Thursday, November 19, 2009

Thurs.'s Devo - So close, yet so far away.

Read John 13:21-
Jesus comes out and says it, "One of you will betray me." The disciples were at a loss of who it was so Jesus says the one I give the sop that I dip is he. Then he dips the sop and gives it to Judas. He waits till the sop enters him and tells him to do what he is about to do quickly. Amazing. Judas was a pawn that God used to bring about his plan. Jesus led Judas right to the end. As soon as he swallows the sop Satan enters him. It is like the sop was the OK to the devil that the time is come.
In those days they all ate from one plate with their fingers so the food was cooked so it could be easily separated with their fingers. When the food is in a semi-fluid state, or so soft that it is hard to pick up with the fingers, a piece of bread is dipped into the dish and made the vehicle to get the soft food to the mouth. Judas must have been sitting on his left because he was within hands reach and we know that John was on his right. It was like the thief on the cross. Jesus was in the middle and the one on the right believed and the other one didn't. It was almost like Jesus was handing Judas the grace to do what he had to do. Judas means celebrated and Iscariot means the flooring of man. So he was the very foundation of man, the baseness of man celebrated in one act of betrayal. He was the one that carried the bag. Bag in the Greek translates a case like a casket and implies the world. This worldly death he took possession of him and led to his demise.
Jesus is the bread that made the law easy to swallow. We can either eat it and be his followers and obey it, or like Judas choose not to do either. Lord, may we humbly read your Word and follow it. May this world not have any hold on us.

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