The Guide

DEVOTION

THE BOOK OF ACTS

THE GUIDE

Acts 1:15-17

15 In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) 16 and said, "Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus— 17 he was one of our number and shared in this ministry."

NIV

Although this is just the beginning of what Peter was saying to the rest of the group, and the whole of his speech, as we will see, is about replacing Judas so the number of Apostles will be twelve once more, we have a truth, a life application we should consider in this first portion of what he said. We should also note that Scripture must be fulfilled. We should also note that although the Spirit had not yet come upon them, Peter spoke about the fact that David was inspired by the Spirit to say the words he did concerning Judas. But the life application we should consider here is that Judas shared in their ministry, yet he served as a guide for those who arrested Jesus. It does not appear that Judas was a bad man for the whole of those years when the twelve traveled around with Jesus, for Judas shared in the ministry, he was a part of it, participated in whatever they all did. Judas was a member of the select group of men Jesus personally called to follow him and that he would make them fishers of men. Judas heard all the teachings of Jesus, saw all the miracles, was consider one of them, yet he served as a guide to those who arrested Jesus. We should be intensely aware that we are also a part of the group, a member of the body of Christ, participating in a ministry, the ministry of the Good News of Jesus Christ. Our task is to be a guide for those who would arrest Jesus, not for the purpose of arresting him, but for the purpose of guiding them to Jesus. We might also be on guard that we are not being a guide for the purpose of arresting Jesus. Whenever we create any type of dissension or division by voicing discontentment or a judgmental attitude about other believers or even the church as a whole, we might well be serving as a guide for those who would attempt to arrest Jesus. The schemes of the devil are very sly and seductive, and he would love nothing more than to see Jesus arrested, in the sense of arresting, slowing down, stopping his ministry. Jesus told us a house divided cannot stand, and we cannot afford to be any part of guiding those who would arrest Jesus. Although Judas was a part of the ministry, and yes the scripture must be fulfilled, but it was one of the twelve, not a stranger, not an outsider, it was one among them. Let us stay in the fold, in the group, and guide not those who would arrest him, except to guide them to him for their salvation.