Our church believes and teaches the doctrine of the depravity of man. What I mean is that every member of human race has been corrupted by sin – thoroughly corrupted. Our hearts – all our hearts – are desperately wicked, as Jeremiah 17:9 tells us. This wickedness is inherent – it is at our core; it is permanent; it is a part of our nature and character. It is something which is passed down from each father to each of his children. In God’s Word we see this doctrine expressed in a number of different ways, but each one boils down to the same thing. We read of the fallen nature of Adam, universal sinfulness and alienation from God. We are all dead in trespasses and sins, and the lusts and sins of our father we willingly do. Admittedly, few people are as outwardly evil as they possibly can be, nevertheless we all have sin and evil flowing through every part of our being – body, soul and spiritually dead spirit. This doctrine of our church stands opposite to that which is taught in a great many other churches. So many preachers, priests, sociologists and psychologists try to tell people that they are inherently good. All that is necessary for a person’s salvation is to somehow free that inner goodness. No sir – all of us are inherently evil, and our only hope to escape eternal justice and divine judgment is to be miraculously born again by the grace and power of God.
This morning, I’d like to look at this scripture, keeping this depravity in mind.
But of course, what I just said, does not apply to Christ Jesus.
The sinful nature of Adam has been passed from father to children, father to children, since the birth of Cain. The Bible teaches that we receive our spiritual natures from our fathers, not our mothers. Christ Jesus entered the human race through Mary and His physical birth. But the conception of Christ was miraculous through the Holy Spirit – He had no human father. In explaining this to Mary, God’s angel said, “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” As Paul said to the Galatians, “when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman.” Neither Paul nor any other Biblical writer ever called Jesus “the son of Joseph,” because Joseph was not His actual father.
Jesus Christ is the Son of God – and God the Son. Therefore, “He knew no sin” – II Corinthians 5:21. “He was in all points tempted like as we are yet, yet without sin” – Hebrew 4:15. He was as “a lamb without blemish and without spot” – I Peter 1:19. “He did no sin, neither guile found in his mouth.” – I Peter 2:22. In other words “depravity” and “Christ” shouldn’t normally be found in the same sentence.
Furthermore, even during His earthly life, Christ displayed attributes of deity – such as omniscience. Verse 45 – “Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me. And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people.” When Jesus asked, “Friend, wherefore art thou come?” the question was not because He didn’t know. The purpose for the question was to throw light on Judas’ heart and actions.
When it comes to talk about the depravity of man, there is no direct reason to bring up the Lord Jesus. The word doesn’t apply to Him, because He is, and always has been, the infinitely holy Son of God. No, our focus this morning is on Judas and all those other people in this text.
So let’s move on to Judas.
Once again, consider the blessings and privileges of the man. “And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came.” Judas had been one of the special disciples of Christ – one of the twelve. He had walked with and heard the voice of the Son of God for over a thousand days. Remember that the word “disciple” means “student” or “pupil.” Judas had access to the living library of Heaven – the Creator, the eternal God.
The man had been gifted with blessings beyond anything that the modern world can offer. He saw the miracles of God, through Christ, on several dozen occasions. And he was considered to be a responsible person – trustworthy, a good steward of the church finances. In a sense he had been carrying with him the smile of Christ. So when the disciples were asking, “Lord, is it I who will betray you?” no one pointed to Judas and asked, “Lord is it he?” The man had been blessed with wisdom enough to cover his true identity from the eyes of man..
As I’ve suggested before, Judas was JUST LIKE any member of one of the Lord’s churches. Here’s a curious little factoid for you – THIS Judas was not the ONLY Judas among the disciples. I can’t tell you for sure that the Lord did this on purpose, but there is a subtle lesson contained in this. One of the disciples was called by his surname, Thaddaeus, but his other names were Judas Labbaeus. In John 14:22 we hear a very good question posed to the Saviour – “Lord, why have you revealed yourself to us and not to the rest of the world?” The man who asked the question was “Judas (but) not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?” The lesson is that there many Judases in God’s churches – some of whom are saints of God – and some are not.
Judas was just LIKE any member of one of the Lord’s churches. Judas WAS a member of one of the Lord’s churches. He was faithful in his church attendance, both in the public services and in the private classes. He had done the homework assignments, and learned the lessons. He could sing the David’s hymns from memory. BUT the man was as spiritually dead as Satan himself. His native depravity – his sin – his Adamic nature – had not been overcome by the grace of God. It had been kept hidden and in check for perhaps thirty-six months, but when the Devil brought this flame of temptation close to the man’s heart, it burst into a sinful conflagration. And please notice that while the Lord’s true disciples were all asleep, Judas Iscariot was wide awake doing the Devil’s bidding. That is a common characteristic of the sinful world in which we live.
Of course Judas was not alone when he came into the garden that night. “And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people.” “Great multitude” is one of those nebulous phrases which means “a big bunch of people.” There were likely a hundred or more, or as John Gill suggests as many as several thousand. There were Temple soldiers, as well as Roman soldiers, and a mob of men of the baser sort. Judas was at the forefront of this mob – or as John Gill puts it – “He who but a few hours ago was at table with his Lord… is now at the head of band of Roman soldiers, and other miscreants, and blood thirsty wretches, intent upon the death of his master.” These hundreds of “miscreants” were armed and prepared for a potential battle.
“Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast.” Why did Judas feel it necessary to bring such an army, and why did he say “hold him fast?” Because the depravity of his own heart colored his perspective of Christ and the others. If he were in Christ’s shoes, there would be a fight and bloodshed. Judas couldn’t understand the heart of the man who was not depraved as he himself was. And why should they “hold him fast?” Because on at least one occasion, when a mob tried to take and kill Christ, He slipped away. No, Christ didn’t just slip away, he boldly walked through the crowd as one completely untouchable. “And all they in the synagogue … were filled with wrath, and rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. but he passing through the midst of them went his way.”
In Judas’ case, remember that “a man is known by the company he keeps.” “Birds of a feather flock together.” The unregenerated depravity of Judas drew him into the arms of other depraved men. He was avaricious and greedy, just as the high priests were. They were both willing to pay the price to have more wealth, power and position. Judas Iscariot is the poster child for I Timothy 6:10 – “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” What would YOU do for a few extra dollars – for thirty pieces of silver? To what extent is your innate depravity controlling your choices?
Out of all the despicable aspects to this drama, the betrayal kiss must be the most disgusting. It is worse than the dissimulation and lies at the dinner table – “Is it I?” It is worse than the thirty-pieces of silver. It is worse than Judas’ ignoring of Jesus greeting – “Friend.” Judas could have used any number of means to identify Christ. I want to understand, but I’m not sure that I can grasp it. Were all the disciples dressed in the same way, or were there at least some of them, so that Judas couldn’t say, “It’s the man in the white robe”? Did several of them have the same beard and hair? Perhaps it was the practice of the church to greet one another with an holy kiss. Perhaps Judas was thinking that only by feigning friendship could he get close to Christ.
“Depravity” is the theological word used to describe the corruption that sin has brought about in our natures. I teach “total depravity” – I believe that sin has corrupted every part – every aspect – of our being. And that includes our affections. Why do people love the things which are so hurtful to them? Drugs, alcohol which is a drug; adrenalin which can be a very dangerous drug. And so many love to be with people whom they know to be evil. Why does that man choose crime rather than honest labor? Isn’t there a depraved thrill to it? Why is gambling such a modern addiction? It is due to the depravity of the heart. Sure we can see depravity in the serial killer – feasting on the blood of his victims. And most people can recognize it in the homosexual. But we can see it in the so-called “lesser sins” of anger, lying, bullying and cheating.
The kiss may have been nothing but a formal greeting, but Judas pretended some affection or respect. It reminds me of an event in II Samuel 20. David was attempting to reunite the divided nation of Israel after the attempted coup of Absalom. He had met with Amasa, the man who had been Absalom’s military general, and arrangements had been made for a re-gathering of Israel. But David’s chief captain, Joab, hated Amasa and despised what he thought was David’s weakness. When Amasa met Joab on the road, he thought that the reconciliation was complete. “And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou in health, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him. But Amasa took no heed to sword that was in Joab’s hand: so he smote him therewith in the fifth rib.” Joab is one of the great enigmas of the Old Testament, but there is no misunderstanding the depravity which lay in that man’s heart. “Take heed, and beware of covetousness (Judas, Joab, and every one else): for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” “Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?”
If I am not mistaken, one of the effects of human depravity is the inability to recognize depravity. Often we can’t see it in others, especially in those whom we love – our children for example. But perhaps more dangerously, we often find it impossible to see in ourselves. I am reasonably sure that at the time, Judas could not see how what he was doing was so wicked. I can’t tell you what was going through his mind, but whatever it was, he didn’t see it as sin. But the man’s mind had been corrupted by his depravity; his heart was “deceitful and desperately wicked” and his feet, hands and eyes, were simply doing what his heart demanded.
The doctrine of “total depravity” doesn’t mean anyone is as evil, wicked and sinful, as they might possibly be. It means that sin has contaminated and corrupted every part of our being. Judas Lebbeaus was not as wicked as Judas Iscariot, but both men needed to be born again. And you may not be a Joseph Stalin or Adolf Hitler, but you are in just as much need of God’s salvation as the very worst of men.
I should point out the depravity that we see in the soldiers and the priests which sent them, but I’m going to table that subject for this morning. I assure you that their depravity is as obvious as Judas’ for anyone looking to see it.
But I do want to consider the hints of remaining depravity that we see in Jesus’ true disciples.
Even the greatest saint of God, as long as he resides in the flesh, will have a problem with sin and depravity. Despite the direct orders of Christ, they were sleeping when they should have been watching and praying. Their lack of obedience wasn’t due to a lack of desire or will; they wanted to please their Saviour. But depravity is a spiritual condition which infests everyone, including the children of God. It cools the most ardent hearts; it makes heavy the most alert of human eyes. It takes the will that has been given to Christ, and exposes it to Christ’s enemy. It makes the most resolute soul vulnerable to the temptations of the world, the flesh and the Devil.
One of the most awkward and inexplicable events of the New Testament was Peter’s sword attack. Why did he have a sword and where did he get it? Did any of the others have swords? Was this at the suggestion of the Lord Jesus in Luke 22:36? Whatever lay behind Peter’s wild and untrained swing, he meant to defend his Master. But Christ doesn’t need disciples, angels or armies of angels to defend Him. And besides, He had forewarned the disciples of His arrest and crucifixion. He didn’t tell them in order for them to take a bullet for Him. Peter had that sword and raised that sword because, once again, his depravity was taking control of his heart, his eye and his arm. Maybe it was a reaction to falling asleep when he should have been watching – pride and embarrassment. Maybe it was a sinful rejection of Christ’s prophesies about the cross. It may have been well intended, but it was a sinful response to someone else’s sin. It was Peter’s sin-nature – his depravity – taking control of his out-of-control heart.
Oh, but look at the Lord’s control of everything – look at the omnipotence of Christ. What Peter did could have escalated into a blood bath, but it didn’t. Those soldiers and other miscreants could have started attacking and hacking, before the Lord’s healing of Malchus’ ear – but they didn’t. Once again the authority of Christ overcame the sinful depravity of man – in this case Peter. However, the sin of Judas and the others was permitted to continue in order to accomplish the eternal decree of God.
Our scripture for this morning closes with “Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.” In this short statement comes an important lesson – no one can claim to have complete control over his heart – his depraved heart. During the interim between the Lord’s Supper, the singing of the hymn and the departure of the disciples towards Gethsemane, we have Jesus’ words of John 16:32 – “Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.” Despite Peter’s avowal that he would never be offended or deny Christ, he was now offended. In verse 35 – “Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.” What is the explanation for the denial, the terror and the flight of these eleven men? There might be other words, but one that we can use is the weakness of the flesh caused by “depravity.”
Like Thaddaeus Judas, you were born a sinner – spiritually dead.
There is nothing that you can do about that condition but to cast yourself before the feet of Christ. You cannot make yourself live, when you are already spiritually dead. You cannot make your heart honest when it is “deceitful and desperately wicked.” You cannot undo the transgressions – the sins – that you have committed against God. You, like all the rest of us – you need to be born again – regenerated by the Spirit of God. That is the work of the Lord, and I can only exhort you to repent of your sin and to put your faith in Christ to save you.
Assuming that you your trust is in Christ and that you have the forgiveness of God through the sacrifice that the Son of God has made for your sin, now you will find new problems. Your depravity remains, just as we see it in the disciples here. But, praise God, there is the blessing and power of the Lord to offset it. As we yield to Christ, listen to God’s Word, and follow the Holy Spirit there can be some degree of victory over our Adamic, sinful nature – our depravity. But the only solution begins and ends in the Lord Jesus Christ. We need the Saviour and His salvation; and as Christians we need the Lord’s constant care – or we too will embarrass ourselves, as Peter and the disciples did that night.