This is an excerpt from my book “40 Moments From Christ’s Final Days.” Click here to get it from Amazon using my affiliate link.
Find this moment in: Lk. 22:3-4, Jn. 13:27
Satan has been God’s enemy since the Garden of Eden. He’s wanted nothing more than to see God’s creation reject Him. Yet, God uses that very hatred to fulfill His ultimate plan.
And Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, who belonged to the number of the twelve. And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Him to them. (Luke 22:3-4)
After the expensive perfume incident, Luke is the only one who records Satan entering Judas before seeking compensation from the priests. It’s likely that, although Satan was an influence, Judas wasn’t a mindless puppet. Judas was a bitter cannon with a lit fuse, and Satan simply had to aim him in the right direction.
During the Passover meal, Jesus tells His disciples that one of them will betray Him. After some predictable surprise, Jesus tells them that He will dip some bread in a sauce dish and give it to the traitor, a loving gesture that would reveal how deeply this betrayal would go. He then gives it to Judas Iscariot, the man Christ always knew wasn’t a true follower.
And after the piece of bread, Satan then entered into him. Therefore Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.” (John 13:27)
Jesus would eventually die because people wanted to protect their lives from God. People had certain comforts, preferences, and power that Christ’s teachings threatened. However, His death also came from a spiritual rebellion that only Jesus understood.
But we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the wisdom which has been hidden, which God predestined before the ages to our glory, which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. (1 Corinthians 2:7-8)
A group of awful men wasn’t the only thing responsible for the death of our Savior. Satan and other rebellious spirits sought to kill Him, likely thinking Christ’s death would stop the Father’s plan. As we’ll see, what they thought was a victory for them was the ultimate triumph for God. Had Satan understood this, he would have stayed as far away from Judas as possible. But, as we see throughout the Bible, no one can interfere with God’s plan.
Stop and think: Based on what we know about Judas, his Satan-led betrayal wasn’t out of character for him. Of all the disciples, the enemy’s tool was the only one who had already set himself against Jesus. Satan may have aimed him at the Pharisees, but the betrayal reflected what was already in Judas’s heart. When tempted to blame outside forces for our wicked thoughts and actions, how does this moment help us better evaluate ourselves?
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