Daily Thought

In revealing the treachery of Judas the Lord speaks of his hand, v. 21; elsewhere He speaks of his heel, John 13. 18. The hand reminds us of his treacherous deeds; the heel of his total disdain for the Saviour.

The actions of Judas give rise to three contrasts. Firstly, his planning and preparation contrast dramatically with the preparations made for the keeping of the Passover, vv. 3-13: his avarice stands opposed to the generosity of the ‘goodman of the house’; his scheming with the enemies of the Lord contrasts with the simple guidance involved in following the man with the pitcher of water, the activity of Satan, v. 3, is set over against a lovely picture of the activity of the Holy Spirit, v. 10.

Secondly, his participation in the Passover contrasts with his exclusion from the Lord’s Supper. It would seem that Judas was present for the Passover feast but left the room before the Lord’s Supper was instituted, John 13. 27. Luke records these incidents in a moral order, not chronological. Judas is connected with the Passover, and represents the state of the nation: hypocritically enjoying the feasts of Jehovah, yet at the same time harbouring evil intentions towards the Lord. The Passover cup was shared by all the disciples, Luke 22. 17, and symbolizes the joy of a redeemed nation. Because of Israel’s treachery and rejection, the sharing of that joy is put on hold until the visible kingdom is established, v. 18. According to John, Judas ‘went out’ when he had received the Passover ‘sop’ from the Lord. When Judas leaves the company the Lord institutes a new feast - based on, but distinct from, the Passover.

The last Passover gives way to the first Lord’s Supper.

Thirdly, the Lord’s startling revelation gives rise to contrasting speculation among the disciples: which disciple would be the worst, and which would be the greatest? vv. 23-27. Perhaps each felt that he could never be guilty of betrayal, and of course such a superior attitude leads inevitably to pride and strife, v. 24. The Lord reminds them that true greatness lies in selfless service, and He Himself would demonstrate that perfectly during the next few hours.