Then Satan Entered Judas

“Then Satan entered Judas.”  I read Luke 22 today, and this statement stuck with me.  “Then Satan entered Judas.”  It seems like your average transitional statement, but it changed the whole face of human history.  “Then Satan entered Judas.”

It made me sad when I read it.  It reminded me of myself.  At least 50 times this week, I think those same words could have been applied to me.  Then Satan entered Shannon.  Then Satan entered Shannon, and she spouted off that rude comment to her husband.  Then Satan entered Shannon, and she said the words she knew she shouldn’t about that certain someone.  Then Satan entered Shannon, and she refused to show grace.  Then Satan entered Shannon, and she refused to show kindness.  It could have been written about me.  I bet it could have been written about you too.

And here is the thing.  Those words always change things.  For Judas, the words meant he played the role in the crucifixion story that no one would ever want to play.  Because Satan entered Judas, he will live in infamy.  Hopefully, our choices won’t have as monumentally noticeable results, but when we walk away from righteousness, we will experience consequences.  We will experience fracture in our relationships and guilt in our hearts and missed opportunities for greatness.  Bad choices are not without consequence.  And there is sadness in that truth.

But like the story of Easter, there is also hope.  I love Luke 22:31-32 which comes only a few paragraphs down from the verse about Judas.  These versus are Jesus’ words addressed to Simon Peter and they say, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail.  And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

You see, Judas wasn’t the only one to turn away that first Easter weekend.  Peter denied knowing Christ in the hours leading to Pilate’s final decision.  Peter denied knowing Jesus not once but three times.  What I love is that Jesus describes Peter’s faith as unfailing.  He turned away, yes.  Essentially Satan won that battle.  Peter’s choices by the fireside on that dark Friday night didn’t honor God, just like our choices in the heat of battle don’t always honor our Lord.  But unlike Judas, Peter’s choices that night didn’t define him.  Peter is remembered as an amazing apostle – as the rock on whom Jesus would build his church.  Peter turned away, but he turned back and in turning back, his life brought strength to others.

Peter and Judas had such similar stories on that first Easter weekend, but where one story only exemplifies sadness and loss, the other story brings hope and expectation.  Judas’ choice prompted him to end his life.  Peter’s brought him running to the arms of Christ.  You see, it is what we do after failure that defines our story.  Because, while our missteps don’t come without a price, we serve a redeeming God.  A God who wasn’t stopped even by death.  There is nothing Jesus can’t redeem, and there is nothing we have done that will keep him from fulfilling his plan in our lives.