Thursday 6th November
Read John 13:1-5
“It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel round his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped round him.” (NIVUK)
Jesus’ departure ‘from this world’ was also the moment at which the great showdown with ‘the ruler of this world’ would occur. The positions had been taken for the finial conflict and betrayal was literally at the heart of them. For the devil had taken up position within the inner circle of Jesus’ disciples and whispered betrayal to a receptive heart.
Imagine going to a meal looking for an opportunity to betray the one you have walked with and learnt from for three years. This is a deeply personal rejection of Jesus’ identity. Jesus was not who ‘Judas, son of Simon Iscariot’ wanted Him to be. He was insufficient and inadequate. Judas wanted more.
Adam and Eve, in the garden, were provided with everything they could want. They were supplied with food in abundance. They could walk with God in the evening. They too heard a whispered prompt from the devil and decided that God was simply not enough. They wanted more.
Judas went to an evening meal with the Son of God with whom he too had walked with and learnt from. And left hungry.
He ended up getting more – but it too was not enough.
Betraying Jesus is about wanting more.
