And It Was Night …

In the setting of his final Passover meal, which he shared with twelve friends who had been his closest companions on earth, Jesus instituted the sacred memorial of his impending death and washed their dirty feet. Aware of the treacherous intent of one of these men, Jesus was “troubled in spirit” (John 13:21). Judas Iscariot, who was sitting close enough to receive a piece of bread from his hand, exited the room to carry out his dastardly plan of betrayal. Although this scene is reported by all four Gospel writers, it is only John who adds, “And it was night” (13:30).¹

While indicative of an eyewitness account, this brief observation seems to add very little to the storyline unless there is an underlying message John is trying to convey. In John’s Gospel there are multiple references to “night” as a time reference (3:2; 19:39; 21:3; cf. 6:17; 20:1), so we should be careful about reading too much into the text. However, the same Gospel places much emphasis on the notable contrast between spiritual “light” and spiritual “darkness” (1:4-9; 3:19-21; 5:35; 8:12; 9:5; 12:35-36, 46), including the metaphoric sense of “night” (9:4; 11:9-10). 

Perhaps as a deeper meaning of the current text, Judas has made room in his heart for the evil influence of Satan (13:2, 27), essentially trading the light of the world for the world of darkness. Could there have been a darker period in his life as he entered the night, turning his back on the Lord to sell him out for meager monetary gain? As a result Judas misses out on the instruction, the promises, and the blessings of John 13:31–16:33 and beyond.

Never lose sight of what we gain in Christ and forfeit if we follow Judas’s path. Paul reminds us: “giving thanks to the Father, the one having qualified you for the share of the inheritance of those set apart in the light, who has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:12-14). What a tragedy when the final chapter of one’s life reads, “And it was night.”

--Kevin L. Moore

Endnote:

     ¹ Unless noted otherwise, scripture quotations are the author’s own translation.

*Appearing in The Estes Echo (weekly bulletin of the Estes Church of Christ) 16 Oct. 2020.

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