The Anti-Christ Within

The term “The Anti-Christ” has had many different meanings for many different peoples from the time of Jesus of Nazareth’s crucifixion two millennia ago to today. The word has been used at times by various Christian groupings against fellow Christian religionists, non-Christian religionists, and secular or atheistic groupings. Some non-Christians and former Christians have embraced the moniker Anti-Christ as a positive distinction.

In many cases who is termed the Anti-Christ is more accurately termed Anti-Christian. The criticism is not of Christ himself or his teachings but of those who profess to call themselves followers of Christ, thus the self-styled Christians or Christendom.

For myself in this missive, I use the word Anti-Christ as a rather broad term to denote those actions or ideas that are counter to or even openly hostile to the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ. In making this statement I in no way am trying to imply that I have a perfect understanding of the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. I am just a student of His like so many others, and at times a rather poor student.

For this missive I will concentrate on who I consider to be the clearest example of an Anti-Christ in the scriptures, Judas Iscariot.

Judas was one of the original twelve disciples of Jesus Christ. Like the rest of the disciples, Judas was chosen by Jesus personally and given the power to heal and the power against evil by Jesus himself. Judas witnessed, as did all Jesus’s disciples, the Savior raise the dead and heal the sick. Judas heard the Savior’s teachings from the Saviors own lips. Judas had his feet washed by the Savior.

And Judas betrayed the Savior.

Judas betrayed the Savior to those who sought to take the Savior’s life for a payment of thirty pieces of silver. Judas betrayed the Savior not with harsh words or any violent actions, but with a kiss. Judas did not come from outside the group of the Savior’s closest followers, those chosen by Him as His disciples, but from within.

Judas was not a Gentile. He was not Greek or Roman, an Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian, or Chaldean. He was not a Samaritan, Sadducee, or Pharisee. Judas was a disciple of Jesus Christ. The scriptures have relevancy for us today.

When the Savior told the disciples that one of their own would betray Him, they did not know who amongst them would be the guilty party. They all asked of the Savior, me? The Savior knew, but the disciples were oblivious. Perhaps Judas was not the only one of the disciples to betray the Savior. The Savior said to all the disciples as He presaged His being taken by the authorities, “All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.”

Peter, who protested that he would never betray the Savior and was willing to die with Him, was told in no uncertain terms, “Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.”

Peter, like Judas, had been with the Savior throughout His mortal ministry, but was not fully converted to the Gospel. Peter was as we are, weak and in need of prayers to be fully converted. All of us, from the highest to the lowest, are prone to betray the Savior in ways great and small.  If we are to take His name upon us, call ourselves Christians, and be converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we all need to guard against the Anti-Christ within.