"That You Do, Do Quickly": Why?

In exercising his power to lay down his life, Jesus chose to send one of the twelve to serve as guide for those who would take him.

Jesus chose to send the one who had already made arrangements to hand him over.

Although the making of the arrangements had been a trespass against Jesus, Jesus responded successfully to the trespass by washing the heel lifted up against him.

To reveal whom he chose to cooperate with him, Jesus spoke cryptically by paraphrasing a psalm: “I speak not of you all. I know whom I have chosen. But that the scripture might be fulfilled, ‘He that eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me.’”

Judas Iscariot, whose heel had been lifted up against Jesus at the beginning of the meal, was for that reason the only one who understood the words of Jesus. He was the only one who needed to understand the words of Jesus, because he was the one whom Jesus chose to send.

The foot washing had cast out the devil that had put it into the heart of Judas to hand over Jesus.

The foot washing left Judas with no desire to fulfill his obligation under the covenant he made to hand Jesus over for money.

Jesus knew that a spirit of opposition to handing him over would enter Judas, after he gave him his bread to signify his choice of who should hand him over; and he also knew that Judas would realize that the covenant he had made to hand him over had become his cross to take up in order to follow him.

Judas had a choice to make.

Thus, Jesus said to him, “That thou doest . . .”

Moreover, Jesus still had to be handed over, suffer many things, be condemned, be killed by a slow method, and be buried—all within the next 24 hours.

Thus, Jesus continued, “ . . . do quickly."

Of course, Judas overcame Satan and glorified Jesus.