“And while they were hearing, he said, ‘I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me’” (Matthew 26:21).
How do you suppose Jesus knew Judas was the one who would betray him?
Several times in Scripture, indication is given that Jesus knew what people were thinking. He knew what they were whispering under their breath. Typically, I think we have surmised that what was involved was what might be called “divine supernatural knowledge.” That may or may not be accurate conjecture. Is that what was involved here? Perhaps. That is certainly possible.
There is, however, another possibility. A mother often knows her child is lying to her even though she has no concrete reason to doubt her child. A wife will sometimes know that her husband is being unfaithful to her even when she has no tangible evidence. Even in the corporate world, a good supervisor knows which workers are doing their share and which ones are dead weight. And in the classroom, a good teacher knows which of her students are performing to their potential and which ones remain unmotivated.
Jesus referred to himself as a shepherd (see John 10), and he made it clear that a good shepherd knows his sheep. Are we to believe that Judas was a model disciple one day and a traitor the next? Certainly not! The other disciples may not have been aware that Judas was becoming disenchanted with their mission, but surely Jesus knew. He knew their strengths and their weaknesses. He knew their longings and their temptations. Jesus knew which one would betray him. He knew each of them. He was their shepherd, their teacher.
I seriously deceive myself when I pretend that my Lord doesn’t likewise know me. I deceive myself when I think that I can conceal my duplicity. He knows me. He loves me. He is my shepherd, too.