The Household of Judas

Households of Faith
Today’s Focus: The Household of Judas
Scripture: Acts 1:17-25; Jeremiah 23:1,2,4

Greetings Kingdom Citizens
Now I know the title catches you but yes today we will see that Judas, the one who betrayed Jesus, was a spiritual father and head of a household of faith. The unique thing about this is the scriptures actually show us this and before the birth of the church on the Day of Pentecost, this issue of Judas household had to be rectified for a specific reason.

Acts 1:17: For he was numbered with us and had obtained part of this ministry.

This scripture is speaking of the inheritance or the portion that was legally assigned to Judas by the Lord. Your inheritance is not Heaven. Now before we discuss what the inheritance is we must know that the betrayal of Judas was prophesied in the Old Testament and the result also was prophesied in the Old Testament and let me show you starting with the first part of his inheritance, his household.

Acts 1:20: For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let HIS HABITATION be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.

The first part of his inheritance was the fact that he, Judas was a father over a household. How do we know? The next sentence in the scripture says let no man dwell therein. Now we know that God is NOT speaking of a physical house but of a spiritual house where he was given grace to be the father and overseer of the souls given to him by the Lord. However because of His betrayal, his household will now be desolate or empty and barren. No longer did the household of Judas carry the treasures and riches of the Kingdom. Now please keep in mind that the church in the Spirit has 12 tribes (James 1:1). And Jesus was given 12 sons to bring to maturity much like Jacob in the Old Testament.

The second part of Judas inheritance was his bishoprick or office was taken away from him. Judas was an elder or overseer over his household. What is the job of the overseer (pastor, elder)?
Jeremiah 23:1,2,4: Woe to the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! Saith the Lord. Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have driven them away , and have not visited them: behold I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the Lord. 4-And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the Lord.

The job of the overseer was to feed the flock and to visit them. This word “visit” is always viewed as the pastor is supposed to visit every member and sit and talk with them. That is not the correct meaning of this word. The word visit in the Hebrew means to provide relief or care for. So the charge that was given to Judas was to oversee and provide care and relief to his household. Now what that means is you must know the needs of the people! People, to many pastors are members, not sons and hence to care and provide relief is not a part of “their job description”. If you are a true father over a household then your job is to visit and oversee that household.

The third and fourth parts of the inheritance is the ministry and apostleship.
Acts 1:25: That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.
The word ministry in the scripture here is the Greek word “Diakonia” where we get the word deacon. The word diakonia means servant, attendant, minister or relief. The ministry that Judas was to provide was serviceable labor and compassionate love to the needy in the community. So even though Judas was a father and overseer of a household, he was a servant and in order to be chief, one must become servant of all. Judas also in turn was a deacon. Now let that mystery sit for a second. Finally the apostleship was taken away from him. Simply put he was no longer commissioned to be the vessel that was SENT FORTH to carry the gift of God to the nations.

Now did we notice that the apostleship was the LAST thing mentioned as a part of the inheritance but the first thing mentioned was the household? What we have done today is placed the doma gift (apostle, pastor..etc) first and the household last. We build ministry off of the gift and not the corner stone. Finally, the reason that there had to be a replacement for Judas was because the type and shadow, physical Israel, was started with 12 sons. Hence, the birth of Spiritual Israel will also begin with 12 sons who become patriarchs. Spiritual Israel just like physical Israel was started with 12 patriarchs and the 12th not being Judas but Mathias.

So even in the birth of the church, the House of God was built upon the corner stone Jesus Christ and the 12 sons which began the Holy Nation.

Peace, Love and Grace from the Father,
Calvin Calhoun, Jr.