Wickedness and the Wonderful Plan of God

There is no greater question that faces the Christian faith than the why of wickedness. How can a God so good allow a world so dark? This morning, there are children waking up sore from the beatings that they took last night. There are wives plotting how to remove their families from dangerous situations and husbands wondering why they have been abandoned. In third world countries like Swaziland, there are orphans being offered as human sacrifices and families that go days between meals. Our prisons are overpopulated, and our churches are half empty. And, all of these heart-wrenching realities serve as ever present reminders of what we know to be true: Wickedness is all around us. Wickedness is in us. And so, more than a few people point to these realities and question the reality of God.

But, what I want us to see and what I think our passage is going to show this morning is that wickedness doesn’t dismiss God; it points to his wonder. Sin came because we rebelled, but sin came as a servant to God. I think of stories like John Hall, an elder in our church. As a teenager, John was arrested and placed in a juvenile detention center. It wouldn’t have been difficult to find someone that would tell you that John was headed toward a life of deviance. Yet today, John preaches the gospel in the detention centers as one of the pastors of his church. The wickedness in John’s life and in John’s world now only serve to highlight just how wonderful the plan of God really is. This morning, we’re going to see this in HD as we jump back into .

God’s Word

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v. 1 “When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus” Matthew is laying out his book in an exact way. He’s laying it out so that we’re able to make connections in the story of Jesus that the naked eye might miss, since we weren’t there. He’s laying it out so that we can see all of the drama within the drama that we might truly understand the full glory of the plan of God to redeem his people. You’ll remember that the leaders of Israel have been conspiring to eliminate Jesus for some time now. Matthew tells us that they aimed to do this explicitly all the way back in chapter 12, but since He’s come into Jerusalem for the Passover, it’s been in full force. They’ve decided that the timing is right, and after a number of failed attempts to show him up in public through a smear campaign, they struck a deal with one of his own disciples, Judas, to betray him into their hands. Over the course of Thursday night and into Friday, Jesus is before the Sanhedrin in a kangaroo court with false witnesses slandering him. The Law required the court to make a decision by daybreak, and we see in verse 1 that they barely made the deadline. And so, that’s the big picture story. But now, Matthew takes an aside to draw us in to the story within the story. He brings Judas, the betrayer, back into the picture so that we can learn greater detail about the plan of God and greater insight into the person of Christ. I want us to spend our time this morning looking at the main characters and their responses (headline) in this inner story.

The “Wicked Remorse” of Judas

v. 3 “Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver...” The first character and response he draws our attention to is the “wicked remorse” of Judas. Now, you’d think that by now that Judas would be on the lamb on the beaches of Thailand with his 30 pieces of silver. Turns out he hasn’t spent a penny of it. Judas is still in town, and he’s still paying attention to what’s going on in the conspiracy to eliminate Jesus, the very man he betrayed. And, there’s an unexpected turn made by Judas. He changes his mind. He decides that he’s made a horrible decision, and he wants to undo this terrible thing that he’s done. Have you ever done something terrible that was irreversible? Maybe you said something you couldn’t unsay or did something that you couldn’t undo. You can relate to Judas here. He returns back to the very men that he handed Jesus over to, and he tells them that he’s made a terrible mistake. He’s condemned an innocent man. He wants them to take back the silver, but they want to maintain plausible deniability. They want all of this to go away. They cover their eyes, and say, “What money?” And so, Judas just heaves it at them and runs away.

The Innocence of Jesus

v. 4 “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood” Matthew wants us to make some comparisons here, and I want us to make at least two with Judas. First, look at Judas in comparison to Jesus. Jesus was “innocent” but “condemned” while Judas was “guilty” yet “prosperous”. Think about what it means that Judas declares Jesus innocent to the chief priests. There has never been a man in all of human history that stood to gain more than Judas from Jesus being a fraud. Jesus’ guilt would justify Judas’ actions, even showing them to be noble. He would be keeping people from being led astray by this charlatan that was leading others astray with manipulation and propaganda. His turning over of Jesus would be viewed by history as heroic rather than heinous. He could live the rest of his life with the satisfaction of knowing that he did the right thing, the hard thing when the rubber met the road. Not only did he stand the most to gain, but he had a front row seat to know the truth. He traveled with Jesus and managed Jesus’ finances as the treasurer. He was around Jesus 24 hours a day for three years. He witnessed those alleged miracles. He heard Jesus teach. And, he knew the real, behind-the-scenes Jesus. If anybody could identify Jesus as a fraud, it was Judas. Yet, Judas’ declaration to the leaders of Israel is profound one: Jesus was innocent! Jesus was real! Jesus was not deserving of the chains that bound him or the cross that faced him.

The Wicked May Prosper and the Righteous May Suffer

APPLICATION: We learn so much about the plan of God here! On earth, the wicked may prosper, and the righteous may suffer. Judas had a new windfall — 30 pieces of silver. He’d been living homeless with Jesus, and now, his pockets are full of silver. Judas isn’t facing death; he’s living in freedom. All of the other disciples are running for their lives, and Judas is the only one that’s able come and go as he pleases. Yet, he is the betrayer. He is the one doing the work of Satan. He is the one living in utter wickedness. And then, there’s Jesus. He’s bound in chains, condemned by his own people. He’s healed and fed and taught and loved; yet, he will be stripped of the very clothes he’s wearing so that his back can be beaten until the flesh comes out. He’s loved his people, yet He’s hated by them. He’s come to save, yet they condemn him. See the plan of God, church family. The wicked may prosper in this world. The wicked may live in greater freedom in this world. The wicked may be more celebrated in this world, and the children of God may suffer. But, this story isn’t over. Resurrection is coming. The last will finish first and the first will finish last.

Unbiased Declaration of Innocence

APPLICATION: God’s plan is here for us to see! Maybe you’d say, “Of course, Peter and John and Paul would tell us that Jesus is true. Of course, Jesus would declare himself as the true Son of God.” But, what will you do with the declaration of Judas? What will you do with a declaration that is sealed by his own suicide? Judas had nothing to gain and everything to lose by Jesus being innocent, yet he declares, “I have betrayed innocent blood!” Judas’ unbiased declaration is a powerful testament that Jesus was a worthy sacrifice. He could not take my place or yours if He had guilt of his own. He could not be a substitute for our sin if He was sinful. Yet, from the most unlikely source, the worthiness of Christ, the purity of Christ is championed as Christ is declared innocent by his very own betrayer. Won’t you place your faith in Him?

Remorse Verses Repentance

v. 26:75 “he went out and wept bitterly” v. 5 “he went and hanged himself” But, there’s another comparison that Matthew wants us to make with Judas. We can tell this because of how he’s laid out his book. It’s likely this is not in chronological order, but rather after Jesus’ official condemnation; yet, Matthew places it here. Why? He wants us to compare Judas and Peter in our minds. Just think of it. By the time Matthew’s gospel was written, Peter was preaching, performing miracles, and the foremost leader of the first century church. Yet, right at the end of chapter 26, we see that in Jesus’ great time of struggle, Peter who had said he would fight for Jesus to the death, betrays him. Peter denies that he even knows Jesus, cowering down in the presence of a mere servant girl. Yet, this all would result in Judas hanging from a rope, remembered as a servant of Satan, while Peter would go on to preach and live in great power and service to the Lord. Both betray Jesus. Both are overcome by their treachery. So, what’s the difference?

APPLICATION: The difference between Judas and Peter is the difference between “remorse” and “repentance”. Paul says in “9 As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. 10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” That’s the difference between Peter who is restored and used, and Judas who is condemned and self-hanged. Wicked remorse looks within. It’s self-absorbed and self-sufficient. Godly repentance looks to Christ. It’s dependent upon God’s mercy and God’s power. Judas’ sorrow didn’t bring him back to Jesus. Judas didn’t turn him to God; He turned to himself to fix it. Judas’ shame didn’t produce belief, but despair. But, Peter sought Christ’s restoration and Christ’s mercy. The goal of the Christian life is not to live in “guilt”; it’s to live in “freedom”. God doesn’t desire for us to simply feel bad about our sin and keep feeling bad for our sin. Jesus didn’t come to induce guilt; He came to absorb it on our behalf. He sent Christ so that our bad would drive us into the goodness of Christ where we would abandon guilt for joy, oppression for freedom. Judas looked within and saw no hope. Peter looked to Christ and was set free. Are you remorseful over your sin, or are you repentant?

The “Wicked Resolve” of the Priests and Elders

They were

They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.”

v. 4 “They (chief priests and the elders) said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” After Judas, Matthew brings our attention to the “wicked resolve” of the priests and elders. They’ve been plotting and conspiring since Jesus arrived in Jerusalem in chapter 21. (v. 1) By the time Friday, rolls around they are resolved that nothing will stop them. Not a guilty conscience. Not buyers remorse. Not the Roman gov’t. And so, they dispatch guilty Judas, and they ignore Jesus’ innocence because they can taste blood. They are resolved in their hypocrisy and resolved in their hardheartedness.

The Hypocrisy of the Priests

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Mt 27:4). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

“It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money.” They were resolved in their “hypocrisy”. First of all, you’ll notice in verse one that it says they ‘took counsel to put him to death.’ You see, they had condemned Jesus in their own courts, saying that he must be executed for blasphemy, but they had not political power to actually follow through. The Romans didn’t allow their subservient states to have control over the death penalty so that they wouldn’t be allowed to execute Roman sympathizers. That’s why governors like Pontius Pilate were there. And, the Roman government couldn’t care less about the Jewish law of blasphemy and would have been unwilling to execute Jesus over such a charge. They’ve condemned him, but they’re a long way from actually seeing him executed. So, they ‘take counsel’ with one another so that they can come up with a proper scheme that will make Jesus appear dangerous to the rule of the Romans so that they will be willing to execute him. That’s why when they bring him to Pilate the question will be, “Are you King of the Jews?” It’s a question of authority and civil unrest. So, they’re scheming to present Jesus dishonestly so that they might get their way — all in the name of God. It’s the essence of hypocrisy.

A long these same lines of hypocrisy, you’ll notice that they are unwilling to put Judas’ blood money into the treasury. Why? Because it’s unlawful. Think of it. Now, first of all, that’s where the blood money had come from originally. So, they were differentiating that they could pay out blood money, but they couldn’t receive it. They were “particular” about every aspect of the Law, except the parts that they “broke”. They had conspired to commit murder, defiled the temple for selfish gain, and bore false witness — all gross violations of the Law of God. So, they could murder, lie, and rob God’s people, but, my goodness, they were going to draw the line at accepting blood money in the treasury. And yet, chained in their midst was the essence of purity and embodiment of holiness. He taught because He believed. He served because He loved. He lived out the very things that He taught. And, He was the one who bore the judgment of condemned.

APPLICATION: We compare much more accurately to the hypocrisy of the priests than to the purity of Jesus, don’t we? Too often, we are particular about every part of the Law, except our favorite parts to break. Those we excuse and justify, just as the priests and elders did. We condemn homosexuality while living in sexual immorality. We condemn secularism while we live in materialism. Oh, we need the purity of Jesus! We need him to reform our minds and sanctify our hearts.

The Hard Hearts of the Priests

“See to it yourself” Not only do we see their hypocrisy, but we also see they were resolved in their “hardheartedness”. Remember who this is that we’re talking about. They are the spiritual leaders of Israel. They are the shepherds for God’s flock. They’re supposed to care for them and help them walk rightly before God. And, Judas comes to them and tells them that he has betrayed an innocent man whose about to be wrongly murdered. And, how do they respond? “What’s that to us?” That’s not our problem. That’s your problem. They don’t call Judas to repentance. They don’t offer him spiritual counsel. They don’t tell him to seek forgiveness from the Lord or offer sin offering to the Lord. They say, “Get out of our faces.” They close their hearts to him and are unmoved by his despair. They are unmoved by Judas’ agony, and they are responsible!

Not only are they unmoved by Judas’ despair, but they are unmoved by his declaration of Jesus’ innocence. In fact, they seek to shift responsibility away from themselves to Judas. They say, “See to it yourself.” The NIV says it plainly, “That’s your responsibility.” They disregard Jesus’ innocence and place the responsibility on Judas’ shoulders. This gives them the best of both worlds. They eliminate Jesus, and Judas takes the fall.

Sinners Need a Fall Guy

APPLICATION: Sinners always need a fall guy, don’t they? They need parents to blame or a husband to pin their unfaithfulness to. “If it weren’t for my job, if it weren’t for my health, if it weren’t for my income, then I could do what God have for me to do. Then, I would honor the Lord with my life.” But, repentance begins with responsibility. Will you take responsibility for your sin?

Jesus Assumed Responsibility

APPLICATION: Now, compare them with Jesus. They were “refusing” responsibility for Jesus’ blood, but Jesus was in the process of “assuming” responsibility for their sin with his blood. The priests were guiding them toward guilt and death, but Jesus, the Chief Shepherd, had come to guide them to forgiveness and life. They were pinning their problems on a scapegoat, but Jesus was taking their problems upon himself as the Lamb to be slain. As Jesus stood there in chains restraining the angel armies of heaven, He was declaring to his very executioners, “Come to me, and I will take your sin upon myself. Come to me, and I will set you free. I will take responsibility for the sins of all who will come to me in repentance.” Christ has come this morning so that you can face your sin honestly. Judas tried to fix it himself, and the priests tried to pretend like everything was okay, but if we’ll come like Peter, if we’ll deal honestly with our sin, if we’ll put our hope, not in our position or in our efforts or in our justifications, but in Christ alone, He will take the responsibility so that we can repent. Look your sin in the eye this morning, and let Christ assume the responsibility.

The “Wonderful Redemption” of God

V. 10 “…as the Lord directed me” But, we haven’t even gotten to the most wonderful part yet. All of this is working together for the “wonderful redemption” of God. You see, there’s a formula for hope bubbling beneath the surface of our text this morning. It comes clearly to bear in a strange formation of prophetic quotes in verses 9-10. Jeremiah is quoted by Matthew, but it’s actually a combination of quotes from and . And, Matthew uses the “prophets” to show that none of this wickedness is by “accident”. All of it points to the truthfulness of Jesus as the Christ. Matthew is saying: “Here’s how the betrayal of Judas and the hypocrisy of the priests are Good News. Here’s how they prove Jesus is the Messiah rather than disprove it, as you might think.” Notice the very last phrase of our text: “…as the Lord directed me.” You see, Judas’ betrayal wasn’t an accident. His wicked reaction and puny remorse were no accident. It was no surprise when he threw those 30 pieces of silver into the Temple. It was no accident when the priests and elders deflected responsibility or when they bought the Potter’s Field. These were not accidents; they were fulfillments! The Lord was directing it all! The Lord was working it all!

Wicked + Wicked = Wonderful

Only God can make this formula work: “wicked” + “wicked” = “wonderful”. When Judas sells out, it appears that God isn’t there. When the priests conspire against Jesus, it appears that God isn’t there. But, God never left. God was in the middle of it all. He was making it all wonderful! God was directing it all. God was “directing” their wickedness toward his wonderful redemption! God transforms wickedness into wonderful in his Kingdom. Jesus was sold, slandered, and stabbed in the back perfectly within the will of God. He was hated, harmed, and hungry perfectly within the will of God. He was beaten down, spat upon, and hung out to dry perfectly within the will of God. Jesus suffered from the world’s wickedness, but the Father was going to make it wonderful. In this life, the wicked may prosper and the righteous may suffer, but, Christian, the resurrection is coming. God is directing it all. Some of you have done things in your life that you believe its impossible for you to come back from. You ran away from a marriage or you lost everything because of a bad decision or you’ve got secret sin that nobody knows about but you. Listen, God can make your wickedness wonderful if you’ll come to him. If you’ll look your sin in the eye and let Jesus assume the responsibility from there, God will use the memory of your past as a source of worship today. Others of you have had great wickedness done to you. You’ve been betrayed and ran out on. You’ve been abused and mistreated. You’ve faced heartache that still feels just as fresh today as it did 5 months ago or 5 years ago. But, if you’ll bring it to the Lord, God can make it wonderful. God can rest your spirit. God can use what was meant to destroy you as the catalyst for New Life. Judas thought that it was his plan that killed Jesus, and the priests thought it was their ingenuity that killed Jesus. But, it was neither. Jesus laid down his life according to the plan of God, and so, He made what was wicked into something wonderful for all who will come. This was the wonderful redemption of God.

Discussion Questions:

Why is Jesus’ innocence so important to us? Consider all the ways that Jesus is innocent in comparison to how we might call ourselves innocent (i.e. action, attitude, motive, etc.)

What is the difference between remorse that God rejects and repentance that God receives? How can we tell the difference between manmade guilt and Spirit-wrought conviction?

How are we tempted to be serious about every part of God’s word except those that we struggle with? What does that say about our hearts? What are some examples from your life?

If Jesus is willing to take responsibility for your sin, how does that change the way that you deal with it?

How did God make the wickedness of Judas and the wickedness of the priests wonderful? What does that mean for us (if we are his children)?

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