'Twas the night of the Passover, that special feast,
Where our Lord, Christ Jesus, ate bread without yeast,
'Twas the last meal He would share with the twelve He led,
Where they gathered to fellowship, though one plotted instead,
This schemer, Iscariot, with Judas as first name,
Was a wolf in sheep's clothing, a faker without shame,
For his cause was never discipleship; he simply played along,
As earthly treasures stole his heart, and to sin he dove headlong,
Judas had followed Christ for years, though only with his feet,
For the scoundrel's spirit was dead, and his Master he did cheat,
The money box the disciples kept, he put in his control,
For he cared not for the sick and poor, but from it he wickedly stole,
His soul he gave not to the Savior, but sold it to this world,
The life he lived was for himself, in sin he was so furled,
The love and truth Jesus shared with him touched him not one bit,
For instead, the scoundrel betrayed the Lord for his selfish benefit,
That night, with the Passover celebration being ignored,
Judas sold Christ to His enemies, who were in evil accord,
For thirty pieces of silver, the Pharisees got their way,
And Judas, though much richer, had become the devil's prey,
Despite his crooked intentions and his hatred for the Lord,
Judas sat with the others, who dwelled with the One they adored,
Though Iscariot's intentions were hidden from his dining peers,
Jesus knew the scoundrel's scheme to lead His enemies with spears,
Though Judas' betrayal was meant for evil; a plot for selfish gain,
God used this ploy to further His plan to end sin's wicked reign,
Christ knew His purpose to live on Earth: to die for mankind's sin,
And Judas' plot had furthered this plan, though he never believed in Him,
When the supper was finished, and all the disciples had reclined,
Jesus arose from His seat, knowing the hate within Judas' mind,
He then traded His robe for a towel and His seat for a basin,
And when the disciples saw their Lord, they thought they were mistaken,
The Son of God in filthy towels, garb not worthy of deity,
For God Incarnate was this Man, and yet He showed unrivaled humility,
Though His appearance shocked His followers, with each still in his seat,
They weren't prepared for His servitude when He began washing their feet,
The One they had served was serving with unmerited favor,
The disciples were in awe as Christ stooped to menial labor,
Though Prophet, Priest, and King were Jesus' eternal roles,
He cleansed the feet of His disciples and blessed their weary souls,
Though Peter questioned Jesus' actions and refused His washing in haste,
The Lord rebuked with grace and love, and Peter, His cleansing, embraced,
Though all disciples' feet were bathed, from Matthew to James and John,
The Lord knew not all were clean in heart, and one would soon be gone,
This one, the scoundrel, was Iscariot by deed and name,
He who sold Christ for riches, a crime done without shame,
Though the filth from his traveled feet was lovingly washed away,
His heart, more stained with sin than ever, and Satan had led him astray,
But his plan was not hidden, nor his sin done in secret,
For Christ knew of his plot, and how he achieved it,
But a question about Judas arises, and a thought comes to focus,
Why did Christ wash the feet of this faker, whose life was so atrocious?
Though Iscariot was evil, and his deeds were all empty,
Though his sin was very great in his pursuit to be wealthy,
Though his discipleship was fake, and he never followed Christ,
Though he sold his perfect Master to beaten, bruised, and sliced,
The love of God moved Christ Jesus in all He ever did,
His every move and word brought it to every adult and kid,
From the murderers to the publicans, from the lowly to the haughty,
From the immoral to the untouchable, from the angry to the naughty,
Though not all accepted it, though all who saw could receive,
His unending love and unbounding grace, if only they simply believe,
This opportunity Christ gave to them, from close friend to vicious enemy,
Judas Iscariot was no different than them, but had chosen infidelity,
Despite Iscariot's rebellious heart and his thieving ways,
Christ showed this man great love and service, though He received no praise,
Though He was the omniscient Son of God, and could have turned His back,
Christ showed God's love one last time by serving Judas without slack,
Though these events are of old, occurring two thousand years ago,
This same love Christ showed to that scoundrel is today just as alive and bold,
His death at Calvary saved wretched humanity from the clutches of sin,
And though some men ignore this restoring love, they cannot change what has been,
An amazing grace has been given to all, and a love that brings sweet sound,
Though all mankind still writhes with sin, all who are lost, with love can be found,
God's love takes all who are blinded with sin, and restores their sight to see,
He makes them all His beloved children; this privilege He offers to you and to me,
So as the Christmas season graces our hearts and homes once more,
With pies and cookies baking in ovens and our rooms filled with cheerful decor,
Let us consider the gift of God's love, and the salvation that came through His Son,
That although none are worthy of it, He still provides it to everyone,
But if the notion of unworthiness prevents you from embracing this gift,
Remember how Christ shared God's love to all, whether they accept or resist,
No sinner was too low for Him, no disease could keep Him away,
No hatred could triumph over Him, no demon could keep Him at bay,
If He even shared His love with His enemies, not even with exception,
If even Judas was served by Him, despite the scoundrel's deception,
If Jesus would even clean the feet of that despicable man,
He surely will offer His love to you, a love with infinite span,
The love of Christ awaits all mankind, not one is denied this offer,
For His death paid the penalty for all, from the vile to the scoffer,
This Christmas, as we receive our gifts, with glee and holiday cheer,
Let us share Christ's ultimate gift, to save all who wish to adhere.