Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.
Satan entered into Judas Iscariot and worked through him to betray Jesus, though Judas was one of the twelve disciples and one of His own followers. Driven by greed and love of money, Judas secretly contracted with the priests and rulers to hand over his Master for thirty pieces of silver, the price of a slave, and agreed to lead them to one of Jesus' quiet resorts for prayer where they could seize Him without a tumult. He opened himself to Satan's control by cultivating avarice and selfishness until love of gain ruled him, stealing money entrusted to him, complaining under plea for the poor when Mary poured costly ointment upon Jesus, resenting Christ's rebuke, and then rejecting His humble foot-washing and deciding to disown Him when his hopes for worldly honor were crushed. His first departure from righteousness led to further wrong until selfishness overmastered him, so that at the betrayal he had no power to resist Satan and remained bold and defiant despite Jesus' sorrowful appeal. His case warns that mere association with Christ does not unite a person with Him when selfishness is cultivated, and that resisting light and refusing Christ's appeals hardens the heart until a person does Satan's work while believing he serves Christ and cannot save himself from the snare.
Betrayal by One Disciple
Satan entered Judas Iscariot and worked through him, though Judas was numbered among the twelve disciples and was one of Jesus' own followers. That entering led him to betray Jesus into the hands of those who crucified Him. It illustrates how one not wholly consecrated to God may do Satan's work, and how far a person may go in sin after yielding to the great deceiver.
Judas secretly offered to betray Jesus to the priests, scribes and rulers. Those leaders wanted to seize Jesus without provoking a tumult among the people, because many who saw His mighty works believed Him to be the prophet of the Most High, so they judged open violence would not be good policy and treachery must serve their purpose. He agreed to lead them to one of Jesus' quiet resorts for prayer and retirement, where they could seize Him with certainty and make sure of their prey with no multitude to oppose them.
Driven by greed for gain and love of money, he contracted to hand over his Master, the Lord of life and glory, to shame, ignominy, death and crucifixion at the hands of His enemies. The price was thirty pieces of silver, a paltry sum and small sum, the price of a slave. Satan's influence is also described as putting the betrayal into Judas' heart, entering him as the betrayal took shape and was being plotted around the last supper. At that time Judas was already resolved to betray Jesus after rejecting the foot-washing, having negotiated the betrayal though the arrangement was not yet complete.
The betrayal was the next step in Satan's wider work after first blinding the Jews so they would not receive Jesus as Saviour and then driving them through envy at His mighty works to desire His death.
How Judas Opened the Door
Judas cultivated avarice and selfishness until love of money ruled him above love for Christ, and by becoming a slave to this vice and repeatedly acting against Christ's principles he gave himself to Satan and opened himself to Satan's control. His heart remained carnal, close, covetous and unclean and unsanctified, loving money, and his repeated self-seeking let selfishness overmaster his mind. Avarice poisoned his spiritual life, so that anger at reproof opened the way for Satan to control his thoughts.
Though he lived with Jesus through His ministry, saw His mighty works, yielded to the evidence that He was the Messiah, and thought himself a true disciple, he neglected Jesus' comfort and wants, selfishly took for his own use money entrusted to him for the poor, and covered his covetousness by pleading for the poor. When Mary, grateful because Jesus had forgiven her many sins and raised her beloved brother from the dead, poured costly ointment upon Jesus, Judas angrily complained it should have been sold and given to the poor, using concern for the poor as an excuse for greed. Her generosity cuttingly rebuked his covetous disposition.
Jesus' rebuke over Judas' reaction to Mary's gift annoyed Judas, and his anger at the reproof poisoned his spiritual life and prepared the way for Satan's temptation to be received. Covetousness having thus corrupted his character, he yielded to temptation and agreed to betray Jesus for money. Judas then rejected Jesus' humble act of washing the disciples' feet, taking that humility to mean Jesus would not become Israel's earthly king, so his hopes for worldly honor were crushed, and he chose not to repent or confess his sins and decided to disown Jesus.
He had already negotiated the betrayal, though the arrangement was not yet complete when he was resolved to betray Jesus. Judas did not expect Jesus to be captured, but thought Jesus would escape by displaying divine power, the priests would lose their bribe, and he would keep the money. Though he had agreed to betray Jesus, reflection did not change his purpose. At the betrayal he had no power to resist Satan but remained bold and defiant and showed no sign of remorse despite Jesus' sorrowful appeal.
Jesus knew Judas was ruled by selfishness and would betray Him, yet kept Judas among the disciples to restrain the harm he might do and to prevent Satan from using his dismissal to spread distorted reports about Jesus and injure the disciples. Jesus' response to Judas' traitorous kiss displays forbearance, love, and pity.
Warning for Believers Today
Judas Iscariot's fall shows how far a person may go in sin after yielding to the great deceiver, for Satan entered him and led him to betray Jesus. A first departure from righteousness leads to further wrong until selfishness overmasters the mind, and his repeated self-seeking opened him to Satan's influence. Mere association with Christ does not unite a person with Him when selfishness is cultivated and sincere sympathy for others is not formed. Those who do not become like Christ in sincere sympathy are in danger of being outside of Him and prey to Satan's temptations.
Those not wholly consecrated to God may do Satan's work while believing they serve Christ. Resisting light and refusing Christ's appeals can harden the heart until a person follows Satan's temptations and cannot save himself from their snare. Judas's example therefore warns others not to take the first steps on that path. The same kind of influence that entered one who professed to belong to God can lead a person claiming to believe the truth to deceive people through impersonation, bringing disgrace on the community he represents.
Satan entered into Judas Iscariot and worked through him to betray Jesus, though Judas was one of the twelve disciples and one of His own followers. Driven by greed and love of money, Judas secretly contracted with the priests and rulers to hand over his Master for thirty pieces of silver, the price of a slave, and agreed to lead them to one of Jesus' quiet resorts for prayer where they could seize Him without a tumult. He opened himself to Satan's control by cultivating avarice and selfishness until love of gain ruled him, stealing money entrusted to him, complaining under plea for the poor when Mary poured costly ointment upon Jesus, resenting Christ's rebuke, and then rejecting His humble foot-washing and deciding to disown Him when his hopes for worldly honor were crushed. His first departure from righteousness led to further wrong until selfishness overmastered him, so that at the betrayal he had no power to resist Satan and remained bold and defiant despite Jesus' sorrowful appeal. His case warns that mere association with Christ does not unite a person with Him when selfishness is cultivated, and that resisting light and refusing Christ's appeals hardens the heart until a person does Satan's work while believing he serves Christ and cannot save himself from the snare.
Betrayal by One Disciple
Satan entered Judas Iscariot and worked through him, though Judas was numbered among the twelve disciples and was one of Jesus' own followers. That entering led him to betray Jesus into the hands of those who crucified Him. It illustrates how one not wholly consecrated to God may do Satan's work, and how far a person may go in sin after yielding to the great deceiver.
Judas secretly offered to betray Jesus to the priests, scribes and rulers. Those leaders wanted to seize Jesus without provoking a tumult among the people, because many who saw His mighty works believed Him to be the prophet of the Most High, so they judged open violence would not be good policy and treachery must serve their purpose. He agreed to lead them to one of Jesus' quiet resorts for prayer and retirement, where they could seize Him with certainty and make sure of their prey with no multitude to oppose them.
Driven by greed for gain and love of money, he contracted to hand over his Master, the Lord of life and glory, to shame, ignominy, death and crucifixion at the hands of His enemies. The price was thirty pieces of silver, a paltry sum and small sum, the price of a slave. Satan's influence is also described as putting the betrayal into Judas' heart, entering him as the betrayal took shape and was being plotted around the last supper. At that time Judas was already resolved to betray Jesus after rejecting the foot-washing, having negotiated the betrayal though the arrangement was not yet complete.
The betrayal was the next step in Satan's wider work after first blinding the Jews so they would not receive Jesus as Saviour and then driving them through envy at His mighty works to desire His death.
How Judas Opened the Door
Judas cultivated avarice and selfishness until love of money ruled him above love for Christ, and by becoming a slave to this vice and repeatedly acting against Christ's principles he gave himself to Satan and opened himself to Satan's control. His heart remained carnal, close, covetous and unclean and unsanctified, loving money, and his repeated self-seeking let selfishness overmaster his mind. Avarice poisoned his spiritual life, so that anger at reproof opened the way for Satan to control his thoughts.
Though he lived with Jesus through His ministry, saw His mighty works, yielded to the evidence that He was the Messiah, and thought himself a true disciple, he neglected Jesus' comfort and wants, selfishly took for his own use money entrusted to him for the poor, and covered his covetousness by pleading for the poor. When Mary, grateful because Jesus had forgiven her many sins and raised her beloved brother from the dead, poured costly ointment upon Jesus, Judas angrily complained it should have been sold and given to the poor, using concern for the poor as an excuse for greed. Her generosity cuttingly rebuked his covetous disposition.
Jesus' rebuke over Judas' reaction to Mary's gift annoyed Judas, and his anger at the reproof poisoned his spiritual life and prepared the way for Satan's temptation to be received. Covetousness having thus corrupted his character, he yielded to temptation and agreed to betray Jesus for money. Judas then rejected Jesus' humble act of washing the disciples' feet, taking that humility to mean Jesus would not become Israel's earthly king, so his hopes for worldly honor were crushed, and he chose not to repent or confess his sins and decided to disown Jesus.
He had already negotiated the betrayal, though the arrangement was not yet complete when he was resolved to betray Jesus. Judas did not expect Jesus to be captured, but thought Jesus would escape by displaying divine power, the priests would lose their bribe, and he would keep the money. Though he had agreed to betray Jesus, reflection did not change his purpose. At the betrayal he had no power to resist Satan but remained bold and defiant and showed no sign of remorse despite Jesus' sorrowful appeal.
Jesus knew Judas was ruled by selfishness and would betray Him, yet kept Judas among the disciples to restrain the harm he might do and to prevent Satan from using his dismissal to spread distorted reports about Jesus and injure the disciples. Jesus' response to Judas' traitorous kiss displays forbearance, love, and pity.
Warning for Believers Today
Judas Iscariot's fall shows how far a person may go in sin after yielding to the great deceiver, for Satan entered him and led him to betray Jesus. A first departure from righteousness leads to further wrong until selfishness overmasters the mind, and his repeated self-seeking opened him to Satan's influence. Mere association with Christ does not unite a person with Him when selfishness is cultivated and sincere sympathy for others is not formed. Those who do not become like Christ in sincere sympathy are in danger of being outside of Him and prey to Satan's temptations.
Those not wholly consecrated to God may do Satan's work while believing they serve Christ. Resisting light and refusing Christ's appeals can harden the heart until a person follows Satan's temptations and cannot save himself from their snare. Judas's example therefore warns others not to take the first steps on that path. The same kind of influence that entered one who professed to belong to God can lead a person claiming to believe the truth to deceive people through impersonation, bringing disgrace on the community he represents.