Judas walks into the night
John 13:18-30
18 I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But it is to fulfil the scripture, “The one who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.” 19 I tell you this now, before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am he. 20 Very truly, I tell you, whoever receives one whom I send receives me; and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.’
21 After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, ‘Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.’ 22 The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking. 23 One of his disciples—the one whom Jesus loved—was reclining next to him; 24 Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. 25 So while reclining next to Jesus, he asked him, ‘Lord, who is it?’ 26 Jesus answered, ‘It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.’ So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. 27 After he received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, ‘Do quickly what you are going to do.’ 28 Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. 29 Some thought that, because Judas had the common purse, Jesus was telling him, ‘Buy what we need for the festival’; or, that he should give something to the poor. 30 So, after receiving the piece of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.
Judas remains a source of questions and debate, most of them boiling down to: “why did Judas do it?” The Bible is quite uninterested in answering that question. Instead, the Bible is very interested in demonstrating that even people on the inside of faith can go rogue, can end up betraying the one they followed and believed in.
In the ancient Middle East, eating with someone was seen as a commitment to be their friend, to not seek their harm. Judas’ actions therefore are a deep violation of the cultural expectation. For Judas ate with Jesus, dipping into the common bowl at the same time as Jesus, on the very night that he sold Jesus out.
Jesus knew what was going to happen, and Jesus subtly confronts Judas, demonstrating that he knows what Judas is going to do. Jesus under extreme pressure wants this over, he knows (see John 13:1) that this the end, so let’s be done with it – “Do quickly was you are going to do.” (vs. 27) And Judas goes out into the night. (vs. 30) Yes, it was night, but Judas walks into the dark leaving behind, Jesus the Light of the World. Judas had made a choice.
Vs. 23 speaks of “the one (disciple) whom Jesus loved.” This identification appears when Mary is at the foot of the cross standing with the beloved disciple, and also in John 21:7, 20. This may be the way in which John refers to himself because John’s name does not appear in the gospel. But there is no certainty that that is the way it is to be understood.
PRAYER:
O Lord, we wonder what happened to Judas, why he did what he did. Hold us close to yourself, draw our attention again and again to the beauty of following your Son, Jesus Christ, so that we might be where he is. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.