Wednesday

Not God’s Will, 

but Satan’s

After Satan sought to destroy Jesus’ ministry with the three temptations in the desert, the Gospel says he departed “until an opportune time” to attack again. That time came when Judas began to have misgivings about Jesus’ legitimacy as the prophesied Messiah. The Gospel says Satan “entered into Judas.” The corrupting of Judas, then, was not God’s will, but Satan’s. At this point, it’s good to remember that:

  ● Jesus himself affirmed the demonic nature of Judas’ betrayal, saying, “… woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born” (Matthew 26:24).

  ● Evil temptations don’t come from God (lest anyone say God caused Judas to betray Jesus). As James declares, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone” (James 1:13).

So, if Judas’ betrayal was not the will of God, it’s only logical that Jesus’ arrest, trial, and crucifixion—which the corrupting of Judas brought about—were not God’s will either, but Satan’s.

How This Helps Us Have a Real Relationship With the Real Jesus

When we understand, as it’s clearly stated in the Gospels, that Satan used Judas to accomplish his will, not God’s, we can finally come in sync with the devastated heart of Jesus, who could clearly see that evil was taking Him inexorably away from fulfilling God’s larger will of inaugurating at that time His holy Kingdom of peace on earth.

Spiritual Exercises

●   To develop the ability to discern between the promptings of the Holy Spirit and the persuasions of evil, spend time in prayer asking for the gift of discernment. Reflect on how you can avoid the veil that fell over Judas’ eyes, obscuring the real Jesus. Pray that such a veil will not cause you to miss the Returning Lord, who is predicted to be a man born on earth (Revelation 12:5) in our lifetime. Ask God to help you recognize and resist negative influences, including deceptive, entrenched dogmas, and to align your will with His. Consider journaling about situations where you felt tempted and analyze the source of those feelings.

●   Pray to tap into Jesus’ experience of betrayal and feel His overwhelming disappointment, sorrow, and anger. Spend time in prayer reflecting on Jesus’ words in Matthew 26:24. Extend compassion to Jesus in His suffering and promise Him never to betray Him or the Returning Lord.