Darkness Overcome | John 13:18-30

Last week we began the second half of John’s Gospel.

So far John has written his testimony of Jesus and the way he ministered out in public; healing, teaching, working signs and miracles that testified to the world of Jesus’ identity and mission.

Beginning here in chapter 13, John focuses our attention to Jesus’ final words to his disciples before he goes back to the Father.

Last week we were taken to that upper room where Jesus had gathered together to observe the passover meal.

John taught us that Jesus was fully aware of His mission, His identity, and His coming betrayal.

In light of all this, He showed us what Jesus did and said.

How Jesus clothed himself with humility and stooped to perform the work of a servant washing the feet of the disciples He chose.

King Jesus, Master Jesus, performing the work of a servant.

John tells us from the beginning of this chapter that Jesus loved His disciples to the end, even, Judas, the one who would betray him.

It was with these words and action that Jesus gives the application to this most significant act that he has performed.

IF he being the disciples Lord and Teacher, (not only that but God incarnate their creator - I AM) performed this humble self-less act to them, they needed to maintain this attitude towards each other.

A request that would grow in significance as we continue today.

Jesus did not only perform this task for those who loved him, and followed him, but also to the one that would betray him, or ‘hand him over ‘to be arrested and killed.

Jesus was about to enter the Valley of the Shadow of Death, and as the Good Shepherd he is, he speaks words of comfort to his own sheep,

knowing that one among them was a wolf, he tells them what they need to know to continue to believe and be prepared to carry on the ministry after He departs.

Lets start of reading in verse 12,

John 13:12–17 “12 So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. 16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”

John 13:18–35 (NKJV)

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

19 Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am He.

20 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”

Jesus speaking to his disciples the night before his crucifixion giving them example of how he wants them to love and serve one another

all the while he knows that one of these twelve men will betray him.

so He gives them notice of his betrayal for two reasons:

that the scriptures may be fulfilled

and that they may believe the he is God. (I AM)

They would need to know these two things to believe through the dark time they are about to enter,

to hold fast to his words when they see him killed

to believe that even in his death He is at work…

Since we began this chapter last week we noticed that John tells us what Jesus knows,

He points this out to show us that Jesus was fully aware that he would die shortly, He knew his identity, his authority, and what was going on in the hearts of his disciples.

He shows us how Jesus is acting upon that knowledge.

He loved His disciples in light of knowing that his time had come and he would soon be crucified,

He serves His disciples knowing that He was going back to the Father who had given Him all authority,

He teaches and exemplifies what he calls them to do knowing that one of them would betray him.

Jesus says what he says hering knows that one of the disciples he chose will result in his crucifixion.

John 13:18 “18 “I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.’” (Ps 41:9)

Jesus had just stated to the disciples that they would be blessed if they were to listen and do what he said and did.

following his washing their feet,

one of the most humble roles a person could perform, usually a role of a servant not a King.

He called them to serve one another in the same manner, in humility, and what it all ultimately pointed to, his laying down his life for their sake. He gave them an example to follow.

One that would develop in their understanding as they would see Jesus crucified, and look back on this moment seeing that Jesus washed the feet of his own betrayer.

The fact was, when Jesus performed this act, he knew who would betray him, and when he taught, he knew who would betray him,

so he says “I do not speak concerning you all, I know whom I have chosen”

Jesus knew that Judas, would betray him,

Judas was not going to be continuing on with the disciples from this point on,

He would not be one of them who were to go through the dark time of Jesus crucifixion and burial

He would not see the risen Christ.

He would not be one whom this command to sacrificial service would pertain to later as Jesus establishes the church through the Holy Spirit.

Judas was already committed to betray Jesus, it was only a matter of time till it happened.

Jesus knew who would betray him,

and he says “but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.’”

Though Jesus knew who would betray him, He chose him still, in in obedient fulfilment of scripture.

Jesus quotes Psalm 41:9,

Psalm 41 is a psalm of David, the Lord’s Anointed (Messiah) King over His people Israel,

as you read this Psalm,

David describes the blessed man,

who takes care of the poor and helpless,

and how the Lord will not forget that man when he himself is in trouble.

How God will deliver that man from his enemies, and heal him from sickness.

He describes a man who has loving care for others, who God will defend.

David asks the Lord for grace, for healing, recognizing that he is a sinner, and his sin was against God.

God is his only help even for spiritual sickness, the one who can forgive sin.

He calls out for help against his enemies, who are seeking an opportunity while he is down.

He describes his enemy taking advantage of his situation,

speaking evil against him, asking when he will just die

speaking falsehood about him

conjuring up evil in his heart, and them telling it to others,

meeting together with those who hate him to whisper together and plan his death.

And verse 9 says

Psalm 41:9 “9 Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me.”

Jesus as the Lord’s anointed, the King of the Jews sees this very thing, that David writes, as pertaining to Him.

That Judas, one of the disciples who has been with him through His ministry, would turn on him for his hurt.

Jesus chose Judas, knowing it would bring about his hurt in order to fulfill the scriptures.

The Message of John b. The Coming of the Night—Judas (13:18–30)

‘To show the bottom of one’s foot to someone in the Near East is a mark of contempt.’ It is associated with the kick of a horse, vicious and unexpected. But Jesus is not taken by surprise or outflanked by betrayal, nor should the disciples be (19).

this allusion to his betrayal would become more clear, but Jesus said it for a reason.

Jesus tells the disciples of this betrayal, providing them evidence that He is who He claims to be, and that he is the “all-sufficient object of their faith.”

John 13:19 “19 Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am He.”

He wants them to know before hand so that they would be kept by faith,

through the difficulties they would soon face,

to see their Lord and Teacher betrayed by one of their own.

To see their Lord and Teacher beaten and mocked, and hung up on the cross and buried.

He wanted them to know and continue to believe that He was the Messiah,

He tells them these things because he knows that the cross is only hours away, but it wouldn’t be His end, He is the Son of God and is in full control.

despite what they see happen, they could trust that He is Lord.

The evil that He will experience will be used for His purposes.

Its interesting to read Psalm 41 as it continues in verse 10 look what it says,

Psalm 41:10–13 “10 But You, O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up, That I may repay them. 11 By this I know that You are well pleased with me, Because my enemy does not triumph over me. 12 As for me, You uphold me in my integrity, And set me before Your face forever. 13 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel From everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen.”

David trusted his life to the mercy of the Lord,

Jesus who had no sin to confess, who ministered to the helpless and poor, healed the sick,

would take our sins upon himself, and allow the enemy to take his life on behalf of our sin and sickness and was crucified

but in a powerful display Jesus was raised up,

because he his holy,

because Jesus honored the Father,

because He is well pleasing to Him,

death could not keep him

and he will judge his enemies,

He is set before the face of the Father forever to rule and reign over his creation.

So Jesus knows what is happening and what will happen,

and he tells his disciples so that they would be able to keep believing that he is the Messiah, as they see all that happens to him.

To see their Lord and Teacher go through what he was about to go through would be difficult

But as the Psalm stated God will not leave him, and will give him victory over his enemies.

John 13:20 “20 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.””

Jesus tells them a solemn truth,

he who receives whomever I send, receives me…

We touched on this last week, send and sent are words used often in John’s gospel to describe Jesus and his mission and the mission of his disciples.

in the first part of John, Jesus talks about his mission from God as being sent into the world, sent to do His will, to work His works,

As we go on in this second half of John’s gospel, Jesus not only speaks of his mission but now of those he is sending.

John 13:16 “16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.”

This he said following his commission of his disciples to do as he has done to them,

He served them and they are to do likewise to one another,

He is sending them to live out His kingdom ethic, to imitate him.

Jesus’ reference to the sending of the disciples is in terms that anticipate what He is going to say to them later in chapter 17 and 20.

so this is an important statement which helps us interpret what Jesus teaches through chapter 16.

These aren’t just Jesus’ last words to the disciples before he leaves them to go to the father,

they are Jesus’ words to his disciples who will continue His mission in the world after He departs. Those he is speaking are apostles “sent ones”

one commentator used

The Message of John b. The Coming of the Night—Judas (13:18–30)

the analogy is that of a commanding officer giving his troops final instructions and encouragement on the eve of a most dangerous mission in which he will lead them.

Jesus’ mission as the “sent one’ of the father does not end with his crucifixion, but it continues in the mission of his own ‘sent ones’ the disciples. Jesus’ betrayal to death was not the end of the mission but was the beginning of the mission of the church in the world.

Just as Jesus was sent into the world by the Father, disciples were sent into the world by Jesus,

it is a high calling, but one that was costly,

as Jesus was rejected and betrayed, so the disciples would be.

But those that received them, and their testimony of Jesus, were receiving Jesus, and by receiving Jesus they were receiving God the Father.

this mattered at this time because the religious leaders thought that they were doing God a favor by taking Jesus’ life,

because Jesus wasn’t falling in line with their traditions and their interpretation of the Torah, He couldn’t be from God,

So when he claimed to be God he was blaspheming.

Judas, hearing these words of Jesus, his choice being solidified, Jesus shining his light on it,

Judas, to reject Me is to reject God, to turn your back not only on me but your brethren here is to reject God.

Jesus in His humanity is feeling the weight of it all as the hour grows closer.

He was troubled that Judas would soon betray his love and friendship.

Jesus was troubled because of the destructive activity of Satan in Judas.

yet Jesus was loving to him to the end as well. (v 1)

and He speaks plainly and announces that one of them will betray him.

21 When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.”

22 Then the disciples looked at one another, perplexed about whom He spoke.

The disciples were clueless as to who it was.

This tells you something about how Judas was able to hide his intentions.

The heart isn’t always obvious - but it will always reveal itself in time,

it is extremely deceptive and evil apart from the Holy Spirits work and influence.

This also tells you something about how Jesus loved the disciples,

there was no indicator in the way that Jesus treated Judas,

Jesus loved him like he love them, he treated Judas no different knowing that he would ultimately betray him.

I’m sure though that Judas knew that Jesus spoke of him.

but as John and the rest of the disciples heard these things

they couldn’t comprehend that anyone of them who had been with Jesus for so long and enjoyed such fellowship with him thus far could even fathom doing such a thing.

But John was right there next to Jesus and Peter tells him to ask Jesus who it is.

23 Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.

remember the disciples are in this reclining position around the table,

Its not like some of the famous painting portray with Jesus and his disciples sitting at a table.

For John to lean over onto Jesus was how he would move to ask him something personally, as to whisper in his ear.

Notice that John doesn’t name himself, but tells what happened from a third person view point, calls himself the disciple whom Jesus loved,

this was a way ancient writers would refer to themselves indirectly for the sake of humility, or in this case theological emphasis.

John calls himself the one Jesus loved.

Why?

Well it tells us about his relationship with Jesus.

How he understood it, how he felt, what he experienced in his relationship with Jesus.

He knew Jesus loved him, and took that personally, and it no doubt had life altering effects on him.

Paul said the same thing about Jesus’ love for him in very personal words,

Galatians 2:20 “20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 13

Jesus loved (and loves) all of His disciples and all people (3:16–17; 17:1–26). The phrase in this verse signals a personal friendship and likely emphasizes the disciple’s familiarity with Jesus. The disciple saw himself in as much need of Jesus’ love as anyone else.

DO YOU KNOW THAT JESUS LOVES YOU?! HAS THIS TRUTH ALTERED YOUR WHOLE LIFE?

In one sense, with John referring to himself this way, we get the picture that all the disciples would have felt this way about Jesus, which make Judas’ betrayal that much harder to understand.

None of the disciples knew, nor could guess who it was.

At Jesus’ controversial statement, they all start trying to figure it out; who could it be?

24 Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke.

25 Then, leaning back on Jesus’ breast, he said to Him, “Lord, who is it?”

26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.

Jesus tells John that His betrayer would be indicated by what he does next, that is, to give that man a morsel of bread which he has dipped

The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Second Edition) 13:21–30: The Betrayer’s Mission

For the host to dip a piece of bread in the common bowl (on Passover, the bowl may have contained charoset, a sweet mixture, and bitter herbs) and hand it to someone was normally a sign of honor to the person who received it. Jesus is in complete control here (cf.

with this act of special favor, Jesus reveals who his betrayer is, ans does so with one final act of loving friendship.

Its this move of Jesus, reaching to share this piece of bread with Judas, that many believe that he was sitting to Jesus’ left, a place of special honor.

Judas was the recipient of the loving actions of Jesus all the way till the end.

Even at the moment of his betrayal in the garden Jesus calls him friend.

It was here though that Judas’ decision was solidified, his final surrender to the power of darkness had come.

27 Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.”

When Jesus gave him this piece of bread, and so honored him, that John tells us satan entered him.

Judas has been wrestling with the temptation and His growing frustrations with Jesus, and unknown to the rest of the guys, he is completely yielded to the enemies influence and control.

When we entertain temptation and sin, we think we can manage it, keep it a secret, but it will always bring forth destruction.

We don’t know when the tipping point will be that we don’t return to Jesus.

Folks we cannot entertain sin, we must flee temptation!

Sin hardens the heart.

Recognize the love of Jesus, his love for Judas was no different to the love he had for John, but John knew it and considered it and it influenced how he lived,

Judas, on the other hand, took it for granted, and his lusts took control of him, and as he took money from their money box, he would soon be susceptible to betray Jesus for money.

Jesus sends him away to accomplish his evil desires, He is ready for what will come next, He know what it will produce,

It’s the reason why he came, to serve and give his life a ransom for many.

28 But no one at the table knew for what reason He said this to him.

29 For some thought, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus had said to him, “Buy those things we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor.

Word Pictures in the New Testament John 13:29

The feast of unleavened bread beginning after the passover meal and lasting eight days.

It was also customary to do charitable works at this time, to provide for the poor.

John says all this to show that the disciples had no clue as to what was happening with Judas, but it would not be long before they found out.

John though now knows about Judas and his intentions.

30 Having received the piece of bread, he then went out immediately. (And it was night.) *John comm.

The NET Bible

Now it was night is a parenthetical note by the author. The comment is more than just a time indicator, however.

It on this somber note we conclude today,

as we reflect on the passage today John showed us a few things

Jesus is in control

from the beginning of this chapter Jesus is doing what he does, and saying what he says, from his position and identity as the Son of God.

Though he will be betrayed it is for the good of the world.

If Jesus can use these evil acts for his purpose and the good of the world, He is still Lord and master over all the darkness which daily threatens our lives.

This means all the dark sins in your past, in the light of Jesus’ love displayed on the cross, they have no power over you, They are forgiven and cast as far from you, as the east is from the west

Jesus loves

He has humbled himself in love, to serve and to give his life to save his people from their sins.

even those who will reject him, he loves to the end.

To know and accept this love transforms a person,

to know and reject this love, is a choice that Jesus honors, He forces no one to believe in him, but honors your decision.

He will love you to the end, but will not force you to believe.

Jesus sends

This mission will be developed as we go further, but it begins here,

Jesus was sent to do the will of the Father, and he is preparing his disciples to continue that mission when he is gone.

and we can expect that as we continue on in John that we too will be developed for the mission of Christ in the world, till he returns!