Truth & Love

4.6.23 [John 13:21-35] River of Life (Holy Maundy Thursday)

He knew the whole time. They had no idea. Even after he told them, they still couldn’t figure out which one of them it would be.

It wasn’t until Judas showed up at the Garden of Gethsemane, with a large crowd including (Jn. 18:3) a detachment of armed soldiers, that they finally realized whom Jesus had been talking about. As Judas approached, Jesus asked him point blank (Lk. 22:48) Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss? A gesture of love repurposed to hand over the Messiah to his violent enemies.

In our text for this evening, Jesus testifies (Jn. 13:21) Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me. (Mk. 14:20) It is one of the Twelve, one who dips bread into the bowl with me. This revelation rocked the disciples’ world. They knew that Jesus’ life was in grave danger in Jerusalem. They had heard rumors about (Lk. 22:2) the teachers of the law looking for a way to get rid of Jesus. Jesus himself had told the Twelve privately that while they were in Jerusalem (Mt. 20:18-20) the Son of Man would be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law to be condemned to death. That the Gentiles would mock and flog and crucify him. But the news that one of them would play a role in delivering Jesus over to his enemies was a bombshell. They were understandably shocked and (Mt. 26:22) very sad.

One after another the disciples began to search their own hearts, (Lk. 22:23) to ask one another, and even to plead with Jesus (Mt. 26:22) Surely, you don’t mean me, Lord? But none of them could be sure. The only thing they could be sure of—at this moment—is that what Jesus had said would indeed happen. Jesus always and only spoke the truth.

Yet this wasn’t the first time that Jesus had hinted at this reality. In John 6, when a multitude of people who thought highly of Jesus no longer liked what he was saying, Jesus said to those that stayed: (Jn. 6:64) The words I have spoken to you—they are full of Spirit and life. Yet some of you do not believe.

Then we are told something that may surprise us: (Jn. 6:64) For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He knew the whole time. They had no idea.

Tonight, as we prepare our hearts and minds for the gift Jesus gives us in his body and blood, let us reckon with the truth the disciples did that night and marvel at the undeserved love he expressed anyway.

The Unpleasant Truth Believers Must Reckon With

The truth the disciples had to reckon with that evening was simply this: they themselves and also the people they loved and trusted more than anyone else were capable of any sin.

The other Gospel writers highlight the private, silent, personal reflection that wrung the hearts and souls of the Twelve. Only one would betray him. In fact, he had already set the wheels into motion by going (Mt. 26:15) to the chief priests and asking ‘What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?‘ But the disciples didn’t know that. But the disciples still didn’t know who would betray him. They couldn’t even be sure that they were not the one who would do it.

(1 Cor. 10:12) If we think we are standing firm, we must be careful lest we fall into temptation. Pride, arrogance, and hubris are poisonous to the one walking the path of righteousness. We must all examine our hearts and minds and lives carefully. When we do, we recognize that we are capable of breaking any and all of God’s commandments.

Sure, there may be particular sins—especially the ones we consider to be especially heinous or abhorrent—that we think we would never do in a million years. But we must not trust in our strength, too much. We ought not assume that because we consider these particular sins heinous right in this moment, we always will think that way. We must not kid ourselves into thinking that we could never do the very things we abhor.

Recall the Apostle Paul’s confession: (Rom. 7:19) The evil I do not want to do, this I keep on doing. (1 Cor. 9:24-27) Paul lived with self-discipline. Paul knew (Php. 4:12) the secret of contentment in any and every situation. (2 Cor. 11:23-33) Paul suffered for the Gospel.

(Rom. 7:21) Yet Paul did not consider any evil something he would never do in a million years. (Rom. 7:24) He recognized his own weakness. (Gal. 5:17) He knew he had a sinful flesh that had cravings and urges and desires that warred against the Holy Spirit.

Similarly, each of these disciples had (Mt. 19:27) left everything to follow Jesus. Yet, they could not leave behind their sinful nature.

We are no better. Like the Twelve and the Apostle Paul (Jer. 17:9) our sinful hearts are deceitful beyond measure. We are capable of committing sins we think to be unthinkable.

Not only that, but the other unpleasant truth is that the disciples didn’t have any clue who the betrayer would be. That’s why Peter presses John, to (Jn. 13:24) ask Jesus which one he means.

That shouldn’t be a surprise. If we are capable of sins we think unthinkable, so too are those we love and trust. Even those we have known for years, even those we believe we think we can trust implicitly, with anyone or anything, are capable of committing any sin. That unthinkable reality is enough to rip the Church in two.

Or it would be, if we ended there. But there is another reason that the disciples didn’t know who would do it. It wasn’t just that Judas had kept it on the low for a little while. They had no idea because Jesus had loved them all the same.

That is even more unthinkable that our own capacity for sin. Imagine for a moment that you knew definitively that someone was going to betray you. If you knew one of your close friends would sell you out, wouldn’t you live more guardedly and love them a little less? If you knew exactly who would be the one to betray you—and before they knew they would do it—wouldn’t you find it hard not to treat them differently than the rest? To keep them at arm’s length? Wouldn’t you be more likely to treat them with contempt or scorn or passive-aggressive disdain?

But Jesus did not do that for even a moment. He knew what his disciples were capable of and what they would do, and yet he loved them unconditionally. Even though they had no idea, he knew the whole time. About them and us.

The Undeserved Love Sinners Receive From Jesus

It is that undeserved love that is really remarkable this evening. Jesus always knew who would betray him. He also knew what other sins his disciples were capable of. He knew Peter would deny knowing him. He knew the rest would flee from his side. He knew their private conversations and even their inmost thoughts. And yet, he still loved them. And us.

As a testament of that love, he blesses each of us with the personal assurance of the forgiveness of sins in Holy Communion. As we come to his table, we receive his body and blood for the sins we know of, and those we have long forgotten, and those we are incapable of fully recognizing. Jesus does this for us because he loves sinners like us.

Jesus knew who we were, what we have done and not done, what we are capable of and how we would fail him and he looked at us and loved us. Deeply. Dedicatedly. Undeservedly.

The Lord who loves us places a tangible expression of that love into our hands. As we eat the bread and drink the cup we are receiving in, with, and under those visible elements of bread and wine, his own body and blood. He is giving us himself. This is a display and a donation of his divine dedication to our salvation. He knows you and he has loved you.

And he wants you to love the people he loves, as well. As we eat and drink together, confessing our shared need for a Savior, Jesus is binding our hearts together. He is uniting our minds. He is calling us to love one another as he has loved us. His sacrifice and this meal give us the desire and the strength to do just that.

The Jesus who knows us and loves us unconditionally, calls and equips us to love one another. Not simply to love one another when we are lovable—reliable, respectable, and righteous. But to love one another enough to speak the truth. To rebuke sinners when they fall into temptation. To love one another enough to walk with sinners as God leads them to away from wickedness and back to his righteousness. To love one another enough to rejoice over their repentance—not their righteousness—as the angels in heaven do. To love one another enough to stand by them when no one else will. To love one another enough to encourage each other when we are weak, and carry each other's burdens when we are heavy-laden.

This is how Christ loved us. We had no idea that this is what love takes. This is what love costs. This is what love does. But he knew the whole time. And loved us to the end. Amen.