The Seventh Sunday of Easter He Was Allotted His Share in This Ministry (Three Ways Judas Iscariot Can Help You)
Christ is risen! (He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!) Today’s First Lesson reports what happened with Judas Iscariot, the betrayer who set the stage for our Lord’s death and resurrection. Judas died ugly, but there is more to Judas than a disgusting story. God could have allowed Judas’ name and memory to have been wiped away from the earth and forgotten for all eternity. But God did not. God wrote the story of Judas into His Bible for our blessing and benefit. Judas will help us. Dear Christian friends, THE FIRST HELP Judas gives us is a warning. Today’s First Lesson is from Acts, which was written by St. Luke. As you know, Luke also wrote a Gospel. Luke’s Gospel is all about repentance. Luke reports John the Baptist as “preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Luke 3:3). Luke is also the only Gospel writer who records the fear-inspiring Words of Jesus, “Unless you repent, you will all… perish”—a message that Jesus emphasized by saying it twice. “Unless you repent, you will all… perish” (Luke 13:3, 5). The book of Acts is also about repentance (Luke 24:47 and Acts 1:8). Judas Iscariot seems to be a sermon illustration on repentance—or better, Judas illustrates what happens when you refuse to repent. Judas not only died ugly, but he also died needlessly. Judas died unrepentantly. That is to say, Judas died believing that Jesus’ love and forgiveness of sins were beside the point. Never allow yourself to be that way. Learn from Judas. Benefit from Judas. In today’s First Lesson, Peter said concerning Judas, “He was numbered among us and was allotted his share of this ministry.” The Words, “He was numbered among us,” indicate that Judas had his full share of all God’s gifts, just as the other disciples did. Judas heard the same Words of forgiveness and life from Jesus that the others heard; Judas participated in the miracles of Jesus as the others did; Judas ate the same body-and-blood-given-for-the-forgiveness-of-sins that the other Christians around him likewise ate. Judas was also painfully aware of his sins (Matthew 27:4). Unlike all the other Christians around him, Judas simply refused to believe and accept that Jesus could ever forgive a guy like him. Learn from Judas. Benefit from Judas. Never allow yourself to become so overwhelmed by the gravity of your sin that fool yourself. Never fall into the Judas-trap of thinking there is no hope for you. Judas foolishly thought his sin was greater than Jesus. Jesus is actually greater than Judas’ sin and greater than your sin. Jesus died even for Judas, just as He did for you. Jesus’s blood fully covered and hid Judas’ sins, just as yours were likewise covered. Neither Judas’ sins nor your sins are too much or too deadly for the Lord of Life. THE SECOND HELP Judas gives is this: Judas shows you that a wicked pastor or preacher cannot stand in the way of God’s gifts to you. Stated in other ways, • God’s forgiveness of your sins does NOT become invalid or weakened, even if that forgiveness should be announced to you by a pastor who is an unbeliever, or a pastor who needs to be forgiven. As you heard Peter say today, Judas “had his share in this ministry.” • Christ’s Holy Communion truly gives you His Body, His Blood, His forgiveness, and His life, even if the communion should be served by an unrepentant and unbelieving man. Remember that Judas was one of those twelve disciples who served miraculous bread to 5,000 men. Praise be to God! Judas’ hands touched and distributed that bread which Jesus took, blessed, broke and gave to His disciples in a Holy-Communion manner. Those whom Judas served still received a miraculous meal, even though Judas had served it. • Christ’s Baptism is truly a “washing of rebirth” (Titus 3:5, NIV), even if you might have been baptized by the hand of a wicked priest. Judas was fully included in these Words from St. John: “Jesus Himself did not baptize, but only His disciples [did]” (John 4:1). According to these Words, Judas baptized people into God’s gift of eternal life. By the power of these Words, we will not conclude that those whom Judas baptized did not receive God’s gift, just because Judas was doing it! God’s gifts are greater than the one who gives those gifts to you! That is the comfort and benefit that Judas provides. “He had his share in this ministry.” That means you are fully forgiven, even if I myself should refuse the same forgiveness that I preach. “He had his share in this ministry.” That means God’s gifts to you are truly His gifts to you. God’s gifts are full of forgiveness, full of salvation, and full of life—and no one can stand in the way of these gifts, not even an unrepentant pastor! Judas “had his share in this ministry” because God will even use sinful men in His earnest desire to give you salvation and assurance and peace. I am not hinting that I am an unbeliever; I am simply pointing out to you that your forgiveness does not depend upon your pastor’s faith. THE THIRD HELP Judas provides is a cheerful view of the future. Judas shows us that God always provides, one way or another. It is written in today’s First Reading, “One of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. Stated another way, no pastor or preacher is irreplaceable. God’s living Word marches faithfully forward, dependent upon no man. Where Judas ceases, Matthias picks up. Where one pastor vacates a pulpit, another fills it again. This is your God’s good pleasure and His careful design. Today’s First Lesson tells a dark story, but even the dark places in God’s Scriptures will shine the light of Christ for us. Our gracious God and Father will even put the labors of evil men to good and healthy use for us. God even hooked Judas Iscariot to the cart of our salvation. Judas teaches each and every Christian to draw a careful line between the Gospel of God and the one who delivers it. Judas assures us that forgiveness and salvation are ours forever in Christ, and no one can get in the way of it. _______________________________________________ Sermons mailing list [email protected] http://cat41.org/mailman/listinfo/sermons
