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April 1 -- John 13:18-30

“Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, ‘Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.’” –John 13:21 (NIV)

Jesus predicted His betrayal, telling His disciples He was doing so to help them believe. He knew His death would shake their faith. No one expected the Messiah to die, so Jesus wanted His disciples to remember that He knew all along what was about to happen and how it would happen.

Jesus openly named Judas as His betrayer, giving Judas one last chance to repent. Instead, Judas left on his traitorous errand. Verse 27 says, “Satan entered into [Judas]” as soon as he took the bread Jesus offered, the sign Jesus gave of His betrayer. Ironically, Judas’s acceptance of the bread (symbolic of Christ’s body given for him) showed his refusal to repent.

It’s important to understand that Satan did not cause Judas to betray Jesus. Judas had free will, just like the rest of us. In fact, Judas had already set plans in motion to betray Jesus to the Sanhedrin before “Satan entered into him.” Satan can only tighten his hold on those who have already hardened their hearts and turned their backs on Jesus.

So, why did Judas do it? Scripture isn’t clear, but the two most common theories are (1) he was simply greedy or (2) he wanted to force Jesus’ hand because he felt Jesus was not acting quickly enough to ascend the throne as Messiah and save Israel. Many commentators favor the second theory because after Jesus was condemned to death, Judas gave back the money and committed suicide (Matthew 27:3-5).

Judas may have believed that bringing about a confrontation between Jesus and the Sanhedrin would force Jesus to defend Himself and take His place as Messiah and King of Israel. When that didn’t happen, Judas felt crushing guilt and despair. But we don’t know for sure if this was the case. Regardless, either Judas was greedy, or he thought he knew better than God. (The following article offers a more in-depth look at Judas’s motives, including an interesting take on the symbolism of the potter’s field, which was bought with the 30 pieces of silver and is where Judas was buried: https://www.sermonwriter.com/sermons/matthew-2614-28-hope-for-the-hopeless-in-the-potters-field-london/.)

Consider: Based on what the disciples knew of prophecy, none of them expected the Messiah to die. That’s why Jesus prepared them. Have you ever thought God was going to do something, only to find that the opposite happened? Did it shake your faith? Have you ever tried to make things happen the way you thought they should, only to find that you were wrong to do so?

Ask God for the ability to continue to look for Him in the midst of confusing or tragic circumstances. Ask Him to help you maintain your faith when things don’t seem to be working out the way you believed they would.

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My name is Melissa Anderson. I'm a spiritual director and ordained pastor who loves God, people, and words. You can read more about me by clicking the button below.

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