Stroll through Scripture for March 1, 2026

Based on John 13:1-17

The Narrative Lectionary moves us ahead to Maundy Thursday and the Last Supper.  It is here that we will hear about Jesus washing the disciples’ feet.  

But before we get to that, there is something important stated in this chapter of John in verse 2, “The devil had already decided that Judas son of Simon Iscariot would betray Jesus.”  There are a couple of words that I want to focus on.  The first is βεβληκότος. This word is translated as “already decided.”  However, a translation closer to the actual term would be “having put.”  The core Greek word is βάλλω.  The term means to throw (often violently) or put.  It offers a sense of a kind of possession or at the very least, a heavy influence.  In this sense, the devil put it on Judas’ heart to act against Jesus.  But that doesn’t mean that Judas is an innocent by standard.  Scripture shows that Judas also has culpability in the act.  Maybe a better way to think of this would be to say that the devil decided to tempt Judas into betrayal.

Later in chapter 13, in verse 27, when Jesus hands out the bread at supper, he first gives it to Judas and we are told that in that moment, the devil comes into him and possesses him.  That’s more than the heavy influence that the devil had on Judas before.  It implies that Judas actively embraces the devil’s influence to hand over Jesus that was put upon Judas’ heart earlier in the chapter.  In a sense, the devil was tempting Judas in verse 2, whereas in verse 27, we hear about Judas giving into that temptation.  

The bigger question is why Judas would do such a thing – what was his motivation?  Scripture tells us that he was greedy, stealing from the disciples’ common purse that he oversaw.  We see this in John 12:6. And not just greedy but consumed by greed.  This makes Judas susceptible to the devil’s temptation in the first place.  After all, he’ll receive 30 pieces of silver for his action – the price of a slave.  Which is ironic, given that his act of betrayal enslaves him to sin and death.  

Some scholars also argue that Judas was disillusioned with Jesus’ mission.  He wanted a military overthrow of Rome, and it became clear that Jesus was not going to do that.  Other scholars argue that Judas was forcing Jesus’ hand.  The argument goes that by Judas handing over Jesus for arrest, it would force Jesus to show his power and fight back.  In that sense, Judas believed he was triggering the violent overthrow of the Roman empire that he desired.  

The other word that I want to focus on is παραδοῖ which often gets translated as betrayed.  The term appears over 100 times in the New Testament, and it implies passing something on from oneself to another.  It is most often used in reference to hand over something, passing down teachings or traditions, and committing someone to God’s care.  And while technically accurate to say that Judas “betrayed” Jesus because of his action, it’s not the best translation because it doesn’t capture what is really going on. 

As I have written before, the Gospel of John is a two-story Gospel – meaning the first story is what we read about.  The second story is about the larger picture.  The bigger picture that John is presenting is that Jesus overcomes and defeats sin and death.  John is presenting a story in which the devil is allowed to act through Judas exposing the powers of darkness (embodied in the devil) in the cross.  In the cross, Jesus defeats sin and death.  By that standard, Judas is handing over Jesus to the authorities to fulfill a crucial predicted step in the plan of salvation.  While Judas is guilty of this act, he is also part of a larger story that goes beyond himself.  

This is why when I preside over communion and am saying the Eucharistic Prayer, I do not say “on the night in which he was betrayed,” but rather “in the night in which he was handed over.”  For me, this captures what happened on Maundy Thursday and tells of a larger story going on.  Judas isn’t in charge of the story arc, which is what betrayal implies.  Rather, he is a crucial character in a larger cosmic event taking place, which is what handing over implies.  

Questions for further reflection:

• Do you feel there is a difference between betrayal and handing over?  Why?  Why not?  
• Starting with the idea that the Gospel of John is a two story Gospel – what are the other first and second story parts of this passage that you can see?