Betrayal to Belief

Hopewell Baptist Church

March 8, 2020

Opening Illustration – In C. S. Lewis’s classic The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, Edmond, the younger of the brothers, betrays his three siblings to the White Witch, bringing separation, requiring a payment. This betrayal ultimately led to the death of Aslan to pay for the price of that betrayal. Unknown to the White Witch, the death of Aslan in Edmond’s place was the best thing that could have happened!

Transition – In the same way, Judas’ betrayal leads to the death of Jesus on the cross. The enemy thinks he has won! Like Aslan, Jesus rises from the grave! However unlike Aslan, Jesus is real and He did pay the price for everyone’s sin.

Big Idea: The betrayal of Jesus further validates that Jesus is the Christ and allows us to rest in the sovereignty of God.

Pray

This passage really begins back in vs. 15-17, setting up for the prediction and production of the betrayal of Christ.

v.17 – If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

· v.15-16 – examples of what we are supposed to do

· v.17 – If we know them, we are blessed if we do them…leads into v.18 “I am not speaking of all of you,” because not all of the 12 will know these things nor do them, and not all people in the world will know or do these things.

I. The Prediction – – Jesus issues two predictions:

a. I know whom I have chosen – the 12 were chosen to follow Him, but not all into salvation.

i. The inclusion of Judas, whom Jesus knew would betray Him, was intentional, on purpose. Remember, , all things are given by God to Jesus.

b. First Prediction: v.18 – “But the Scripture will be fulfilled, “He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.” (Fulfillment of )

c. Second Prediction: v.19 - You will believe that I am the I am.

i. “I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he.”

1. In the translation, the “he” was added for purposes of the English language, for readability. Here, Jesus was referencing , and stating that He is the I AM who I AM.

ii. This is told with the specific goal of them knowing that Jesus is the true Prophet from God.

II. The Production – – What Jesus Predicted (begins) to come to pass

a. v.20 – Whoever receives the one I send receives me…

i. This is the I Am (v.19) coming into play, saying that whoever receives the Gospel, looking up to the cross and believing on the name of Jesus, is receiving Jesus and therefore believing also in the one who sent Him, which is God the Father.

b. v.21 – After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”

i. Being 100% man (along with 100% God) brings all human emotions into play in His life (, for example), and He was troubled.

1. Yes, Jesus knew from the beginning Judas would betray Him, but knowing that it was going to happen so soon would cause foreboding sense of dread in any person.

ii. His statement that someone will betray Him is part of that second prediction that someone will betray, and that His disciples will see that and believe in Him.

c. v.22 – The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke.

i. The disciples all began to ask who it was (), and even Judas Iscariot himself asked if he was the one (). (and Jesus answered!)

ii. Judas hid his betrayal so well that none of the other 11 suspected anything

d. v.23-25 – One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at the table at Jesus’ side, so Simon Peter motion to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord who is it?”

i. The disciple whom Jesus loved – traditionally this is John the Revelator, author of Gospel of John, 1-3 John, Revelation.

1. John was sitting closer to Jesus than Simon Peter.

2. They disciples were curious, they wanted to know who it was. (I know I would have!)

ii. v.25 – It’s human nature to want to know. When you hear something like that, it catches your attention. Curiosity.

1. This very curiosity leads us to v.26, where Jesus begins to tell John EXACTLY whom it is that will betray him!

e. v.26 – “Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.”

i. Jesus would have had to answer John quietly, privately, for everyone to not have any idea what just happened and not realize it’s Judas (v.28-29).

f. The Command – Climax – v.27 – “Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.”

i. This is the point that this was all leading up to. If this interaction 2000 years ago had a climax, this was it.

ii. There are only two people who know what’s going on here, Jesus and Judas.

1. Jesus, because He is God and knows already everything

2. Judas because he is the betrayer.

iii. It was already in Judas to betray Jesus

1.

iv. Jesus here tells Judas, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” is a command from Jesus, one that Judas, at this point, cannot disobey.

1. In verse 30, it says Judas, “after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out.” ()

v. Jesus, the Son of God, God the Son, is sovereignly in control of every moment

1. All things were given by the Father into Jesus’ hands,

vi. In verse 30, it says Judas, “after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out.”

1. The statement, “And it was night” was just as much a statement on the status of Judas’s soul and how he went out to talk in the darkness of night as it was a statement on the actual time of day: nighttime.

2. Judas is living the antithesis of when Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

g. v.28-29 – Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor.

i. This was before they realized that Judas was a thief ()

ii. They had completely missed what Jesus had said in response to John

iii. They had completely missed his reference to the fulfillment of

iv. God was sovereignly in control of the situation.

III. Application

a. There will be times in our lives that we feel betrayed. We must remember that we can trust in Jesus, who was hit with the ultimate betrayal, because He will never betray us. He will never leave or forsake us ()

i. God is sovereign and we know that He will use the bad…for the good ().

ii. God will also take care of us, regardless of what is transpiring ().

b. There may be times when we are faced with a situation, whether at home or at work or somewhere else, where things aren’t as they seem. What you see and perceive may be a million miles from the truth.

i. We must trust in God that He knows what is going on in full and that He knows what is best.

IV. Invitation

a. Repent and Believe

i. Going back to the Prediction and the Production of the Betrayal of Jesus, we all know how this particular production plays out…

1. – the betrayal and arrest of Jesus

2. – the “mock” trial of Jesus

3. – The crucifixion

4. and on: The Resurrection of Jesus!

b. Be Baptized

c. Surrender to Call of Ministry (do NOT mention the nursery!)