Who is Like Judas?

Judas fits patterns in the Old Testament. We look at Ahab as an example.

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Transcript

Title: Who is Like Judas?

Description: Judas fits patterns in the Old Testament. We look at Ahab as an example.

#GospelAccordingToTheRock

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Who is Like Judas?

Judas betrayed Jesus. Jesus was betrayed by one of his own 12 disciples.

But Jesus had already warned that one of the twelve would betray Him. At the Last Supper Jesus eventually identified His betrayer. In a matter of hours Judas would then confirm that identification.

Here's a question I get hints at when the Biblical account of Jesus' betrayal is told: Was Judas treated fairly? 

We're going to look at some similarities between Judas and a king named Ahab in the Old Testament. Both betrayed innocent people. Ahab performed his betrayal hundreds of years before Judas. I think the betrayals have an important pattern.

The rest of this episode is going to talk about how Judas and Ahab -- a king in the Old Testament -- had a lot of chances to repent. 

SOME DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO

A difference between Ahab and Judas might have been their material motivation. Ahab wanted land. He wanted cities and he wanted Naboth's vineyard. His motivation worked against him.

Judas' material motivation revolved around thirty pieces of silver -- greed. Some say Judas had altruistic motives to spur another revolt against the Romans. Whatever his fantasy, it collided with the Kingdom of God and lost.

Another difference between Ahab and Judas is Ahab was named in the prophecies against him. Judas' identity was hidden until the last days before Jesus' crucifixion.

MIRACLES

Both Ahab and Judas received the power to do miracles from the Most High.

Here's what a prophet said to Ahab: 

‘Do you see this vast army? I will give it into your hand today, and then you will know that I am the Lord.’

1 Kings 20:13

Ahab won.

A few months later, the Arameans rebuilt their army. Here's what the prophet said then: "Because the Arameans think the Lord is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the Lord."

1 Kings 20:28

Ahab won. That's the good news. The bad news is Ahab made a deal with the enemy. He let the scheming king go free. And here's how Ahab started to learn about the Lord:

 “This is what the Lord says: ‘You have set free a man I had determined should die. Therefore it is your life for his life, your people for his people.’”

1 Kings 20:42

HERE'S PART OF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AHAB AND JUDAS

Note Ahab received a personal prophecy. Judas' prophecy wouldn't be so personal.

In the 21st century, Judas is a subject of modern fan fiction. Ahab -- not so much. There are modern works that try to add erroneous what-ifs about Judas, I'm going to just look at what's in the Bible about Judas and Ahab. Other people like to ask "what-if" -- I'm going to ask "is there a pattern?".

SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE TWO

INNOCENT BLOOD

One similarity between Ahab and Judas has to do with innocent blood. Ahab shed innocent blood by allowing his wife to incite false accusations against a man -- Naboth -- and have him killed for blasphemy. Then Ahab took possession of Naboth's vineyard. Here's a contrast: Ahab had allowed Naboth to be killed but had set Ben-Hadad free.

17 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: 18 “Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth’s vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it. 19 Say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?’ Then say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!’”

1 Kings 21:17-19

This prophecy was fulfilled in 1 Kings 22. Ahab's own misaligned mercy let Ben-Hadad live. Ben-Hadad broke a treaty, and in the subsequent battle Ahab was wounded by an arrow and eventually died.

Both Ahab and Judas shed innocent blood.

JESUS WAS INNOCENT

Judas himself said that Jesus was innocent. When Judas had remorse for betraying Jesus, he went to the priests to try and undo the deal he had made. Judas' confession was, "I have betrayed innocent blood."

Matthew 27:4

BOTH AHAB AND JUDAS HAD SOMEONE CHEER THEM ON.

While Ahab was mainpulated by his wife and cheered on Ahab to supposedly enjoy the privilege of being king, Judas was manipulated by the payoff of thirty pieces of silver.

BOTH AHAB AND JUDAS DELEGATED DIRTY DEEDS.

Ahab left the matter of Naboth's vineyard to Jezebel, who recruited two men two accuse Naboth. Similarly, Judas left the matter of Jesus' life in the hands of Jesus' enemies.

Just as Naboth experienced an unfair trial, so the laws of Judah would be twisted against Jesus at his trial.

Was Judas directly involved? He seemed to think so when he returned the money.

SO WHAT?

In summary, Judas is not as special a case as some might think. God warned both men. God is fair. He didn't invent some predestination rules out of thin air and use them on Judas at the last minute. He used some of the same rules on Ahab and others who were determined to run afoul of His plan to protect the innocent.

THE END

I have added some appendices to this episode that I will call Appendix 1 and Appendix 2. If you want to hear some of the Scripture I looked at while writing this episode, here it comes:

APPENDIX 1: 

SOME REFERENCES ABOUT JUDAS

Even my close friend,

    someone I trusted,

one who shared my bread,

    has turned against me.

Psalm 41:9

So they paid me thirty pieces of silver.

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

Zechariah 11:12-13

Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.

John 6:64

For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

John 13:11

APPENDIX 2

JUDAS POWER

Here's a passage that describes the power Jesus gave Judas in the middle of Matthew 10.

The names of the twelve apostles include "Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him."

5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Go to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

See Matthew 10:2-8

NOTE: It's important to point out that Judas probably performed signs and wonders in Jesus' name just like the rest of the disciples. When the New Testament says the twelve went out and healed in Jesus' name, there's no footnote that says *EXCEPT FOR JUDAS BECAUSE THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH HIM.

Jesus gave the twelve this warning a few verses later:

32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.

Matthew 10:32

Other passages that describe the power given to Judas are in Mark 6 and Luke 9.

That's the end of the appendices.

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