The Suffering
Servant: Betrayed by a Friend
The reading of the Word of god
John 13:17-30 {we
will pick up right after the foot washing- Jesus is speaking… he says…}
If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be
fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ I am telling
you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you
may believe that I am he. Truly, truly,
I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives
me receives the one who sent me.”
After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his
spirit, and testified, “Truly,
truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” The disciples looked at
one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. One of his disciples, whom Jesus
loved, was reclining at table at Jesus' side, so Simon Peter motioned to him to
ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So that disciple, leaning back against
Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?” 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. Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan
entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” 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. So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he
immediately went out. And it was night.
Let’s pray:
Father, focus our hearts tonight on the truth of your
Word. We come in to this service after a week of other stuff to grab our
attention and maybe even today, barely
here to enjoy this corporate worship time. None the less Lord -Capture our hearts tonight. Clarify the
gospel for our encouragement. May your Word
bring hope as I share in Jesus name. Amen.
Introduction
The title of my talk tonight is The Suffering Servant:
Betrayed by a Friend. In the previous years that I have spoken at Maundy
Thursday I have taken this theme of the Suffering Servant and have looked at
the different actions of that Thursday night long ago. The night that
Jesus shared the Passover meal with His disciples, the night he sweat blood and
pleaded for the Father to take the cup away, the night he washed the disciples
feet.
It was also the night he was betrayed. The betrayal was
the start of sorrows, for the Suffering Servant
(Jesus Friend of Sinners)
From early on in the account of John we learn that Jesus
said he knew what was in the heart of man
And here at verse 18 Jesus says: “I know whom I have chosen”
When Christ took a long night to pray and then finally
chose 12 disciples… he knew what was in their heart- he knew they were sinners-
as we all are. For three years of
teaching and ministry, the reputation of Christ has been as a friend of tax
collectors and a friend to sinners.
Never more clearly was Christ shown to be a friend
to a sinner, than he was to Judas. Paul
may have titled himself as the chief of sinners and you and I may know some of
the depths of our depravity and need for Jesus. But consider Judas…
·
Judas was trusted with treasure- like a
friend- when Jesus knew his treachery to come.
·
Judas shared in the fellowship of love- like
friend- though Jesus knew he was going to forsake Him
·
Judas was privileged to inner teaching –like
a friend-though Jesus knew he’d miss the point.
In our brief moments here, I want to consider 3 thoughts
about this friend’s betrayal.
I.
This Friend’s Betrayal
was Foretold for the purpose of Faith
“But
the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel
against me.’ I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it
does take place you may believe that I am he.”
John 13:18, 19
Jesus
references Psalm 41:9
“Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who
ate bread, has lifted his heel against me.”
Parts of Psalm 41 is considered a prophetic
Messianic Psalm, which foreshadows Christ through the meditations and praises
of King David. In David’s life, he too had a traitor in his court. Remember…David’s son Absalom was conspiring against King David to over throw his rulership. After
four years , one of David’s most trusted counselors in the court Ahithophel
betrayed David by siding with Absalom’s take over. That is the immediate
context of Psalm 41:9.
While King David was surprised by
betrayal of such an intimate friend, Jesus knew who he picked as disciples… he
knew their hearts.
Jesus knew about the betrayal… and he needed all 12 of them to know that
because what was about to happen was no surprise to Jesus.
He was not surprised it happened… he predicted
it
He
was not surprised who did it… revealed it.
And he was
not surprised by its outcome... he submitted to it
What
is lost in the minds of the disciples are the prophecies of the Savior, that he
will suffer betrayal and beatings. So Jesus has been warning them—ever since
they set their sights on going to Jerusalem The Son of man will suffer.
“See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and
the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and
they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they
will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days
he will rise.” Mark 10:33,34
Yet
what they didn’t know was how close the betrayal would hit home
Verse
18: look at the word pictures
He
who Ate my bread
Dining
with food and fellowship was a welcoming, friendly and intimate occasion among all those at the table. To eat bread at
the table of a superior amounted to a pledge of loyalty. It was sharing of
lives, stories, laughter and care. Social norms were you did not dine with
enemy, nor did you eat with someone who you could care a less.
Lifted
his heel against me
A
couple of interpretations of what this means includes the fact that in the Near
East to show the bottom of one’s foot is a show of contempt. You also get the
idea of tripping someone here causing them to fall. There is also tripping like a wrestler tripping
another wrestler , casting them to the ground, in order to trample and gain
victory.
So
those are the facts Jesus relayed.
But
Christ omniscience of the situation at hand went beyond just the facts… it was
about faith-. Because it was going to hit home hard to the disciples, Jesus
DELIBERATELY reveals what he knows in
order to encourage their faith through a
very dark season of time.
The
faith of the remaining disciples who were at this moment- confused. Jesus
foretold his betrayal, in order for his follower’s faith to become steadfast. He is saying “ it’s a sign that I am who I say I am and no arrest,
beatings or temporary death will change that.“
The
confusion of the disciple’s will only become more complex over the next several
hours. So Jesus was getting into their heads, getting groundwork… as they play
through the scenario later… “I knew this was going to happen… later he says no
man takes my life I willingly give it… and this is to be a comforting truth for
you to know… I am He!
I am
He who will suffer for and serve the
Father’s chosen people
I am He who is the resurrection and the life.
I am
He who will save you from the wrath of God and forgive all your sin.
I am
the I Am
Practical: keep
in mind
Even
our faith-can gain a jolt of confidence as we see this in retrospect. That
these words and accounts are true and can be trusted. The very word of God-
giving us the reader - comfort of His
all knowing and in control nature in history’s most darkest hours to come.
In
OUR darkest hours to come Jesus is still the Great IAm. He will
be who he will be. He is God and we are not and we can relax and say amen!! He
is in control.
In fact the resurrection comforts us even greatly because in Matthew
28:20 Jesus says: “I am with you always, to
the close of the age” He is ever present with His children.
The
Friend’s betrayal was foretold for the
purpose of faith.
II.
This Friend’s Betrayal was Soul-wrenching for the
Savior
“After
saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and
testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” John 13:21
While
we could come up with a healthy list of reasons why Christ was troubled, and
they all may be true in varying degrees, it would still only be an assumption
on our part.
·
Yes- He could be troubled because of Judas’
unreturned love toward Jesus unfailing love for him.
·
Yes- He could be troubled because He could
see with His all powerful eye Satan moving around Judas and readying himself.
·
Yes- He could be troubled because he sensed
ALL that sin and death meant and he was going to experience it firsthand.
·
Yes- he could be troubled because he had
knowledge about the betrayal and then the eternal terrors awaiting him the next
morning when Judas takes his life.
These
are all possible reason. But don’t miss what we do know for sure… His
soul was in deep sorrow, trouble and concern.[SLOWLY] His soul IS affected by
it all.
There
are times we may think “Boy if I just knew the trials that I will be facing,
I’d handle them better or more Christ like.” ..
Christ omniscient and sovereign attributes, did not stop
his soul from being rattled to the core.
The
last time we read that Jesus is troubled and deeply moved is at the death of
Lazarus and he sees the mourning. We truly see in that account that Jesus is
near to the broken hearted.
Near not only in presence, but in experience
Near
not only in experience, but empathy
Near
not only in empathy , but in sorrow
For
those who argue that Christ was not fully man deliberately misses accounts like
these which shows our Great High Priest as one who has experienced these things
first … as human… with sorrow.
PRACTICAL:
We
are to take great comfort, church that when we pray to Jesus and appeal to him in
our broken hearts---he truly understands.
His souls deeply cares for the things we
are going through. I dare say He cares deeper, because he sees how all of it will play out. He sees how it
affects our stress levels. He sees how it affects our faith. He sees how it
affects our family, our relationship –our peace—our joy—our contentment. Our
future. He cares deeper and is affected greatly, by the experience of the
brokenhearted.
Jesus was so troubled, he began tell the disciples a
little more straightforward…
“One of You”
Up to this point the unspoken questions were : was the
betrayal from someone outside the 12, was the betrayal unintentional.. maybe it
was going to be an accident.?
But here Jesus says One of you will betray me..
This leads into the last thought…
III.
This Friend’s betrayal was plotted by men yet planned
by God.
So
when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.
Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him,
“What you are going to do, do quickly.” John
13: 26b, 27
There two sides of this
scene here.
The
first side is the sinful plot of men and
devils.
·
Satan has already convinced in the heart of Judas
to betray Jesus in John 13:2.
·
Judas already approached the chief priests
and the officers and made the arrangements and financial agreements as recorded
in Luke22:3-5
·
And here we see the full Satanic possession
of Judas.
Now Satan didn’t take an innocent person and make him
sinfully treacherous. Judas is a
betrayer of Jesus on his own power and decision. He knew what he was doing. He was a hypocrite, a thief and a hard hearted
man who ignored the loving pleas and
rebukes for repentance from the Savior himself. Judas wasn't deceived; he was a
phony. Judas understood the truth, and he posed as a believer. He had everyone
fooled except Jesus, who knew his heart.
Even this last gesture of dipping the morsel and sharing
it is seen as loving. Yet Judas has no heart to turn away from sin now.
Throughout the Gospel accounts, Jesus warns that “woe the
day of the betrayer. Better that he had not been born”
The second side in this scene is the sovereign saving plan of God.
[slowly]
Jesus was betrayed because sinful men plotted it. But
behind Judas, and Herod and Pontius Pilate and Gentles and the people of
Israel… was Jesus own Father who loved him infinitely!! It is the Father, who
ordained and planned the placement of Judas and his betrayal. This
wretched man--evil as he was, by his own desire--was designed into God's plan.
It was God’s plan to put Christ to death. While men meant
the betrayal for harm God meant for good.
Isaiah 53:10 says…”Yet it was the will of the Lord to
crush him; he has put him to grief; “
Jesus understood this… and even demonstrates his
continued ruling over the circumstance by instructing Judas…”What you are going
to do, do it quickly.”
When
we realize that this betrayal is not merely a human conspiracy, but a work and
love of God…
When
we realize that these activities are not absent of God’s oversight..
When we realize these
Scriptures
Romans 5:8 “God shows his
love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans
8:3: “Sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he
condemned sin in the flesh.”
·
God condemned sin in Jesus’ flesh with our
condemnation. So we are free.
Galatians 3:13: “Christ
redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.”
·
God cursed Jesus with the curse that belonged
on us. So we are free.
2 Corinthians 5:21: “For our
sake [God] made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become
the righteousness of God.”
·
God imputed our sin to him, and now we go
free in God’s righteousness.
Isaiah 53:5: “He was wounded
for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities.
When we realize these things… we will see the Good News
and rejoice, we will come to the cross and worship. We receive this as the
highest and greatest gift of God. We will cry out for mercy, grace and a
Savior…
And we will come to the Lord’s Table in humble remembrance
of what this gift of grace cost. We will reflect on the new covenant and what
it took to establish it between God and his people.
The betrayal was foretold for the purpose of faith, the
betrayal was soul wrenching for the Savior, and the betrayal was plotted by
men, but planned by God
Let’s pray:
Father- We can never review these accounts and listen to
these truths, without seeing the hand and the plan that You placed in motion...
ordained… and fulfilled. May our hearts find hope in this good news, that you
have saved us.. from the deserved wrath our sins warranted.
For those who have never found that hope in Christ- would
you draw them now to yourself. Cause the dead in sin to become alive in Jesus
Christ.
We ask it all in Jesus name.