What is the meaning of Luke 22:3? Then Satan entered • The text presents a literal moment in history: “Then Satan entered Judas Iscariot…” (Luke 22:3). Scripture is clear that a personal devil can seize an unguarded heart (cf. Luke 4:13; Ephesians 6:11–12). • This was not mere influence; Luke says Satan “entered,” echoing later statements in John 13:2 and John 13:27. The adversary gained direct control because Judas had opened a door through unchecked sin. • Jesus had already warned of Satan’s designs on the disciples (Luke 22:31–32), underscoring an ongoing spiritual conflict. Judas Iscariot • Judas was chosen by Jesus (Luke 6:13–16), walked with Him for three years, yet harbored greed (John 12:4–6). Persistent compromise made him vulnerable. • His betrayal was foretold (Psalm 41:9; Zechariah 11:12–13; Acts 1:16), but prophecy never erases personal responsibility. Judas willingly negotiated with the chief priests for silver (Matthew 26:14–16) and later confessed, “I have betrayed innocent blood” (Matthew 27:3–5). • Satan’s entrance did not override Judas’s will; it piggy-backed on it. The verse illustrates how yielding to sin invites deeper evil. Who was one of the Twelve • Luke stresses the shock: betrayal came from an insider. The Twelve were Jesus’ closest companions, recipients of private teaching and miraculous authority (Luke 9:1–2). • Acts 1:16–17 notes that Judas “was numbered among us and shared in this ministry,” highlighting how proximity to truth does not equal submission to it. • For believers, the line warns that outward association with Christ’s people is no safeguard without a surrendered heart (2 Corinthians 13:5). summary Luke 22:3 records a real incursion of Satan into the life of Judas, a professed disciple. Judas’s unresolved sin gave the enemy a foothold, fulfilling prophecy yet leaving Judas morally accountable. The verse urges believers to guard their hearts, resist the devil, and rely on Christ, lest intimacy with truth be eclipsed by betrayal from within. |
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