“Behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table” (Lk 22.21). One of the twelve apostles, hand-picked by Jesus to be the foundation of the new holy nation, who walked with Jesus for three years, eating this transformed Passover meal with Jesus in which he is giving them his body and blood, is about to commit high treason. How could it come to this?
Before that question can be answered, we must first answer, “Who is it?” Eleven of the apostles don’t know. There is no finger-pointing. The traitor is not obvious. Each of the apostles, while appalled at the prospect, understands that it could be any one of them. Each one knows his capabilities. Each one knows the capabilities of the others. This heinous act of apostasy is not beyond the possibility of any of Jesus’ disciples.
Luke has given us inside information on the betrayer, so we are not in the same position that the apostles found themselves on that night. We have known from the choosing the Twelve that Judas would do this (Lk 6.17). But the other eleven didn’t know. Judas was fully one of them. When Jesus commissioned the Twelve to go preach the gospel and heal, Judas was with them (Lk 9.1-6). He proclaimed the same message and the power of Christ Jesus flowed through him to heal the sick. When the crowds were bewildered at the meaning of Jesus’ parables, Judas enjoyed private teaching from Jesus that explained what was hidden from others. The fact that the eleven others don’t immediately finger him at the table indicates that he showed all the signs of being one of them.
So, how could this happen? How can a man, specifically chosen by Jesus as the foundation of his transformed holy nation, a man who exercised Jesus’ authority, a man who ate and drank with Jesus, a man who was taught personally by Jesus, how can that man apostatize? Luke tells us that “Satan entered into Judas.” But was Judas solidly faithful and then, all of the sudden, overwhelmed by Satan? I don’t think so. Judas had been preparing the house for a while. Satan found a friendly environment and ally in Judas.
To understand Judas’s apostasy, we have to understand him as the epitome of his name’s sake. Judas is the Greek spelling of Judah, the kingly tribe of Israel. In him culminates the rivalry between, for instance, the legitimate and illegitimate heirs to David’s throne among his children. Judas is Adonijah who seeks to usurp Solomon, grasping for the throne. This representation runs even deeper. When the people of God came out of captivity toward the end of the sixth century B.C., the whole of God’s people took on the name of the tribe of Judah. They were Judahites from which we derive the name “Jews.” Judas is the epitome of the unfaithful people of God.
The Jews enjoyed great privileges from God through the years. They were God’s chosen people, his special possession, a holy nation, a royal priesthood. To them were given the oracles of God, the covenants, and God’s special presence. As we trace their history, we understand better how apostasy works. It is a leaven of unfaithfulness that is introduced and grows into full-blown betrayal. It begins small enough; “Has God really said?…” “These other nations look like they know what they are doing. Maybe we can mix worship of their gods with worship of Yahweh.” Compromises. Here a little. There a little. Discontentment with God’s ways. Impatience with God’s delays. Thoughts nurtured. Sinful actions not cut off. All of it grows sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly. But it grows because it is not cut off through confession, repentance, and discipline.
What happens to the Jews over their history happens to individuals in their history, Judas being the prime example. We become discontent with God’s commands, the chains he puts on us. We nurture thoughts and deeds instead of bringing them under the captivity of Christ. The longer it goes, the more the leaven grows. Eventually, we betray the Lord by denying the faith. We may claim to still believe, but our actions betray our apostasy. Some walk away from the faith completely.
There are many mysteries around apostasy. We want to know, “What did the apostate really possess?” (as if faith were a “thing” to be possessed instead of a relationship of persevering allegiance). “What is the nature of the relationship of the apostate to the decrees of God?” “Can someone have a real relationship with Christ and still apostatize?” All of those questions have their place, but are we asking them because we are merely theologically curious, or is it that, like the eleven apostles, we know our own capabilities? Maybe it’s a mixture of both.
What we do know about apostasy is that it is real. The Bible warns us about it and exhorts us to put up guards against it through the means of grace that God has provided. We are to be cutting off the leaven of sin through confession and repentance daily and weekly in the worship with God’s people. We are to be proactively disciplined, pursuing what is good, right, and beautiful, praying individually and with one another, being encouraged by the fellowship of the saints, and feasting at the Lord’s Table.
In the end, however, apostasy is a choice … or, maybe better, a series of choices. God has provided everything you need for life and godliness (2Pt 1.3). You must choose to avail yourself of the riches of his grace and remain loyal to him or commit treason. Judas made his choice. What’s yours?
