The Gospel FOR Judas
"Judas, come home. All is forgiven!"
One of my profs from Fuller, Dr. Ray Anderson saw this message scrawled with a marker on a bathroom mirror in San Fransisco.
Could the graffiti artist have been an undercover scholar with the National Geographic Society?
Last Saturday night, Cathy and I were watching the news together, when the report came on about the "breakthrough discovery" of the Gospel of Judas.
"I'll bet ___(name withheld)___ going to ask you about this tomorrow." Cathy predicted.
"Nah," I replied, "He's getting really grounded in his faith now. Even if he saw the news report, it's not going to phase him a bit."
As usual, my wife was right.
The next day after church, ___(name withheld)___ came up to me.
"Pastor! Pastor! Did you know they found the Gospel of Judas?? Isn't that amazing? We've been wrong all these years. Jesus and Judas were in cahoots on the whole deal!"
I murmered a few things about gnosticism and thought "Oh boy, we have some more grounding to do!"
Rod Pickett did a good job handling this on his blog. Al Mohler's perspective is helpful also.
You'd better not add a "Judas" insert to your Bible yet!
Although I denounce the Gospel OF Judas as just another gnostic heresy, Dr. Anderson's graffiti encouter reminds me that there is a Gospel FOR Judas!
The love and grace of our Lord Jesus extends to everyone -- and that even includes the betrayer.
On the cross, Jesus prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
Forgiveness was freely offered -- but it was up to Judas to receive it. Sadly, there is no indication that he did so.
The old puritan writer, Thomas Watson, said, "The eye is made for seeing and weeping. Unless we see our sin and weep over it as Peter, we will weep as Judas."
One of my profs from Fuller, Dr. Ray Anderson saw this message scrawled with a marker on a bathroom mirror in San Fransisco.Could the graffiti artist have been an undercover scholar with the National Geographic Society?
Last Saturday night, Cathy and I were watching the news together, when the report came on about the "breakthrough discovery" of the Gospel of Judas.
"I'll bet ___(name withheld)___ going to ask you about this tomorrow." Cathy predicted.
"Nah," I replied, "He's getting really grounded in his faith now. Even if he saw the news report, it's not going to phase him a bit."
As usual, my wife was right.
The next day after church, ___(name withheld)___ came up to me.
"Pastor! Pastor! Did you know they found the Gospel of Judas?? Isn't that amazing? We've been wrong all these years. Jesus and Judas were in cahoots on the whole deal!"
I murmered a few things about gnosticism and thought "Oh boy, we have some more grounding to do!"
Rod Pickett did a good job handling this on his blog. Al Mohler's perspective is helpful also.
You'd better not add a "Judas" insert to your Bible yet!
Although I denounce the Gospel OF Judas as just another gnostic heresy, Dr. Anderson's graffiti encouter reminds me that there is a Gospel FOR Judas!
The love and grace of our Lord Jesus extends to everyone -- and that even includes the betrayer.
On the cross, Jesus prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
Forgiveness was freely offered -- but it was up to Judas to receive it. Sadly, there is no indication that he did so.
The old puritan writer, Thomas Watson, said, "The eye is made for seeing and weeping. Unless we see our sin and weep over it as Peter, we will weep as Judas."
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