Rev. David Holwick
First Baptist Church
West Lafayette, Ohio
March 23, 1989
MAUNDY THURSDAY [sermon too disjointed - needs work]
COMMUNION SERVICE
Matthew 26:19-25
BETRAYING JESUS
I. Motivation of Judas:
A. Disillusionment.
1) Hatred resulted.
2) Iscariot - similar to "sicarii," assassin (dagger-bearers).
B. Force Jesus to act.
1) Never intended him to die.
2) When plan went wrong, he committed suicide.
C. Greed. John 12:6
1) Exodus 21:32 - 30 shekels was the OT price of a slave.
2) Zechariah 11:9-13 - The Jews valued the Messiah (shepherd)
at 30 shekels.
II. Betrayal of Jesus.
A. By devaluing other people. 727
Two South African brothers from a small village went to a private school.
One was successful, strong, smart; other was plain and a hunchback, but
had a beautiful voice.
During initiations the students forced the plain one to sing by
threatening to drown him.
When he sang so beautifully in his fear, they became all the more abusive
and tore off his shirt to reveal his never-before-seen hunchback.
Older brother knew what was going on but did not help.
He betrayed his brother by refusing to go out to him in love when he was
being abused.
The younger brother was crushed in spirit and never sang again.
Older brother went to Palestine in WWII, was wounded, had a dream.
He saw himself as Judas in the circle of disciples around Christ.
"I am Judas; I had a brother once, and I betrayed him," he said.
"Go to your brother," Christ replied.
He made the difficult journey, confessed to his brother, both cried.
As he walked away he heard the song of his brother in the garden, as he
had not heard him sing since childhood.
III. Christians will also be devalued, betrayed. 721
Shusaku Endo is a Japanese writer who is a Christian, which is rare.
He felt religiously alienated in Japan.
He was racially rejected in France.
Shusaku had a crisis of faith.
He spent several years researching the life of Jesus in Palestine, and
while there he made a transforming discovery:
Jesus, too, knew rejection.
Moreover, Jesus' life was defined by rejection.
Endo had seen Christianity as a triumphant faith, but now saw that Jesus
had not avoided "disgrace."
To Endo the most powerful message of Jesus was his unquenchable love, even
for - especially for - people who had betrayed him.
He thinks Japan has not listened to Jesus because it has only heard one
side of the story.
Japan understands authoritarian love but not motherly forgiveness.
Christianity has two great symbols to offer the world: a cross and an
empty tomb.
An empty tomb without a cross would miss the central message of the
gospel.
But a cross without an empty tomb would be merely tragic.
Anything less than a risen, crucified Christ is not enough.
IV. Have we rejected Jesus by way we treat others?
V. Will we remain true to Jesus when we are rejected for his sake?
