Day 2, Question & Answer Session at the Youth and Young Adult Rally in PNG, July 2023.

[@FAST98cabrera]

19:45

[@videonmode8649]

Deacon, to your answer regarding Judas betraying Jesus, what was the significance of satan entering Judas when Jesus gave the piece of dipped bread to him?

[@DeaconHaroldBurkeSivers]

"Satan entering Judas" is simply a term used to mean that Judas was filled with the darkness of sin that led him to go forward with his plan to betray Jesus.

[@videonmode8649]

@@DeaconHaroldBurkeSivers Deacon Harold, thank you for taking the time to answer. I have done some reading about this and found it interesting that the time when Peter (Matthew 16:22) was trying to talk (or rebuke) Jesus out of his messianic mission for die and rise again, to which Jesus said "Get behind me Satan", and I believe that the idea was that while Peter seemed to be talking out of compassion and worry for Jesus, it was 'satan' in the sense of "the one that opposes" who was trying to prevent Jesus from dying on the cross for the salvation of mankind. (Let me know if that's off base) So when we come to Satan entering Judas, it almost seems contradictory at first for the darkness of sin to hasten the death of Jesus. Why would he not try to prevent it from happening? I can't recall who wrote the theory or maybe analysis (partly based off Fulton J. Sheen), but given the historical context of the time, Judas was perhaps a revolutionary who wanted Israel to rise again to glory out of the grasp of the roman empire, and given that Jesus was 'king of kings' that would make Judas really want to secure his position. This is probably reading into it a bit much, but some have thought that by allowing an arrest to happen, Judas (possessed by sin/satan) could force Jesus to announce his right to establish his kingdom and secure Judas in his position next to Jesus. Or did Satan have some scheme up his sleeve by allowing Judas to betray Jesus? Love to hear your thoughts. Always love your videos and what you do. Take care and God bless you.

[@DeaconHaroldBurkeSivers]

Yes, but betraying someone of whom you're trying to curry favor and/or secure your position seems strange. If that were the case, it would make more sense for Judas (in his mind) to force Jesus' hand by starting a revolution himself, leaving Jesus no choice but to take the lead in an uprising. Judas' thinking: my taking the initiative wins me favor in Jesus' eyes. Jesus foretold that someone would betray him ("And when it was evening he came with the twelve. And as they were at table eating, Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me", Mark 14:17-18) and says it was better if Judas had never been born (Matthew 26:24-26) so I don't see how this can be interpreted any way other than the betrayal was part of God's plan as a consequence of His permissive will. The act had to happen in order to bring about Jesus' death, which was conquered and vanquished forever by the Resurrection.

[@videonmode8649]

@@DeaconHaroldBurkeSivers Very good point, God's Will be done no matter what. Deacon, thank you again for taking the time to answer and God bless. 🙏