From the beginning of human history, the restoration of sinners has been accompanied by means of sacrificial substitution. As it is written in Hebrews 9:22 “…without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness”. And so, for succeeding generations and in keeping with ancient Hebrew tradition, the Passover lambs continued to be slaughtered “at twilight” (i.e. in the cool of the day) Exodus 12:6-10.
The animal sacrifice ritual was paramount in Hebrew religion and would, in time, reach its highest expression of significance on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) when two male goats from the Israelite community were presented to the High Priest (Leviticus 16:5-21).
All animals for sacrifice had to be first sought out, examined, designated, bought, bound, and delivered up to the priests. These responsibilities were assigned to “a man appointed for the task”. Judas was the antitype of that “appointed man”. The priests viewed Yeshua as a substitute/sacrifice offering (John 11:49-52) and delegated Judas to deliver Him up. Judas, the “appointed man” must bring a suitable sacrifice, one “without defect or blemish”. It was Judas’ foreordained destiny (Matthew 26:14-16). So it had been predetermined that Yeshua’s life be offered as a sacrifice. It only remained to convince Judas to co-operate in delivering up the right lamb. It is doubtful whether Judas was apprised as to the ultimate intent of the temple authorities to put Yeshua to death. His later response to unfolding events seems to support his utter astonishment at the horrific outcome (Matthew 27:3-4). In any case, from the moment Judas delivered Yeshua (the sin atoning sacrifice) into the hands of G-d’s temple priests, they assumed ritual ownership of him, according to the law (Numbers 18:14-19).
The ‘Last Supper’ was in fact arranged to be a traditional Jewish Passover meal. But why was this Passover night different from all others? Answer: The traditional lamb on the Passover table was about to be replaced forever by a ‘better lamb’ (I Corinthians 5:7). This would be the night of transition: from shadow to Substance; from type to Antitype; from ritual to Reality; and from metaphor to Messiah.
Judas would serve as an extreme example of what the term “unmerited favor” really means. After all, if Yeshua was going to demonstrate “the full extent of His love” (John 13:1), what better example could He have chosen than Judas? And yet, so often, Judas remains the man many believers despise the most. But perhaps it might help us all to remember our own shortcomings, coupled with our longing to be loved and accepted. After all, it is written “while we were yet sinners, Messiah died for us” (Romans 5:8). Yeshua never ceased to love Judas.
Alexander Maclaren (1826-1910) wrote the following about Yeshua’s love of Judas in a sermon titled “The Last Pleadings of Love”:
I suppose all human affection can be worn out by constant failure to evoke a response from cold hearts. I suppose that it can be nipped by frosts, so constantly checked in blossoming, that it shrivels and dies. I suppose that constant ingratitude, constant indifference can turn the warmest springs of our love to a river of ice. “Can a mother forget her child? Yes, she may forget”. But we have to do with a G-d, whose love is His very being, who loves us not for reasons in us but in Himself, whose love is eternal and boundless as all His nature, whose love, therefore, cannot be turned away by our sin – but abides with us forever and is granted to every soul of man.
The boundless love of the Messiah for even His enemies was more than displayed in the Upper Room inauguration of the ‘new’ commandment. Being an adversary of the Messiah does not disqualify anyone from His faithful love and forgiveness.
Would Yeshua command us to love our enemies and then fail to love His – even Judas, who is considered to be archetypical of all of Yeshua’s human enemies? How can it be acclaimed that “Love NEVER Fails” (I Corinthians 13:8) if Yeshua failed to love Judas at any time?
Part 3 coming soon: Judas and the Foot Washing.
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