NTC Edge #2

"The Edge" features creative perspectives and reflections associated with the subject matter presented on the Current Lesson page.

Study Series: NTC
The New Testament Church

Edge #2: October 11, 2000

Let There be Light!

Bible Backdrop

The Lord's Supper

Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself. Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.... Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head." Jesus said to him, "He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you." For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, "Not all of you are clean." ... "I do not speak of all of you. I know the ones I have chosen; but it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled, 'HE WHO EATS MY BREAD HAS LIFTED UP HIS HEEL AGAINST ME.' From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am He. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me." When Jesus had said this, He became troubled in spirit, and testified and said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray Me." The disciples began looking at one another, at a loss to know of which one He was speaking. There was reclining on Jesus' bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. So Simon Peter gestured to him, and said to him, "Tell us who it is of whom He is speaking." He, leaning back thus on Jesus' bosom, said to Him, "Lord, who is it?" Jesus then answered, "That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him." So when He had dipped the morsel, He took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. After the morsel, Satan then entered into him. Therefore Jesus said to him, "What you do, do quickly." Now no one of those reclining at the table knew for what purpose He had said this to him. For some were supposing, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus was saying to him, "Buy the things we have need of for the feast"; or else, that he should give something to the poor. So after receiving the morsel he went out immediately; and it was night.
(John 13:1-5, 9-11, 18-30 NASB)

Jesus' Betrayal and Arrest

While He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came up accompanied by a large crowd with swords and clubs, who came from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now he who was betraying Him gave them a sign, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him." Immediately Judas went to Jesus and said, "Hail, Rabbi!" and kissed Him. And Jesus said to him, "Friend, do what you have come for." Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and seized Him. (Matt 26:47-50 NASB)

"Brethren, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. "For he was counted among us and received his share in this ministry." ... And they prayed and said, "You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two You have chosen to occupy this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place." And they drew lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles. (Acts 1:16-17, 24-26 NASB)

Inspector Edge

Let there be light! Many of us have freely quoted these words and most know of these as words spoken during creation by God Himself. Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day. (Genesis 1:3-5 NASB) Looking at the original text, we see light meaning illumination, defined as a source of light, spiritual or intellectual enlightenment, and clarification; we also see it meaning luminary, defined as an object that gives light or a person that is an inspiration to others. [Note 2] We see darkness meaning dark (imagine that!), but in a figurative sense, we find included in the definition words such as misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, and wickedness. [Note 3] Looking figuratively at the word day, we discover it as a space of time defined by descriptive words such as always, continually, everlasting, life, perpetually, presently, and the list goes on... [Note 4]. And looking figuratively at the word night, we find the term adversity. [Note 5] Hmmm...

When Judas left the Lord's Supper table, he left not only the immediate presence of Jesus, he left the person of Jesus. When Judas left Jesus, he went out into the night, both in a very real sense and in a figurative sense of going out into darkness. At a previous time, Jesus had spoken theses words: "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life." (John 8:12b NASB)

Above in John 13:2, Judas had already allowed the devil's tempting to penetrate his heart: "During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him." Judas then had a choice to make, to either walk in the light or walk in the darkness. Giving in to temptation, he chose the darkness and reflecting what Jesus spoke in the twelfth chapter of John, "Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes." (v. 35b NASB), Judas did not know where he was headed. (See the current lesson for an account of the outcome of Judas' downfall - it's not a pretty sight.) Not only did Judas turn his back, or should I say his heel, on Jesus, but he delivered his trusted friend into the hands of His enemy.

Reading over the Bible Backdrop in the selection from the book of John, it is evident that Jesus knew precisely what choice Judas was going to make before he made the choice. In a similar sense, Jesus knows exactly what we're going to choose when tempted - before we make a choice. The good news is that though we may fall into darkness, i.e., make wrong choices, the Lord is a light to shine on our path to bring us out of the dark and back to Him, thus back on the right path! The problem with Judas is that he never returned to the light of Jesus, thus he remained in a state of darkness. Remaining in the presence of Jesus will keep us out of the darkness and away from following Judas' ill-fated example.

"I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness." (John 12:46 NASB)

Notes

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.