Priceless Lessons from the Life of Judas
God has a plan and purpose for your life—but if you don’t finish your assignment, He’ll find someone else who will. There are 7 specific lessons we can learn from the life of Judas that will ensure we are on the path to fulfilling our destiny rather than losing it all.
Scripture
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you who do not believe.
John 6:63-64
Key Points
1. Judas refused to change. Judas saw absolute miracles over and over again, yet it was not enough to secure Judas’ complete devotion and loyalty to Jesus. He met Jesus, but stayed the same. In spite of everything he saw and experienced, he was not changed. Christianity is about transformation. It’s not enough to go to church and hear the Word. We must allow the Lord to change our hearts. We must be transformed by the renewing of our minds! (Rom. 12:2)
2. Judas wanted to give Jesus something, but not everything. Judas got upset when the woman with the alabaster box gave her most precious possession to Jesus. Judas thought her worship - washing Jesus' feet with her expensive oil - was waste. He didn’t understand that she was trusting Jesus with all that she had. Too many people want just enough of Jesus to go to heaven, but not so much that it interrupts their life. They’ll trust Him with eternity, but not the day-to-day. If you want all of Jesus, you must surrender all of you!
3. Jesus knew Judas would betray Him, but He loved Judas anyway. Jesus could have thrown Judas under the bus, but He didn’t. He could’ve kicked him out of the circle, but he didn’t. He offered Judas hope, mercy and grace, and gave him a chance to make the right the choice. As long as you have breath, you have hope. Jesus loves you no matter where your heart is. There is no condemnation or judgment. Jesus isn’t holding a grudge. Choose right now to surrender all to Him and allow His grace to change you.
4. Judas knew about Jesus, but He didn’t know Jesus. When is the last time you spent intimate time with Jesus? Judas said “Master is it I?” He didn’t say, “Lord is it I?” There is a difference. It’s one thing to acknowledge Christ is king; it’s another to accept Him as YOUR king.
5. Judas was impatient with God. He had incorrect timing. We cannot give God deadlines insisting on our will and our timing. God does things in His timing, not yours. When we get impatient, we can miss the Lord’s perfect will. Remember “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts’” (Isa. 55:8-9).
6. If you ever get your hands on Jesus, don’t let go. Hold Him fast. Don’t loosen your grip on Jesus, EVER! Once you take hold of Jesus, don’t let go. Don’t let go of your joy, your freedom, your purity, or your hope.
7. If you don’t finish your assignment, somebody else will. If you give up or walk away from what God has told you to do, God can raise someone else up to take your place. Where Judas’ name should be carved on one of the 12 foundations of Heaven (Rev. 21:14), instead it says Matthias. God wants to use YOU, but He doesn’t have to. Let no man take your crown.
Final Thoughts
If you don’t change, you could be headed in the wrong direction, just like Judas. You’re not reading this by mistake. Your future is in the fold, and where you go from here is up to you. Sometimes we have the best intentions with the wrong motives. Sometimes we’re too focused on the end to learn from the means. God has a good and perfect will for you. Surrender your all to Him—your thoughts, your fears, your dreams, your actions and words—and trust His timing!
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