I Know Whom I Have Chosen
It used to trouble me that Judas moved in the power of the Holy Spirit, went out and did miracles, ate, and walked with the Lord for most of His ministry and could still be persuaded to betray him for some silver and some high ideals about what the Messiah should be like.
We don’t actually see Judas exposed until the last night of the Lord’s life.
At first read, one could think that as Jesus gave Judas the sop of bread, then Satan entered into him. Let’s look into it more closely.
Jesus protects his own from the enemy. That is a fact. However, he can just as easily remove his protection and then a person is out there all alone to battle the enemy and that is not a scenario for winning. Winning is actually impossible. We are a little lower than the angels…I believe that Jesus removed his protection from Judas when he gave him the sop of bread.
Let’s look into the Gospel of John first for some enlightenment.
John 13:20-27 says, 20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. 21 When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. 22 Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake. 23 Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. 24 Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake. 25 He then lying on Jesus’ breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it? 26 Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27 And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.
Okay, let’s examine for a moment verses 20 and 21 above. Jesus was troubled in spirit about sending out the twelve. Why? He just finishes saying, He that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me and so then Jesus can send them out to be received and to spread the good news of the Gospel. He sent Judas out before, why not now?
He can’t send them out until the betrayer is exposed. He only does what he sees the Father do and says what the Father says. The Father desires to dwell with men by His Spirit. He desires for them to dwell in Him. He will see His Son ratify the New Covenant with his death on a cross. The Lord Jesus was about to take the Cup and explain about the New and Everlasting Covenant, The Cup of Redemption, explaining the breaking of his body. This was the Covenantal Agreement being sealed with man. They were being shown that by Him doing this with them He considered them to be Priests after the order of Melech Zedech or as most know the name-Melchisedec.
Judas could not be a part of this. Let’s discover why not…
Judas was already a betrayer in his heart. How do we know this? We have to go back to verse two of the same chapter. To present a clear picture we can begin in verse one, John 13:1 Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. 2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him;
Now the scriptures are clear; Jesus is the discerner of hearts. No one can know what is in the heart of a man except him. (Also, a Word of Knowledge can bring a glimpse of something that is in a man’s heart as we witness in Acts in the case of Ananias and Sapphira. Acts 5:1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, 2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it, at the apostles’ feet. 3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.)
All throughout the Bible we are shown that Jesus is the one who searchest the reins and the hearts of men. So Jesus is not sitting at this “Graduation Dinner” wondering who will betray him, he already knows. Even though Judas allowed the Lord to wash his feet, he did not change his mind. He was determined to betray the Lord. I say that because I believe that the washing of the feet is one way the need for repentance is shown to us by the Lord.
I believe that it is similar to the Lord putting his finger on sin in us. Even when we wash one another’s feet as he asked his disciples to do, something miraculous happens and we are often acutely aware of something we forgot to ask God to forgive us for either doing or not doing.
The call of the one doing the washing is to intercede for the sin in the other. That is what the Lord did and what he asks us to do also. Y’shua did this for each of them at the washing of their feet. He, being sinless and the fullness of the Godhead bodily, could see their sins and brought them to the minds of each man. They could repent or harden their heart. It is the same even today for each one of us who considers themselves a disciple.
Once a person repents, he becomes clean.
John 13:9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. 10 Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.
Here I am going to take a little rabbit trail for a minute. The Lord just tells them they are clean, except of course for Judas. They are now able to go to the Father in communion with Jesus. But let’s see something that happens here before communion.
In verses 23-25 we see a flaw or shortcoming of Peter’s. (not a known sin). 23 Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.
24 Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake. 25 He then lying on Jesus’ breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it?
Peter doesn’t trust his relationship with the Lord as much and he believes John is favored more. (some other gospels give an account of the disciples’ conversation after Judas leaves they were arguing over who will be greatest in the Lord’s Kingdom.)
I believe that Peter was often trying to prove his devotion to the Lord as we can read later on in the chapter when he tells the Lord that he would die for him.
The Lord knows our hearts and he let Peter get sifted like wheat and betray him three times so that Peter would learn that the love of God is perfect and is perfecting us. We are to be devoted to the Lord because we are so in love with him we would rather die than betray him. Peter did learn this love for the Lord without being concerned how others are loved by the Lord. And as history records, Peter did choose to die for him.
Peter’s true triumph was in receiving the love of God. When he realized just how much the Lord truly loved him is when he understood who he was in the Lord, and consequently, also in the Father. He did great exploits!
Okay, end of rabbit trail. Back to the study.
11 For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean. 12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? 13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. 16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. 17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. 18 I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.
So, the Discerner of hearts sees that Satan has entered into Judas with the plot of betrayal. Judas does not repent, is not clean and so must be removed like leaven is removed. We see in verse 18 I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.
Here, Jesus states, ‘one lifted up his heel against me’. Since Jesus always speaks the scriptures and uses illustration we see the prophetic scripture in Genesis of the enemy’s heel bruising his head. Some have taken it to mean that it references a horse that kicks the hand that feeds it. Not enough difference to discuss since that is what Satan did too.
The disciples that remain after Judas leaves are the ones the Lord chose. He chose them because the Father gave them to him. He knew who they were. They would learn who they were in Christ. They would spread the Gospel to the four corners of the Earth. They would do great exploits!
I submit to you this day that because the New Covenant was sealed with man before his death, and ratified and made manifest with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are the chosen. There are truly still ones that He knows He has chosen.
The ones who are concerned with holding onto and controlling money, or have another idea of what the Messiah should be doing are in the company of Judas. They are being exposed right now because His return is soon and very soon.
The chosen will be doing great exploits fulfilling the prophecy of Daniel 11:29-32 29 At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter. 30 For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant. 31 And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. 32 And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.
These verses speak of the company of Judas. Satan has indignation against the Holy Covenant, and puts in the minds of many to forsake the Holy Covenant, pollute the sanctuary and place the abomination that makes desolate, which takes away the daily sacrifice.
What? The daily sacrifice in the end times, (remember that the prophecy in Daniel speaks about God’s people in the end times), is found in Romans 12:1-2 1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
When a former disciple forsakes the Covenant, and does according to what is in his heart, refusing to REPENT, no matter how many times the Lord puts His finger on the sins, he then is set up for the abomination that makes desolate. This is when a principality, (NOT a simple demon or demonic influence but a principality enters into the inner sanctuary of a man, taking the place of the Holy Spirit after He leaves when the man forsakes the Holy Covenant.)
How do I know that it is a principality? Ephesians says, it is because we are made heirs with Christ, and are made sons of God. That is Princely. When a man who is born again desires to rule over or have power over people, it is because he would like to be set up as a king here on Earth. That is what is lifted up in his heart—not Jesus. This spirit has accomplices that attack the man’s soul, such as desire for riches, materialism and elitism.
When a person allows a principality to come into their holy place—the Holy Spirit vacates, making the person desolate—TWICE DEAD. They become of those who have missed the hour of their “habitation”, just like when Y’shua says that Jerusalem has missed the hour of their visitation…
When Jesus Christ applied his blood on the Mercy Seat in Heaven the Bible says that the curtain in Heaven was rent from the ground up and in Jerusalem from the top down and in the hearts of man. This is how the New and Everlasting Covenant was ratified in Heaven so that the laws of God could be written on the hearts of men and God could dwell in man. This was never—since the fall of man—by Adam.
Why is the Lord exposing the Judas’ of today? Why now? I submit to you that it is because He is about to seal His Name in the foreheads of His own for the work of His Kingdom here on Earth. Read Revelation. And yes, we are in the end times.
We are living in perilous times and we need to walk very close to the Lord. No matter what you are going through you must not forget who you are in Christ. Never take the Holy Spirit lightly! Never commit pretentious sin, trampling on the Blood of Jesus.
I beseech you, read the 2nd and 3rd chapters of Revelations—The Letters to the Seven Churches. We are all churches. Where do you fit in?
If you feel that you did something or didn’t do something that has rendered you disqualified from the destiny you were promised by the Lord then REPENT!!! IT IS NOT TOO LATE TO REPENT !!!
Receive His love, get into position for the great exploits He has for you to do!
