JOHN 13:21-38
Lesson # 28
LOVE SURROUNDED BY BETRAYAL AND DENIAL
I.? Introduction:
Q? Think of someone you deeply admire.? Give us specific reasons why that is so?
RQ? Can some of you categorize what type of traits these people described have??
Q? How loyal do you feel towards the people you admire??
An = This is a very admirable response on your part and a natural one.? Lets see if Jesus fills any of your characteristics.? We are going to see Him under a certain type of pressure and so we can learn from how He handles this so as to learn to handle such situations ourselves.
II.? Dealing With the Betrayer:? John 13:21-30.
>>>> Have someone read John 13:21.
Q? What has Jesus done here?? Is it wise?
An = He has brought specifically to their attention that “one of the twelve” will betray Him.? Now He is no longer speaking of betrayal in general but in specific, one of them.
>>>> Have someone read John 13:22-25.
Q? How does the group react in verse 22?
An = They are in shock, disbelief, and suspicious of each other.
Q? Has this “bringing up of the agenda” helped group solidarity?
An = Seemingly not.? It is so disagreeable that it seems to have potential to destroy all trust in the group.? Remember what Jesus is doing here, you will later but quite surprised.
Q? Who does Peter pose his question to and why?
An = He does not ask Jesus directly.? The text does not say but apparently Peter does not feel free to ask Jesus directly, though he will question Jesus directly later (13:36,37).? It seems Jesus statement in verse 21 has brought discord even between Peter and Jesus.
>>>> Have someone read John 13:26
Q? What kind of answer is this?? Who understood it?
An = It seems Judas understood it, but we later see that no one else understood it.? Jesus often spoke in metaphors they did not understand (see 11:11-13) and they might have thought this was another one of Jesus’ hard to understand answers.
>>>> Have someone read John 13:27.
Q? What does Jesus’ statement in this verse say about His personality and His handling of such a devastating betrayal?
An = He is in control.? Jesus seems to say, “Go on, do what you are going to do.”? He does not stop Judas.? He could have, the disciples would have been incensed.? Remember John and James were called the “sons of thunder”.? Jesus forgoes any violence.? In fact, He covers Judas personally but not Judas’ deed.
Q? How are we to handle betrayers, if we are to do like Jesus does?
An = Let them list what they see and have someone write this down as well.
>>>> Have someone read John 13:28-30.
Q? Why did the disciples not figure out it was Judas?
An = It was probably normal to “dip a morsel and hand it to someone at a Jewish banquet” and it seemed Judas’ leaving had some very understandable causes as we learned in chapter 12 that Judas handled the “money box”.? It was customary to give to the poor at Passover and it was natural to send the man with the cash to get supplies that were lacking.
Note:? Jesus has covered Judas and let him leave with out incident.
Q Has Jesus swept the issue under the rug?? Has He refused to deal with it?
An = Jesus did not personally nail Judas in front of the group and do Judas harm, but Jesus certainly brought the issue to the fore.? Remember verse 21 and all the stir and dissension it created.? Jesus is not afraid of bringing up disagreeable issues.? He is certainly not afraid to confront those He disagrees with.? However, He does not seem to have the need to humiliate Judas, but confronts Judas privately, face to face, even though they are in a group.? Judas knows He knows.
He has confronted Judas, but not with revenge in mind.? He warned Judas repeatedly about the consequences of his action (13:10) and what it really entailed (13:20), but He did not take immediate revenge, He let Judas go.
Note:? Once Judas has gone, Jesus continues to reveal.? He now gives insight about the immediate future, a new commandment, followed by more insight into the immediate future.
III.? Revelation About the Immediate Future and a New Commandment:? John 13:31-38.
A.? Revelation About What is Important To God:? Glorification.?? John 13:31-32.
>>>>? Have someone read John 13:31.
Q? What is the content of Jesus’ double declaration?
An = The glorification of the Son has begun and it will bring glory to the Father.
Q? Do you find it strange that Jesus says Judas has begun “His glorification”?
An = If you can remember how you felt when you were betrayed or how someone reacted when you watched them get betrayed.? Jesus takes a different view on Judas’ action.? It has not crushed Him.? He sees things from the viewpoint of God.? Glory has begun:? His glorification and God’s.
Note:? Betrayal when properly faced does not stop the plans of God, though we often think it does, God’s glory and ours will begin.? We cannot see it or experience it in the present, neither did Jesus, but it begins none-the-less.? No betrayer stops the glory of God.
>>>>? Have someone read John 13:32
Q What does the second phrase of this verse mean?
An = Hopefully they will understand because I do not.
B.? Revelation About the Immediate Future:? John 13:33.
>>>>? Have someone read John 13:33.
Q? Jesus is speaking of the immediate future here, what is He speaking of?
An = His approaching death.
C.? Revelation About What is Really Important Between One Another:? Love.? John 13:34-35.
>>>>? Have someone read John 13:34-35.
Q? What is this new commandment?
An = It is nothing esoteric, but basic:? “love one another, as I have loved you”.
Q? Does this mean sloppy sentimentalism?? How do we know?
An = Jesus was not a sloppy sentimentalist.? He caused discord by His statement in verse 21 because that was the loving thing to do.? He confronted Judas because that was the loving thing to do.? He did not harm Judas because that was the loving thing to do.? He is going to die a horrible, humiliating and painful death for them and that is not sloppy sentimentalism either.? He washed their feet and that was not sentimentalism.? He loves boldly, intelligently, directly.
We are to love one another as He loved us.? We are to comb the Gospels for how He treated people and then do the same to one another.? Most importantly, we must be willing to die for one another.? It will become our “trademark” our distinguishing characteristic (verse 35).
Note:? Is it not amazing that such a commandment is given sandwiched between betrayal and denial.? The New Commandment is sandwiched between Judas’ betrayal the prediction of Peter’s denial.? This Jesus is no weak sentimentalist, but an emotional giant of great strength and skill.? Watch what He does next.
Q? How does Jesus stack up with your list of admirable traits?
An =? Let them share and then remind them that we have only looked at one part of Jesus’ life tonight, there is so much we will watch Him do in the weeks ahead.
D.? Revelation About What Peter is Going to Do:? Denial.? John 13:36-38.
>>>> Have someone read John 13:36-38
Q? Does Peter understand what he is capable of?
An = No, Peter does not.? Peter has some of his future actions, and therefore character, revealed, and it is not pretty.
Q? Does God know who we really are, i.e. what we will do in the future, because that is who we are?
An = Yes, He does.
Q? Does this frighten you?
An = Remember Jesus knows you better than you know yourself.? We have one hope however.? >>> Have everyone turn to John 13:1 and you read it to them.
Note:? Part of Jesus’ character, one of His traits, is that He loves His own, even to the end.? That is good news and a our hope.
>>>> Have someone read Jude 24.