RC Chiten Jamir
Judas Iscariot, one of the disciples of Jesus, covenanted a deal with the chief priests. “What will you give me if I betray Jesus to you?” Then and there the chief priests counted and paid to Judas thirty pieces of silver. “The man I kiss is the man you want. Arrest him.” The representative of Satan in the person of Judas Iscariot thus sold his treacherous betrayal kiss just for 30 pieces of silver.
Kiss was from the beginning of time practiced as a common customary greeting. It is an expression of love and goodwill towards each other. In the case of Judas, the kiss is deliberately directed to frustrate the plans of God for man. Satan wanted to do away with Jesus Christ and that would be the end of man’s redemption. Judas came with a great multitude with swords and staffs along with chief priests and Jewish elders to arrest Jesus Christ. Judas told the chief priests and the people: “Whomsoever I shall kiss that same is he: hold him fast.” After that Judas came and said, “Hail master,” and kissed him. The wicked betrayal kiss of Judas! On the last night, Jesus gave Judas the last opportunity to repent. “The son of man goeth as it is written of him, but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It had been good for that man if he had not been born” - Matt. 26:24.
In the last supper, Jesus said “Take, eat, this is my body.” Taking the cup He said – “Drink ye all of it.” Judas, the Devil also received the bread and the drink but he was destined to do away with Jesus. Are we joining the Church of Christ with the heart and soul of Judas? “Are you come out as against a thief with swords and staffs to take me?” – If Jesus asks us what is our answer?
Judas Iscariot, the arch-traitor was the betrayer of the Lord Jesus – John 6:71. Jesus of Nazareth selected 12 persons of trust to be His disciples. Judas was one of them. He was made the treasurer – John 12:6, 13:29. His hopes for a high office in an earthly Kingdom of Jesus were dashed – John 6:66. He loved money and became a thief. His reaction to Mary’s anointing was purely hypocritical. John 12:6 interpreted his pretended zeal for the poor as covetousness. Subsequently, Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss and sold Him for a mere thirty pieces of silver. Among the 12 Disciples, Judas Iscariot was the representative of Satan, the adversary or enemy of God, e.g. 1 Sam 29:4; 1 Kings 5:4; 11:14. Satan is the grand adversary of God and man from the beginning of time – Job 1:6,12; 2:1; Zech 3:1. The Lucifer about whom the prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel had spoken about was not created evil. He rebelled against God. He is the one who always tries to frustrate God’s plans and purposes for man.
Of the World’s Seven Great Crises,
1. The Edenic Crisis is number one – The Fall – Genesis 3:1-24.
The Edenic Crisis was caused by Satan – the prince of the powers of the air – John 12:31; 14:30; Eph. 2:2.
2. The Flood Crisis was also caused by Satan. He prompted the angels to leave their first estate and made men to go against God. Gen. 6:1-4; 2 Peter 2:4-10; Jude 6:7.
3. The Babel Crisis of Gen. 11:1-9 was inspired by Satan. God came down from Heaven and confounded the language of the people. Satan’s big plan against God was preemptively dislodged by God creating disunity in the humanity and cursed with multiplicity of languages. The Babel plan was crashed; Satan’s defeat was revealed.
4. The Egypt Crisis: If we read through the 12th Chapter of The Exodus, we find that God visited Egypt on the night of the first month of the year of Israel. The Israel was asked to kill a lamb for a house, to take the blood and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper doorpost of the houses.
It was to be The Lord’s Passover. God passed through Egypt that night and smote all the firstborns, both man and beast, against all the gods of Egypt. Satan was responsible for this crisis!
5. The First Coming Crisis: This crisis started from the Eden Garden. It was Satan’s ingenuity to become a snake to tempt Eve and mischievously made Adam and Eve to sin against God. God’s intense and passionate search for the lost man started: “Where art thou?” After an intensive search for 4000 years, God decided to send His own begotten Son, Jesus Christ into the world to redeem the lost man from the hands of Satan. God was manifest in the flesh – John 1:1-14; 1 Tim. 3:16. Satan did his best to destroy Christ and nullify His ministry. If we read Mt. 27:39-54, we see the temporary victory of Satan on the Cross of Calvary; the picture is too obviously and openly totally against Christ. But when Christ finally paid the penalty for sins of the world, the whole world was rocked with earthquake and struck with utter darkness and a ray of light was seen around the Crown of Thrones – that was the final defeat of Satan and Sin – Hallelujah! Christ is the Victor – He is the Lord!
Second Coming of Christ and the New Earth Crises are the 6th and the 7th Crises. But in this study we shall not go into these two Crises.
Let us turn to John 13:21-31. The life of Judas reflects as a mirror does two things. God gave a graphic illustration of human heart – the human depravity as pictured in Jeremiah 17:9. Judas reflects this human depravity. He had tremendous opportunity but he wasted them. He was blind to the reality of life. His following of Jesus was only outwardly. He did not commit his life to Jesus. He is a glaring example of a person who is with Christ and yet never anywhere near Him. He was so near and yet so far from Jesus. Some of us are in no way better than Judas Iscariot. Judas was captivated by money – Mtt. 26:15. As his association with Jesus and his colleagues increased, the degenerative process of sin grew gradually.
Sin made him to go against trust and confidence. Repeated warnings by Christ rather hardened his heart. This is one reflection of his life.
The other reflection is Divine Graciousness. Christ knew Judas – the predicted betrayer. He knew Judas to be an unbeliever. He knew what exactly Judas was going to do against Him. Graciously, He repeatedly warned Judas to mend his ways of life but Judas ruined himself. We are struck amazed by what happened on the final night. As Christ entered the room He greeted all, washed their feet – Judas’ feet too – He gave him sop as a token of friendship. He spoke words of warning as the last chance – John 13:10-11. He quoted to identify the betrayer – John 13:18. Christ spoke the final word of warning to Judas – Mtt. 26:24. Till the very last time, Christ gave opportunity to Judas to repent. Judas never trusted Jesus but He loved Judas.
Even if you do not trust Jesus He loves you. No matter what you have done, He loves you.
