BELOVED OR TRAITOR: WHAT COMES AFTER YOUR COMMA?

July 26, 2016

BELOVED OR TRAITOR: WHAT COMES AFTER YOUR COMMA?

Luke 6:12–19

Scott Kedersha

Central Truth

We all have nicknames or descriptions that help bring clarity to our names. Sometimes they are negative, and sometimes positive. Judas' descriptor is one that sticks to him throughout eternity: Judas, "who became a traitor."

What do you want as your descriptor?

And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. (Luke 6:13-16)

The Twelve Apostles

12 In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. 13 And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: 14 Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, 15 and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, 16 and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Jesus Ministers to a Great Multitude

17 And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, 18 who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19 And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.

Much can be drawn from this short passage in Luke. My first observation revolves around the fact that Jesus went away to pray before making a MAJOR decision. Even the Son of God chose to spend time in prayer with the Father before selecting His apostles. While Jesus has many disciples, He chose 12 ordinary men to be His small group of men (community group). Application: Spend time in prayer before making decisions. Trust the Father and lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Second observation: The way Luke chooses to describe Judas: "Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor." An accurate description, but I thought how miserable for that to be the tagline associated with your name for the rest of your life. Several of the apostles have multiple nicknames or descriptions that come after their comma (as revealed in Luke or other books), so Judas is not alone:

Simon, a/k/a Peter, a/k/a Cephas or rock
James & John, a/k/a sons of Zebedee or Sons of Thunder
John, a/k/a the beloved disciple
Thomas, a/k/a Didymus, a/k/a “twin" a/k/a Doubting Thomas

You and I have nicknames or descriptions after our comma as well. We call my third son “NooNoo.” My fraternity brothers called me “Chewy,” and now many of my friends call me “Scotty." Sometimes a nickname follows the comma, and sometimes a description follows.

Judas receives the unfortunate description as the one who became a traitor. We see his legacy fleshed out in Luke 22. We see how he betrayed His leader, the Son of God. Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor, turns out to be an accurate and unfortunate description for Judas.

How would you like for Traitor to be your nickname? Your legacy? Your tombstone inscription?

What comes after your comma? Are you a traitor? An adulterer? A pervert? An angry man? A controlling wife?

For the first 24 years of my life, these descriptors came after my comma: pervert, angry, selfish, fake, LOST.

When I was 24 years old, Jesus changed my name and my life. He changed the description after the comma from all of the above to: son (Galatians 4:5), no longer condemned (Romans 8:1-2), redeemed, beloved (Ephesians 5:1), FOUND (Luke 15).

How about you? Beloved or Traitor: What comes after your comma?

1. Do you spend time in prayer before making major decisions? How does this play out in your life?

2. What's your nickname?

3. What were some of the words that came after your comma before knowing Jesus as your Savior? What are they now after trusting in Christ for the forgiveness of your sins?

4. Application: Tweet out what comes after your comma along with #JoinTheJourney. Let's let the world know how Jesus has radically changed what comes after your comma. I'll start. Today, you'll see a tweet from me that says @skedersha — Beloved, redeemed, grateful. #JoinTheJourney