What do you think got Judas to the point that he no longer recognized Jesus as Lord? How long had he been following him as a disciple, but simply going through the motions? Regardless, when it came down to the end - to the upper room, Passover, and the Last Supper - he shows his hand in calling Jesus "Rabbi".When it was evening, he reclined at table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, “Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” Deeply distressed at this, they began to say to him one after another, “Surely it is not I, Lord?” He said in reply, “He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me is the one who will betray me. The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be better for that man if he had never been born.” Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” He answered, “You have said so.” (Mt 26:20-25)
The difference is everything.
One says that Jesus is a great teacher, prophet, healer - perhaps even Messiah - and there is respect in that. But the other recognizes the qualitative difference, that Jesus is God.
One recognizes that there are great spiritual insights to be learned from this man. But the other declares that this man can forgive sins and defeat death.
But I do still wonder: what was Judas's fall? Did it begin when Peter declared Jesus's divinity? Was it the Bread of Life Discourse (John 6)? Was it disillusionment with the type of kingdom that the Son of David was establishing? Was it when Jesus asked his disciples to take up their crosses and follow him? Maybe it was just all the rules?
I think the question for us is: are there any conditions where we would stop seeing Jesus as Lord? Or, I guess a better way to frame the question: are there conditions where we would stop serving Jesus as Lord? We have to confront that question and identify the answer, then ask for the grace of faith to invite Him into that place of weakness.
What was the moment where the rest of the twelve truly gave themselves to Him? In the meanwhile, Judas straggled behind. Maybe he hoped he would eventually get it. Maybe he started looking for an opportunity to take advantage.
Either way, he stopped trusting Jesus and began trusting himself. Because if Jesus isn't Lord, then he is no more authority than any other great guru. He certainly isn't someone you devote your entire self to serving. In doing so, Judas cut himself off from hope, because he lost sight of God's vision for us.
Judas lowered his eyes - lowered his desires - to something less than what was on offer, because he didn't recognize that it was being offered in the person of Jesus: redemption, sanctification, and finally being whole.
The rest of the twelve betrayed Jesus as well in abandoning him in the Garden. Peter even denied knowing him altogether. They weren't perfect, and they needed years of grace poured into them to become the great Saints they became. Their failures were never the issue, because God's mercy is greater than our weaknesses. They repented, asked for forgiveness, were reconciled, and started again.
But we have to know that forgiveness is being extended, so we don't despair when we inevitably fall short. We have to look upward and outward, rather than settling. Knowing who Jesus is makes all the difference.
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