“His Name”

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/6/2026 9:18 AM

My Worship Time                                                                                            Focus:  “His Name”

            I begin this very last section on John MacArthur’s comments on the twelve apostles by looking at the very last apostle, Judas Iscariot.

            He writes “Judas was a common Jewish name (the New Testament records at least eight men with that name), and had no evil connotation before Judas Iscariot’s betrayal of the Lord.  It is the Greek translation of the Hebrew name ‘Judah’ (‘praised’).  His father was Simon Iscariot (John 6:71; 13:2, 26); their surname is most likely the Greek translation of a Hebrew phrase that means ‘man of Kerioth.’  The Old Testament lists two villages named Kerioth, one in Moab (Jer. 48:24, 41; Amos 2:2), and another in the extreme southern part of Judah, about fifteen miles south of Hebron (Josh. 15:25).  Judas Iscariot was almost certainly from the latter village, making him the only one of the Twelve who was not a Galilean.  While there is no evidence that the other eleven ostracized him, Judas may have viewed himself as an outsider, which might have helped him to rationalize his detachment and treachery.  That the other eleven knew little of Judas’s background helps explain how he managed to become the group’s treasurer (John 13:29)—a position he took advantage of to embezzle money (John 12:6).

            “By all outward appearances, Judas looked no different from the rest of the apostles.  He did not appear sinister.  The evil that would eventually manifest itself in his betrayal of the Savior lay hidden in the dark recesses of his heart.  Thus when Jesus, on the very night that Judas betrayed Him, told the disciples, ‘Truly, truly I say to you, that one of you will betray Me’ (John 13:21), no one pointed an accusing finger at Judas. On the contrary, ‘the disciples began looking at one another, at a loss to know of which one He was speaking’ (v. 22).  Only Jesus knew Judas’s evil heart from the beginning (John 6:64, 70).

Spiritual Meaning for my Life today:  I have read that those who are in hell will receive different degrees of punishment, depending how they lived their sinful life while on earth.  I have also read that Judas Iscariot will receive the greatest punishment in hell, and I am beginning to understand just how horrible his sin was as after living with Jesus and the other apostles he then would betray the only one who could have saved him.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Continue to pray that my wife will receive great grace from the Lord as she suffers from the cancer she has.

7/6/2026 9:46 AM

                                                           

PT-2 “Common Men, Uncommon Calling—PT-7: Judas Iscariot” (Luke 6:16b)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/5/2026 9:06 PM

My Worship Time       Focus: PT-2 “Common Men, Uncommon Calling—PT-7: Judas Iscariot”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                  Reference: “Luke 6:16b”

            Message of the verse:  “Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.”

            “The Bible also records numerous traitors, including Absalom, who tried to usurp the throne of his father, David (2 Sam. 15:10-13); Ahithophel, David’s counselor who joined Absalom’s rebellion (2 Sam. 15:31); Sheba, who led a revolt of the northern tribes soon after Absalom’s rebellion was defeated (2 Sam. 10:1-2); Jeroboam, whose revolt against Solomon resulted in the nation being split into two kingdoms, Israel and Judah (1 Kings 11:26ff.); Baasha, who murdered Jeroboam’s son Nadad and seized his throne (1 Kings 15:25-28); Zimri, who killed Baasha’s son Elah and took his place (1 Kings 16; 8-20); Athaliah, Israel’s only queen, who seized power after the death of her son, King Ahaziah (2 Kings 11:1-16); the servants of Joash, who conspired against him and killed him (2 Kings 14:18-20); Shallum, whose conspiracy ended the brief reign of King Zecariah (2 Kings 15:8-10); Menahem, who murdered and replaced Shallum (2 Kings 15:14); Pekah, who overthrew and murdered Menahem’s son Pekahiah (2 Kings 15:23-25); Hoshea, who killed Pekah and became the last king of the northern kingdom (2 Kings 15:30); Amon’s servants, who conspired against him and murdered him (2 Kings 21:23); and the Persian officials Bigthan and Teresh, whose plot against King Ahasuerus was uncovered by Mordecai (Ester 2:21-23).

            “But the most notorious traitor of all time was Judas Iscariot.  Judas had the unmatched privilege of being one of the twelve intimate followers of the Lord Jesus Christ during His earthly ministry.  Yet inconceivably, after more than three years living constantly with the incomparably perfect Son of God, observing the miracles He performed, and hearing His unparalleled teaching, Judas betrayed Him to His death by selling Him to His enemies.  The dark, tragic story of Judas reveals him to have been the most profoundly wicked man in all of human history.  It graphically illustrated the depts of evil of which the human heart is capable, even in the very best of circumstances.

            “Because of his heinous treachery, the early church universally detested and scorned Judas.  His name appears last in every New Testament list of the apostles, except for the one in Acts 1—where it does not appear at all, since Judas had already committed suicide.  In addition, whenever the gospel writers mention Judas they always identify him as the traitor who betrayed Jesus (Matt. 10:4; 26A:25, 48; 27:3; Mark 3:19; 14:44; John 6:71; 12:4; 18:2), as Luke does here.

            “The story of Judas also demonstrates that Satan uses people to accomplish his evil purposes.  He moved David to take a census of Israel that displeased God and resulted in His chastening of His people (1 Chron 21:1-7).  Satan also used demon-possessed false prophets to deceive King Ahab of Israel (1 Kings 22:19-23).  The future Antichrist will be ‘the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan’ (2 Thess. 2:9).  With full complicity on the part of the apostate disciple, Satan entered Judas to manipulate him (John 13:2).

            “The melodrama that was Judas’s life may be discussed under four headings: his name, call, disillusionment, and betrayal.”

            Lord willing I will begin to look at these different headings in tomorrow mornings SD.

7/5/2026 9:33 PM

 

“Common Men, Uncommon Calling—PT-7: Judas Iscariot” (Luke 6:16b)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/5/2026 9:31 AM

My Worship Time                Focus: “Common Men, Uncommon Calling—PT-7: Judas Iscariot”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                  Reference: “Luke 6:16b”

            Message of the verse:  “Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.”

            This morning I begin the last section in John MacArthur’s commentary on the different apostles of Jesus Christ, and this one is a very sad commentary on the man who betrayed our Lord on the night that he would be taken into custody and begin the false trials that would eventually cause His crucifixion.

            “There are few people more despised than a traitor, a person who betrays the cause and trust of friends, groups, or country.  Such heinous acts have historically resulted in the most severe punishment—often the death penalty.

            “There have been many notorious traitors throughout history.  In the ancient world, the Athenian general Alcibiades revealed Athens’s plans to the city’s enemy, Sparta.  As a  result, the Athenians were defeated in battle by the Spartans during the Peloponnesian War.  The Athenian soldier and noted historian Xenophon also turned traitor and fought for Sparta against his native city.  As noted in chapter four of this volume, King Leonidas of Sparta and his vastly outnumbered force threw back repeated assaults by overwhelming superior Persian forces at Thermopylae. It was not until a traitor showed the Persians a way to outflank the Greek forces and attack them from the rear that Leonidas and his brave men were defeated.

            “During the Americal Revolution Simon Girty, a deserter from the Continental Army, led Native Americans in raids against the colonists.  Girty was much feared for his brutality, so much so that he was dubbed the ‘Great Renegade.’  But the most infamous traitor of the Revolutionary War (and indeed in all of American history) was Benedict Arnold.  Angered at being passed over for promotion and seeking money to support his extravagant lifestyle. Arnold’s plot was uncovered, he deserted to the British, and fought against his own countrymen.

            “The French general Henri Petain had been a national hero in World War I.  But after France was defeated by the Germans in World War II, he became the head of the Vichy government, which collaborated with the Nazis.  Vidkun Quisling, whose name has became a synonym for ‘traitor,’ headed the puppet regime established by the Nazis in Norway.  The English traitor William Joyce (‘Lord Haw Haw’), and the American traitors Iva Ikuko Toguri D’ Aquino (Tokyo Rose’) and Mildred Elizabeth Gillars (‘Axis Sally’) mad propaganda broadcasts for the Japanese and Nazis respectively.”

            I am cutting this SD short due to duties to take care of my wife who is suffering with cancer. 

7/5/2026 10:26 AM

“Judas the son of James” (Luke 6:16a)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/4/2026 10:07 PM

My Worship Time                                                                       Focus:  “Judas the son of James”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                    Reference:  Luke 6:16a)

            Message of the verse:  “Judas the son of James”

            John MacArthur writes:  “While several of the apostles had two names, this Judas may have had three.  Luke gave his formal name, Judas the son of James, while Matthew called him Thaddeus (Matt. 10:3) and, according to some less reliable Greek manuscripts, also gave him the name Lebbaeus.  Both Thaddeus and Lebbaeus are nicknames; Thaddeus literally means, ‘breast child,’ while Lebbaeus means ‘heart child.’  Both could be rendered by the contemporary term ‘momma’s boy.’  Those nicknames may indicate that Judas was the youngest child in his family.

            “Like the other apostles in this final group, little is known about Judas.  Apart from the lists of the apostles, he made only one appearance in the New Testament.  The scene was the upper room on the night of the Lord’s betrayal, during His farewell discourse to the apostles.  In John 14:21 Jesus told them that He would reveal Himself to those whose obedience proved the genuineness of their love for Him.

            “The disciples were puzzled by that statement.  They expected Jesus to establish His earthly kingdom, a belief they still clung to even after His death and resurrection (Acts 1:6).  After all, Jesus was the Savior of the world (John 4:42), the rightful heir of all things (Heb. 1:2), and the King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16).  The good news of forgiveness and salvation through His death and resurrection was to be proclaimed to the ends of the earth (Matt. 28:19-20).

            “Judas asked the question that was undoubtedly on the minds of the rest of the apostles:  “Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world? (John 14:22).  The Lord’s answer emphasized that His kingdom was not an external, political one (though He will one day reign over His earthly, millennial kingdom), but a spiritual one in the hearts of those who love and obey Him:  ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.’ (v. 23).

            “Judas spent the rest of his life extending the kingdom by preaching the truth of the gospel.  Accordingly to tradition, he may have preached in such places as Samaria, Syria, Mesopotamia, and Libya.  By some accounts Judas, the gentle, compassionate ‘Momma’s boy,’ suffered martyrdom with the fiery, passionate, former Zealot Simon.”

            Lord willing I will begin to look at the very last apostle, Judas Iscariot, the traitor, and John MacArthur takes an entire chapter looking at this man, and by the way it is a fairly long chapter.

7/4/2026 10:36 PM

“Simon the Zealot” (Luke 6:15d)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/4/2026 10:53 AM

My Worship Time                                                                                 Focus: “Simon the Zealot”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                     Reference:  Luke 6:15d

            Message of the verse:  “Simon who was called the Zealot”

            MacArthur writes “Matthew (10:4) and Mark (3:18) refer to Simon using the Aramaic word cananaean.  The term is not a geographical reference either to the land of Canaan, or the village of Cana, but comes from a root word meaning ‘zealous,’ or ‘passionate’ (hence the NASB translates it Zealot in these verses).  Luke used the corresponding Greek word Zelotes, which also means Zealot.  Both terms mark Simon as a member of the radical Jewish faction known as the Zealots.

            “The Zealots were one of the four primary parties in first-century Israel, along with the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes.  They were passionately devoted to the law of God, and violently opposed any intrusion upon it by pagans, such as the Romans.  They were political radicals, the terrorists and assassins of their day, perfectly willing to murder the Romans and their Jewish collaborators. By doing so, they believed they were doing God’s work.  The first-century Jewish historian Josephus wrote concerning the Zealots’ fanaticism,

‘But on the fourth sect of Jewish philosophy, Judas the Galilean was the author.  These men agree in all other things with the Pharisaic notions; but they have an inviolable attachment to liberty, and say that God is to be their only Ruler and Lord.  They also do not value dying any kinds of death, nor indeed do they heed the deaths of their relations and friends, nor can any such fear make them call any man Lord.  And since this immovable resolution of theirs is well known to a great many, I shall speak no further about that matter; nor am I afraid that any thing I have said of them should be disbelieved, but rather fear, that what I have said is beneath the resolution they show when they undergo pain. (Antiquities, 18.1. 6)

            “While precursors to the Zealots can be found in the Maccabean era of the intertestamental period, the movement itself began shortly after the death of Herod the Great.  The Zealots, under Judas (cf. Acts 5:37), rose in rebellion against the census conducted by Quirinius (the second one in A. D. 6, not the first one a decade earlier that brought Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem).  The Zealots also played a major role in the Jewish revolt against Rome (A.D. 66-73).  After the fall of Jerusalem in A. D. 70, a band of Zealots fled to the fortress of Masada.  There they held out until A. D. 73, then committed mass suicide rather than surrender to the Romans.

            “As a Zealot, Simon was a man devoted to the law of God, fiercely patriotic, passionate, and courageous.  He hated the Romans and desperately wanted them out of Israel.  He was the antithesis of Matthew, whose collaboration with the Romans had made him rich.  Had they not both been followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, Simon would have had nothing to do with Matthew, and might even have murdered him.  Like Judas Iscariot, Simon was looking for a messiah who would drive out the Romans.  But unlike Judas, who betrayed Jesus when he saw that was not Jesus’ plan, Simon embraced Him as Savior, Lord, and God incarnate.

            “Like many of the apostles, Simon’s later ministry is shrouded in mystery and legend.  According to some traditions, he preached the gospel in Persia and Armenia, others place his ministry in the Middle East and Africa, while some even have him ministering in Britain.  Nor is there any agreement on the manner or place of his death, which some claim was by crucifixion, others by being sawn in two.  Simon the Zealot, who had willingly faced death because of his passionate commitment to God’s law, suffered it in the end because of his love for Jesus, the fulfillment of the law (Matt. 5:17; Luke 24:44).”

Spiritual Meaning for my life today:  As I look at all of the apostles and how they died for the cause of Christ, I believe that this should be the attitude that I have, along with all believers.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trust the Lord to give me His grace and mercy in abundance as I try to continue to minister to my wife as her cancer grows worse.

7/4/2026 11:51 AM

 

“James the son of Alphaeus” (Luke 6:15c)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/3/2026 9:56 AM

My Worship Time                                                                 Focus:  “James the son of Alphaeus”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                      Reference: Luke 6:15c

            Message of the verse:  “James the son of Alphaeus.”

            This morning’s SD will be a very short one as there is not much to say about James the son of Alphaeus.”

            John MacArthur writes “Despite his supreme privilege as one of the twelve men chosen by the Lord Jesus Christ to be His personal representatives, virtually nothing is known about James.  All that the New Testament reveals about him is that his father’s name was Alphaeus, his mother’s name was Mary (Matt. 27:56; Mark 15:40).”

(Matt. 27:56; Mark 15:40)

“56  among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.”

“40  There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome.”

“Since Matthew’s father was also named Alphaeus (Mark 2:14), it is possible that the two were brothers.”

(Mark 2:14)

14  And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.”

            “In Mark 15:40, James is referred to by his nickname ‘James the Less’ Mikros (‘Less’) means, ‘little.’ The nickname may mean that James was small in stature.  It may also mean that he was young in age.  Most likely, however, it refers to his relative lack of importance and influence in comparison to the more famous James, the brother of John and member of the inner circle of the Twelve.

            “Where James ministered after Pentecost is not known.  He may have preached the gospel in Persia, or Egypt, of both.  According to some traditions, he was martyred by crucifixion in Egypt.  This humble servant’s only distinguishing mark is his obscurity.  He sought no recognition, displayed no great leadership skills, asked no critical questions, and demonstrated no unusual insights.  Only his name remains, and the honor due him as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ.  There is a far greater record of his life and ministry in heaven.”

Spiritual Meaning for my life today:  Being humble like this man was is certainly something that is needed more in my life.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trusting the Lord to giver great comfort to my wife as the cancer in her body grows worse.

7/3/2026 10:15 AM

 

PT-2 “Thomas” (Luke 6:15b)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/2/2026 05:27 PM

My Worship Time                                                                                       Focus: PT-2 “Thomas”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                     Reference:  Luke 6:15b

            Message of the verse: “Thomas”

            “At this point Thomas took the lead.  Rallying his fellow disciples he said to them, ‘Let us also go, so that we may die with Him’ (v. 16).  His courageous statement was made all the more so by his pessimism—he fully expected that both they and Jesus would be killed.  Yet his love and devotion were so strong that he preferred to die rather than to face life without the Lord.

            “That aspect of his nature is reinforced in Thomas’s next appearance in John’s gospel.  In the upper room on the night before His death, Jesus told the apostles that He was going away to the Father’s house to prepare a place for them, and would return to take them there (John 14:1-3).”  “1 ¶  "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2  In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”  “Because He had already told the disciples that He was returning to the Father (e.g., John 7:33; 13:1, 3), Jesus expected them to know where He was going (v. 4).  Dismayed at the thought of the Lord’s leaving, Thomas exclaimed, ‘Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?’  (v. 5).  His statement reflects both his intense love for Christ, and his extreme pessimism.

            “By now the disciples realized that Jesus was going to die, but they had no firsthand knowledge of what happens after death.  Further, Jesus had just told them that they could not at that time go where He was going (John 13:33,36).  Thomas’s plaintive question reflected their confusion and despair.  If they did not know where the Lord was going, how  could they follow Him there?  The thought of losing Jesus was unbearable to Thomas, and he was engulfed in heart broken despair.

            “By the time Thomas appears again in John’s narrative, his worst fear had been realized:  Jesus had died, and he had not.  When the Lord appeared to the disciples for the first time after He rose from the dead, Thomas was not there (John 20:24).  Where he was is not stated, but perhaps devastated by the death of the Lord whom he supremely loved, he preferred to be alone with his sorrow and despair. In any case, when he returned, the other ten apostles greeted him excitedly with the news that Jesus had risen from the dead and appeared to them.” (7/2/2026 5:40 PM)   (7/2/2026 7:44 PM)

            “It was then that Thomas uttered the statement for which he is famous:  ‘Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe’ (v. 25).  Thomas was not about to get his hopes up, only to have them dashed again.  Although Thomas’s skepticism earned him the nickname ‘Doubting Thomas,’ the other apostles had fared no better.  They too, had scoffed at the initial reports of Christ’s resurrection (Luke 24:10-11), and only believed after He appeared to them (John 20:20).

            “Eight days later, Jesus once again appeared to the apostles.  This time Thomas’s grief had eased enough for him to be present with his companions. The Lord immediately confronted his lack of faith.  ‘Reach here with your finger,’ He commanded Thomas, ‘and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing’ (John 20:27).  Thomas’s simple, yet profound reply, ‘My Lord and my God!’ (v. 28) is perhaps the greatest statement ever made by and of the apostles, equaled only by Peter’s confession, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God’ (Matt. 16:16). His melancholy pessimism vanished in the glorious light of the risen Savior, and Thomas was transformed into a power evangelist.  There is a strong tradition from the early centuries of the church that Thomas carried the gospel to India, where he was martyred.  Some accounts say that he was thrust through with a spear—a fitting form of martyrdom for the one whose doubts were forever banished when he saw the mark of the spear in the Savior’s side.”

7/2/2026 7:53 PM