Judas and the Devil

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Prentis

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Something interesting happened last Sunday at a young adults bible study. We were looking at John 13.

[sup]26[/sup] Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. [sup]27[/sup] Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.”

At that verse someone just wondered, why is it that the devil enters Judas WHEN he takes the bread? What does the physical action have to do with the devil taking a man over?

Someone pointed out that receiving the dipped bread was the highest honor someone could receive in that time and situation. The study went on and then it clicked!

This represents what was really going on spiritually; Judas was being honored by God, but he was taking it to honor himself and for his own glory, which is exactly what the devil did. The Lord made Lucifer great, but Lucifer wanted to use it for his own glory. Judas did the same, and he accepted the highest honor to take it for himself. Then, he was like the devil, and so the devil entered him.

Then someone pointed to some verses just further in chapter 13.

[sup]31[/sup] So, when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. [sup]32[/sup] If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him immediately.

The person pointed out how when Jesus received glory from God, he used it to give God glory. When "God pointed to Jesus, Jesus pointed back", so to speak. And that is how we must walk also.

The whole thing was quite interesting to me and a bit of a revelation from the Lord. I just thought I would share this... Feel free to share your thoughts on the matter :)
 

aspen

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I agree! Although, I had never thought about it until now. Great insight.
 

FHII

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I really don't understand how you believe it was an honor.... I understand your point about the dipping of the bread. But at that point Jesus already announced that it was meant to be a sign of him that would betray him and was of the devil. Even before that the Devil entered into Judas. Calling it an honor is kind of strange. It wasn't even an accusation, it was a revealing of an evil doing and an evil being.

Yes, perhaps Jesus was saying something about the dipping of bread being a high honor (personally, I have never heard that before, and would like a reference as to why it was such a high honor in traditions of men). If it was, that would be worthy of study. But no, I don't think God was honoring Judas. He was exposing a crime which hadn't even happened yet, but was nontheless true.

John 6:70 identifies Judas as a devil. God honors a devil? I don't think so. I do think he chose that devil, but gives any honor to it? No. But the dipping of bread might prove to be an interesting way to show that a curse and scorge has been exposed.
 

Prentis

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I think it represents something. Literally receiving that piece of bread cant do anything. It only represented how Judas had been honored. Judas had been honored but did not seek to honor God with it. God had given Judas honor; he was part of the 12 and was allowed to learn closely from Jesus. He was given power to cast out demons.

What I came to see in it is an image. A physical representation of a spiritual happening. Judas was honored, lifted up, but did not return the honor, and thus he was like the devil. :)
 

BibleScribe

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Hi Prentis,

It's funny how man can be so puffed up in his own imagination. Think about how Judas was given the responsibility of carrying the purse, but he dipped into it. And so the evidence of what you observed is exactly why when GOD made satan the highest angel, that he became so proud that he fell.

Who among us should think so highly of himself as to sit nearest the king, only to be moved down. But what joy to take the lowest seat and be elevated. (Ref. Luke 18:13-14.)


BibleScribe
 

Prentis

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Wow... Amen! I really like that verse you quoted...

Better to always take the low seat and let God elevate us! Reminds me of Jesus, the opposite of the devil... Willing to take on the cross, bear the shame... And then the Father glorified Him!
 

veteran

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It was prophecy what Judas would do in Zech.11. Judas was already chosen for what he would do in betraying our Lord Jesus...

John 6:70-71
70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
71 He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray Him, being one of the twelve.
(KJV)

John 17:12
12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Thy name: those that Thou gavest Me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
(KJV)

Jesus said Judas Iscariot was "a devil", meaning he already was a child of darkness when Jesus chose him.


John 12:4-6
4 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray Him,
5 "Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?"
6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.
(KJV)

John revealed the real nature of Judas Iscariot. Judas was a thief. The name Iscariot means "man of Kerioth", and Kerioth means "cities". And who was the builder of the first city because the ground had been cursed to him in farming? Judas Iscariot represented a 'tare' (Matt.13). So that's pointing to a lot more reason for why he was chosen to fulfill the prophecy of betraying our Lord Jesus. Yet, Judas was still... offered Christ's Salvation and would have continued if he had turned to Christ and really believed from the start. Scripture reveals Judas was really there for himself, as a thief coveting the money bag.