JUDAS ISCARIOT
Tuesday – August 13, 2019, Av 12, 5779
Greetings dear partners and friends of this Ministry and this blog. Also, welcome back to this empowering Bible Study of the Book of John. It is only empowering if one chooses to receive, believe, and on purpose bring about a change in thought, speech, and action. If you are reading this on Facebook please take a moment to hit the “love” and “share” buttons to give feedback to me and to expand the reach of these teachings. The featured picture today is also of Coos Canyon from a different vantage point. A very pretty area. Now, let’s turn our attention to our primary Bible text and make a deep dive into the Truth.
John 12:3-8 (KJV)
3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.
4 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him,
5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?
6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.
7 Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.
8 For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.
Judas the one who is in the process of betraying and ultimately does betray Jesus now comes into prominent view. We have not seen much of him prior to this time. It is worthwhile to look at the word “betray” used in our text with regard to the actions of Judas. It seems to me that the word “betray” as generally used today does not really fit. The reason I say this is that we know from Jesus own mouth that He is willingly going to the Cross and laying down His life for us all.
John 10:17-18 (KJV)
17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
A better word might have been to deliver or even hand over. Even these words do not really give a full picture. Judas was a thief loving money more than God, and his loyalties seem to lie more with the established religious order than with Jesus, the Messiah. He delivered or handed Jesus over to the Sanhedrin, the High Priests in the sense that He knew where Jesus was and led them to Him. However, as we know, Jesus gave Himself willingly to that mob. O the love of God, the love of the Savior! As we follow along in our text, we found the true love of Judas Iscariot and it is not Jesus. Is our true love Jesus or is our real true love revealed in our expressed thoughts and actions? In verse five we see that Judas is focused on money and money is his true love. We see similar things today when one, saint or sinner, criticizes a ministry for having an airplane and pointing out that the money for the plane could have done so much good. As if that money is the only money God could come up with and the Ministry spent it in an ungodly way. Why did they not consider the airplane, like money, as a tool in the Kingdom of God? Love of money!
1 Timothy 6:10 (KJV)
10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
This verse certainly describes the path and outcome of the life of Judas Iscariot. Unfortunately, it also describes many in the Church today. The anointing of the feet of Jesus which has just taken place with the very expensive spikenard ointment is a prophetic act and an expression of love for the Messiah. As we move forward in the text, we see that Judas Iscariot was the keeper of the money bag or treasurer of this Ministry. Furthermore, we see that he is a thief embezzling from the Ministry. Boy, that really takes guts (to steal from Jesus) but people are doing it right and left today, what about you or me.
Malachi 3:8-10 (KJV)
8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
The tithe, ten percent of our gross gain or income, belongs to the Lord, period. He, the Lord, will also call upon us to bring offerings or to give in other ways. To not tithe is robbing God, to not give as He instructs is to rob God. Robbing God opens the door wide for Satan, for the curse in our lives.
Until our next publication, as a Bible Teacher and Prophetic Voice I speak this blessing over each and every one of you, receive it by faith in Jesus name!
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
24 The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you;
26 The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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