Bible Study With The Bishops: Into The Darkness

Reading Plan Text for May 16: John 13:21-30

And it was night. (v. 30)

Jesus identifies Judas as the betrayer, for those who pick up the sign, and Judas hurries out. Into the darkness. This is the opposite journey begun by Nicodemus at the beginning of the Gospel, when he arrives at night. Burridge writes,

Judas, however, despite having been chosen to sit with 'the light of the world', is going the other way. 'And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil' (3:19). (p. 169)

I didn't notice it when we read 3:19 weeks ago, but doesn't John have it backwards? Shouldn't that be "and their deeds were evil because people loved darkness rather than light"? I suppose it's a "the chicken or the egg" conundrum.

For me, the most troubling piece of this reading is verse 27:

After he [Judas] received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him.

Burridge is quite clear that this does not absove Judas, he still made the choice of the darkness. But John puts it right out there. Satan. Perhaps this bothers me because some self-identified Christians on the far right of the spectrum have tried to drive Satan out of me--literally try to exorcise me--because of my sexuality. And I have to ask myself, just who is doing the evil act here, and where is Satan in it?

And it was night...

Peace,
Jeffri