“But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.” [Jn 6:64]
In Luke, before Jesus was to choose out for Himself twelve disciples, naming them “Apostles,” we are told that He, “continued all night in prayer to God.” [Lk 6:12] Then, after a night spent totally in prayer, “when it was day, He called unto Him His disciples: and of them He chose twelve, whom also He named apostles.” [Lk 6:13] Knowing the end of the story, we will remember that in addition those faithful eleven, those beloved of our Lord, of whom we “have obtained like precious faith,” [2 Pe 1:1] we find the man rightly named last, “Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.” [Lk 6:16] If we dwell on this fact for some time, we will come to a few precious conclusions about Jesus and His character that shall encourage our minds and hearts. We will see that our King is meek, patient, and incredibly gracious; that He is merciful and full of love, abounding in longsuffering.
First, we must recognize that Jesus could do nothing in His own power. This may sound almost blasphemous; and, if we are not careful, it can become such. However, we would do well to read what our Lord spoke some two-thousand years ago, when He said, “verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth The Father do;” and, “I can of mine own self do nothing;” and again, “when ye have lifted up the Son of Man, then shall ye know that I Am, and that I do nothing of myself…” [Jn 5:19, 30; 8:28] It may come as a surprise for the man who has not had this truth revealed to Him yet by The Spirit, but it is indeed true. And further, is this not how Jesus our Captain also chose and sent us? For He says, “without me ye can do nothing,” [Jn 15:5] and, “as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.” [Jn 20:21] We see then that all things which Jesus did and said were empowered and motivated by The Father; Jesus’ body and life became a vessel for God to live through, that The Father, through the body of Christ, might show the world who He was – for in Jesus Christ, “dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead in bodily form.” [Col 2:9] As Jesus said to Phillip, “have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Phillip? He that hath seen me hath seen The Father.” [Jn 14:9]
Second, we read above in our passage for today, Jesus speaking and saying, “‘but there are some of you that believe not.’ For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.” [Jn 6:64] And again, “Jesus answered them, have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray Him, being one of the twelve.” [Jn 6:70-71] And again, “for He knew who should betray Him.” [Jn 13:11] Clearly, we see that Jesus, “from the beginning,” knew who of the disciples should betray Him and fulfil the scripture, “my own familiar friend…has lifted up his heel against me.” [Psa 41:9, Jn 13:18]
If we now join these facts, we come to an understanding that Jesus, after a full night of prayer and fellowship with His Father, concluded by direction of The Father, that Judas Iscariot – a man who would surely betray Him – should be among His closest disciples. Jesus knowingly chose Judas as an Apostle, trusting in The Father’s will. He did not grudge nor complain; He did not question or doubt; no, but Jesus firmly and resolutely, with pure obedience, chose a man of whom it had been revealed to Him that he should betray Him.
What glorious grace and mercy from our Lord Jesus! For remember that Judas was among the twelve when, “[Jesus] riseth from supper, and laid aside His garments; and took a towel, and girded Himself. After that He poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith He was girded.” [Jn 13:4-5] Jesus lovingly washed the feet of the very man whom He knew all along should betray Him for mere silver. Without complaining and without murmuring, “with cheerfulness” He did show Judas mercy. [Rom 12:8] Again, it was Judas who “had the [money] bag.” [Jn 12:6] It was this betrayer whom Jesus entrusted with the ministry’s monies. It was not Philip, to whom Jesus inquired, “whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” [Jn 6:5] but it was to Judas. See the graciousness of our Lord who would give such a man opportunity to repent and change.
This betrayer was not treated any differently than the other disciples. He was equally loved by Christ, who, in context of all twelve disciples, “loved them unto the end,” [Jn 13:1] and, though Judas was lost, prayed truthfully to The Father, “I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world.” [Jn 17:6] Moreover, we see that the other disciples had no idea who should betray Jesus; for even when Jesus pointed him out and said, “that thou doest, do quickly,” yet, “no man at the table knew for what intent He spake this unto him. For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor.” [Jn 13:28-29] The eleven were none the wiser, and they all were quite worried that they should betray Him when Jesus said, “verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.” [Jn 13:21] These remarks and these actions show us that Jesus treated Judas with love. Knowing that he would sell him and betray Him, yet Jesus still chose to love Judas and treat him with respect. Truly, the magnitude of God’s love, of Christ’s mercy, is unfathomable and deep. Praise be to our Shepherd and our God who has revealed to us His character in such a profound way.
These facts display clearly to us our Lord’s beautifully kind intentions. They show us His mercy, forgiveness, patience, and longsuffering. They exhort and encourage us to draw near to His kind breast and lean upon it; they admonish us to show the same mercy to those around us; they provoke us to love and good works, and to praise and joy. Yes, blessed be Jesus our King, who on earth displayed such lofty virtue.
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