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Mt. Baker Beacon - 2025
Vol. 04, No. 23
A NIGHT OF DARKNESS!
(By Louis J. Sharp)
We are thinking of the night of Jesus' betrayal, by Judas Iscariot. What a terrible night of darkness that night was! Jesus had broken the news to His disciples: “Verily, verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray Me. He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it ... He gave it to Judas Iscariot... then said, 7hat thou doest do it quickly. He then that received the sop went immediately out: and it was night” (John 13:21, 26-27, 30). Yes, this is a brief description of a night of gloom and despair. Have you considered what Judas left, when he went out that night?
First, he left his friends. Dark it is indeed, for he who has no friends. We sometimes observe those who seem to be all alone. They have forfeited their friends for other things throughout their lives. These loners sometimes boast, “I need no friends. I can handle everything all by myself.” But the time will come when friends are very necessary to our well being. All of us need true friends.
Secondly, he lost all hope. Hope is so essential to our physical and mental health. It is that which keeps us keeping on! It is the blessed hope that we possess. The Hebrew writer describes it as “an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast”“ (6:19). The individual who has no hope is, indeed, one to be pitied. There was no hope left for Judas, when he went out into the darkness of that night.
Thirdly, and worst of all, he left his Savior. How utterly hopeless we are without Christ. As we read of Judas' action, we may ask, “How could he do it?” I suggest to you that Judas did it the same way that erring Christians have rejected Christ today. They simply turn their backs to Him, and feel that they no longer have any need for Him. Because of their love for the world, and the things of this world (I John 2:15-16), they long for these things more than they long for Christ. How sad it is, for those who once knew the Lord, and were faithfully serving Him, to turn again to the “beggarly elements of this world” (See 2 Peter 2:20-22). The divine record declares it would be better for that man, that he had never been born. Those who turn away from Christ, emulate the deeds of Judas.
Finally, Judas left life. In despair, Judas went out and hung himself. His vivid memory was that “he had betrayed innocent blood” (Matthew 27:4). Like Judas, many commit spiritual suicide day by day. How many are now “crucifying the Son of God afresh... putting Him to open shame”? (Hebrews 6:6) Do not go as far as Judas did, in destroying your last hope. Turn back to God, while time and opportunity are still yours. Repent, and pray God for forgiveness. He will Hear!!!
--Adapted
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SENTENCE SERMONS ABOUT JUDAS
- He dipped with Christ—but dined with Satan.
- Judas traded the Savior for silver—and lost both.
- He followed the Light, but walked into darkness.
- He sold the Bread of Life—and died hungry.
- He kissed the door of heaven—but embraced the path to perdition.
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A HOLY PRIESTHOOD WHOLLY DRESSED: GODLY APPAREL TIED TO OUR IDENTITY
1 Peter 2:5-10
This week, we begin a timely and reverent study titled “A Holy Priesthood, Wholly Dressed.” As Christians, we are called not only to serve God as His royal priesthood but also to reflect His holiness in how we live and present ourselves. This first lesson explores how our identity in Christ shapes our understanding of godly dress.
- What was the law foreshadowing? (Hebrews 10:1)
- According to Titus 2:5 and 2:10, what did Paul urge women and bondservants to consider about how their actions reflect on the word and doctrine of God?
- What kind of priesthood does the apostle identify the church as? (1 Peter 2:5)
- According to Exodus 28:2, what purpose did Aaron’s holy garments serve in his role as high priest?
- Psalm 29:2, “Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in the ____________ of ____________.”
- What kind of priesthood does the apostle identify the church as? (1 Peter 2:9)
- What words were engraved on the gold plate worn on Aaron’s turban, and what did God say would happen if he failed to wear it? (Exodus 28:36–38)
- What does Peter say we were called out of and into? (1 Peter 2:9)
- What kind of house does the apostle identify the church as? (1 Peter 2:5)
THOUGHT QUESTION: What imagery does Zechariah 14:20–21 use to describe the holiness of God’s people, and how should this shape the way we view every part of our daily lives?
FROM FIG LEAVES TO FAITHFULNESS: MODESTY’S ORIGINAL STORY
1 Timothy 2:9-15
To understand modesty, we must go back to where clothing began—in the Garden of Eden. When sin entered the world, man’s instinctive solution was fig leaves, but God provided a better covering that addressed both shame and holiness. In this lesson, we’ll explore how the origin of clothing reveals God's enduring standard and why it still matters today.
- According to Jesus, what foundational moment in history defines the meaning of marriage? (Matthew 19:4–6, 8)
- What foundation did Paul appeal to when teaching about gender roles and authority? (1 Corinthians 14:34; 1 Timothy 2:11–14)
- Where should we look to understand God’s purpose and pattern for clothing and modesty? (1 Timothy 2:9–15)
- After Adam and Eve sinned, what change did they experience, and what solution did they attempt on their own? (Genesis 3:6–10)
- What did God judge as “not enough” to cover Adam and Eve’s shame?
- What was God’s remedy to the problem? (Genesis 3:21)?
- Scholars understand that the tunic was a shirt-like garment that covered the body from the shoulders to the ____________________.
Romans 13:14,
“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”
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