Week 21, John 13: Hook. Main Point: Jesus is the one who is betrayed. Main Application: Prioritize the will of the Father.

Transcription

1 Week 21, John 13:18 30 Hook Main Point: Jesus is the one who is betrayed. Main Application: Prioritize the will of the Father. Current Event: In Leonardo da Vinci s timeless rendition of The Last Supper, we see the reaction of all 12 disciples as Jesus said that one of them would betray Him. Judas sits at the table and tightly holds a secret that ultimately he would discover Jesus already knew. Da Vinci captures Judas in his painting sitting in the second group of three from the left. There we find Judas calmly sitting as he rests his elbow on the table while the rest of the disciples sit in shock at Jesus assertion that one of them would betray him. Two interesting observations from this painting are that Judas is found clutching his betrayal fee and that he is seen knocking over the saltshaker. One chosen to be the salt of the world is now the very one who rubs salt into the Savior's wounds. He also goes from being one who held Christ near to his heart to one holding 30 pieces of silver.

2 Discussion Questions: How does it make you feel when someone betrays you? What other examples in history can you think of where someone was betrayed?

3 John 13:18 30 Book Main Point: Jesus is the one who is worthy. Main Application: Be willing to sacrifice everything for Jesus. Text Summary: After the foot washing, Jesus tells the disciples that one of them will betray him. Amid their confusion, the disciples attempt to find out who among them will do such a thing. Yet, even after Jesus identifies Judas as the one who will turn against Him, the disciples don t understand. John 13:18 22 (Read) Sub Application: Prioritize God s will over your emotions. Jesus shares that one of His disciples will betray Him. Jesus knows that not all of the disciples will remain faithful. He hints at this during the foot washing. He says in verse 18 that He is not speaking of everyone; there are those who will obey Him and do as He has done. He knows He will be betrayed. And He explains to them that when it happens, they will know Jesus is who He says He is because Jesus, in this moment, is telling them exactly what will come about. For us, we know that Jesus will be betrayed due to the familiarity with this gospel narrative. However, for those reading this account for the first time, the idea that one of the disciples would reject Jesus is incomprehensible. What about all that they have seen? What about all that Jesus has done? This would be a major plot twist to say the least. Verses 18 and 19 are Jesus foretelling of these events so that His disciples would not lose faith when the events did happen. The phrase used in verse 18, the scripture will be fulfilled, refers back to Psalm 41:9 where the one who is eating my bread has lifted up his heel against me. This shows the relationship between Jesus and the betrayer. Here, the quotation brings out the treacherous and faithless nature of Judas s deed: he was about to betray the one whose bread he had eaten as a sign of intimate fellowship. 1 In verse 21, Jesus restates His point and makes it clear that someone eating among them will betray Him. Noticing the reaction of the disciples, it appears this is the first time that many truly understand what Jesus had been talking about. They re confused. He is the Messiah. He is the Promised One. How could He be turned over and fall to the plot of some traitor? These disciples are so lost because for them, they saw the Messiah as a political revolutionary. They witnessed miracles and now this? Jesus closest followers are swallowed by confusion. 1 Andreas Kostenberger, Baker Exegetical Commentary On the New Testament: John. Baker Academic: Grand Rapids, 2004, p. 411.

4 In addition to being fully divine, Jesus was also fully human. It would have been easy for Jesus to identify His betrayer, speak of His horrible Cross, and seek the sympathy and comradery of His followers. But instead, when Jesus speaks, He speaks for their benefit, not His own. His purpose in revealing His future betrayal was to prepare His disciples. Jesus chose the mission over an opportunity to seek comfort from others. What does verse 19 say about why Jesus is choosing this time and this moment to tell them this? What does this do for the disciples? How does this news affect Jesus? What does verse 21 show regarding Jesus reaction and emotion? What about verse 18 shows Jesus trust and confidence about what will take place? How does a believer lead a life that is not completely driven by emotions? John 13:23 30 (Read) Sub Application: Prioritize God s will over your safety. Jesus identifies Judas as the betrayer; the disciples don t understand. Judas leaves to betray Jesus. After Peter s attempt to find out who it is from the disciple whom Jesus loved, Jesus identifies the betrayer. But what is interesting is that after Jesus says that it will be the one to whom He hands the bread, He hands it to Judas, but the disciples don t catch it. The disciples completely miss Jesus identification of Judas as the betrayer. Who knows what the disciples would have done had they understood what Jesus just said. There would have been anger and frustration, no doubt. But instead, there is much confusion. After Jesus hands Judas the bread, Judas leaves. But before he leaves, Jesus tells him to do what he has already determined to do. And here, we notice the disciples confusion. Their lack of understanding as to why Judas leaves brings out the possibility that Jesus response to the one who would betray Him may have been said quietly and discretely. 2 The truth that rises from this passage is that Jesus is operating on a completely different level than His disciples who are sitting around the table with Him. They had been with Him, learned from Him, but they were not seeing what was unfolding as He was seeing it. They did not understand all that was said to them. More importantly, they were not suffering the way that He was suffering. Despite knowing what was to come, that He would suffer and give His own 2 D. A. Carson, The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel According to John. Eerdmans: Grand Rapids, 1990, p. 474.

5 life, Jesus made no attempts to stop Judas. Christ had come for this purpose, to give His life. John s final detail in this section, And it was night, seems to have an ominous double meaning. While the sun had gone down and the day was complete, John could have seen the darkness looming over this situation from a unique perspective as Judas leaves. He could have been the only disciple who knew what Jesus was doing, and was the only disciple seeing what was really happening. Maybe John understood the darkness that was to come. Why does verse 29 show that the disciples are confused about what is happening? What are they thinking in this verse? What particular verses in this passage show that Jesus and Judas are the only ones at the table aware of what is actually taking place? How did Jesus feel about the Cross? Why didn t Jesus stop Judas?

6 Week 21, John 13:18 30 Took Main Point: Jesus is the one who is betrayed. Main Application: Prioritize the will of the Father. In Today s Culture: Life-and-death situations often help us see the true character of a person. Recently, in Ridley Park, Penn., Joe Chambers, a 17-year-old volunteer firefighter, showed his true character as he risked his life to save the life of a police officer trapped in a burning squad car. Chambers said, I started running full speed down the street and as I got to the car, the bottom of the car caught fire and then the hood caught fire the door was jammed shut; I couldn t get it open. Chambers, with the help of another good Samaritan, pulled the officer to safety through the car window just before the car erupted into flames. When Chambers visited Officer Kimsey in the hospital, he thanked him. Chambers responded with you don t have to I would do it any day of the week if I had to. 3 Lesson Conclusion: Jesus knew that He would be betrayed. He shared with His disciples that the betrayal was coming in an effort to prepare them. Jesus chose to prioritize the will of the Father above His own desire for emotional support, before His own desire for safety. Challenge: The idea that one of His followers would betray Jesus was a shock to 11 of His disciples. It was no surprise to Jesus. Although He knew that Judas would betray Him, Jesus chose to continue in the will of Father, marching ever closer to the Cross. Although He knew that Judas would betray Him, Jesus chose to continue in the will of the Father instead of commiserating with the disciples about His painful fate. Although He knew that Judas would betray Him, Jesus chose to continue in the will of the Father instead of protecting His own safety. As you walk through difficult times, perhaps even a betrayal, choose to prioritize the will 3 ad_car.html

7 of the Father. We as believers have been promised difficult times; we must not lose sight of our purpose.