Today I taught in Luke 22 and we learned about the new covenant that Jesus makes and about the passover meal and we studied the significance of Jesus at this meal being the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world. Yet as I reflect on the teaching and all the dynamics of what I could have said or should have said, I am cycling around about Judas. This guy weirds me out. I have wrote some thoughts your invited to dialogue with me and even contend differently as I am open to grow. I don't know everything but I am working out some theological ambiguities regarding evil and God using it for his benefit. We learned that everyone in the room is not always on the same page. Jesus is instituting the Greatest of all the covenants for God to give to mankind in the passover meal. He says with fervent desire I have wanted to have this meal with you. The passion of Jesus in that statement this the whole reason for him to come to Earth as a man to be our kinsman redeemer is to institute a New Covenant. Yet the audience is not on the same page as we see how they were arguing over who would be the greatest in the kingdom. They were bickering like little kids while God is initiating this awesome most marvelous work about to happen for all humanity and the guys are shooting dirty looks and gesturing and all. One of the disciples is sitting there as Satan incarnate. Now talk about a strange meal to have here. Luke 22:3 says Satan entered Judas. Now here is God the Son sitting having a last supper meal instituting the new covenant and Satan is in the room. In another gospel Jesus is hand feeding him bread. (Talk about keep your friends close and you enemies closer) It didn't seem to bother Jesus. He even told the evil one, "Um hello, this is your que now go out and do some betraying stuff." The evil one was like, "ahh oh yea." But he took the passover he ate the passover lamb and the disciples had no clue at all it was Judas. They lived for three years together, Men living for three years together kind of get to know each other. Yet Judas had their trust. The Gospel of John tells us he was pilfering the cash box. The thing that really gets me is Jesus knew the whole time. He allowed evil to exist for a purpose. HE ALLOWED EVIL TO EXIST FOR A PURPOSE.
He really allowed evil to exist for a purpose. Now God did not create evil nor does he condone evil behavior in humans. But we do have the story in 1 King 22:22, "And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade [him], and prevail also: go forth, and do so." God allows evil to be used as a tool to forward his agenda to carry out his sovereign plan. That blows me away. Yet remember he is God and we are not. We are to be spirit led and not power hungry. Judas is not a victim here as many want to make him out to be. Judas is an evil man that was not normal. He seeing God doing miracles and healing people and speaking truth. Judas exchanged the truth for a lie and sought the riches of Earth over heaven. Some try to say he had an agenda to force Jesus' hand to make him revolt. There is no scriptural evidence to support that. Judas felt sorry but he was not repentant for his sin. There is a huge difference to feel sorry for your self and to change and make amends and do what is right. He was so self absorbed and shamed he committed suicide. Jesus' own commentary on Judas was, "it would have been better had he never been born." Can you imagine to have God say that about your life. Yikes. True repentance comes when we are sorry for our sin and turn away from it and do it no more. We have a desire to make things right like Zacheaus did after meeting with the Lord. Now getting back to the evil for hire purpose. I can see evidence that what is prophecies in scripture has to include God allowing evil to be used for his purposes to be carried out. That may explain how God got the sovereign title, because He is. I was just pondering that and then thinking about ministering in a pagan land. Jesus tells us to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Does that mean God is telling us to go and do likewise? That is something to think about. The great commission is what we are about but are we using all means necessary to achieve that goal? I seems to me God did.
Today I taught in Luke 22 and we learned about the new covenant that Jesus makes and about the passover meal and we studied the significance of Jesus at this meal being the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world. Yet as I reflect on the teaching and all the dynamics of what I could have said or should have said, I am cycling around about Judas. This guy weirds me out. I have wrote some thoughts your invited to dialogue with me and even contend differently as I am open to grow. I don't know everything but I am working out some theological ambiguities regarding evil and God using it for his benefit. We learned that everyone in the room is not always on the same page. Jesus is instituting the Greatest of all the covenants for God to give to mankind in the passover meal. He says with fervent desire I have wanted to have this meal with you. The passion of Jesus in that statement this the whole reason for him to come to Earth as a man to be our kinsman redeemer is to institute a New Covenant. Yet the audience is not on the same page as we see how they were arguing over who would be the greatest in the kingdom. They were bickering like little kids while God is initiating this awesome most marvelous work about to happen for all humanity and the guys are shooting dirty looks and gesturing and all. One of the disciples is sitting there as Satan incarnate. Now talk about a strange meal to have here. Luke 22:3 says Satan entered Judas. Now here is God the Son sitting having a last supper meal instituting the new covenant and Satan is in the room. In another gospel Jesus is hand feeding him bread. (Talk about keep your friends close and you enemies closer) It didn't seem to bother Jesus. He even told the evil one, "Um hello, this is your que now go out and do some betraying stuff." The evil one was like, "ahh oh yea." But he took the passover he ate the passover lamb and the disciples had no clue at all it was Judas. They lived for three years together, Men living for three years together kind of get to know each other. Yet Judas had their trust. The Gospel of John tells us he was pilfering the cash box. The thing that really gets me is Jesus knew the whole time. He allowed evil to exist for a purpose. HE ALLOWED EVIL TO EXIST FOR A PURPOSE. 
He really allowed evil to exist for a purpose. Now God did not create evil nor does he condone evil behavior in humans. But we do have the story in 1 King 22:22, "And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade [him], and prevail also: go forth, and do so." God allows evil to be used as a tool to forward his agenda to carry out his sovereign plan. That blows me away. Yet remember he is God and we are not. We are to be spirit led and not power hungry. Judas is not a victim here as many want to make him out to be. Judas is an evil man that was not normal. He seeing God doing miracles and healing people and speaking truth. Judas exchanged the truth for a lie and sought the riches of Earth over heaven. Some try to say he had an agenda to force Jesus' hand to make him revolt. There is no scriptural evidence to support that. Judas felt sorry but he was not repentant for his sin. There is a huge difference to feel sorry for your self and to change and make amends and do what is right. He was so self absorbed and shamed he committed suicide. Jesus' own commentary on Judas was, "it would have been better had he never been born." Can you imagine to have God say that about your life. Yikes. True repentance comes when we are sorry for our sin and turn away from it and do it no more. We have a desire to make things right like Zacheaus did after meeting with the Lord. Now getting back to the evil for hire purpose. I can see evidence that what is prophecies in scripture has to include God allowing evil to be used for his purposes to be carried out. That may explain how God got the sovereign title, because He is. I was just pondering that and then thinking about ministering in a pagan land. Jesus tells us to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Does that mean God is telling us to go and do likewise? That is something to think about. The great commission is what we are about but are we using all means necessary to achieve that goal? I seems to me God did.
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