Sermon Tone Analysis

If you have your bibles this morning, or a copy of God’s word open it up to John 13.

I have titled this message this morning The Greatest Betrayal… Before we dig into the message this morning pray with me…

Just by a quick show of hands has anyone in here ever been betrayed?

Put them down, now have you ever betrayed someone show of hands?

That was a little harder to admit for many.

If you raised your hand either time.

The reality is in a fallen world betrayal is something we see on a regular basis.

If you are much of a reader, or partake in the watching of television, or movies, betrayal is often a focus in many of the forms of entertainment we partake in.

It adds some drama to the story, and usually makes the hero come out even greater than we would have seen him or her before, because they overcame this great challenge they did not have before.

I can’t count how many times I watched a Disney movie that had some sort of betrayal.

And I am sorry if I ruin some of these movies for you, but looking around I am sure most of you already know many of them.

In the movie Frozen Hans professes this love for Anna so he could become King of Arendelle, only to to betray her and almost have her killed.

The saddest betrayal in my childhood was when Scar in the Lion king came up with this elaborate plan to kill King Mufasa and his Son and he did so by luring Mufasa’s son and caused a stampede causing young Simba to be amongst this horrible stampede where his Father came to rescue him, and ended up saving his son, but when he was trying to save himself Scar Mufasa’s brother rather than saving them threw him to his death, and betrayed him.

One more example outside of scripture..

In C.S. Lewis book/movie The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

One of the children Edmund enters into this magical world known as Narnia, and immediately he is approached by this evil white witch who want’s to gather this information about his siblings and a key character in the book.

Mr. Tumnus.

Even though he was told by others this women is no good he betrays those closest to them, and it almost costs him his life.

So we have betrayal in our own lives, in entertainment, and in scripture.

Today we get to the betrayal of Jesus.

Who did not deserve to be betrayed.

I been thinking about this all week, its hard to us to not think of Judas as the one who betrayed Jesus, because like a mentioned a few weeks ago ever time we see his name in scripture it accompanies the language the one whom betrayed Jesus, but for the moment, I want you to really think about the context in which they are in.

The disciples had been walking with Jesus for three years, learning from him, seeing him do this incredible signs, and miracles together.

So from their perspective a betrayal amongst one of them would seem to be something that would not immediately cross their mind.

Though Jesus himself knew this and orchestrated it from eternity past, and before I go any further today, the main thing, the main point I want you to get this morning is this… and you cannot miss this today…

The greatest betrayal brings about the greatest promise.x2

So last week when Trent was preaching you began to see evidence of this betrayal taking place.

In verse 2 of chapter 13.

We see the words of scripture say,

So at the last supper prior to the foot washing we see Satan is already in the heart of Judas.

One of Jesus 12 disciples was going to betray him.

But if you have been following along with us during the gospel of John or have read it for yourselves.

This isn’t a surprise to us.

Because John writing this gospel to us is writing this after all of this has taking place.

Back in John 6:66-71 Jesus himself speaks directly to his twelves disciples, and it reads as this..

If you want more in depth study about this go back and listen online, but in this text it says.. Look I choose all of you, yet one of you is the devil, and we see this idea planted and that is Judas was going to betray Jesus, all the way back in chapter 6.

One of the twelve who have walked with Jesus, is going to betray him.

and this morning I have few points outside of the main Idea that I want you to take note of, and the first is this…

Scripture predicts the betrayal of Jesus

If you think about what has happened so far in the gospel of John and the opposition that Jesus has faced if you didn’t know any better you would think that Jesus would somehow be caught by the Jewish or even Roman authority, but ultimately that is not what happens at first.

If you have learned anything at all in this gospel its the idea that everything is on Jesus time, not the disciples, not the jewish leaders, not anyone else, but God’s timing, the hour had come when it was his time to die, and all things happen on his time, in his way.

And as we have seen over and over again, Jesus does things according the scriptures, remember the beginning of John describes Jesus as the word, and in Psalm 41.

We see this betrayal from the eyes of David, and his friends who betrayed him but Jesus uses the text for himself, and the betrayal from Judas his disciple.

And Jesus is not quoting the whole Psalm rather one verse, Psalm 41:9 but verses 7-9 explain this kind of emotion that Jesus was most likely going through.

and it says this ..

I really like what one man said, “It is one thing to be hated by your enemy.

However, to be betrayed by a friend is one of the darkest experiences that a human being can endure.

That is what David was enduring; a friend had turned against him.

David was a type of Christ, and so many of the things that took place in David’s life were later recapitulated in the life of Christ.

There is relevance in David’s betrayal by a friend, and it is for that reason that Jesus quoted David’s words in the upper room.

Yet the situation facing Jesus is even darker than this.

In the ancient Near East, to betray a friend was considered a heinous crime, but far more heinous was to betray a friend with whom one had shared bread at the table.

It appears that Jesus and His disciples were sharing bread at the moment when He spoke these words.

Even as He and Judas shared this intimate meal, Judas was planning his treachery.

Could you Imagine being in that room, in that moment, but Jesus before addressing them more, he makes this statement.

I am saying this to you now before all this happens, so you will believe it.

Jesus said things before they were done.. Jesus is never without witness.

Over and over again in this gospel John has pointed to the reality that Jesus did these things so that people would believe in him.

Believe that the scriptures are fulfilled in him.

And believe that this betrayal shows that he is who he said he is.

But notice one more thing he uses the powerful title.

I AM.

He is telling them that when all this happens you will believe I am God.

And Jesus as we have seen, and will see is the great I am.

But even as he is the great I am you see the real humanity and emotion of Jesus knowing that he is about to face this death and betrayal from the one who is suppose to be his friend.

Second thing I want you take note of this morning is this…

Jesus prediction and sovereignty of the betrayal shows that he is God.

Only God could have made this happen.

And the disciples had no clue among one another who was the one to betray Jesus.

This time is known in other gospels as the passover meal, and where Jesus institutes the Lord’s Supper.

But in the gospel of John he has a different focus.

Drawing really himself out more than he typically does in this book at least so far.

He calls himself the beloved disciples or the one Jesus loved.

John was among the closest to Jesus on earth, and here in this text John is reclining at the table at Jesus side.

Many of you have probably seen the picture that Leonardo da Vinci titled the last supper, and its suppose to be made by the influence of the gospel of John and this betrayal that is happening in the text we are in today and while its a cool picture it does not quite reflect how they were actually sitting, they were reclining, and the picture shows them as sitting.

It was custom for Romans to do this even though it was was not common for Jews to do this thing until around the time of Christ.

So what this most likely looked like was Jesus in the middle, and John laying close to Jesus on his side.

The guests at these tables would have their left arms leaning against the table freeing up up their right to eat and drink.

And many scholars do not think it was just one long table the eat at like the last supper picture looks like, but more like a u shape.

So there would be like three separate tables or couches, and so what many think and I believe based on the information we have in the text is that John the disciple who wrote this gospel and Judas were at this main table.

and then 5 were at the other two, and this makes sense and a lot of biblical scholars believe that as well.

one scholar says this..

He said.. According to an ancient tradition, one showed greater honor to the person seated to one’s left because one’s left side was more vulnerable to assault, hence one showed greater trust.Sharing the same table or couch would have certainly been an honored position in any case , but if the beloved disciple held the position to Jesus’ right, the position to the left most likely went to the other person to whom Jesus could easily hand the food that was Judas (13:26).

Now listen to this Luke 22:21 says this..

(Luke 22:21 also suggests that Judas and Jesus shared the same table, though Luke 22:23 says this..

this suggests that Jesus’ companions did not take his words in 22:21 literally.)

This underlines favorably the intimacy of the beloved disciple, while further underlining the treachery of Judas’s betrayal.

It was fascinating to study this… So given the close proximity Peter asks, and who else but Peter to do this right and he probably gives John a little shove.

Hey ask Jesus who it is… And so John sitting where he is leans back, and he is like who is this Jesus… who is tell me..

and given the reaction of others it most likely only John heard it, but didn’t understand it in the present, but Jesus says… It is he whom I will give this morsel of bread when I dipped it.. and he gave it to Judas…

Him giving Judas this morsel of bread is in fact a gesture of Love.

It was a great honor to get that first dip of bread by the host.

It’s like when you go to Johnny Corino’s and the bread comes out and the oil, and you eat it, and your spouse or friend is like eat the first bite.

you want that first bite take it, and Jesus gave it to Judas.

Knowing that this man is going to betray me..

This great sign of friendship comes with a great betrayal.

The man who was in the place of Honor did not honor the one who should be honored.

And what happens is John gives us a powerful picture in verse 27.. by saying this..

do it quickly, and what I love about having God’s full word in front of me, is we know happened, but on the night, the devil thought he won, the devil was like I won this you are about to get sold out, your kingdom isn’t coming, I am going to win.

I took one of the people closest to you for myself, and he got you, I got you, but he didn’t get Jesus, because Jesus predicted it, and he is sovereign over it.