The Scariest Verse in the Bible

"Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!" Matthew 7:22-23

I literally shudder every time I read it.

I would always ask myself, who in the world could do all of this supernatural "stuff" and just not make it. I finally came to a perfect example. Someone we can learn so much from. Judas.

It's passion week and today is Holy Thursday, the day that commemorates the Last Supper. I read all four gospel accounts of the Last Supper closely and came to an eye-opening discovery. JUDAS DID NOT TAKE COMMUNION at the Last Supper. During the time around the table, Jesus and His disciples shared a meal. It is referred to in the gospel of John when Jesus mentions in 13:26 that the one who betrays Him is the one "whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish." He's not referring to communion. Judas actually eats this bread and then Jesus tells him in verse 27 "What you are about to do, do quickly." Then in verse 30 it says, "As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out."

In the gospels of Matthew and Mark, the same chronological order is followed, however, they don't mention Jesus telling Judas to leave immediately. If you put the puzzle together, we know for sure Judas did not partake in the very first holy communion. The gospel of Luke does not follow the chronological order as the others and makes it appear as though Judas does take communion. After some interesting research of Bible scholars, the gospel of Luke's sequence is unlike the other gospels in many ways. We can rest assured that Judas left after he took the bread Jesus gave him but before Jesus administered the bread and wine as symbolizing His body and blood. Let's look at the spiritual implications of this.

So Judas saw the miracles of Jesus. He listened to the teachings of Jesus. He even was given authority to "drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness"(Mathew 10:1). Judas even came from the same ancestoral tribe as Jesus. "Iscariot" means the man from Kerioth" which is one of the towns in the tribe of Judah. All of this, yet Judas never had "true communion" with Jesus.

To think so many people in the universal church today are listening, witnessing miracles, worshiping and claiming Jesus. But they do not have "true communion" with Him. They instead have their own agenda, and are trying to keep as much of their life without letting Jesus cover it all and live through them. Today I especailly check myself. "God, am I just talking the talk, or I am really living it." On this Holy Thursday, sit down with Lord and have communion. It's actually His idea. Here Him say, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me"(Rev.3:20).

Deneil Busey