Judas (The Traitor)

A couple of months ago, I blogged about something that had come to my mind one night at church. I wrote that while listening to my preacher speak about the “Last Supper,” I started thinking of Judas, and the word darkness. I have developed that thought a little more and started sharing these thoughts with my Sunday school class. I thought I would share some of this with you as well.

In John’s gospel, chapter 13, we have the record of the Lord with his disciples in the upper room. In verses 18-30 John focuses his attention on the traitor (Judas). It is interesting that when John writes this he is looking back some sixty to seventy years. This far removed from the event he is still disgusted with Judas.

Judas was chosen by Christ to be a disciple. Judas had chosen to become a disciple on his own free will. It was also by his own free will that he became a traitor. Greed, dishonesty, and his own self ambitions drove him to this decision. He was not forced to become a disciple, and he was not forced to become a traitor. While in the upper room Jesus gives Judas several opportunities to repent, but Judas does not. Jesus even took steps to expose Judas, but even then he would not repent.

Verse 27 marks the exact moment in which Judas crossed the line of no return. At this moment Satan moves into the body of Judas. Up to this point Judas has been possessed by evil intentions, but now he is possessed by the evil one. Jesus knew the moment it happened. Jesus looks into the eyes of Judas, but instead of Judas looking back it was the eyes of Satan looking back at the Lord. When this happened Jesus had no choice but to dismiss Judas from the room. Jesus had things to speak about with His disciples, and could not do so with Satan in the room.

In verse thirty Judas leaves the light of the upper room and immediately is surrounded by darkness. No doubt it took him a moment to get his bearings and to adjust to the darkness outside. From this moment on Judas’ name would forever be synonymous with treachery. Judas left the light of the upper room. Judas left the light of the world sitting in the upper room. What a fitting picture “and it was night.”

I would like to take the next couple few blog posts and talk about this word darkness. In the life of Judas I can see four different types of darkness. Each of these four types of darkness is spoken about in the Bible.

1. Darkness is a physical occurrence. It was night time. It was dark outside.
2. Darkness is a presence of mind. Judas was in a dark place in his mind at this time.
3. Darkness is a power. The power of Satan was working in the life of Judas.
4. Darkness is a place. Before the night is through Judas will go out and hang himself, and to a very dark place.