that from tliis moment Satan got full and entire possession of the haart of Judas. Up to this time he was in it, but now he possessed it.
The word "then" is emphatically given in the Greek, but omitted by our translators. It should be, " After the Supper, then Satan entered into him."
Let us note the reality, personality, and awful power of our great spiritual enemy the devil. There are degrees in his power and dominion over us. If his first temptations are not resisted, he may in the end gain full and entire possession of every part of our soul, and lead us captive to be his slavea. This seems the history of Judas.
Musculus observes that even at the first communion Satan was present, and busy in a heart.
[Then said Jesus,..that...doest...do quickly.'] The full meaning and purport of this solemn saying it is not easy to define posi- tively. It is evidently a very elliptical saying, and we can only conjecture about it.
Of course we cannot suppose that our Lord desired to hasten on an act of wickedness, nor yet can we suppose for a moment that there was any impatience in our Lord, or unwillingness to await the hour of His sufferings. — But we must remember that our Lord foreknew perfectly all that was before Ilim in the next twenty-four hours. Does He not then speak to Judas as to one of the instruments in the great work which was about to be accomplished ? Does He not seem to say, " If thou must indeed do this wicked act — and 1 know now tliat the prince of this world has got full possession of thy heart, — go on and do it. There need be no delay. I am ready to suffer and to die. Do thy pan, and I will do mine. The Sacrifice is ready to be slain. Do thy part in the transaction, and let there be no un- necessary waste of time."
Chrysostom says, " This is not the expression of one com- manding, nor advising, but of one reproaching, and showing him that He desired to correct him ; but that since he was in corrigible. He let him go.
Augustine says, " This was a word rather of glad readiness than of anger."
Calvin says, " Hitherto Jesus tried by various methods to bring Judas back, but to no purpose. Now He addresses him as a desperate man": ' Go to destruction, since you have re- solved to go to destruction.' In doing so He performs the of- fice of a Judge who condemns to death not those whom He drives of His own accord to ruin, but those who have already ruined themselves by their own fault."
Cyril starts the odd idea that our Lord addresses these words
JOHN, CHAP. xni. 3Y
to Satan rather tlian Judas, and as it were cliallenges him to do his worst !
Gerhard sees a likeness in the expression, to God's words to Balaam, when He says, " Rise up and go." (Num. xxii. 20.) They did not signify approbation, but only a permission. Yet God's anger was kindled when Balaam went with Balak's am- bassadors.
Musculus observes the use of the present tense here. It is not " What thou art going to do," but " What thou art doing now." Even at the Lord's table wickedness was going on in Judas' heart.
Lightfoot says, " I take this expression for a tacit, severe threat, pronounced not without scorn and indignation : ' I know well what thou art contriving against Me. What thou doest, do quickly, else thy own death may prevent thee ; for thou hast but a very short time to live. Thy own end draws on apace."
Whitby compares it to Ezek. xx. 39 : " Go ye, serve every one his idols."
Some, as Hengstenberg, would render the Greek word for quickly " more quickly," as if our Lord wished him to hasten his work. But there seems no necessity for this.
After all it is noteworthy that the disciples did not know what the saying meant ; and even John, though writing forty or iifty years afterwards, by inspiration of God, was not direct- ed to explain it, though he does explain our Lord's sayings in other places. We may therefore safely leave the meaning somewhat uncertain.
That our Lord spoke these mysterious words aloud and openly, so that all the company heard, is quite evident from the context. John's question was a whisper ; his reply was another whisper, and neither was remarked or heard by others. But the address to Judas was heard by all.
28. — [^Now no man at the table, etc.'\ This verse would be more literally rendered, " Now this thing no one knew, of them that were sitting at table, for what purpose He said it to him." The sentence confirms the statement above made, that both John's question and our Lord's answer were spoken in a whis- per or undertone, and not noticed by any one. This sudden address of our Lord to Judas would therefore take the disciplea by surprise.
29. — [For some of them thought, etc.] This whole verse is inter- esting, and throws light on some curious points.
The statement that "Judas had the bag," shows the position he occupied among the Apostles. He was so far from being suspected, that he had the charge of the common store of mon-