The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 208

hypocritical pllrticipnt.ion of Jes_ns' kindne88 oomple~d the necessary preparations, and he enter<.'d and took full possession. What Joslll! did to stop his entrance cleared the way for him to enter. Satan entered, and Jesus was loft out, and the last sop of love "ll'ns introductory to the final possession of the demon of hatred and avarice, 3. The rc11elation was made direolly and publidy to the betr1Jyer, "What thou doest" eto, implies: (1) The ~ t actuality of the de«l. It wa.s inwardly dono, therefore a~tually done to Jesus, as confirmed thoughts are deeds to him. It was too late to repent, he had gone too far to retreat; the demon of treachery was on the throne, Satan was in his soul, and his soul was in the bag. (2) The myste1-wu.s utility of a speedy ea;ecution, "Do quickly." Once an act is a real thought and resolve, execution is an advantage, It was better for Judas, because the sooner he faced the inevitable the botter. Where there is a spiritual conception, birth cannot be too soon ; sin is better out than in. There is a ventilation, and any remaining good has a better chance for development. If you are going to hell, the sooner the better you arrive. Better for Jesus. Delay to Wm was painful once it wa.s an actuality. Better for all concerned. To a certain point he retarded a wicked deed, but when that point was reached he hastened it. (3) The readiness of Jesus. The tniitor might think that he was taken unawares and unpre- pared, but he was mistaken. Jesus was ready, far readier for his fate than Judas was. So ready was he for it that he advises or commands speed. "Do quickly." He hails it with confidence, if not with satisfaction. The guilty deed of Judas fitted in with the eternal purposes of God and the mission of Jesus better than he would think. Jesus can s:ty to every schemer of evil, every sinning designer of harm, "That thou doest, do quickly." He is ready whenever they are. There is no evil without good; the good will not come till the evil is complete, for good tho sooner the better. 4. The rel,aticm of the tra.wr was Mt fully tmderstood by the disciples. IlL A SAD DEPA.R'l'ORL (Ver. 30.) 1. The departure of an old disciple from the kindest of Masters and from his only Saviour. He could have really no cause for this, the reason was entirely in himself. In Jesus he bad every reason for continued attach- ment and love, but he went out immediately, and walked with feet newly washed by the bands of that Master he was now deserting, and with strength invigorated by his kindness. 2. It was the d,cparture of an old disciple for the vilest pu1pose-to betray his Master, and sell him to his foes for the meanest consideration. 3. It was the departure of an old disciple, never to return again. It wa.s his last farewell to a loving Saviour. He came to him again, not as a disciple, but as a traitor. He was leaving for the last time, not to buy provisions for the feast, but to sell his Master to his enemies.. 4. It was the spe«ly departure of an old disciple immediately. Judas,was now ready for the deed; the command of Christ was timely, and it was echoed in Judali's soul He was ripe for th.e dark deed. The presence of Jesus was now painful t.o him, and it was a relief to depart. Once Satan gets full control of the reins, he is a furious driver; once the rapids of the Niagara are reached, the velocity is increasingly swift, and the terrible falls are soon reached. 5. It was the departure of an old disciple for a terribk doom. "He went out." And whither? The answer is in the foul controlling spirit within; once that spirit had full possession of his soul, he would soon lead him to his own place. John si,,"Diftcantly adds, "And it was night." Night seems to be in harmony with the dark deed. When it reached its climax on Calvary, the day was so out of sympathy with it that it turned into night. But it was now night. There could scarcely be any st.a.rs in the sky, as they had fled from the tre.acherous act, and if there were, they would have welcomed a cloud as a veil. But the darkest night was within and before the poor traitor's eouL He left the day, and the last ray of the Sun of Riahteowmess was extinguished before the entrance of the prince of darkness. .And with regard to his dark deed, his sad condition, his precipitated departure, and his terrible doom, vol11mes could not say more than the incidental but significant sentence of the evangeliBt, "And it was night." LF.680:NS. L The most terrible /all i, a fall from (Jhrist, and the saddest departure is the departure of an old disciple from the Saviour. 2. This i, a terrible posBibility as instanc.ed by Juda,. Whatever he fell f~ot?, he f~ll from being a ~isciple _to be a betre.yer from being a treasurer of the Chr1St1ao society to be the traitor of his Lord. 3. TJ~ higher the position the greater i, the danger and the greater is the responsibility. Only an apostle could fall so terribly as Judas. 4. This case i• highly calc'l,ilaud to leach the professed folwwer, of Jesus humility, watchfulness, and godly fear,-B. 'l'. on. xm. 1-38.J THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN. 215