵ And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them.

⁶ And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where.

Judas was given a great :

With Judas’s own eyes, he the clearest evidence. With his own , he heard the finest teaching. With his own , he followed the greatest example.

He the Sermon on the Mount, so he knew there is a narrow road that leads to life and a broad road that leads to destruction.

He heard the warnings Jesus spoke to the Pharisees, so he knew there is a hell to shun and a to gain.

Judas heard the parable of the prodigal son, so he knew God is ready to and those who have wasted themselves in many sins.

Judas Made a Series of Choices:

Judas had been stealing from the collective money bag, and he kept this .

 He made a deal with the chief priests and then sat down at our Lord’s table with known sins he would . 

Luke 22:3-6

² and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people.  ³ Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve.

⁴ And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus.

⁵ They were delighted and agreed to give him money. ⁶ He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present.

12 Ordinary Men

 Pastor John MacArthur writes in his book on the twelve disciples:

“he (Judas) had given his life to follow Jesus. But he had never given Jesus his heart.” (Twelve Ordinary Men, 183). Likewise, “Judas was not attracted to Christ on a spiritual level.

He followed Jesus out of a desire for selfish gain, worldly ambition, avarice, and greed… wealth, power, and prestige were what fueled his ambitions” (Twelve Ordinary Men, 184).

or ?

Judas had an agenda

Judas opened the door for Satan, and Satan took full advantage of that situation.

Judas’s Agenda caused him to completely miss his purpose.

Judas was unable to resist the temptation of Satan. Because he was driven by his love of money.

God’s purpose for Judas was to heal, and to witness, to cast out demons and profess the Divine nature of Christ through his own “eye witness” testimony.

But Judas’s for Judas was to build wealth and be part of a group.

Last Chances

John 13: 21-28

²¹ When Jesus had said this, he was troubled in his spirit and testified, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”

²² The disciples started looking at one another—uncertain which one he was speaking about. ²³ One of his disciples, the one Jesus loved, was reclining close beside Jesus.

24 Simon Peter motioned to him to find out who it was he was talking about. 25 So he leaned back against Jesus and asked him, “Lord, who is it?”

26 Jesus replied, “He’s the one I give the piece of bread to after I have dipped it.” When he had dipped the bread, he gave it to Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son.

²⁷ After Judas ate the piece of bread, Satan entered him. So Jesus told him, “What you’re doing, do quickly.”

²⁸ None of those reclining at the table knew why he said this to him. ²⁹ Since Judas kept the money-bag, some thought that Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the festival,” or that he should give something to the poor.

³⁰ After receiving the piece of bread, he immediately left. And it was night.

Jesus calls Judas “”

⁴⁷ While He was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, suddenly arrived. A large mob, with swords and clubs, was with him from the chief priests and elders of the people. ⁴⁸ His betrayer had given them a sign: “The One I kiss, He’s the One; arrest Him!”

⁴⁹ So he went right up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.

⁵⁰ “Friend,” Jesus asked him, “why have you come?”

Judas was

Matthew 27:1-10

Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed. ² So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor.

³ When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders.

⁴ “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”

“What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”

⁵ So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

⁶ The chief priests picked up the coins and said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.” ⁷ So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. ⁸ That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day.

⁹ Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel, ¹⁰ and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.

Zechariah 11:10-13

¹⁰ Then I took my staff called Favor and broke it, revoking the covenant I had made with all the nations.

¹¹ It was revoked on that day, and so the oppressed of the flock who were watching me knew it was the word of the Lord.

¹² I told them, “If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.” So they paid me thirty pieces of silver.

¹³ And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the handsome price at which they valued me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter at the house of the Lord.

Remorse is not

Two disciples sinned against Jesus on the days leading up to his death

denied Jesus 3 times.

And Peter of that sin.

Because Peter BELIEVED there was a great for his life. And Peter Knew the God he served was BIGGER than all doubt

Judas Iscariot is quite possibly the most wicked human ever to walk the Earth.

And Jesus Him

to the Cross

Judas’s lack of repentance was a .

The same we are all .

Your salvation is but it certainly wasn’t