Pastor's Ponderings: Tuesday Bible Study on Acts of the Apostles 1:12-20 (July 22, 2025)

July 22, 2025:  Tuesday Bible Study on Acts of the Apostles 1:12-20

Good morning, and good afternoon. I am starting a little late today. I had a difficult night of little sleep, so I finally really got back to sleep around 8 this morning. My news is that I am not a good solid sleeper, except that I usually get off to sleep well at about 3AM. Please keep the Middle East, both Jews and Moslems, as they continue to rain harm down upon one another. Peace there is so difficult when the peacemakers are out acted by those who want more destruction and havoc. Now it seems that the whole of the Middle East, perhaps except for Jordan, is readying itself for on-going conflict. As with all wars, as we know, there are no winners. Every nation involved loses. I can't tell you how many World War II soldiers have told me over the years that in the reality of war, everyone loses. So, please continue to pray for everyone involved for peace to fill their hearts and minds.

In our passage from chapter one of the Acts today, we see another group that has been impacted by its one misled member. And it is here that we get a fuller accounting of how things have continued to move forward after Christ's Ascension. The disciples head back to the upper room where they have been staying, and the news about Judas is that he purchased land with his ill-gotten gains where he fell to his death spoiling the land forever. A note about additional thinking on this. Some sources indicate that Judas died on pristine land owned by the priests of the Temple, which meant it could never be used as their own burial site, being considered unclean for that purpose any longer. Her we also discover the names of the Apostles, discover that there are at this time about 120 followers, that there are women in this group, and Mary, Christ's mother is with them too, which only makes good sense since she has been taken on by John as his own mother at the request of Christ as he is crucified on the cross.  So here are the chances for Christianity to spread. there were altogether about 120 disciples, most of whom had never been outside of Palestine, and who were under that direct control of the Roman government as conquered nationals of Israel. That would have been less than 1 out of 30,000 were new Christians called to share the Gospel. At least here we know the result. As we move forward in Acts, we discover that there was little success in this endeavor in Palestine (Israel). The most effective outreach of this group would be through Paul and a few others who struck out to take the Good News out of Palestine, and indeed Paul's newly started communities of faith would respond to a request for an offering to support the Jerusalem community of faith which was having little to no success.  But what we are probably most interested in is Judas, and the outcome of taking his own life in grief and guilt.

Why did Judas betray Christ?

1. It has been suggested that his name Iscariot, implied and meant man of Kerioth. So perhaps Judas was the only non-Galilean in the band of apostles. Perhaps he always felt himself the odd one out in this group of men, growing increasingly embittered causing him to strike out in frustration.

2. It has been suggested that this deal that Judas struck with the priests also had to do with him receiving a deal which would save him from some illegal undertaking in which he had taken part.

3. Maybe Judas was just greedy for money. That is certainly a common problem which we see all around us in our own 21st century world today.

4. Perhaps Judas came to truly despise Jesus during the time that they were together, a feeling that he could hide from the others in the group except for Jesus who even saw Nathaniel under that tree before calling him to answer Christ's call. Jesus knew Judas' heart.

5. It has been suggested that Iscariot was a form of Greek word which meant dagger bearer. That group in the time of Jesus was known for its radical and violent actions as zealots in Israel. Judas may have seen in Jesus a possible powerful leader for this group, but after Jesus constantly preached a Gospel of Love and Grace, he became frustrated and angry with Christ, seeing the opportunity to make some money would at least get something out of his time with Jesus to support Judas' political and violent acts against the Romans, and even perhaps the government of Israel. 

6. But most likely of all is that Judas never really understood the motives of the priests, and that his own actions would bring about the death of Jesus. Considering that Judas killed himself after Christ's death on the cross, tells us that his own grief must have been unbearable. His actions in the Scriptures place him as one of the most evil characters in history.

However, even in that, it is not Judas upon whom we focus on in this tragedy. It is the suffering, death, and subsequent Resurrection of Christ, which assures all of us of the gift of Salvation and triumph over death. How many other stories do you and I know of how small groups of people have a task before them that seems insurmountable  and then they fail, but this small group of believers has the power of the living Christ, and the everyday presence in life of Christ's Spirit guiding them on their way, and guiding us on our way to serve the Gospel of Jesus Christ too.

With love in Christ, and by His Grace and Compassion, Pastor Kim