Even Judas Preached

“And they went out and preached that men should repent. And they were casting out many demons and were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them.” Mark 6:12-13

Years ago, I heard John MacArthur say, “The greatest danger to the church is not the world, it’s not the government, it’s not the occult. The greatest danger to the church is the false teacher who stands in the pulpit.” False teachers can blend in very well. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus sent out the 12 (Judas included), “And He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and was giving them authority over the unclean spirits; (Mark 6:7).” Even though the 12 Apostles spent three years together the 11 did not know that Judas 8v was a deceiver.

When Jesus sent out the twelve disciples two by two, He gave them authority to preach, cast out demons, and heal the sick. Jesus used the 12 to preach the Gospel. It was a decisive moment of ministry, one where the kingdom of God visibly advanced. But pause and consider this: Judas Iscariot was one of those twelve. He preached repentance. He likely healed. He may have cast out demons. Yet, he was the son of perdition (literally means one destined for destruction or one characterized by ruin).

Judas’s participation in ministry did not mean he truly followed Christ as a believer. He walked with Jesus, heard every sermon, saw every miracle, but his heart remained unchanged. His life is a solemn reminder that external ministry does not guarantee internal transformation.

Many Churches today are filled with people who follow Christ because false teachers have promised them health and wealth. Like Judas, they try to use Jesus for their own personal gain. We live in a time where performance can be mistaken for spiritual health—where platform can be confused with faithfulness. But the call of Jesus is not first to do great things in His name, but to love Him and be known by Him (Matthew 7:22–23).

Be on guard Christian, test what you hear from those who would claim to speak for God. If what someone teaches from the pulpit cannot be backed up by Scripture, then they are not preaching God’s truth, but their truth to manipulate the unsuspecting.

Your shepherd,

Pastor Mark