Jesus Predicts His Betrayal

Instituting the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, Jesus made clear that He was to give up His body and blood—that He would give up His life for the sake of His people (Luke 22:14–20). That news was startling for His disciples, for they had not believed it when He told them the same thing previously (see 9:43b–45; 18:31–34). Perhaps more surprising, Jesus next told them at the Last Supper that one of the disciples present at the meal would betray Him, instigating the events that would culminate in His crucifixion.

Today’s passage records Jesus’ prediction of His betrayal (22:21–23). Note that Christ said that this betrayal had been previously determined, a reference to its having been established in God’s plan before the foundation of the world. At the same time, He said that the betrayer would be under a curse for his actions—“woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” (vv. 21–23). The evil that Judas was to commit had been firmly ordained by God, and yet Judas was responsible for his actions.

This raises the issue of God’s involvement with evil and how He can hold sinners responsible for sinful actions that are foreordained before they are even born. We cannot say that our Creator has no involvement with evil whatsoever, which is a popular view that many Christians affirm. Scripture plainly tells us that God has included evil in His plan for creation. He works all things according to the counsel of His will (Eph. 1:11), and this will includes the fact that the Egyptians would hate the Israelites (Ps. 105:25), that calamity will happen (Isa. 45:7), and even the greatest evil of all, the crucifixion of His only begotten Son (Acts 4:27–28).

God Himself cannot do evil or tempt anyone to sin (James 1:13–15). Still, He can ordain evil while only evildoers remain morally culpable for evil. Sinners cannot say, “God’s plan made me do it,” because the Lord does not coerce people to act against their desires. It is not that evildoers want to do good but God forces them to do otherwise; no, they freely choose to sin. In their actions they mean evil, but God means only good (Gen. 50:20). They do not have good intentions as God does and cannot work all things for good as He can (Rom. 8:28). John Calvin comments: “Though men can do nothing but what God has appointed, still this does not free them from condemnation, when they are led by a wicked desire to sin. For though God directs them, by an unseen bridle, to an end which is unknown to them, nothing is farther from their intention than to obey his decrees.”