2026/09/07

264. The Gospel of John and the Priesthood of the New Covenant: Judas Iscariot—The Beginning

At the end of John chapter 6, it is written: "Jesus answered them, 'Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?' He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was to betray him" (Jn 6:70–71). These words follow Simon Peter's response—"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God" (6:68–69), which he uttered in reply to Jesus' question immediately preceding it. These words of Jesus seem abrupt and even shocking. This is because we see a striking contrast between Peter's words, "we have believed, and have come to know," and Jesus's words that followed: "one of you is a devil." 

As we have discussed so far, from the very beginning of Chapter 1, the Gospel of John links the creation of the world with the coming of Jesus, declaring that life is its central theme. By Chapter 3, it has revealed, through John the Baptist, the image and role of the priest of the New Covenant, whilst also alluding to the descent of the Holy Spirit, the sacrament of initiation, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the priesthood of the New Covenant. In Chapter 4, the new form of worship is described, and in connection with this, the new relationship between God and the priest of the New Covenant is concretely set out. Furthermore, in Chapter 5, Jesus, having clarified the true meaning of the Sabbath and its fulfilment, revealed that the Father is the very essence of God's spontaneity, and that it is life (cf. Jn 5:19–21). And He said, "For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself" (5:26). These words explain the following passage at the beginning of Chapter 1, which heralds His coming. 

" In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it" (Jn 1:1–5). These opening words of Chapter 1 indicate that God exists in three forms of being: God, the Word and Life. On the other hand, when considered in conjunction with Jesus' words quoted above, God is the Father, the Word is the Son, and the "life" referred to in the statement "In him was life" is the life that "as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself." From the statement "the life was the light of men," we can see that this life is the Spirit of Truth. In this way, the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. 

This relates to Genesis distinguishing between "God" and "the Lord God" depending on the context. In Genesis chapter 1, the One who created the heavens and the earth, all creation, and fashioned humankind "in our image" is referred to as "God" (cf. Gen 1:1–2:3). This is because creation was accomplished in a manner proceeding from the Father through the Son to the Holy Spirit (Life), and because the state of completion is sustained by the Holy Spirit (Life). Meanwhile, in Chapter 2, the One who created humankind in "our likeness," forming a spiritual realm within them so that the Holy Spirit might work in collaboration with them, is referred to as "the Lord God" (cf. 2:4–25). In this way, a spiritual realm—the image and likeness of the Triune God—was created within a man, enabling the Holy Spirit and the man to work in unity. At this moment, the Father and the Son became one to invite the man into the Triune God through the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. 

In Chapter 3, God is depicted as "the Lord God" when the man or  the woman can collaborate with the Holy Spirit, and as "God" when they can not. The fact that the "Lord God" corresponds here to the "woman" and the "serpent" indicates that at that moment, the woman was in a state where she could collaborate with the Holy Spirit. The "serpent" represents "human information" stored in her memory. The reason she was in a state where she could collaborate with the Holy Spirit was that she recognized the "human knowledge" (the serpent) that she had taken in and distinguished it from herself (cf. Gen 3:13). Furthermore, in Chapter 4, when they were expelled from the Garden of Eden, and when their memory of their relationship with God began to fade, the title "the Lord" appears, depicting how humankind's perception of "God" became increasingly ambiguous, because, having been barred from the path to the "tree of life," humankind no longer collaborated with the Holy Spirit. Consequently, since then, God has never spoken to humankind directly in the manner referred to as "the Lord God" used up to Chapter 3. 

The following words Jesus spoke at the Last Supper indicate that God would eventually engage with humanity once more in the manner referred to as "the Lord God." Through the coming of Jesus Christ, humanity got the potential to collaborate with the Holy Spirit. Jesus said: "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; if you ask anything in my name, I will do it" (Jn 14:12–14). Here we see the Son, who possesses the same life as the Father. Jesus instituted the Eucharist, ensuring that after He ascended to the Father, "the Lord God" would always be with us, and that we, collaborating with the Holy Spirit, might always be invited into the Trinity. 

Jesus spoke these words in response to Philip's statement: "Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied" (Jn 14:8). Jesus had tested this same Philip in the opening scene of Chapter 6 (cf. 6:6). And it was precisely that scene which marked the beginning of the story of Judas Iscariot. Philip's words to Jesus—"Show us the Father"—will lead us to a resolution of the contrast between Peter's statement, “we have believed, and have come to know”, and Jesus's subsequent remark, "One of you is a devil." 

Maria K. M.

(Notice)

A new article has been posted on the blog, The Wind of Patmos. It is a translation of an article I submitted to and was published in the Japanese internet magazine, Catholic Ai.