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Lord’s Supper Instituted
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and it was night.” Night it was as the traitor turned from Christ into
outer darkness.
Until this step, Judas had not passed the possibility of repentance.
But when he left his Lord and his fellow disciples, he had passed the
boundary line. Nothing that could be done to save Judas had been left
undone. After he had twice covenanted to betray his Lord, Jesus still
gave him opportunity for repentance. By reading the secret purpose
of the traitor’s heart, Christ gave to Judas the final, convincing
evidence of His divinity. This was the last call to repentance. From
the sacramental supper Judas went out to complete the work of
betrayal.
In pronouncing the woe on Judas, Christ also had a purpose of
mercy toward His disciples. “I tell you before it come,” He said,
“that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am.” Had Jesus
remained silent, the disciples might have thought that their Master
had not divine foresight, and had been surprised. A year before,
Jesus had told the disciples that He had chosen twelve, and that one
was a devil. Now His words to Judas would strengthen the faith of
Christ’s true followers during His humiliation. When Judas should
come to his dreadful end, they would remember the woe that Jesus
had pronounced on the betrayer.
And the Saviour had still another purpose. The disciples had
something to consider as to the patience and mercy of God toward
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the most grievously erring. The betrayer was privileged to unite
with Christ in partaking of the sacrament. This example is for us.
When we suppose one to be in error and sin, we are not to divorce
ourselves from him, to leave him a prey to temptation, or drive him
on Satan’s battleground. It was because the disciples were erring
and faulty that Christ washed their feet, and all but one were thus
brought to repentance.
Christ’s Example Forbids Exclusiveness
It is true that open sin excludes the guilty at the Lord’s Supper.
See
1 Corinthians 5:11
. But beyond this none are to judge. Who
can read the heart or distinguish tares from wheat? “Let a man
examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that
cup.” “Whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord,