Is It Me?
Is it me? That’s the question Jesus’ disciples asked Him when He told them that one of them was going to betray Him. Is it me? Matthew 26:20-25 says: Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve. And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.
And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I? And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said.
Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus. He was a traitor for 30 pieces of silver. Judas had worldly sorrow over his sin and went out and killed himself afterwards. Even after walking with Jesus, eating with Him and not only witnessing but also performing miracles (Judas was one of the 12 that our Lord sent out to preach the Gospel and heal the sick – Mark 6:7-13), yet Judas still betrayed the living Son of God. Judas was a thief, a liar and a traitor. Judas was impatient, that he wanted Jesus to set up his earthly kingdom right then and there (probably because Judas wanted to be someone important in the kingdom). Judas wasn’t right with God. Judas was the worst betrayer of all time.
But what about the other 11? Can you imagine walking with Jesus for over 3 years, witnessing miracle after miracle, listening to Him speak like no one else has ever spoken before or since; and can you imagine wondering if you were the one that was going to betray the Savior? Can you imagine questioning yourself like that? Every one of them began to say, is it me? Lord, am I the one that’s going to betray you? Lord, am I the guilty party? Lord, is it I?
You may think that’s all fine and dandy and even interesting to hear about, but what does that have to do with us 2000 years later? What does that have to do with us, here in 2015? What does it matter now? It matters because just like the disciples all asked is it me; have you ever asked yourself “is it me?” Am I the one that betrayed the sinless Son of God? Am I the one that sold Him out? Did I sell Him out for riches in this life? Did I sell Him out to climb the corporate ladder? Did I sell Him out for the pleasures of the flesh? Did I sell Him out for sexual immorality? Did I sell Him out for drugs? Did I sell Him out for alcohol? Did I sell Him out for the cares of this world? Did I give in to Satan’s temptations and betray the living Son of God? Am I the guilty one? Is it me?
Are You The One?
Are you the one that beat Jesus unmercifully with that cruel whip across His back, ripping the flesh with each violent thrust? Are you the one that plucked His beard from His face? Are you the One that blind folded Him and beat Him in the face asking Him to prophecy who hit Him? Are you the one that forced Him to carry the heavy cross to Golgotha? Are you the one that nailed Him to that cross? Are you the one that mocked and scoffed the Perfect One? Are you the one that gambled for His garments? Are you the one that stuck a spear in His side after He said “it is finished?” Are you the one?
Unless you have lived a sinless, perfect life, then you are the one, just like I am the one and all of us guilty sinners nailed Jesus to the cross. We are all guilty of rebelling against God. We are all guilty of sinning against a Holy and righteous God. We are all liars, thieves, adulterers at heart, covetous people and none of us have loved God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength, every second of every day of our lives.
No, there is none righteous, no not one. Psalm 53:1 says: The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. But please listen to the second half of verse 1 through verse 3: Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good. God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God. Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
We are all guilty. We have to admit this. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We have all sinned against God and our sin separates us from Him. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned (Romans 5:12). The wages of our sin is death. If you die in your sins as an unrepentant sinner, then the separation from God’s love will be for all of eternity for you.
Is it me? Yes it is me. Yes, my sins nailed Jesus to the cross. Yes, He bore my sins on my behalf. Yes, I betrayed the Risen Savior. Yes, I deserved everlasting punishment for my sins. Yes, it is me. But do not be deceived today, it is also you. You are guilty too. There is nothing that you or I can do on our own to get back in a right relationship with God. We can’t earn God’s good grace.
But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of the regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life (Titus 3:4-7). We can’t earn salvation. We can’t do more good than bad. We can’t do enough good deeds to work our way to Heaven. We are guilty and it is you and me that nailed Jesus to that cruel cross.
Worldly Sorrow
So does that mean that we have to go out and kill ourselves like Judas did? Of course not! Judas did not have godly sorrow over his sins. He had worldly sorrow. Worldly sorrow cannot save you. Worldly sorrow does not take away your sins. Worldly sorrow does not clear your guilty conscience. Worldly sorrow is just…worldly. It won’t do anything for your eternal soul.
We are to have godly sorrow over our sins. Peter is a great example of a person having godly sorrow. After Peter denied Jesus three times, he went out and wept bitterly. He had godly sorrow over his sins. We have to admit that we are sinners. We should cry out to God for mercy. Oh, my hope and my prayer is that you will have godly sorrow over your sins. Those of us who are truly saved have done this. We have recognized that we were sinners and that God is Holy. We have cried out for God to have mercy upon us. We have admitted our sins and begged God for His forgiveness. Then we repented and put our faith in Jesus. We have surrendered our lives to the Risen Savior.
I beg you to get right with God. Confess and forsake your sins. We are all under sin (Romans 3:9). We are all sinners. We are. So if God is convicting you through the Holy Spirit right now that you are a sinner, oh don’t try to hide it. Don’t try to play games with God. Don’t worry about what other people will think. Acknowledge that you are a sinner. Then have godly sorrow over your sins. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death (2 Corinthians 7:10). Psalm 34:18 states: The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
Turn from your sins and turn to Jesus. When the apostle Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, Paul asked Him who He was. And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me (Acts 26:15-18).
Then in Acts 26:20 Paul continues: But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. Only Jesus can deliver you from the power of Satan and turn you to God. Only Jesus can forgive your sins. Please notice in verse 18 it says that we are sanctified by faith in Jesus. Faith is more than believing facts. Saving faith is trusting in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross to save you.
Oh, please repent and turn to God today. Then surrender your life to Jesus. If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha (1 Corinthians 16:22). Oh, love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Surrender your life to His Lordship. Follow Him wherever He leads you. Go where He tells you to go. Do what He tells you to do and say what He tells you to say.
Give your life to Jesus Christ our Lord. Submit to Him utterly and completely. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:9-13).
Jesus Christ is Lord. It’s time to stop rebelling against Him. It’s time to stop betraying the sinless Son of God. It’s time to stop mocking and scoffing the Risen Savior. It’s time to stop rushing down the broad road to destruction and get on the narrow way (Matthew 7:13-14). It’s time to acknowledge that Jesus is the only Way. Oh, it’s time to surrender your life to Jesus Christ the Messiah.
Won’t you do this today? Won’t you come to Jesus? Only Jesus saves. Please, submit to the King of kings and the Lord of Lords. Oh, humbly come to Jesus today asking “is it me Lord?” God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Oh come to Jesus today. Turn from your sins and turn to Jesus Christ. Be converted today. Matthew 18:2-3 states: And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
When you are saved, you are converted, you are changed. God changes your heart, He changes your desires and we are to live godly lives. Titus 2:11-12 says: For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.
Repent and Trust Jesus
Repent and put your trust in Him. Then He will forgive you for your rebellion against God. He will take away your sins. God will see you through the righteousness of Jesus. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened in the Spirit (1 Peter 3:18). It is the great exchange. Jesus takes your sins and bears them upon the cross; then He gives you His righteousness. This doesn’t mean that you never sin again.
Even those of us who are saved still sin, hopefully we sin less than we used to because God is sanctifying us. He convicts us over our sins. It grieves us when we sin against our Holy and righteous God. I ask you professing Christian: are you a new creature in Christ? Has God taken away your heart of stone and given you a heart of flesh? Are you walking after the Spirit and not after the flesh?
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his (Romans 8:1-9).
Are you saved? Has God changed your life through the power of the Holy Spirit? Do you desire to please God? Do you cry out for God to make you more Christ-like? Are you serving God? Has God taken away your fleshly desires and given you His desires? Do you deny yourself, pick up your cross and do you follow the risen Savior? If you are a follower of Jesus, if you have submitted to the Lordship of Jesus, if you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, then you are no longer under condemnation. If Satan keeps bringing up sins from the past, sins that you have turned away from, don’t let Satan drag you down. If you are saved today, your sins are forgiven. Your slate has been wiped clean.
Live your life victoriously through our Risen Savior. Don’t wallow in the regrets of the past. It’s so important to admit that yes Lord, it is is me. I’m the guilty one. But after you have repented and put your faith in Jesus, then don’t remain in the guilt of the past. Jesus told the woman caught in adultery that He didn’t condemn her. Yes, he told her to go and sin no more, but He did not condemn her. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved (John 3:17). If you are truly saved, don’t continue living with your head hung low, worrying about your past. You have been set free from your sins and whom the Son sets free, is free indeed.
Again, those of us who are saved, are not perfect. We still falter. I’ve been having a tough time at work due to some new government regulations that came out last month. They’re over burdensome and it’s been tough to deal with them. I’ve complained bitterly to my wife about it. But not only have I complained (instead of being thankful and grateful for my job), but I have also hurt my testimony for the Lord in front of my co-workers.
But these last couple of weeks I’ve had more work to do than I can get done. I’ve been frustrated and angry. I had to admit that it is me. I have hurt my Lord and Savior by my weak witness during this tough time. My wife was the one who asked me if I was trusting God. She asked me if I was thankful for my job. I had to be honest and say that I wasn’t trusting fully in God. I was looking at the cares of this world and taking my eyes off Jesus. I was bitterly grumbling about my job, instead of thanking God for it. I wasn’t following Paul’s advice in Philippians 2:14-15.
UnChrist-like
I was being unChrist-like. I had to confess my sins. I had to admit it is me Lord. I’m the one damaging the kingdom work by my whining and complaining. I had to admit that I was not being a good disciple of Jesus Christ when I got angry at work. I had to admit that it was me. My prayer is that God will fill me with Holy Spirit and that I will trust in the Lord with all my heart and not lean on my own understanding. I’m pointing this out because repentance is not a one-time thing. Those of us who are saved still need to confess and forsake our sins. We still need to admit that it is me, when we fail.
If you are not a follower of Jesus, then you are still under God’s condemnation. You are still guilty. You still retain your sins and the wrath of God abides upon you. Oh, don’t continue living this way. Be saved. Come to Jesus, do this today. You won’t know that it was your last chance to repent until its one time too late. If you die in your sins, you will spend eternity in Hell. You will suffer the torments of Hell forever and ever over your sins; over your rebellion against God. Don’t foolishly die in your sins and spend eternity in that awful place. Repent and believe the Gospel.
Come to Jesus today and admit “it is me Lord.” I’m the one that nailed you to the cross. I’m the one that deserves everlasting punishment for my sins. I’m the one who has sinned against Almighty God. Then confess and forsake your sins. Put your faith in Jesus. Surrender your life fully to Him. Do this today. Call upon the name of Jesus and be saved. Oh, don’t put this off. Tomorrow may be too late. Be forgiven today. Repent and trust Jesus today and be saved.
(This message was proclaimed at Missouri State University on December 2, 2015)