Jesus’ Supernatural Knowledge and Wisdom

The supernatural knowledge and wisdom of God was manifested throughout the earthly ministry of Jesus, but perhaps never more clearly than through His dealings with Judas Iscariot. When the disciples told Jesus, “We have come to believe and know that You are the Christ [Messiah], the Son of the living God” (John 6:69), Jesus gave them an answer in which He revealed that being the Messiah would entail being betrayed by one of His own followers: “‘Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?’ He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve” (John 6:70–71). Jesus knew, by the Holy Spirit, that Judas would betray Him, even before Judas knew it himself.

Even so, Judas could not carry out his plan until Jesus spoke a word that released him to do so. At the Last Supper, Jesus warned His disciples, “One of you will betray Me” (John 13:21). When questioned about who it would be, Jesus replied:

“‘It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.’ And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, ‘What you do, do quickly.’ ...Having received the piece of bread, he then went out immediately.” (John 13:26–27, 30)

I am awed by the realization that Judas could not carry out his plan to betray Jesus until Jesus Himself spoke the word that released him to do it. Throughout this whole scene, it was the Betrayed, not the betrayer, who was in control.