There Is A Way

(Luke 22:47-53 KJV)  "And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him. {48} But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss? {49} When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword? {50} And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. {51} And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him. {52} Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves? {53} When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness."

There is a text that goes with today's reading of the Scripture, which is in found - nearly word for word and identical in the King James Version of the Bible, in:

(Proverbs 14:12 KJV)  "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."

(Proverbs 16:25 KJV)  "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."

As our Lord Jesus Christ approached the end of His earthly ministry, as He ended His soulful prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane - a place where grapes were pressed to make wine - He would be approached - even accosted - by three types of people. These three types of people would all believe, in their hearts and in their minds, that they were doing the right thing. Each would believe that their actions would bring blessing on themselves or on others. Their way would seem, in their minds, RIGHT. Yet the results that they would gather would not be right, but would be terrible, ungodly, and for some who were unrepentant - death bringing.

I want you to understand this, beloved of God - their actions would be wrong for they would stem from the flesh and not from God. Yet here is the mystery. Just as Gethsemane was a place where grapes were taken and stomped, extracting the golden juice from the flesh by that brutal process - just as the flesh stomped the grape, the Father would use each of these three types of person to crush our Lord Jesus, and by that crushing bring forth eternal life for all who believe in Him. As we examine the persons I do not want you to forget that Our God, Almighty in His power, remains in control at all times. Though the world may seem a dark place - and I'm certain that Gethsemane appeared the darkest place on earth that morning, God retained control of the situation. Bear this in mind, Beloved!

1. The Way of Judas Seemeth Right

(Luke 22:47-48 KJV)  "And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him. {48} But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?"

 Here was the first type of person who came to Jesus to stomp Him as grapes for wine. Here was Judas, one of the honored Twelve Apostles, one of those chosen to sit on the front row of the Church while the Master taught.

At the time our Lord walked the face of this earth there were two groups of religious people who existed in Israel. No, I don’t refer to the Sadducees and the Pharisees – these were two groups, but not the groups I speak of. There were those who looked in the Scripture and awaited the return of the conquering Messiah. These looked for the Son of Judah, Messiah Ben Judah, and expected Jesus, when He came, to overthrow the dreaded Roman Army and free the Children of Israel once more. This was the first group. The second group were those who had studied the Scriptures and awaited the return of the suffering Messiah, the Messiah who would pay for the sins of His people. These looked for Messiah Ben Joseph, the suffering Savior, and could not see Israel freed from Rome until Israel was first freed from sin and arrogance.

Judas Iscariot was of the first group. He looked for Messiah Ben Judah, the roaring Lion of Judah, come to lead Israel out of her bondage and – stomping Rome – leading her into freedom and prosperity. Judas joined with the Apostles when Jesus called because He believed that He was Ben Judah, not Ben Joseph. Judas joined with one expectation, that “way that seemeth right”, but as he walked with the Savior it seemed, as day passed into day, that he had joined with Christ too soon. Judas slowly became dissatisfied with Jesus. When Jesus taught “turn the other cheek”:

(Matthew 5:39 KJV)  "But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also."

Judas, in his heart, thought – “Turn the other cheek! How can we do that? We cannot defeat Rome by turning the other cheek. What is the Master talking of?” When Judas heard Jesus teach:

(Matthew 5:41 KJV)  "And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain."

He mind surely revolted at this concept. In Rome the soldier had the authority to have you carry his pack for up to a mile. To the Jew who believed in Messiah Ben Judah, to carry the enemy’s pack for a mile was heinous, disgraceful, anathema! And here Jesus told Judas, “If the soldier asks, don’t carry the pack just one mile, carry it two – go beyond what you are asked!”  As time passed Judas became more and more disillusioned with Jesus. Where was Messiah Ben Judah? This One whom he followed spoke like Messiah Ben Joseph, not like Messiah Ben Judah. He became dissatisfied.

There are many in our Churches that are like Judas Iscariot. They join with Jesus and with the Church because they saw a self serving opportunity. Perhaps they join to gain fame and a following. Perhaps they joined because they saw an opportunity to gain assistance in their own private cause. These are the wolves in sheep’s clothing that our Master warns us against:

(Matthew 7:15 KJV)  "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves."

They may be in positions of power, may be at the head of the line, but insofar as they have walked away from God’s agenda they are NOT of us. Judas was of that cloth. He wore the title of “disciple”, and was numbered with the Apostles – yet he had his own agenda. When that agenda was not satisfied he made a fateful decision to betray our Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. The heathen did not approach Judas, but Judas approached the heathen. Dissatisfaction grew in his heart over Jesus. Perhaps, as Jesus walked the earth, loving and healing people, Judas became dissatisfied and began to rationalize his betrayal of Jesus in his mind. “How dare Jesus teach love? Maybe if I betray Him, He’ll wake up and become Messiah Ben Judah. If He does, then good! If not, then He deserves to suffer and die!”

Judas way seemed right to Him, yet it was not right. His way would end in death – his own death – though our Father would use his betrayal to give us all eternal life, if only we believe.

2. The Way of Peter Seemeth Right

(Luke 22:50-51 KJV)  "And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. {51} And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him."

The second person that though he was doing good was Peter, Jesus’ chief Apostle. Though our text in Luke doesn't’t identify who cut off the soldier’s ear, the other Gospel of John make it clear that it was Peter:

(John 18:10-11 KJV)  "Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. {11} Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?"

How often in my life have I thought it wise to defend God! Judas did the evil that he did because he was disillusioned with the Messiah, but Peter did the evil that he did because he was confused over what Jesus’ mission really was. Jesus will return one day as Messiah Ben Judah. He will return with all His saints to deliver Israel from the Anti-Christ’s threat, and He will, with all who believe, set up a Millennial Kingdom on this earth. On that blessed day:

(Isaiah 11:6-9 KJV)  "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. {7} And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. {8} And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. {9} They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea."

And further:

(Isaiah 65:25 KJV)  "The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD."

That day shall come, Beloved of God. Christ shall rule and reign on the earth, and we who believe in Him shall rule and reign with Him.

When Peter saw the crowd of soldiers coming the first thought in his mind was, “Protect Jesus, protect Him from harm”. This was a noble thought, insofar as the flesh is concerned, but it was not the thought of God. Though it hurts us to think on it, it was necessary for Jesus to be captured. Though, in my mind’s eye, I cringe in shame at the thought of Jesus nailed up on that scarred and bloody tree, His sacrifice was necessary for you and for me. Peter thought that he was doing right, but had he succeeded in what he attempted he would have cast all of humanity into eternal damnation! Had Peter protected Jesus from the shame, the horror of the Cross, we would yet be lost in our sins.

In the flesh the humanly thing often seems most noble, yet what seems noble apart from God is ignoble, cursed, abominable, and all that is unseemly and evil. Peter’s heart was in the right place, but his will was outside of the Will of God. Peter’s Way seemeth right, but his way, if he got it, would only lead to the ways of death.

3. The Way of The Crowd Seemeth Right

(Luke 22:52-53 KJV)  "Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves? {53} When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness."

The third and final person to present himself in this passage is the person of the Crowd. The Crowd was composed of a number of people, with a variety of jobs and ideas and callings. The Crowd had the very RELIGIOUS, the chief priests. These were people who should have known that Jesus was Messiah Ben Joseph. These were educated people, people who were so called doctors in their religious fields of study – yet they were as unaware of Jesus’ role in God’s Plan as any heathen would be. The crowd had the very MILITANT, the captains of the Temple, soldiers who were commissioned to protect the Temple as an asset of God. These people had dedicated their lives to protecting the Holy, yet now, because of unbelief, they would become instruments that would sacrifice the Holiest of all, Jesus Christ our Lord. Finally, the crowd had the very SENIOR, the elders, people who should have known Jesus but did not know Jesus.

The crowd, composed of religious people, militant people, and elders, this crowd thought that they were defending God. They believed Jesus to be a blasphemer, not Messiah Ben Joseph, nor Messiah Ben Judah. No, they thought that, by destroying Jesus, they would protect the Temple and the things of God. Their way, to them, seemeth right, but their way would only lead to their own personal eternal loss.

Conclusion

In our world today it seems like, in America at least, the Ways of God are slowly being traded for the Ways of Man. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, if you have been saved by faith in the Perfect Sacrifice that He made for you on Calvary, then believer – keep looking up. Refuse to live your life like Judas, who became disillusioned with Jesus. Refuse to live your life like Peter, who used his own resources – a sword – instead of God’s resources when the going got rough. And by all means, refuse to follow the Crowd.

Do you remember what Jesus said about following the Crowd? He said:

(Matthew 7:13-14 KJV)  "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: {14} Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

It’s so sad when the Church of Jesus Christ caters to the Crowd. When we modify the things that Jesus taught so that they will be more palatable to the unbeliever. The Crowd cannot be catered to. Jesus never catered to the Crowd.

Had He done so, we would all be yet lost in our sins. And when we cater to the Crowd in the Assembly of the Saints, souls are lost to eternal damnation.

Be the Light, believer. The world needs the Light of Jesus, and we who know Him must shine for Him so that all can see His Way, a way that leads to life everlasting.

Amen.