Predicting Betrayal - John 13:18-30

John 13:18-30

©June 20th, 2021 by Rev. Rick Goettsche SERIES: John

At some point in our lives, most of us have experienced some form of betrayal. Maybe it was a friend who promised to keep a confidence but then shared information that harmed you. Maybe it was someone who pretended to be your friend to your face, but treated you like an enemy when you weren’t around. Maybe it was a boss or an employee who promised something but didn’t deliver. Maybe it was a spouse who promised to stay committed until death do us part but walked away. Or a parent who promised to protect you, but instead did things that harmed you. There are many different ways we experience betrayal, and sadly it is part of the human experience.

One of the things that makes betrayals so hard is that we usually don’t see them coming. We place our trust in someone, only to have that trust violated. You feel a betrayal like that deeply. You feel attacked, rejected, and violated. You begin to question how you could have been so foolish to trust someone like that. In our passage this morning we see Jesus face betrayal at the hands of a close friend. Though Jesus wasn’t caught off guard by it, the feelings associated with such a betrayal are likely the same. The amazing thing is how Jesus responded to this betrayal. These verses show us the love Jesus has for every person—even those who fail and betray Him.

As Dad mentioned last week, we are now nearing the end of Jesus’ life. Jesus joined his disciples for their Passover meal, the last meal they’d share together before he died. It had already been an eventful meal, with Jesus teaching the disciples about servanthood by washing their feet. Now Jesus predicts he would be betrayed, and identifies Judas Iscariot as the betrayer. In these verses, we learn a great deal about the heart of Jesus and the heart of Judas. In the process, it gives us a good contrast against which to measure our own hearts.

Jesus’ Initial Statement

Our passage begins where we left off last week. Jesus had washed his disciples’ feet to teach them about serving one another. He said that if they served one another they would be blessed. Jesus continues now in verse 18.

18 “I am not saying these things to all of you; I know the ones I have chosen. But this fulfills the Scripture that says, ‘The one who eats my food has turned against me.’ 19 I tell you this beforehand, so that when it happens you will believe that I Am the Messiah. 20 I tell you the truth, anyone who welcomes my messenger is welcoming me, and anyone who welcomes me is welcoming the Father who sent me.” (John 13:18-20, NLT)

Jesus tells the disciples that when he was speaking about them being blessed by serving him He said he was not speaking to all of them, because he knew the ones he had chosen. What did he mean by this?

I think Jesus was pointing out that he knows who his true followers are, plus he also knew each of them intimately. He knew that while he had chosen Judas to come and be part of the twelve, Judas was not a true follower. Judas played a role, but his heart was far from Jesus. As a result, I believe Jesus was saying that the promises of blessing would not apply to Judas, because Judas would not follow him.

This is true for many of the promises in scripture. The Bible contains many wonderful promises for believers, but those promises are only for believers. There are ultimately no lasting blessings for those who are not followers of Jesus. That’s why Jesus makes this statement to the disciples.

He goes on to say that this statement fulfilled the scripture that says, “The one who eats my food has turned against me.” Jesus was quoting from Psalm 41:19. David wrote this psalm, and most people think David was speaking about his advisor, Ahithophel, who betrayed him by switching sides and serving David’s son, who was trying to overthrow his father. In this verse we see David’s feelings of betrayal, because a man he had trusted, whom he had invited to eat at his table with him, had turned against him.

I suspect the disciples didn’t really understand what Jesus was saying as he quoted this Psalm. But I imagine they’d gotten used to that, as they had spent a good portion of the previous 3 years grappling with the truths he was teaching them. Jesus was hinting in these verses at what he says clearly later on—that one of the 12 whom he had chosen to follow him would turn against him.

In verse 19, Jesus explains why was telling them this. It wasn’t to give them a warning, it was to prove He was who he said. After Jesus’ prediction about his betrayal came true, the disciples would see that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. They would also see that Jesus knew exactly what was going to happen to him but allowed it to happen anyway.

This is significant. Jesus could have stopped Judas. He knew what was coming. But he knew Judas’ betrayal was going to accomplish something that was far bigger than just him or the disciples. So he allowed the betrayal to happen. Jesus trusted God’s plan.

If you’re like me, you may feel convicted by seeing Jesus’ response. When tough times happen in our lives, we tend to question God and ask why He has abandoned us. Jesus’ response, however, was to trust that God was doing something bigger, and that this hardship would accomplish something far greater in the end. Jesus was willing to endure hardship in order to accomplish God’s perfect plan. This is something we should remind ourselves of when trials come in our lives. We may not know the reasons they come, and we may not like what we have to go through, but we can rest in the truth that God has a plan He is working out even through our hard times.

After speaking of the coming betrayal, Jesus then shifts gears and speaks of the blessing that will come to those who serve Him. He says that anyone who welcomes Him welcomes the Father, and anyone who welcomes his messenger is welcoming him. In other words, he was telling the disciples that when they go out and serve as his messengers, they are his representatives, and when people welcome them and their message, they are actually welcoming Him. This is another good reminder for us as we minister to the world around us. Everywhere we go, we are ambassadors of Jesus—so we should seek to represent Him well.

A Clearer Explanation

What Jesus said before was somewhat cryptic, now he speaks very plainly.

21 Now Jesus was deeply troubled, and he exclaimed, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me!” 22 The disciples looked at each other, wondering whom he could mean. 23 The disciple Jesus loved was sitting next to Jesus at the table. 24 Simon Peter motioned to him to ask, “Who’s he talking about?” 25 So that disciple leaned over to Jesus and asked, “Lord, who is it?” (John 13:21-25, NLT)

John tells us Jesus was deeply troubled before he said this. Jesus knew what was going to happen, but it didn’t make the betrayal any less painful. It was still a tremendous violation of trust and it had to break Jesus’ heart to be hurt by someone he loved. I believe Jesus knew from the beginning that Judas would betray him, but he continued to hold out the truth to Judas, giving him every opportunity to turn from his sin and follow Jesus instead. Ultimately, I think Jesus was troubled less by the rejection he felt from Judas and more by the consequences he knew Judas would face because of his rejection. Jesus grieved for the pain his friend was bringing upon himself. Jesus wasn’t surprised by Judas’ actions, but he was still grieved by them.

When Jesus clearly told the disciples one of them would betray him, their responses are telling. First of all, the disciples were shocked that one of them would betray Jesus. We like to imagine Judas was an obviously bad apple, so when Jesus said someone would betray him, everyone kind of looked at Judas, because they knew he was the weak link. But that’s not what happened. They had a hard time imagining how any one of them could possibly betray Jesus. After all, they had spent so much time together and seen so much with Jesus, they couldn’t imagine that any of them would turn away from him.

This reminds us that we never truly know another person’s heart. There are some who are very good pretenders. They play the game very well, even managing to deceive the people closest to them. Judas appears to have been such a person. Not every person who attends church is a true follower of Christ. There are some who are simply playing the game. This should give each of us pause, and we should ask ourselves whether we are simply playing at faith, or whether we are genuine followers. The stakes are too high not to examine our hearts.

In some of the other gospels, we see the disciples asking Jesus in turn if they were the one who would betray him. This shows a tremendous self-awareness among these men. They understood that as much as they loved Jesus and were willing to follow Him anywhere, they also knew they were weak and sinful. Each of them worried that somehow they might be the one to betray Jesus. I imagine that they asked Jesus the question with great trepidation, afraid of the answer he might give, fearful that they might fail Him when it mattered most.

Eventually Peter tries to get a direct answer. We are told he asked “the disciple Jesus loved” (which was probably John himself, as he often used this term to describe himself) to ask Jesus who he was talking about. We are told that John then leaned over to Jesus and asked him the question.

The Betrayer Revealed

When John asked Jesus who the betrayer was, Jesus answered,

26 Jesus responded, “It is the one to whom I give the bread I dip in the bowl.” And when he had dipped it, he gave it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot. 27 When Judas had eaten the bread, Satan entered into him. Then Jesus told him, “Hurry and do what you’re going to do.” 28 None of the others at the table knew what Jesus meant. 29 Since Judas was their treasurer, some thought Jesus was telling him to go and pay for the food or to give some money to the poor. 30 So Judas left at once, going out into the night. (John 13:26-30, NLT)

In response to John’s question, Jesus said the betrayer was the one to whom he gave the bread he dipped in the bowl. Then Jesus dipped the bread in the bowl and gave it to Judas Iscariot. Most of us, when we picture the last supper, imagine Leonardo DaVinci’s famous painting, with everyone seated at one long table, and all sitting on one side, as if facing the “camera” or painter. Though this image is beautiful and indelibly etched on our minds, it probably isn’t accurate. For the Passover meal at this time, they usually ate from a table that was set on the floor. They didn’t sit at chairs, but laid down on the ground, with their heads toward the table and their feet sticking out away from the table. Usually they would lean on their left elbow, leaving their right hand free to eat the food from the table. We are told John was sitting next to Jesus, so this was why Peter asked him to ask Jesus who he was talking about. All John had to do was lean back a little, and his head would have been right in Jesus’ chest. So he was in the ideal position to do this. Most people believe that John was on Jesus’ right side and Judas was on Jesus’ left side, because this put Judas in the ideal position for Jesus to share a piece of bread with Judas. If that was the case, then Judas was actually seated in the place of honor, as the person to the left of the host was in the most honored position. Why would Jesus do this?

I think everything Jesus did in these verses and in the verses we saw last week was intended to give Judas one more chance to turn from his sin and to follow Him. Jesus brought him close, ensuring that he heard everything he said. He made sure Judas couldn’t simply keep him at arm’s length in order to make his betrayal easier. When Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, he washed Judas’ feet as well. I imagine that encounter to be an intense moment. I wonder if, as Jesus looked up at him, washing his feet and cleansing him, Judas could even meet his gaze. I wonder if Judas’ heart broke, knowing what he was about to do. I don’t know, but we know his mind was made up. Jesus gave him every opportunity, but Judas simply would not follow Him. Even as he handed Judas the bread, he was giving him one more chance to back down, to throw himself on Jesus’ mercy. But Judas’ mind was made up. He ate the bread and sealed his fate.

To be clear, I don’t think Jesus was doing these things hoping to spare himself the betrayal. Rather, I think he was giving Judas one more chance to avoid the punishment he was bringing upon himself. This account shows us Jesus’ love for sinful people like Judas; like you and me. He is willing to receive us, even to the very end.

Judas, however, didn’t turn from his sin. Instead, he took the bread Jesus gave him and we are told that when he ate it, Satan entered him. This statement could be confusing, because we might be tempted to think that Judas didn’t have a choice—that he could have literally claimed, “the devil made me do it!” But that’s not the case. Judas did have a choice. He had chosen again and again to turn aside from Jesus. And now, having steeled himself in the direction of rebellion, Satan comes to help him go the rest of the way.

Jesus told Judas to go and do what he had to, and Judas got up and left. I wonder what he felt as he did. Did he feel shame? Did he want to turn back as he looked back up at the room full of the men he had lived and traveled with for years? Did he have any desire to run back to Jesus? I don’t know. What I do know is that he didn’t run back to Jesus. He continued down the path of sin.

None of the disciples realized that Judas left the room to betray Jesus. Surely they understood the symbol of the bread, but they didn’t know Judas’ betrayal was imminent or even what it meant. They just assumed that since Judas was in charge of the money, Jesus was sending him on an errand related to that. The disciples had no idea that the next time they saw Judas, it would be with an army, coming to arrest Jesus.

Conclusion

There is much about this account that I find heartbreaking. I am heartbroken at the betrayal Jesus must have felt. Even though he knew it was coming, it still had to hurt him deeply. I am heartbroken that Judas had every opportunity to turn from his sin but chose to continue down the path he was on. He chose his own destruction, even though Jesus was right there beside him. Every time I read this passage, I feel sad, even though I know how the story ends, and how God ultimately uses this betrayal to accomplish His great purpose.

But I don’t believe John includes this account to make us feel sad—it’s intended to teach us some important truths.

First, God knows you…and he still loves you.Jesus knew each of the 12 disciples. He knew their failures, he knew their struggles, he knew their weaknesses. Jesus didn’t love these men because he thought they were better than they were—he loved them, even knowing their frailties. Throughout John’s gospel, Jesus doesn’t reject people even when the rest of the world does. Jesus loves even those the world has written off. He loves those who have sinned greatly. He even loves those who have tried to betray Him. The point of this is that Jesus also loves you. He knows about your flaws, He knows your failures, He knows your weaknesses—and He still loves you. No matter what the world may tell you, know this: Jesus loves you and you matter to Him.

Second, Jesus invites you to follow Him.There are many who believe they have messed up too badly for the offer of the gospel to apply to them. If you find yourself thinking that way, let me challenge you to look at how Jesus loved Judas. Judas was plotting how to betray Jesus, yet Jesus continually held out his hands to Judas. He gave him every opportunity to come. He never once turned Judas away. He does not turn you away either. He offers forgiveness to each one of us, no matter how badly we have failed. As long as there is still breath in your lungs, it is never to late to accept the offer of forgiveness Jesus holds out to you. The challenge is that you must walk away from your life of sin and follow Him instead—and many people aren’t willing to do that. He doesn’t call us to be perfect, but He does call us to follow Him. I challenge you to take Him up on the offer before it is too late.

Third, we should examine our hearts. To all the world around him, Judas seemed like a true follower of Jesus. He was part of Jesus’ inner circle. He was the treasurer of Jesus’ organization. He was important, he played his role well. But that’s all it was. Judas never truly trusted in Jesus. He was never willing to truly follow Him. He may have enjoyed the ride, he may have liked Jesus, he may have enjoyed the other disciples, but he was unwilling to submit his life to Jesus fully. My challenge to you is to check your own motives. Make sure you are not going down the same path as Judas. It’s possible to have all the outward trappings of a Christian but still be far from the Lord. You can come to church, be involved, serve on boards and committees and still not be a follower. You can enjoy the people, you can come to church because it makes you feel better about yourself, you can do all sorts of Christian things, but if you are not following Jesus, they are all for nothing. Judas did that. He did all the right things outwardly, but inwardly his heart was far from the Lord. Be honest with yourself, and if you’re going down the path of Judas and simply playing the game, turn around now, because there is still time. Don’t allow yourself to persist in that path, because one day it will be too late.

This passage teaches us so much about Jesus’ heart for us, even as it reminds us of our own failures and weakness. As we look at these verses, we should be reminded of how much Jesus loves us and how much He endured in order to save us. It should also remind us of the importance that our decision of whether to follow him or not holds. Jesus holds out the offer of salvation to each one of us, but one day it will be too late. If we continue to turn away from Jesus when He reaches out to us, we will face the same fate as Judas. We will have hardened our hearts so much that we will forever miss out on the gift Jesus offers and be left to face the punishment for our sin. Today, Jesus is reaching out to you. Don’t waste this opportunity. Commit to following Him while there is still time to do so.

©June 20th, 2021 by Rev. Rick Goettsche SERIES: John