John's Point of View
Unless a video or film project is super low budget, usually several cameras are used to capture the action from different vantage points. Director Alfred Hitchcock was famous for using bizarre and unexpected angles with the cameras to view the scenes he wanted to record. In the Gospel writings of the Bible, the Holy Spirit uses 4 different men to record, often times, the same incidents. Sometimes the different “cameras” record the same event but by using a point of view that the others do not. Sometimes, the Gospel writers record a statement made by someone in the vicinity that the others writers do not. This fuels the idea that the writers are not talking about the same event. They are, many times, but from a point of view that the others could not have.
The synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) often are a little different from each other but similar. John, however, often has a point of view that is unique. His “camera” is pointing upwards many times. John often has an eternal perspective, slightly different from the other Gospel writers. John was one of the apostles of the Lamb but he was unique. He was probably the youngest of the group. It was rumored that he would not see death (John 21:23). It really looked that way. He lived to be a very old man, outlived all the other apostles, and was granted a visit to the heavenlies, recording the book of Revelation.
Judas was another one of the original 12 apostles. He was one of John's friends or at least one of his associates. Much speculation has been made about Judas. How could he have been a student of and part of the ministry team of Jesus and then turn to such evil? John, the apostle, has his own opinion. I think that John's opinion should carry some weight, especially since the Holy Spirit authored it or at least permitted it to be recorded and preserved in the Bible for us.
In John chapter 6 Jesus is giving a real difficult teaching (about eating His flesh) to a group of people. In this group were included a wide spectrum of listeners. There were the 12 apostles, wanna-bes, and potential students of every variety – some serious and some belligerent.
When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? (John 6:61)
Jesus knew that this teaching was starting to separate the people into those who were serious about following Him and those who were part of the crowd for other reasons.
But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. (John 6:64)
The 12 apostles, which would have included Judas, were apparently in this crowd (v 67). Jesus was specifically referring to Judas as the future betrayer and probably also including him as one of those who did not believe. The strong inference here is that Judas was never a believer, in John's opinion. And, of course, he is not writing his opinion but is being moved upon by the Holy Spirit to record these words. Maybe we should say “according to the vantage point that John was assigned by the Holy Spirit”.
To hold to the idea that Judas was never a believer is hard to imagine. He was one of the 12 apostles, chosen by Jesus personally. He was associated with the other 11 apostles, eating, traveling, and living with them. At some point he was paired up with another one of the apostles, being sent out ahead of Jesus to preach the coming Kingdom and to perform miraculous signs confirming such a message. He was in full-time ministry having left family and home to travel with Jesus, Inc. He had to hear the Incarnate Word of God made flesh speak the words of the Father. He had to watch Him perform great miracles and Messianic signs. He had to be present in handing out fish and loaves to the multitudes as the food multiplied in his hands. Judas was present at the Last Supper and drank from the cup that Jesus passed around. It is almost impossible to see Judas following Jesus to this extent and understand that he was motivated by something other than faith in Him. None of the disciples knew what was really going on in Judas' heart at the time. Afterward, they all understood that one of their close associates was a devil. John was of the understanding that Judas was never a believer. Unthinkable.
John, the apostle, seemed to carry this idea with him all his life, that there are many liars, deceivers, and anti-christs, not that genuine believers are getting unborn again. John never says that people cannot get unsaved but he seems to be of the opinion that he never knew of such a case in his long life during the first century. Many years after the time of Judas, John refers to some who “went out from us” (1 John 2:19). John says that their going away from us demonstrated that they were not really one of us in the first place. Perhaps John is still in shock from the Judas incident. No one could ever present the credentials that Judas had yet he was a fake that fooled everyone except the Lord.
Many today are “deconstructing”. Many mean that they are in a faith crisis. Some mean they are “leaving” faith altogether. Some people in questioning their faith find themselves strengthened later. Some mean that they have finally counted the cost to follow Jesus and they have decided they do not really want to commit to Christ after all. John thinks that these people never were genuine Christians at any point in their life. Maybe Peter, the apostle, would say it a different way. Perhaps Paul, the apostle, would explain things a little differently.
A person could do a lot worse than adopt the clear and simple understanding of John.
Oct 24, 2024