Treachery Lurks in the Shadows : John 6:70-71 : What Jesus Did! : HEARTLIGHT®

Home > Devotionals > What Jesus Did! > May 18

Treachery Lurks in the Shadows - John 6:70-71

Then Jesus answered, "I chose all twelve of you. But one of you is a devil." Jesus was talking about Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. Judas was one of the twelve {apostles }. But later Judas would turn against Jesus. (ERV) Full Text

Key Thought

We know the story before it happens. Lurking in the shadows is the traitor. Treachery is afoot. While we can speculate on why Judas would do such a terrible thing, Scripture doesn't tell us. The Holy Spirit only tells us that he did betray Jesus -- and from this vantage point, Jesus knows that Judas will betray him. Quite remarkably, Jesus will do the heart of his ministry and offer his deepest and most genuine service to his disciples, knowing all the while that one of them will hand him over to be tortured. I don't know about you, but that is a bittersweet comfort to me. Bitter, because I hate that the Lord Jesus, who created all that is in our world, had to face such a heartbreaking breach of trust. Sweet, because I know he knows what it is like -- not just as God, but also as a brokenhearted friend who has been betrayed for inexplicable reasons. Sounds like my world. Sounds even more like my Savior!

Today's Prayer

Get WJD by EMAIL!

Enter your email address above to subscribe to the email edition of What Jesus Did! Follow along FREE every day as we go through John in a year.

More Info on Mailing Lists

Holy God, Creator and Sustainer of all that is, thank you. Thank you for not being a god who is far off. Thank you for living in my world and bearing the brunt of its brokenness. Please bless me with confidence as I approach you, knowing that you know the deepest pains of my heart from experience and not just omniscience. Thank you for revealing yourself in Jesus, in whose name I pray. Amen.

NEW: Get Phil's What Jesus Did devotional in a paperback book. Click here to find out more!

Today's Verses in Context

The followers of Jesus heard this. Many of the followers said, "This teaching is hard {to accept}. Who can accept this teaching?" Jesus knew that his followers were complaining about this. So Jesus said, "Is this teaching a problem for you? Then will it also be a problem for you to see the Son of Man going back to the place where he came from? It is not the body that gives a person life. It is the spirit that gives life. The things I told you are spirit. And so these things give life. But some of you don't believe." (Jesus knew the people that did not believe. Jesus knew this from the beginning. And Jesus knew the person that would turn against him.) Jesus said, "That is why I said, 'If the Father does not let a person come to me, then that person cannot come.'" After Jesus said these things, many of his followers left him. They stopped following Jesus. Jesus asked the twelve apostles, "Do you want to leave too?" Simon Peter answered Jesus, "Lord, where would we go? You have the things that give life forever. We believe in you. We know that you are the Holy One from God." Then Jesus answered, "I chose all twelve of you. But one of you is a devil." Jesus was talking about Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. Judas was one of the twelve {apostles }. But later Judas would turn against Jesus.

— John 6:60-71 (ERV)

Comments on "Treachery Lurks in the Shadows":

It was almost time for the Jewish Passover festival. Jesus knew that it was time for him to leave this world. It was now time for Jesus to go back to the Father. Jesus had always loved those people in the world who were his. Now was the time Jesus showed them his love the most. Jesus and his followers were at the evening meal. The devil had already persuaded Judas Iscariot to turn against Jesus. (Judas was the son of Simon.) The Father had given Jesus power over everything. Jesus knew this. Jesus also knew that he had come from God. And he knew that he was going back to God. While they were eating, Jesus stood up and took off his robe. Jesus got a towel and wrapped the towel around his waist. Then Jesus poured water into a pitcher. He began to wash the followers' feet. He dried their feet with the towel that was wrapped around his waist.
John 13:1-5 (ERV)

After that time Judas waited for the best time to give Jesus to the priests.
Matthew 26:16 (ERV)

After Jesus said these things, he felt very troubled. Jesus said openly, "I tell you the truth. One of you will be against me." Jesus' followers all looked at each other. They did not understand who the person was that Jesus was talking about. One of the followers was next to Jesus and was leaning close to him. This was the follower that Jesus loved. Simon Peter made signs to this follower to ask Jesus who the person was that he was talking about. That follower leaned closer to Jesus and asked, "Lord, who is it that will be against you?" Jesus answered, "I will dip this bread into the dish. The man I give it to is the man that will turn against me." So Jesus took a piece of bread. He dipped it and gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. When Judas took the bread, Satan (the devil) entered him. Jesus said to Judas. "The thing that you will do--do it quickly!" None of the men at the table understood why Jesus said this to Judas. Judas was the one that kept the money box {for the group}. So some of the followers thought that Jesus meant for Judas to go and buy some things they needed for the feast. Or they thought that Jesus wanted Judas to go give something to the poor people. Judas accepted the bread Jesus gave him. Then Judas went out. It was night.
John 13:21-30 (ERV)

Share with Others

Print this Devotional

Send it to a Friend

Discuss