4 Minute Read

Prepare Your Heart

To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.

Read God’s Word

2 Kings 23:21-25:30
John 13:12-30

A Verse for Today

Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.

John 13:26-28 (CSB): “Jesus replied, ‘He’s the one I give the piece of bread to after I have dipped it.’ When he had dipped the bread, he gave it to Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son. After Judas ate the piece of bread, Satan entered him. So Jesus told him, ‘What you’re doing, do quickly.’ None of those reclining at the table knew why he said this to him.”

Reflecting on God’s Word

A show I watched as a youth was “The Beverly Hillbillies.” It was about some backwoods hillbillies from the Missouri Ozarks trying to make sense of life in Beverly Hills. One sentence was repeated quite a few times: “One of these days, I’m gonna have a long talk with that boy.” Jed Clampett would often say that after his nephew, Jethro, demonstrated once again just how clueless he was.

Honestly, I feel like saying that when I read the verses I have chosen for today. Jesus had just told His disciples that He would signify who His betrayer was by dipping bread into the bowl of herb sauce and giving it to the guilty party. Then, He dipped bread into the bowl of herb sauce and gave it to Judas. And they all continued to question who the betrayer was.

“One of these days, I’m gonna have a long talk with that boy.”

But let’s get a bit serious here. It is amazing and noteworthy that someone whose name speaks of pure evil, 2,000 years later, wasn’t suspected by his peers. When we think of Judas, we may picture a sinister-looking character who clearly exuded an evil persona. However, Judas had been with the other disciples and Jesus for about three years, and none of the disciples suspected him, even when Jesus gave him the bread.

When Jesus gave him the bread, we are told that “Satan entered into him.” The disciples were still clueless. Someone who had been stealing from their treasury and whose heart was open to being possessed by Satan was not even on the disciples’ radar as someone who could betray Jesus.

While this happens in so many contexts, I want to draw your attention to the church. No matter what church you are in, there is almost certainly someone behind the scenes who has a bad heart. He or she carefully plays their cards so that others never suspect them. But sometimes the pastor knows. Sometimes, he’s even the object of their mistreatment. If he were to tell the whole congregation (he probably should not do this) who they were and what they were doing, the church would often respond just like the disciples and express shock.

So, pray for your church. Pray for and support your pastor (as long as he is worthy of that support). Realize that the real enemy is not people but the demonic forces of evil (Ephesians 6:12-13), so pray accordingly.

While our churches will never be perfect, we should pray for and strive to help them become healthy and busy doing the things that Jesus has told us to do. Satan would love to torpedo God’s desires in our churches before they even get started. So be watchful and pray.

There is probably a “Judas” among us. Don’t let him or her harm and stifle God’s work in your church.

Spend Time in Prayer

  • Ask God to help you support your pastor, church, and Jesus’ Kingdom as long as your pastor and church are biblically worthy of your support.
  • Ask God to protect your church from anyone who could be used by the enemy to destroy anything the Lord desires to do among you.

Going Deeper

If you want to dig a little deeper into how Satan entered Judas, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:

“What does ‘Satan entered into him’ mean regarding Judas in John 13:27?”

Sharing

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Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com)