Handling Judas (Part A)

It is the Passover that day one from sundown to sundown. I do not believe in the Friday crucifixion. I believe in the Thursday crucifixion. Jesus that is three days and three and I was a lot of evidence, I want to go into it right now, but suffice it to say that I believe this is now our Wednesday evening which is now they are beginning of Thursday because they go from sundown to son down and and that's where we are and this starts the Passover. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston.

Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville.

Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the gospel of Mark. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in Mark chapter 14 begins his message handling Judas now on the first day of unleavened bread when they killed the Passover lamb disciple said to him, where do you want us to go and prepare that you may eat the Passover and he sent out two of his disciples and said to them go into the city and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water. Follow him wherever he goes in, say, to the master of the house. The teacher says, where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with my disciples. Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and prepared there make ready for us so his disciples went out and came into the city and found it just as he had said to them, and they prepared the Passover. In the evening he came with the 12 now as they sat and ate. Jesus said assuredly, I say to you one of you who eats with me will betray me and they began to be sorrowful and say to him one by one, is that I and another said is that I he answered and said to them, it is one of the 12 who dips with me in the dish. The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed would have been good for that man if he had never been born. Handling Judas that's this morning's title and I think it's a very exciting passage. There are some gems in here that we would miss handling Judas by Jesus, incidentally, and again some really hidden truths in here that are hopefully I can bring them out because the enemies of Christ. They always think that they're in control. This is been the case since he walked the earth. They are in control of their choices of that much is is sure if they choose to side with evil, then that is their decision. In less than 20 hours from this 12 verse Jesus will be crucified.

His remaining hours are spent with his 12 disciples will bill and then it will be down to 11, mostly in this upper room in Jerusalem and he conceals on purpose. The location of this room, as he does conceal the identity of his betrayer and he will of course let that development and they will find out who this trader is and he does this for very good reason.

So let's look at verse 12. Now and on the first day of unleavened bread when they killed the Passover lamb. His disciples said to him, where do you want us to go and prepare that you may eat the Passover, a speaking of killing the Passover, when they say when they killed the Passover lamb while if we look back at verses 10 and 11 then Judas Iscariot, one of the 12, went to the chief priests to betray him, to them when they heard that they were glad and promised to give him money so they sought how they might conveniently betray him, and that is of course to kill him. They did not see him as God's Passover lamb that is who he is and so Mark is not incidentally saying that the sacrifices were taking place at this very moment. Here in verse 12 where he says now on the first day of unleavened bread when they killed the Passover lamb is not saying that killing the Passover lamb is there meeting that will come actually the next day, but it is the Passover that day one from sundown to sundown.

I do not believe in a Friday crucifixion. I believe in the Thursday crucifixion of Jesus. That is three days and three and I was a lot of evidence on want to go into it right now but I'll suffice it to say that I believe this is now our Wednesday evening which is now they are beginning of Thursday because they go from sundown to son down and and that's where we are in. This starts the Passover. So again within 24 hours would be our Thursday evening when the sacrifices would be completed by the Jews for the sacrifices of the Passover have not yet the priest of not yet started to slaughter them every meal that day was a Passover meal. Once the sun went down on Thursday was in effect as of for us at breakfast is a Christmas breakfast. Breakfast on Christmas day every meal on Christmas Day as a Christmas meal and so it is with the Passover.

There were other meal.

The people did not starve all day.

They did eat, and this is what they going to have in a little bit and I'll used to give you a few scripture verses to support this.

John's gospel chapter 13 verse 29 for some thought because Judas had the money box that Jesus had said to him by those things we need for the feast. While I thought they were at the feast. I thought everything was prepared well it's because it's not the Passover meal. It is a Passover meal again. John 18 verse 28 then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the praetorian and it was early morning, but they themselves did not go into the praetorian, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover so there's Jesus he's arrested in the still haven't eaten the Passover so you understand why this reference to the Passover meal is not the one where they take the lamb that was indicative of the Lamb that was slaughtered in the days of Moses while they were in Egypt whose blood. They put on the threshold of the door. Where do you want us to go prepare that you may eat the Passover, they don't know where the places and he doesn't give them an address. He doesn't say he gives them indications what to look for what they can expect and the reason why he is doing this is because he does not want Judas Iscariot to know where this upper room is going to be with the going to meet because he knows that if Judas finds out Judas will have him arrested their and that's not how he's going to let it happen.

Verse 13 and he sent out two of his disciples and said to them go into the city and a man will meet carrying a picture of water. Follow him. So there's the he's concealing it there have to go there and he's keeping an eye on Judas.

He's not sending Judas Andy that they going to see a man carrying a pitcher of water which was extremely rare in those days the women carried pictures of water. If a man wanted to carry water. He would use a wineskin or water skin, but it typically would not do that. So this man is going to be outstanding to them and when they see it. Don't know immediately well. How often do you see that that's the guy. The Lord was talking about. So they'll have no difficulty spotting him.

Verse 14 wherever he goes in, say, to the master of the house. The teacher says, where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with my disciples.

This is going to be the last acceptable Jewish Passover ever.

Once Christ is crucified, the Passover of the Jewish people is now obsolete and which is why Paul writes the letter to the Hebrews he stopped going down to the temple you have and an offering in Christ, he is our Passover and to go and still pretend that you have to offer animal blood sacrifices when the son of God is offered himself a sacrifice is to trample the blood of Christ, and there remains no forgiveness for you.

After that, and is a very serious business. These disciples evidently following the servant man with the picture is the servant who leads them to the owner of the master of the house who will then take them upstairs where everything is ready verse 15 now then they will show you a large upper room furnished and prepared there. Make ready for us there would be the couches and the cushions the low table furniture there for 13 men. This was arranged for their not sitting at tables like we sit at tables and chairs like we said it in chairs. They are going to be largely in a prone position, dining and reclining, which is why you know we read of John leaning back on the on the chest, the bosom of the Lord is because they were in that position where the guy next to you is on his right elbow and you're on your right elbow and you lean back. Well this just is going to be there all that Jesus needed was provided by friends throughout his ministry and he just lived in such a way he just trusted God and and was who he was and that is an example for us.

Someone loaned him once a boat to preach from. And he did just that he preach from the boat. Another loan him a donkey to enter into Jerusalem as the king in fulfillment of the prophecies, especially from Zechariah. Someone loaned him this evening up a large upper room to dine in, and someone is going to loan him an empty grave for a few days.

That's all he'll need. And so here in the upper room. The Lord is now going to pour out his love, John 13, gives us details about the initial phases of their entry into this upper room is 13 men John chapter 13 verse one now before the feast of the Passover, when you see it there before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come and that he should depart from this world to the father having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end and that's the big part of that 13th chapter loved them to the end, it does not say he loved only them to the end.

He loves us just as much. Love does not fade.

John 13 again verses three and four Jesus, knowing that the father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, rose from the supper and laid aside his garments, took a towel and girded himself and there we know he washed the disciples feet. Mary a few days earlier and Bethany had a fragrant spikenard oil that she broke and anointed his feet in that fragrance from the spikenard filled the room.

It was her expression of love, but his love for his own loving them to the end is filling the room with the fragrance of his love in this atmosphere of love, he is teaching them servant hood so it's a critical part when Jesus when were told he washes the disciples feet near Peter, of course, resisted no way am I going to let my master wash me the servant's feet in Christ that if I don't wash you have nothing with me but if I wash you, you will be clean. Peter's pour all over me is absolute surrender, but he loved them to the end. In that environment. He taught them humility and servant hood and we miss that today we miss that. I how I've missed it over the years you get upset with someone whom the devil has tripped up, but if we remember that God loves them and that it is the devil tripping them up. There were not so ready to be resentful and bitter it takes, it shaves off the carnality of what's going on in this world because we're supposed to live not as though we figure it out but that which it has been revealed to us what is going on. So, the Lamb of God reminded them of the blood that would be on the doorpost there when they were in Egypt and this is what this Passover was all about. Here is this great servant that loves his people is saying God loves you so much.

He is going to be the his son is going to be the Lamb of God.

It is in this atmosphere of love that he taught servant hood and gave us the communion table it came from this room at this very time he washes their feet and then he will institute what we call communion in there while dining together. Judas Iscariot would be released to betray him. He's going to wash the feet of Judas to the greatest teachings on the Holy Spirit took place in the supper room. John chapter 14 through 17 as well. 17 is the Lord's prayer which took place in this room also. But the teachings of the Holy Spirit are just unmatched in the Scripture, the details given by Christ himself to us all. Not leave you often and in this room.

He did sing his last song while on earth will get that few sessions later in verse 14 it says so that his disciples went out and came into the city and found it just as he said to them, and they prepared the Passover, which was a process again that would be into the next evening's directions incidentally are similar to those given in Mark 11, when he sent them to find the to get the donkey that he was going to ride into Jerusalem on but back to this Passover, the Jewish Passover. At this time. It consisted of the roasted lamb. The flatbread bread without 11 and bitter herbs.

The Lamb, it was to remind the people in every generation about the blood applied to the doorpost while they lived in Egypt as slaves that God was delivering them and that blood would be the indication to the angel of death that these were God's people, and this is still the way it is. It is the blood of Jesus Christ that cleanses us from all sins and judgment is removed from us as sinners because of our faith. God says listen I know you are sinners by nature in this life you going to send your born in iniquity as cute as you might be when you're born, you are born a sinner when you can be born again so that when you carry out those sins of the judgment will be passed over. You because of the Lamb of God, the bread reminded the people of the haste made to get out of slavery to get out of Egypt and it is to remind the believer of the haste to turn away from the old life to turn to Christ they didn't have time for the bread to rise. They had to get out of there. This was an urgent matter to God. Salvation is an blood he matter. It is an urgent matter, and there is bitterness connected with the whole affair, and so the bitter herbs which spoke of the sufferings that they endured while slaves in Egypt reminder for us. It speaks about our bitterness experience when we were slaves of Satan and this is what God has delivered us to.

So Jesus talks about joy which we have to fight for in this life. He says and he'll say it in the supper room, we won't get it here in Mark but it's in John in the world you going to have tribulation you going to have hard times but be of good cheer. I've overcome the world, but be of good cheer part.

I maybe it comes easy to want to view. I doubt it. It may at times but overall it's a long hard hall and if you're serving the Lord there going to be things that are going to attack that cheer and that is Satan.

And we learn this and we learn not to give it up to him. But the fight to retain it and this is one reason why Christians love singing to the Lord.

It gives you a pitstop sort sort of thing to get you and also to shut out everything else and sing to the one whom you believe it now century later. Centuries later, the Jews loaded this simple ceremony from God. Lamb the bread your herbs. But they've added to napkins and eggs and jobs going outside. This is not from God.

This is something the Jews put into it and in fact they were not even napkins, and though they didn't use napkins a wipe their hands on their bread or they lick their fingers then they wipe and remember, and then they ate the bread sometimes so, but that this is what I you know and I know Christians mean well when they have these rabbis come and teach on the cedar, it means nothing to us. They missed the this is the Messiah. We have the Christ. We don't need to find out what the egg means in the lie just down the block or something looking for him. I know I don't want to be too hard because I know some of you probably attended churches with the did these things and you were so impressed, but they really have nothing to do with us at all, and of the Jews are just retain the simplicity of it. Maybe they would see the Messiah fulfilling these emblems that are given to us well no hate mail on that please all read it and then all God, can you get them because I'm special to you and they are not really doesn't work that way anyway. Verse 17 element just pauses to add little bit more that we don't need to sensationalize our faith.

It is sensational. Just the blood of Jesus Christ. It is a big deal and there is nowhere on earth like the church of God.

When you and no place like home. Sure that's true in there believers there and God were but when he brings a bunch of believers together and says get along in love, there's no place like and it is a tragedy that so many Christians have a low opinion of the church. They think the churches in their social club that they can go in and do this and it's not.

It's God's house and he is appointed overseers of this house and they will enforce the policies and this is a good thing, something to embrace. I think when you come to this church, everything is pretty much done for you except you know is eating well. Sometimes you even assisted to set you come and you worship your fellowship.

You go home if you want will eventually gonna send you home or these out here but we would not come here with come to worship God, and it is very powerful and if it wasn't Satan wouldn't hate it so much and worked so hard to leaven the church to corrupt the pastors to weaken them so that the pastors began to be led by you instead of you being led by the pastor that is perversion and there's nothing to boast to that you got your will done with the pastor. The pastor should be saying God will that your will be done.

My father in heaven. You know the drill. So back to this verse 17 in the evening he came with the 12 maze going only leave with 11 of them. But between verses 17 and the next verse 18. That's when Jesus will wash their feet.

It appears that way sometimes hard to figure these things out to the apostles's funerals, like if you ever come to church and say no.

The pastor doesn't stay on point. Sometimes he goes on his little rabbit trails well look at the Gospels. I did it all the time and don't stop there.

Go back to Genesis and work your way to Revelation and find Revelation doesn't even stay on cue. This is so much to say about God. How can you can you just be an outline you can try but you'll find out the outline. Paul is notorious notorious for doing what I just did. Talking about one thing and then goes down. This whole two or three chapters more and something else and then comes back to it and the reader is not careful you say I lost the point. Well, verse 18. Now, as they sat and ate. Jesus said wash foot washing is over. Surely, I say to you one of you who eats with me will betray me at was a bombshell to them and it should not of been. This is not the first time he's brought this up earlier. He warned him on this very thing. He preached a sermon that people didn't like we don't have that problem today. John chapter 6 this is after you know unless you eat of my flesh and drink of my blood and they of course took a little and it which some doll because if it was literal he would hold his mouse here, take a bite. It was spiritualized in his points that they would never forget what he was saying because it's pretty intense to say to someone you first of all he was saying it. Who is qualified to say no angel could say this must be God the son and and so of course the says this and that this is a hard saying, which is another way of saying we don't like your sermon nor you anymore verse 70 of John six Jesus answered them, did I not choose you. The 12 and one of you is a devil. He spoke of Judas Iscariot. So why are they so shocked now because of course, whenever Christ spoke of hard things. They, like tuned him out.

He's going to release Judas to do his wicked work and it will be at the hour of his choosing. We talked about this last session of their the Pharisees did not want Jesus to be betrayed while the multitudes were in Jerusalem.

The Passover feast.

They wanted the crowds to die down. In fact, when the crowds are asleep. That's when they going to arrest him move. Thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of Mark cross reference radio is the teaching ministry of pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia to learn more information about this ministry.

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