Confidence in Christ

Bible Passage: Jn 13:21–38

We saw how Jesus loves to the end as our humble servant in John 13:1-17 and now in John 13:18-38 we can have confidence in Jesus’s sovereignty and love which brings stability, strength and a strategy for us as His disciples.

Let me give you a reworked Big Idea!

Big Idea: True confidence in Jesus as Sovereign Lord and love empowers us to face betrayal with faith, knowing that God uses even our darkest moments for His glory and our good as we obey His command to love each other as He loves us .

Application: This sermon can help Christians recognize that even in times of betrayal and uncertainty, they can have confidence in Christ's sovereignty and love. It encourages individuals to remain steadfast/stable and trust in the integrity of Christ's plan despite their circumstances.

Teaching: The sermon teaches that Jesus, even in the midst of betrayal, exemplifies perfect love and confidence in His mission. This confidence should inspire us to remain faithful and loving, mirroring Christ's actions.

John’s goal is always for us to believe Jesus is God come in the flesh to save us from our sin and send us into the world to reveal God’s love by calling people to belief in Jesus. It is especially important for John that we understand our confidence/faith/trust in Jesus gives us stability even when we face opposition, Jesus' prediction of His betrayal highlights His role as the sovereign Savior who understands and overcomes human deceit and weakness. This passage foreshadows the ultimate sacrifice He will make to redeem humanity, showcasing His commitment to His mission despite personal betrayal.

1. Stability comes from Sovereign Awareness

Verse 18 is elaborated on in verses 21-30 by John. Look at John 13:18 “I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’”

We are to be sure of this John is teaching us that God’s love is revealed in His plan being fulfilled by His only Son Jesus Christ. Jesus’ word in John 13:18 “I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’” are from the messianic Psalm. Psalm 41:9 “Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.” God promised a greater David (2 Samuel 7:12-16 and Psalm 2.

In the cultural context this very fulfillment of Jesus as the greater David in the betrayal by Judas was a heinous act. Near Easter Hospitality and kindness was being violated by Judas.

Jesus the sovereign Lord was fulfilling the plan of redemption. Jesus choosing His betrayer was no oversight, is teaching us that when the hour comes for you, the hour of your testing, trial, betrayal, however heinous in nature we can know in faith who our savior is and knowing and believing in Him will keep you stable when nothing else can!

Jn 13:21–30

We will explore how Jesus, although deeply troubled, remains in control, and how His awareness of His destiny assures us of His divine authority and of His divine sovereignty.

This demonstrates His sovereign plan and comforts us when facing betrayal ourselves.

Consider how Jesus shows us His emotional expression, inviting us to bring our vulnerabilities before God, knowing He understands and walks with us within the framework of His divine plan.

This is stabilizing when we would otherwise be losing it!

Jesus is showing us very clearly His sovereignty over all things. we see it in the fact that Satan is not winning. Jesus tells/commands Judas to leave and go do as he planned, right after Satan enters Judas. This signifies Jesus authority over the situation and Satan. Jesus the sovereign Lord is orchestrating His own story to go to the cross to die for His chosen people. verse 18!

What Jesus is asking of His disciples and us is,Will you believe I am the sovereign Lord who has everything in under control even when you suffer opposition and betrayal? Jesus is asking us will you have faith in me? Will you trust me even when the events and actions of man say. “Where is your God now?”

The story is heading toward a climactic question! I’ll get to that at that end of this sermon.

He is telling us now, recall again Jesus words in verse 19. He is telling us before hand so when the moment you think I am not God and sovereign Lord whose betrayal I planned even in my choosing of Judas. Jesus is showing us I brought the plan to fulfillment by commanding Him to go and do as Judas had decided. Stability under circumstances when it feels like Jesus is gone and we are alone, when life’s betrayals and pains lead us to think he must not be in control, he is showing us here you must not lose hope but have faith I have it all in my hands.

Do you believe Jesus words? No one takes my life from me I lay it down of my own accord. John 14:29 “And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe.”

Stability comes when we believe what Jesus has told us about Himself before what He knows will come into our lives as we faithfully follow Him.

Is it the missing ingredient from your life as a follower of Jesus.

Once, I thought I'd impress my friends by baking a cake from scratch. I followed the recipe perfectly, but I forgot to add the baking powder. What came out of the oven was not quite what I expected – a dense pancake instead of a fluffy cake! It taught me that even small missing ingredients can change the outcome dramatically – just like how faith can be the key ingredient in the mix of our lives.

2. Strength Comes from Sovereign love.

Verse 20 is elaborated on by John in

John 13:31–34 ESV

When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

Jesus didn’t want them to believe he was merely an insightful prophet, a good man, or an excellent teacher. Jesus said they were to believe that “I am he” (v. 19). The word he is not in the original manuscript; the translators supplied it. Jesus said they were to believe (in the Greek) “ego eimi” or “I AM.” Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus has called on them to believe that he is “I AM.” Ego eimi is the Greek equivalent of the name given by God to Moses at the burning bush (Exod 3:14). Earlier in the Gospel of John, Jesus claimed this title, and the people understood exactly what he was saying. In fact, many of them attempted to stone him for what they considered blasphemy (8:58).

Jesus is saying their faith would be strengthened by believing that Jesus is “I AM”—that Jesus was, is, and forever will be God.

This very gospel starts us off with the words John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

Faith must have an object. By definition faith is not faith if there is no one in whom we place it. These days the word faith has become just another way to say that a person has a positive outlook or a hopeful attitude; that’s not how the Bible discusses faith. Biblical faith must have Jesus Christ as its object. Biblical faith must embrace certain truths about the person and work of Jesus Christ. Biblical faith has faith in the words “how he loves us so!”

Have faith in the one who loves you when you don’t know where His love is! When we hear about someone’s “faith,” we need to listen with discernment. We do no one a favor by quietly and tacitly endorsing self-centered, humanistic thinking clothed in religious language. When we talk to a friend or neighbor, we must not call him merely to faith but to faith in Jesus.

John 3:16 is pointing to everyone and anyone in this world and saying this world is crazy bu God loves you! It is crying out a message, Trusting in God’s love for you amidst the craziness of life. have faith in His sovereign love.

This strength and this stability are necessary for us to be faithful to His strategy to show the world His love!

3. Strategy Comes from Sovereign Command.

Verse 20.

John 13:20

Jn 13:31–35

Jesus' new commandment to love as He has loved. Highlights that true confidence/faith/trust arises from embodying Christ’s love, which becomes evident in our relationships as we enact that love.

This passage commands believers to display the same kind of transformative love that Christ showed, serving as a testimony to His presence in our lives and our community as a local church. This is God’s strategy to reveal Himself as the God who loves them so much He had His only son killed to pay the penalty for our sin.

Yet there is a sadness to this account we must not ignore.

Yes we love and as we love each other well that the world might come to put their faith in Jesus, but we must not overlook verse 30! We see that as the door shuts behind Judas his fate is sealed, JUDAS has turned His back on Jesus who alone is life and light for those who are dead and in darkness. Judas walks into and away from Jesus.

There is another question this passage is asking everyone and Jesus is asking everyone.

Will you leave the dark and come to the light? Will you find in Jesus life and freedom from death and sin? Or will you be like Judas and walk into the night?

Peter and the disciples (an of course us) needed to know Jesus as the the sovereign Lord is who we trust in for our life to become and remain stable. Peter and the disciples and of course us needed to know Jesus as the sovereign Lord so we might find and have His strength.

Conclusion: May we know as we have faith in Jesus sovereignty the stability that comes that others might know and follow Jesus. May we know as we know His love when every other source of strength in life is gone and be strengthened by it that others may know and follow Jesus. May we obey His sovereign command to love one another so that others may know and follow Jesus.