John Calvin Commentary Matthew 26:14

"Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests," — Matthew 26:14 (ASV)

Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot. Christ’s admonition was so far from being effective in softening the heart of Judas, or producing any change in it for the better, that he immediately went away, without any concern, to make an infamous bargain with his enemies. It was amazing and enormous stupidity that he considered himself to have found, in the expense of the ointment, a fair excuse for so heinous a crime; and next, that, after having been warned by the words of Christ, he did not perceive what he was doing.¹⁸⁰

The mere mention of the burying should have softened a heart of iron, for it would have been easy to infer from it that Christ offered himself as a sacrifice for the salvation of the human race. But we see in this mirror how great is the blindness of wicked desires, and how powerfully they fascinate the mind. Judas was inflamed with the desire to steal; long practice had hardened him in wickedness. Now, when he meets with no other prey, he does not hesitate to shamefully betray to death the Son of God, the Author of life; and, though restrained by a holy admonition, he rushes violently forward.

With good reason, therefore, Luke expressly says that Satan entered into him; not that the Spirit of God previously directed him, for he would not have been addicted to theft and robbery if he had not been the slave of Satan. But Luke means that he was at that time completely given up to Satan, so that, like a desperate man, he violently sought his own destruction. For though Satan drives us every day to crimes and reigns in us when he hurries us into a course of extraordinary wickedness, yet he is said to enter into the reprobate when he takes possession of all their senses, overthrows the fear of God, extinguishes the light of reason, and destroys every feeling of shame.

This utmost degree of vengeance God executes only on those who are already devoted to destruction. Let us therefore learn to repent early, for fear that our long-continued stubbornness should confirm the reign of Satan within us; for as soon as we have been abandoned to this tyranny, his rage will have no bounds. It is particularly worthy of notice that the cause and source of such great blindness in Judas was avarice, which makes it evident that it is justly called by Paul the root of all evils (1 Timothy 6:10).

To inquire here whether or not Satan entered into Judas bodily is an idle speculation. We should instead consider how fearfully monstrous it is that humans, formed after the image of God and appointed to be temples for the Holy Spirit, should not only be turned into filthy stables or cesspools but should become the wretched abodes of Satan.

¹⁸⁰ “Que c’estoit qu’il alloit faire;” — “what he was going to do.”;” — “what he was going to do.”