John 13:18-30
Key Verse: After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.” (John 13:21)
Whether or not Judas is the worst of all sinners, he is certainly no one’s candidate for sainthood. So why did Jesus choose him? Why did he make Judas one of his twelve disciples? Why did he spend over three years investing in him when he knew Judas would betray him in the end?
In John 6 we are given an account of Jesus teaching in a synagogue. Some of his teaching was difficult to accept, so a number of followers deserted him (v. 66). In that context we find a strange comment: “Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him” (64). And a few sentences later we read, “Then Jesus replied, ‘Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!’” (70).
This makes Jesus’ actions toward Judas at the upper room dinner so remarkable. Before betraying Jesus, Judas was among the other disciples when the Lord washed their feet. Jesus had taught him along with the other disciples, and Judas had the same opportunities as they did to respond. We don’t know why Jesus chose Judas, but we can guess at a few possibilities.
Possibly Jesus chose him just to demonstrate His grace. Traveling with the Savior for several years exposed Judas to the heart of God. He walked in the light that emanated from the Savior. He had every advantage the other disciples had, but he finally and decisively rejected the Lord.
Some have suggested Jesus chose Judas to show that the Christian community would not always be pure. That there would be those among the true believers who were not themselves believers. They would look like believers just as Judas did. They would have a form of godliness but no inner core.
Maybe Jesus chose him so that the Lord himself could model a character of humility and graciousness for his disciples. If He could suffer Judas for these years, the other disciples could follow his example and display that same graciousness to others.
Whichever of these reasons may be true, if any, we must marvel at the last one especially. Jesus’ character of humility and graciousness is nowhere more brilliantly displayed than in his dealings with Judas.
Do I have a Judas in my life? If I don’t have a betrayer, do I have anyone I have to put up with—anyone I don’t trust, anyone who rubs me the wrong way, anyone I’d rather avoid? I may not, like Jesus, have to wash that person’s feet, but I may need to serve that one in less dramatic ways.
Prayer: Father, give me the grace of Your Son to bear with some who demonstrate less than Christian character. Help me to accept them, recognizing my own imperfections. Help me to serve them and expose them to Your grace as the Savior did.
