Paving the Way to Life
April 15, 2025 - Tuesday of Holy Week
John 13:21-33, 36-38
Yesterday, we saw Jesus reclining at the table with Lazarus, and today He is seated with His apostles. The meal in Bethany was a joyful event that drew many to faith in Jesus; in contrast, the dinner in today’s Gospel is somber. Our Lord is deeply troubled—one of His disciples will betray Him, and another will deny knowing Him.
The list of the twelve apostles in the Gospels begins with Peter and ends with Judas. While Peter is never depicted as the one who denied Jesus, Judas is invariably identified as the betrayer. Although both acts are grievous, there is a distinct difference between denial and betrayal. Denying that you are a Christian is one matter, but turning over a brother or sister in Christ to the authorities is quite another. We can excuse Peter’s denial as a moment of weakness and fear, yet Judas’ action of handing Jesus over is far more difficult to justify. Many explanations have been proposed for his betrayal, but none have proved satisfactory.
Notably, in the entire Gospel of John, Satan is mentioned only here. At the beginning of chapter 13, it is stated that “the devil had already” convinced Judas to betray Jesus (John 13:2). The text does not specify how long the devil worked on Judas, yet such a decision clearly develops over time. Tragically, even Christ’s loving service—symbolized by the washing of Judas’ feet—could not reverse that decision. With Satan now entering Judas, Jesus had no choice but to send him away. In that state, Judas was unworthy to hear what Jesus was about to reveal to His disciples in chapters 14 through 17.
And it was “night.” From the beginning of the Gospel, darkness either fails to understand the light or is unable to overcome it. Judas embodies both qualities: he could neither grasp Jesus’ message nor prevent God’s salvific plan. Night cannot extinguish the light; death cannot destroy life; and Satan cannot defeat God’s Son.
Jesus presents His death as both His exaltation and the ultimate expression of God’s love: “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him.” This death would break the hearts of His followers, yet their sorrow and pain will ultimately give way to joy when they see Him risen from the dead.
Finally, consider the notion that the disciples cannot follow Jesus now. Jesus is the way, and He must pave the path through death toward a new life—a task only He could accomplish. Once that path is established, when death ceases to be the end of life and becomes merely a passage to something greater, then they will, indeed, follow Him.