Series: Discovering the Life Changing Gospel
The Enemy is Closer than You Think
John 13:18–30 (HCSB)
18 I’m not speaking about all of you; I know those I have chosen. But the Scripture must be fulfilled: The one who eats My bread has raised his heel against Me. 19 “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He. 20 I assure you: Whoever receives anyone I send receives Me, and the one who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.” 21 When Jesus had said this, He was troubled in His spirit and testified, “I assure you: One of you will betray Me!” 22 The disciples started looking at one another—uncertain which one He was speaking about. 23 One of His disciples, the one Jesus loved, was reclining close beside Jesus. 24 Simon Peter motioned to him to find out who it was He was talking about. 25 So he leaned back against Jesus and asked Him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus replied, “He’s the one I give the piece of bread to after I have dipped it.” When He had dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son. 27 After Judas ate the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Therefore Jesus told him, “What you’re doing, do quickly.” 28 None of those reclining at the table knew why He told him this. 29 Since Judas kept the money-bag, some thought that Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the festival,” or that he should give something to the poor. 30 After receiving the piece of bread, he went out immediately. And it was night.
1. THE BETRAYAL IS ANTICIPATED (13:18-21)
- The betrayal of Judas did not catch Jesus by surprise, scripture predicted it.
John 17:12 (HCSB)
12 While I was with them, I was protecting them by Your name that You have given Me. I guarded them and not one of them is lost, except the son of destruction, so that the Scripture may be fulfilled.
Psalm 41:9 (HCSB)
9 Even my friend in whom I trusted, one who ate my bread, has raised his heel against me.
- Jesus wanted the disciples not to be surprised by the betrayal.
- There always remains a divine tension between God’s sovereignty and man’s free will.
2. THE DISCIPLES ARE ASTONISHED (13:22-25)
- Judas maintained his deception to the very end.
Matthew 26:25 (HCSB)
25 Then Judas, His betrayer, replied, “Surely not I, Rabbi?” “You have said it,” He told him.
- Sinfulness is hidden in plain sight.
- We can never fully know the depth of our own depravity.
3. THE BETRAYER IS ADDRESSED (13:26-30)
- Jesus gave Judas every benefit to stop what he had in his heart to do.
- Once Satan entered Judas there was no turning back.
- Sometimes sin takes us where we don’t want to go, other times it leads us right where we want.
The betrayal of Jesus is one of the saddest dramas to play itself out in the entire ministry of Jesus. Judas’ betrayal of Jesus did not come as a surprise to Jesus, but was a necessary scene to set the final act of God’s demonstration of how much He loves a broken world.
