As a true Man, Jesus was not omniscient. What He knew was through His perfect communion with His heavenly Father by faith. As a perfect holy Man, His prophetic understanding excelled that of all the prophets. “He knew what was in man.” He knew Judas, as He did each one of His disciples, their potential for evil and for good. He wanted Judas, or else He would not have selected him to be one of the Twelve.
As Judas became increasing familiar with Jesus, his understanding of Him was distorted by his personal convictions about what he thought the Messiah should be. Even Peter misunderstood his Messiah and Jesus had to say to him, “Get behind me Satan for you are not on the side of God but of men.” But Jesus prayed for Peter whom Satan sought to “sift as wheat.”
Did Jesus not pray for Judas? We know that Jesus prayed for him. But God had given Judas freedom of choice as He has each one of us. Only God can know the depths of the hidden councils of the human mind, heart and will. Judas was making up his mind. Perhaps he made his final decision when he saw all of that expensive perfume “wasted” on what Jesus stated was “for my burial.” Judas then knew that Jesus was not going to fight but that He was going to die.
Jesus experienced great anguish over Judas. We know this from His pointed reference to the subject while at table with His disciples in the upper room at the Last Supper. Judas was part of Jesus’ anguish in Gethsemane.
It is interesting that right after Judas went out into the night Jesus exclaimed, “Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in Him!” The writer of Hebrews states, “Who for the joy set before Him, He endured the Cross, despising the shame.” Judas was a part of that shame. Judas was His friend. He felt Judas’ shame.
Wherein lay Jesus’ joy as He saw one of His own go out into the darkness separating himself from Him, betraying Him to His enemies?
Judas had made his choice, but Jesus knew that He also had made His choice. Just like His ancestor Jacob, Jesus had laid hold of God and would not let Him go. Unlike Jacob who limped away with his glorious blessing, Jesus was clasped in the Father’s arms, all the fullness of God’s glory flowing through Him. “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him!”
This son of Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Ruth, David, and the virgin Mary, and of God, realized and fulfilled all of the faulting, partially fulfilled, desire of His godly ancestors, completely and perfectly, without one hesitation or regret. He knew that the fruit of His choice and obedience would cover even Judas’ sin. Because of the joy that was set before Him He could endure the Cross, even the sin of Judas!
Yes, Jesus did say, “The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!” Note, however, that Jesus refers to Himself as the Son of Man and says, “that man” rather than using Judas‘ name. “It would have been good for that man if he had never been born,” is an idiomatic expression.
Jeremiah, in great distress said of himself, “Cursed be the day when I was born; let the day not be blessed when my mother bore me!” Job, in his great suffering, said, “Let the day perish on which I was to be born, and the night which said ‘A boy is conceived.’” And before the Flood, as the Lord looked upon the evil state of mankind, the scripture says that He was sorry that He had made man on the earth. The passage goes on to say that the man Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
God always has had His man on the scene, so to speak. He had shared with Moses His thoughts of doing away with the whole nation of Israel there in the desert, and starting a new nation with Moses. But Moses interceded for his people and God heard him. Thus did Jesus, in the face of that dastardly deed of His disciple and friend, Judas, exult in the glory of the Son of Man who was the great Intercessor.
Judas represented the betrayal of every human heart. But the shame of mankind’s sin paled into oblivion in the Light of the Glory of the Son of Man.
So they sang a hymn and left for the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane. As they departed Jesus said, “That the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go from here.”
He must finish the work of the Son of Man. Jesus had said of His Cross, “If I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to Myself.” They weren’t ready to follow Him yet. They fell asleep in the Garden, unable to share His agony, finally fleeing from Him as He was being arrested. Peter denied Him and Judas committed suicide.
Jesus said, “Many are called, but few are chosen.” This Christmas, as we celebrate the coming of God into our race in the Person of His Son, we may ask ourselves, “What do I do with Jesus?” Pilate asked that question as Jesus stood before him, “What shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” Will it be death, or will it be Life?
Rosemary E Hyslop December 23, 2012