Grace Community Church
Big Idea: Because God's wisdom is often contrary to our own, we can miss the voice of God when the only voices around us are those saying what we want to hear.
Matthew 26:3-4 (NIV)
3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, 4 and they schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him.
Matthew 10:2-8 (NIV)
2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. 5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather 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.
Matthew 26:6-16 (NIV)
6 While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, 7 a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. 8 When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. 9 “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.” 10 Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 11 The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. 12 When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. 13 Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus
14 Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests15 and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. 16 From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
John 12:4-6 (NIV)
4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected,5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
WHAT MADE JUDAS A MISGUIDED RADICAL?
1. Anger & Disillusionment
2. Assuming "might makes right" (Matthew 27:3-5)
3. Personal interests & greed (Matthew 26:14-15; 1Timothy 6:10)
For My Personal Time With God This Week:
[#1] Reread the account of Judas’s life, Matthew 26-27. In what ways does your life and experience match his? What can you take away and learn from his experience?
[#2] 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 and 1 Corinthians 2:6-16 speak to discerning God’s will and God’s wisdom over our own. As you read these passages, how do they speak to you about how you determine what is right? What decisions you make? How might you approach some of the things most concerning you right now a little differently, with these verses in mind?
[#3] Read your fifth week’s readings as part of the Community Bible Experience. As you read, find yourself in the story — how your life and experiences match what you are reading.
[#4] As you do your readings, consider these 5 questions (which will be the 5 questions everyone shares in their book clubs next week):
1. What’s something you noticed for the first time?
2. What questions did you have?
3. Was there anything that bothered you?
4. What did you learn about loving God?
5. What did you learn about loving others?