The Lord Predicts His Betrayer

Have you ever been betrayed?

What words would you use to describe a betrayer?

Some that have been used are:

traitor; deceiver; informer; renegade; conspirator; Judas; deserter; double-crosser; turncoat; miscreant; back-stabber

What if you knew someone was close to you was going to betray you and you still let them be close to you, would you still love them anyways?

Remember all things had been given unto Jesus hands. There was nothing that was hidden from him. He had all knowledge. So, as this unfolds tonight this is not a surprise, it was a revealing and an identifying for the apostles sake. That is what we are going to be looking at tonight after we glean from the passage directly first.

Our Passage

John 13:18 NASB95

18 “I do not speak of all of you. I know the ones I have chosen; but it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats My bread has lifted up his heel against Me.’

John 13:19 NASB95

19 “From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am He.

John 13:20 NASB95

20 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”

John 13:21–22 NASB95

21 When Jesus had said this, He became troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray Me.” 22 The disciples began looking at one another, at a loss to know of which one He was speaking.

John 13:22–23 NASB95

22 The disciples began looking at one another, at a loss to know of which one He was speaking. 23 There was reclining on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.

John 13:24–25 NASB95

24 So Simon Peter gestured to him, and said to him, “Tell us who it is of whom He is speaking.” 25 He, leaning back thus on Jesus’ bosom, said to Him, “Lord, who is it?”

John 13:26 NASB95

26 Jesus then answered, “That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him.” So when He had dipped the morsel, He took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.

Jesus had just set the example of humble service in the section we looked at last week and told them to be of humble service and we get to our passage tonight

What do you notice in this passage that sticks out to you in light of what we had seen last week?

Why had Jesus chosen ones in (v.18)?

What is the purpose according to (v.19)? Does that line up with the purpose of the gospel of John?

Now, point out, looking at (v.20) this all sets up that He is going to send them out and they needed all this information, for when He is gone, this belief.

What was Jesus feeling (v.21)?

What were the Disciples trying to figure out (v.22)?

How was Jesus going to identify His betrayer (v.26)?

Jesus Reveals

Remember all things had been handed over to him (Jn13:3) - so this was no surprise to Him.

Jesus knew who would betray him

Jesus knew who He would reveal the betrayer too

Jesus knew who was ask the questions of Him.

Jesus wanted the disciples to know He knew and it was not a surprise to Him

Jesus knew there was going to be a cruel action against him (consider Ps41:9)

Psalm 41:9 NASB95

9 Even my close friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me.

Interesting fact in that culture, at that time, if someone had their feet under your table that was a great thing, but if they lifted a heal against you against you afterwards, it would be consider a great betrayal and treachery.

I tell you beforehand so you will not be surprised either.

I want you to believe and to continue to believe; believe in Me and who I AM

Believe in Me and you will believe in Whom sent Me

Jesus Identifies

From revealing to identifying who the betrayer is. He knows and shows. But shows, well maybe not what you think.

Jesus is not unfeeling, He was troubled in His spirit (v.21)

Not just for His own sake knowing what was going to happen to Him. He knew the purpose in which He came; He knew where He was going.

But for Judas sake too, knowing what was going to befall Judas too.

Morris said this: “though John pictures Jesus as in control of the situation he does not want us to think of Him as unmoved by the events through which He is passing.”

Jesus words (v.21) show He is not surprised by the betrayal and knows the betrayer.

The disciples did not understand it, they were at a loss, looking at one another trying to figure it out, figure who, how (v.22)

In (v.23) we can make a safe assumption it is John who is leaning on Jesus breast “the one whom Jesus loved” it is used other times in gospel

Jn13:23; Jn19:26; Jn20:2 and Jn21:20.

It was asked of him by Peter but the answer given by Jesus was softly spoken (v.26) and demonstrated was only known to John and Judas.

Another good quote, this one from Spurgeon and I don’t think I have used him tonight.

“A disciple sat at each side of Jesus. One of them was John the divine, the other was Judas the devil. One of them was the seer of the Apocalypse, the other was the son of perdition.”

In interesting fact: the place of honor was to the left, the second was on the right. The one on the right would have his head on the chest of the host.

So, no surprise that John was the only one who knew the betrayer.

FF Bruce notes the fact that the normal posture according to rabbinical sources is sitting except for special meals such as wedding feasts and the like. Remember Jesus called this a Passover meal

Luke 22:15 NASB95

15 And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer;

The one I give the morsel to, it is him

There is significance to that, it is a special honor to receive that from the host at a banquet.

This is an act of love to the one who is betraying Jesus. Jesus overcoming evil with good.

So in this time, this special meal that Jesus looked forward to sharing with them. we have seen

Jesus knew His hour had come and He was going to return to the Father (v.1)

He knew there was much to say and limited time to say it. He wanted to convey much to his disciples but started with no words but showing the sacrificial love (v.5-12)

He spent his time teaching for time was limited about loving service (vv.13-16)

Then we talked about Jesus knows about Betrayal and still loves (vv.17-26)

We have discussed before it the last night of your life, what would you do, would you:

spend time with people you knew were going to abandon you?

Someone you knew was going to deny you?

Someone you knew was going to betray you?

Do you think it would be worth it?

Jesus did for He knew all things. He knew He sacrifice would be worth it!