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      "The Treachery of Judas"
      John 13:18-30
      Theme: To know God’s goodness and grace and then reject Him is great treachery.

        1. It Disregarded the Cautions Expressed by Savior – 13:18-20

          1. The Appeal to Revealed Prophecy – vv. 18-19

            1. Jesus had just finished teaching a great spiritual lesson to the disciples about servant leadership – that the mark of greatness is not on how many people serve you, but on how many people a leader serves.
            2. He had used the symbolic gesture of washing the disciples feet and in "sparring" with Peter, Jesus had said that he needed to be "washed" by Jesus if there were to be any fellowship between them.
            3. Peter then asked that Jesus wash all of him, but Jesus replied that their contact and faith in him had already made them clean – all except for one – cp. v. 11
            4. Clearly referring to Judas, Jesus states that there is one who enjoyed the tremendous blessing of knowing Christ, but had rejected him – and therefore Jesus said: "I do not speak of all of you."
            5. Indeed Jesus is not wishing it to be the case – He would that Judas would repent and follow Him.
            6. However, Jesus knew the outcome of Judas hard – heart and indicates that from the very beginning of His ministry, Jesus knew that Judas would betray Him – "I know the ones I have chosen"
            7. You might ask – "Why would Jesus choose for Himself a disciple who He knew would reject Him?" Jesus addresses that question directly: "But it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled, He who eats My bread has lifted up his heel against Me."
              1. Thus, Jesus indicates that although David was most likely immediately referring to Ahithophel in Psalm 41:9, it was a prophetic utterance of how the Son of God would be dealt the most heinous treachery by someone close to Him.
              2. This stresses the reprehensible character of the sin of betraying one’s benefactor
              3. The imagery used here is appearing to enjoy the blessings of one’s kindness and then suddenly kicking him ("lifting up his heel against me" like a horse which without warning attacks its owner, kicking him violently).
            8. He is very much aware of how the faith of all of His disciples would eventually be shaken by the events about to transpire – and appeals to the Scriptures as the basis for their faith – "From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am He."
            9. Thus in Judas Iscariot’s own hearing, Jesus utters a warning concerning the tremendous treachery that it was to betray someone who has been so generous – especially when Jesus demonstrates that He knew from the beginning how Judas would respond and had been nevertheless kind.

          2. The Assurance in Responding Properly - v. 20

            1. Jesus then continues by stating a great truth – "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me."
            2. The first phrase addresses the issue of how those sent by Christ – namely those to whom He would give the great commission – represent Him and have His own authority.
            3. The concern is that when Judas betrays Him, the disciples must remain aware of the dignity of their calling and not to lose sight of the authority of Christ.
            4. Jesus is underscoring that what is transpiring was not something out of His control, but that He actually chose Judas because He would betray Him and thereby fulfill the Scriptures.
            5. Thus, they were not to lose heart and consider their calling by Christ as nullified or spoiled by this treachery.
            6. Instead, Jesus wants His command of the situation to reinforce His authority in their eyes.
            7. The second part could be considered a plea to Judas to consider what He was doing – "he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me" necessarily establishes that "he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me"
              1. Therefore, Judas does what He does cognizant of the issues of unbelief and reprobation that it would bring.
              2. In addition it demonstrates that all of the good that Judas had done as one of the 12 was not a waste – that we look past the servant to the Lord and the One in whose name the service is done.

        2. It Defied the Conscience Evaluating the Sinner – 13:21-26

          1. The Confrontation by the Knowledge of God – vv. 21- 25

            1. Dispelling any thought that Jesus was unaffected by these matters and looked at it all academically, we are told that "When Jesus had said this, He became troubled in spirit" – cp. 11:33
            2. In the midst of His great distress over the treachery done to Him, Jesus "testified and said, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray Me’."
            3. He thereby communicates the Judas directly and to the disciples secondarily that He knew what was underway and was completely oriented to it.
            4. However, this confrontation impacted the disciples and brought perplexity – "The disciples began looking at one another, at a loss to know of which one He was speaking"
            5. They were essentially all checking one another out and wondering which one could do such a thing – that none of them immediately looked to Judas demonstrates the tremendous façade that is able to be maintained by people whose hearts are totally reprobate.
            6. This announcement by Christ caused three essentially responses to their perplexity that are expressed by three separate questions:
              1. Immediately, everybody but Judas expresses an insecurity and great dread wondering whether they could do such a thing: "Surely not I, Lord?" – cp. Matthew 26:22
              2. Then Judas demonstrates His great hypocrisy – by asking "Surely it is not I, Rabbi?" – cp. Matthew 26:25
              3. Finally, there was a tender request made by John himself demonstrating that there were no disciples that were viewed as likely candidates – "There was reclining on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. So Simon Peter gestured to him, and said to him, ‘Tell us who it is of whom He is speaking.’ He, leaning back thus on Jesus’ bosom, said to Him, ‘Lord, who is it’?"
            7. Judas had to be among the most hard-hearted to stay in the midst of this perplexed and anxious group and play the part of a distressed disciple concerned about what Jesus was saying.
            8. It displayed a tremendous defiance in the face of the knowledge of God concerning his sin.

          2. The Confrontation by Kindness of God – v. 26

            1. Beyond that, Jesus continued to demonstrate kindness to Judas all the way to the very end – even sharing "fellowship" around the table – "Jesus then answered, ‘That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him’."
            2. In explicit fulfillment of the prophecy referred to above, Jesus, "when He had dipped the morsel, He took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot."
            3. This was a gesture that would have never been extended to an enemy, but was a sign of great intimacy and friendship.
            4. Judas was essentially being told by Jesus that He did not consider him to be an enemy, and would continue to love him and reach out to him as long as Judas would welcome it.
            5. Judas took the morsel and apparently ate it hypocritically signifying a reciprocated sentiment.

        3. It Deferred to the Corrupting Exertions of Satan – 13:27-30

          1. The Confirmation of Corruption – v. 27

            1. As Judas continued to refuse to break down and repent of his proposed treachery, He continued to harden his heart in the face of truth and kindness.
            2. As a result, he "gave place to the devil" and opened the doors for Satan to take his opportunity in the wickedness of Judas’ heart – "After the morsel, Satan then entered into him."
            3. This signifies that Judas made his decision to betray Christ finally and fully at the moment when the morsel was handed to him – and Satan’s entrance was the final confirming indicator that Judas was set now to betray Christ.
            4. As a result of this, Jesus essentially reprobated Judas – "Therefore Jesus said to him, ‘What you do, do quickly."
              1. This comment from Jesus implies that Judas had a plan to betray Jesus that wasn’t within the time frame of God – namely that Jesus die on Passover.
              2. Thus, the term "quickly" literally means "faster" or "more quickly" and implies that Jesus conveys to Judas to get on with it and not to delay.
              3. Judas response is to leave immediately probably because he now knew that he had been "discovered."

          2. The Craftiness of Corruption – vv. 28-30

            1. We are told that none of the disciples were able to understand what was exchanging between Judas and Jesus – "Now no one of those reclining at the table knew for what purpose He had said this to him."
            2. Judas was such a respected part of the band that he was entrusted with the position of greatest integrity – the treasurer – "For some were supposing, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus was saying to him, ‘But the things we have need of for the feast’; or else, that he should give something to the poor."
            3. Judas was a pretender – a man who from all appearances was as faithful and trustworthy as any of the twelve:
              1. He pretended to be a true disciple when many of the disciples turned back and were no longer walking with Jesus – cp. John 6:66
              2. He pretended to be of great support of the cause of the poor when Mary anointed Jesus with the costly ointment – cp. John 12:4-6
              3. He pretended to be alarmed when Jesus announced that one of them was going to betray him – maintaining his hypocrisy to the very end.
            4. However, when Jesus confronted him and appealed to him from the Scriptures and then by means of his conscience and finally by an appeal through kindness, Jesus set his jaw and "after receiving the morsel he went out immediately"
            5. Then John gives a historical detail that was symbolic – "and it was night" – the time for Jesus to be handed over completely to the power of darkness (Satan) - cp. Luke 22:53.

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