Why Did Jesus Tell Judas to be Quick?

 

In school, I've been studying the book of John and was given an interesting question to answer. At the Last Supper, John asks Jesus who is going to betray Him, and Jesus says, "It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish" (John 13:26 NIV). Jesus then dips the bread and gives it to Judas Iscariot, and as soon as Judas takes it, Satan enters into him. Immediately, Jesus says to him, "What you are about to do, do quickly" (v. 27). 

Why does Jesus tell Judas to be quick? 

As the passage continues, we find out the disciples had no idea why He said this, either--reassuring to those of us today who might be scratching our heads. Some thought he was telling Judas to buy the supplies for Passover, since Judas had charge of the money bag, or to make a donation to the poor. But that addresses what they thought Judas was going to do, not how he was instructed to do it. (It also reveals how little idea Jesus' inner circle had that Judas was a potential turncoat. When Jesus said He would be betrayed, nobody fingered Judas for even a moment. This helps explain our shock when prominent church members today are caught in various sins. Jesus Himself said, as did Paul, there would be false prophets and teachers among us, appearing to be sheep but really being ravenous wolves. They do infiltrate the church, and we should be saddened but not shocked or disillusioned when sometimes they are exposed.) 

So why did Jesus tell Judas to be quick? 

There's one school of thought that says, "Mainly because the clock was counting down." Jesus' body would have to be down from the cross and laid in the tomb in twenty-four hours or less, before the Sabbath started, but his legs could not be broken to hasten His death. Death by crucifixion was a slow process, and Judas would have to travel to the high priest's house, assemble a crowd of men, and lead everyone to the garden before Jesus could even be arrested, much less transported to the high priest, then to Pilate, sentenced, and marched to Golgotha. If Judas delayed even a little, this theory goes, the likelihood that a crucified man could die in the prescribed window of time without having his legs broken would be very questionable. 

But this doesn't sit right with me. I don't think Jesus was worried that time might expire. When had He ever been concerned with hurry? A better question is, when had He ever doubted God's plan would work perfectly? "Oops" has no place in God's vocabulary, then or now. I don't think Jesus was saying, "This whole thing could fall apart if you don't get on the stick!" 

So why did Jesus tell Judas to be quick?

I'm not sure the Greek word tachion adds much nuance. It means "quickly," "swiftly," "shortly," or "sooner," though I'm tempted to conclude that the emphasis is more on "Do it now" than "Do it fast." Immediacy more than speed, in other words. It's been pointed out that since Satan enters Judas and completely controls him just before Jesus gives this order, Jesus is addressing Satan more than Judas, and I would tend to agree. Satan and his minions obey both the Father and the Son (Matthew 4:10-11; Job 1:6-12 and 2:1-7; Mark 5:10-13; Rev. 12:9-12, to name a few passages), so once Jesus says "Do it quickly," that's what happens. 

Perhaps the most satisfying or persuasive answer is that since Judas has now made an irrevocable choice to say No to Jesus, there is no point in any more delay and there is no stoppage of the consequences. God is incredibly patient with us, but there comes a point when the Spirit of God will not always strive with man (Genesis 6:3); there comes a point, in the Valley of Decision, when that decision must be made; and there comes a time in any finite life when the No we say to God becomes our final No. Then, whether the consequences manifest right now or down the road a way, they do come immediately. 

They come quickly.