Traitor Judas Revealed

I'll take your Bible this morning. Turn with me to John chapter 13. John chapter 13 should be a well-worn place in your Bible. I don't know your study habits if you mark in your Bible or highlight your Bible. But I do encourage you to learn to take notes, record what the Lord is giving us so that you can study during the week. If you do that, you'll have a well-worn place in your Bible. John chapter 12 is well-worn, and the beginning of John chapter 13 is beginning to be much like John 12 for me. Now, we've been in these verses that are surrounding the events of Jesus washing the disciples' feet.

If you back up just a little, you'll remember that we covered verses 1 through 3. I'll call them an introduction to the event. This is where Jesus turned the corner in his ministry. This is where he turned from that public ministry to Israel, and he turned to that private ministry that he has with his disciples. We know that that private ministry starts in chapter 13 and goes all the way to chapter 17. The next we covered verses 4 through 11, which were the actual events of Jesus washing the disciples' feet. Here, Jesus assumed the position of the lowest servant performing the lowest task. This would have been very shocking to the disciples.

They were so shocked that most were left speechless. But of course, Peter was true to his nature. He revealed his sinfulness and his self-reliance, actually dictating to Christ what he would have him to do. Then after the actual events, we covered verses 12 through 17, which was Jesus teaching the disciples concerning the event, the washing of the disciples' feet. Jesus washed their feet, which was nothing more than exhibit A or great demonstration. That is why I titled these messages, "Servant Love Demonstrated." He would have had them really in the palm of his hand to teach them what they had heard many times.

Verse 17 tells us that they knew what Jesus was teaching them. They were just slow to get it. And what he was trying to teach them was that they were to be servants to one another, loving one another in a great servant's way. Now, in our verses this morning, we will see a shift in Jesus' teaching. Jesus shifts from teaching on the washing of the disciples' feet to the betrayal of Judas. If you make notations in your Bible, you might want to note verse 18. Because this is where we see this shift. Now, when you think of Judas, you think of the betrayal of Jesus.

Most of you have a reasonably good understanding of the New Testament and your Scriptures. And you would understand that Judas was the betrayer of Jesus. You probably think of the fact that Judas sells Jesus out for 30 pieces of silver. And when you think of Judas, you think of a traitor and the worst kind of a traitor. Now, we just celebrated the Fourth of July. It was a wonderful time in our culture and our country. I'm thankful for that. And that celebration is a celebration of our American independence. This is a time when we become a little more patriotic. We as Christians, we should thank God for our country and our freedoms.

And not only that, we should be burdened for our country that God would work. Now, in our American history, we have had many traitors. But during the American Revolution, our country had its most famous traitor. This might be a test of your American history. But his name was Benedict Arnold. Now Benedict Arnold was a general in the Continental Army. And he was thought very well of by George Washington. Washington thought of Arnold as one of his fighting generals because of his success early on in the Revolution. But Benedict Arnold became disillusioned with the cause.

He became disillusioned because of certain events that had not gone his way. And many historians say that he was lured away from the Revolution by his desire to make money. Prior to the Revolution, he had been a successful merchant and traitor out of Connecticut. And most historians say that he was lured away from the cause for money. Well, the rest is history. He defected back to the British. He did this on September the 25th, 1780. And he actually fought for the British as a brigadier general against the Americans. And he did this in two major engagements.

And in the eyes of Americans and in American history, his name has become synonymous with the word traitor. Now in our verses this morning, we will see another name. And this individual's name has also become synonymous with the word traitor. And that is the betrayer, Judas. So let's pick up in our verses. Verses 18 through 30. Jesus says, "And I do not speak of all of you." Earlier he had talked about the fact that they were clean. They were converted. They were saved. They were born again. Now he's shifting to Judas. I do not speak of all of you. I know the ones I have chosen, but it is that the scripture may be fulfilled.

He who eats my bread has lifted up his heel against me. Verse 19, "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. Truly, truly, I say to you, you, he who receives whomever I sin receives me. And he who receives me receives him who sent me." When Jesus had said this, he became troubled or distraught in spirit. He testified and said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the one who will betray me." The disciples began looking at one another at a loss to know which one he was speaking about. Verse 23, "There was reclining on Jesus' breast one of his disciples whom Jesus loved.

Simon Peter therefore gestured to him, and he said to him, 'Tell us who it is of whom you are speaking.'" He, leaning back, thus on Jesus' breast, said to him, 'Lord, who is it?' Jesus therefore answered, 'That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him.' So when he had dipped the morsel, which was the bread, he took it and he gave it to Judas, the son of Ascariot. And after the morsel, Satan then entered into him. Jesus therefore said to him, 'What you do, do it quickly.'" Now, no one of those reclining at the table knew for what purpose he had said this to him.

For some were supposing, because Jesus had the money box or money bag, that Jesus was saying to him, "Buy the things we have need for the feast," or else that he should give something to the poor. Then verse 30, "So after receiving the morsel, the bread, he went out immediately, and it was night." Now that leads us to the title of the message that we're going to look at this morning. I am calling these passages, "Trader Judas Revealed." Trader Judas Revealed. Now you see how we're going to break down these verses. I see four main truths out of these verses. First of all, the betrayal predicted.

It's in verse 18, "The betrayal proclaimed," verses 19 through 21. The disciples confused in verses 22 through 25, and then the traitor confronted verses 26 through 30. Again, I encourage you to take these notes, jot them down. If you have trouble taking notes, we can help you with that. We want you to develop that discipline so that you would receive and hold on to what the Lord is showing us in our service. So our first main truth, truth number one, notice the betrayal predicted. The betrayal predicted. Now that comes out of this first verse, verse 18.

Jesus said, "I do not speak of all of you." In other words, He is differentiating between the 11 and the 1. "I know the ones I have chosen, but it is that the Scriptures may be fulfilled." And here we have an Old Testament prophecy probably noted in your Scripture, "He who eats my bread has lifted up his heel against me." Now even though the direction of Jesus' teaching takes a sharp shift here in verse 18, we must see that this is still part of the overall purpose of the verses. This was part of their preparations for what was to come. Jesus knew full well what Judas was going to do, how he was going to betray him, but the disciples did not.

Jesus, loving the disciples as He did, wanted them to be prepared for this event. He did not want them to lose faith in his control of the situation, even when it seemed that he was not in control. Now there are two observations I want to make out of this betrayal that is predicted. First of all, notice Jesus purposefully chose them. Jesus purposefully chose them. Look at the beginning of verse 18. "I did not speak of all of you. I know the ones I have chosen." Now we know that Jesus chose the disciples. We've observed this in our study of John, the Gospel of John. We saw this in the beginning of the Gospel.

But Jesus is not speaking here of salvation, but of apostleship. They were chosen for this office. They were set aside for the office of the apostle. So Jesus purposefully chose these men. Then second, God purposefully chose Judas. God purposely chose Judas. Go back to the verse. What does he say? That the Scripture may be fulfilled. Now this is a direct quotation of Psalm 41 verse 9, and it reads, "He who eats my bread has lifted up his heel against me." Now notice that the prophecy mentions the one eating with Jesus, and also the second portion of the prophecy or the verse mentions lifting up his heel.

Now most Bible scholars believe this lifted up his heel is a metaphor, and it is derived from the lifting up of a horse's hoof in preparations to kick. One of the Bible commentators I study points out that in our modern language we would say, "Kick me when I was down." So go back to that verse. "He who eats my bread," we know that Jesus is there with Judas, "at the Passover supper has lifted up his heel against me." This is speaking of that betrayal. And we see that God purposefully chose Judas. Now question, what needs to be seen here out of this one verse?

We must see that Jesus is predicting his betrayal to the disciples as a part of their preparation. He is declaring to them the Old Testament prophecy. This is communicating to them that all of this seeming chaos surrounding Judas is part of God's sovereign plan. Now in application, what do we need to see here, and what do we need to learn? We must see and understand again this beautiful plan, this beautiful balance between God's sovereignty and man's responsibility, or man's choice. And we must guard against either extreme. Now I've used this illustration before, but it fits beautifully. Remember the illustration of the railroad tracks.

On one rail we have God's sovereignty, and on the other rail we have man's choice or man's responsibility. And if we alter one, we do so at the expense of the other. If we emphasize one above the other, then we cause a derailment and we have theological error. Error number one would be emphasizing God's responsibility at the expense of Judas choice or Judas responsibility. That puts Judas as a robot or a robotic being having no responsibility, therefore there would have been no way he could have been accountable for his actions because it would have been a rigged system.

Error number two would be emphasizing Judas responsibility or choice at the expense of God's sovereignty. To do so puts the situation out of control, violating God's sovereign control in this situation. And if he were not in control, then he would not be God. You see this precarious, delicate, beautiful balance which must be understood. Now this beautiful balance can be seen elsewhere in the Gospel of Luke. In Luke chapter 22 verse 22. Now I really like how John MacArthur points this out and he does this wonderfully and I'm going to quote him as he quotes the verse and interjects his insight.

So listen close and I quote, "Judas betrayal was predetermined but that in no way contradicts the truth that he acted of his own volition." And I'm quoting, "Jesus affirmed both truths when he said in Luke 22, 22," and this is a quotation from Luke, "For indeed the Son of Man is going as it has been determined." Pause there, that is God's sovereignty. This was a predetermined plan of God going back to the verse, "But woe to the man by who he is betrayed." Pause there, that is Judas responsibility. And they are both working in a simultaneous, harmonious manner.

And I go back to the quotation from MacArthur and I quote, "The sovereign God who works all things after the counsel of his will," according to Ephesians 1, 11, "used the evil plans of Judas's wicked heart to bring about the good of redemption." So we see a beautiful balance, those parallel tracks always running side by side in perfect harmony with one another. And in verse 18, this is the prediction of Judas betrayal for the benefit of those disciples. Let's continue. I want us to see truth number two, the betrayal proclaimed. The betrayal proclaimed.

Go back to verse 19, "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." Verse 20, "Truly, truly, I say to you, He who receives whomever I send receives Me, and He who receives Me, Him who sent Me, receives Him who sent Me." When Jesus had said this, He became troubled or grieved in spirit and testified and said, "Truly, truly, I say to you that one of you will betray Me." So here we see this continued care given to the disciples. Jesus is lovingly equipping the 11 disciples for the events that will soon follow. This is part of that loving them to the end that we saw in verse 1.

That's that theme that we're on all through these chapters. Three observations I want to make here. First of all, Jesus prepares the 11 in this proclamation. Look at verse 19 again with me. "From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur you may believe that I am here." In verse 19 we see a softer approach. Jesus is proclaiming the betrayal, but He is emphasizing His lordship in the matter, thus desiring to strengthen their faith in Him. What does He say at the end of the verse? That I am He. So He is preparing them with this proclamation. Then second notice, Jesus exalts the 11 in this proclamation.

Go back to the verses, verse 20. "Truly, truly, I say to you, He who receives whomever I sinned receives Me, and He who receives Me receives Him who sent Me." Now verse 20 can be seen as out of place as it is between verses 19 and 21. Both verses 19 and 21 speak of Judas, but verse 20 speaks of Christ's messengers. What Christ is saying is that Judas in his treachery does not nullify or diminish their position as sent out messengers. We see this truth emphasized in Jesus' familiar, truly, truly, which means that Jesus is emphasizing what He is teaching. They needed to hear this declaration.

What Judas is about to do does not diminish who they were. So He exalts the 11 in this proclamation. And then third, Jesus speaks straight to Judas in the proclamation. Verse 21, when Jesus had said this, He became troubled, distraught in spirit, and testified, saying, "Truly, truly, I say to you that one of you will betray Me." Here in verse 21, Jesus changes His countenance and He changes His direction. In speaking directly to Judas, we see how He truly felt about the situation. Now this word troubled is key. It's key to understanding how Jesus is feeling right here.

This word is a strong word which communicates or speaks of a severe mental or spiritual turmoil, a severe mental or spiritual duress. Now a question. If Jesus was God and if He was in full control, why would He be in such turmoil? It was because He was heartbroken because of His great love for Judas. Yes, even Judas. His choice to follow this evil satanic plan to betray Him and the hell that awaited Him to the end was heartbreaking to Jesus. He was deeply troubled because of Judas and his choices here. So what do we see here in this proclamation? We see Jesus lovingly preparing the disciples in verse 19.

Jesus is truly heartbroken over all that was going to take place with Judas. We saw Jesus express this same grief before. We saw this in John chapter 11 when Jesus was deeply troubled at Lazarus' death. We saw this in John chapter 12 verse 27 when Jesus was deeply moved or troubled in facing the cross and the judgment of God. So this proclamation was as much for the disciples as it was for Judas. It was for both. Now for us, for you, for me, what do we need to see here? We need to see that as the Lord loves us, just like He loves the 11, He will prepare us, He will teach us, He will proclaim what needs to be proclaimed for us.

He will exalt us when we need exalting and He will love us to the end no matter what circumstances will come our way. Listen, even when the chaos such as this surrounds us, He will come to us and meet us there. Isn't that what He did with those disciples? Lovingly with a soft approach in verse 19, He proclaimed this betrayal and then instantly He exalted them because He knew they would need to be exalted. When the Lord knows when to humble us and exalt us, He loved them to the end and He will love us to the end. Let's move on, continue. Notice our third main truth. I want us to see the disciples were confused.

The disciples, they were confused. Look at verse 22. It's obvious in the beginning of the reading, what does it say? The disciples began looking at one another at a loss to know which one He was speaking of. There was reclining on Jesus' breast, one of the disciples whom Jesus loved. That's none other than the Apostle John. Verse 24, "Simon Peter therefore gestured to Him and said to Him, 'Tell us who it is of whom He is speaking.'" While He is leaning back on Jesus' breast, He said to Him, "Lord, who is it?" Here we see that the disciples are confused. They're confused about what is going on.

This was not the first time that they had been confused. Now I will reference different Bible commentators. I'd like to let you know where some of this information comes from. The Bible commentator, D.A. Carson points out that the 12 were already somewhat disoriented by Jesus' allusions to His sufferings and death categories. They still could not square with their conviction that He was the promised Messiah. They just could not buy this type of suffering Messiah. And if Carson was right, and I believe he was, the disciples were already confused about the cross before they even came to the Passover table.

And here we will see that Jesus seems to add to that confusion. Two observations here. First of all, notice Jesus' disciples, they were perplexed. We see that right away in verse 22. The disciples began looking at one another at a loss to know of which one He was speaking. Here we see the disciples. The New American reads, "We're at a loss." The King James reads, "Doubting." The word doubting or "at a loss?" It speaks of an anxiety. One feels when they are perplexed. They are perplexed to the point of not knowing what to do or what to say. We could accurately say they were just stunned.

Second, I want us to see that the disciples were questioning. We see this beginning in verse 23. There was reclining on Jesus' breath. One of His disciples, whom He loved, that's John. In verse 24, Simon Peter therefore gestured and he said, "Tell us who it is whom He is speaking." Then verse 25 goes back to John. He leaning back on Jesus' breath said to Him, "Lord, who is it?" So here we see two disciples. One leaning on Jesus. This was the disciple whom He loved. This was John. And then Peter. This is John. This is Peter, those who were very close to Him. We see that Peter gestures. He makes a hand motion for the attention to ask who it is.

And then John, at the end, he asks who it is as well. They were questioning in their perplexity. So what do we see here? They're having a hard time. They can't follow Jesus. They cannot understand what He is telling them. I believe Carson is right in saying that they are already somewhat disoriented and this is confusion upon confusion for the disciples. Now how about we learn? What might we learn here for ourselves? My question for you for us is this. How many times are we confused when Jesus' teaching is right in front of our face? How many times are we disoriented?

And then when Jesus begins to speak, the messages of God are brought before us. Is confusion added upon confusion? Some of you would probably raise your hand and say, "I know exactly how that feels." I've been confused. I've been disoriented. I've not known what to do. And it seems like that confusion is compounded. Well, I will give you some instruction here. First of all, realize that most of the time this is flesh. Isn't that what we have here with the disciples? It was their flesh. They could not get what Christ was doing and teaching. Second, realize that God allows these dicks of difficulties so that we will have to work. God knows us.

He knows our laziness. He knows our flesh. And He knows that sometimes we need to work hard to attain what He is trying to teach us and do in us. And then third, realize that we must pray, we must study God's Word, and we must work hard for clarification in our lives at times. Sometimes the spiritual light bulb just doesn't come on quickly. And that's what the disciples needed to do. Realize and overcome their flesh. Allow God to work out this difficulty in their life so that they could grow and pray and study and hold on for what only God can do, and that was to bring clarification.

So if you're confused, if you're walking with the Lord and dealing with confusion, just remember you're in good company because these men were too. And let's continue. I want us to notice truth number four. I want us to notice the traitor is confronted. The traitor is confronted. Chapter 26, Jesus therefore answered, "That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel, the bread, and give it to him." So when He had dipped the bread, He took it and He gave it to Judas, the son of Ascaria.

And after the morsel, Satan then entered into him, and Jesus therefore said to him, "What you do, do it quickly." Now no one of those reclining at the table knew for what the purpose had said for him. Verse 29, "For some were supposing," because Judas had kept the money bag or the money box, "that Jesus was saying to him, 'Buy the things we have need of for the feast, or else that he should be giving something to the poor.'" And then verse 30, "And so after receiving the morsel, he went out immediately, and it was night." Here we see this event. It comes to a crescendo. It comes to an apex.

After this point, there is no turning back for Judas, and the events which were spoken of so long ago will soon come to pass. And if I can use this language, the wheels were set into motion, never to stop. Now four observations I want to make here. First of all, Jesus reveals his traitor. Jesus reveals this traitor. Verse 26, "Jesus therefore answered, 'That is the one for whom thou shalt dip the morsel and give it to him.' So when he had dipped the morsel, dipped the bread, he took it, and he gave it to Judas, the son of Iscariot." Here we see that Jesus confronts Judas directly.

The text says that he dipped the morsel, and he gave it to Judas. Now culturally, we need to understand something that would have gone on in the Passover Feast. "For the host of the feast to dip the bread and to present it in this manner was for the special guest of honor." So Jesus was honoring Judas by this action. Now verbally, this was not a loud action. The language in its original construction indicates that this was spoken of very quietly. But culturally, those at the table would have seen this honoring of Judas. So Jesus was confronting Judas with what was in his heart to do. So he's revealing the traitor.

And second, we see that Satan enters into the traitor. Verse 27, "And after the morsel, Satan then entered into him. And Jesus therefore said to him, 'What you do, do it quickly.'" We see that after receiving the bread from Judas, Judas had sealed his fate. He rejected Jesus' final act of love, just as he had always rejected Jesus' love. Here we see that Satan literally entered into Judas to accomplish his will and his purposes. Judas had crossed the line from grace and mercy to judgment. Therefore Jesus said, "What you do, do it quickly." Then he let him go.

And third, we see the 11, "They were still confused." Verse 28, "Now no one, no one of those reclining at the table knew for what purpose he had said this to him. For some were supposing, because Judas had the money bag, that he was saying to him, 'By the things we have need of for the feast, or else that he should give something to the poor.'" So John makes it clear here that none of the disciples understood these events. John, who was the closest to Jesus, did not understand the events or the words that Jesus spoke. They assumed that Judas was sent out on a Passover errand or an errand for the poor. They were still confused.

And then fourth, we see that Judas leaves the table. So after receiving the morsel, after receiving that bread, he went out immediately and it was night. Immediately Judas leaves and goes to perform this treacherous deed of betrayal. The text says that Judas went out into the night. Now, Bible commentators point out that Judas left the light of the world and he went out into the night to perform the deeds of darkness. So what do we see here? Jesus confronts Judas with the most honored gesture at the table. This was not an act of revenge, but an act of love. This is Jesus' final act of love directed to Him.

But Judas does what he has done for three years. He rejects the love and he rejects the grace and he rejects the mercy. I love a quotation from John MacArthur that applies here. He says and I quote, "And at that moment, the day of salvation ended for Judas. Hell arrived as Satan entered into him." Now what must we understand and learn here? There are two points of application I want to make here. The first one is educational. We must understand Judas' actions, his personal choice. He chose to betray the Son of God. We must see this in an educational manner.

Like I said earlier, the parallel tracks of the sovereignty of God, this was foreordained before the foundation of the world and the parallel track of his human responsibility and choice. He denied the very Son of God, so it is educational. But second, we must see that there is a line that men can cross. There is a day when people reject the light that is around them, the light of the gospel, the light of the church, the light of the testimony of men. There is a time when men will reject the light that is around them and ultimately God will turn them over to what is in their heart to what they desire. Now we don't know where that line is.

But if we live long enough in the life of the church, we will see them cross that line. Now in conclusion, as I move away from the text, we need to see that the traitor work is still around us today. We need to see that at times there are traitors to the faith. There are traitors who will be made known around us. Not that they are selling Jesus out for 30 pieces of silver, but we need to see that there are men and women, even families, who will reject God's grace, they will reject the church, they will reject the gospel, they will reject you and the gospel that is in you and they will sell out Christ and faith in Christ for personal gain and for what they want and for this world and to keep themselves as Lord over their own lives.

I've known people who have come into the church. I've known people who have come into this church and ultimately they have rejected the gospel, rejected the church, rejected the Christian witness and rejected what God would do in their life here for what? For the world and for self. And so we must see that this traitor work is still alive and well and it always will be in the life of the church on this side of glory. Now what must we do with that information?

We must take that information, much like the disciples, and overcome our confusion, overcome our disappointments and understand that even if we have the greatest act of treachery in the life of our own church, he is still Lord, he is still master and he is still controlled over the church and over our lives. That's exactly what the disciples needed to learn themselves. Now specifically, how might we gain and benefit from what we've learned? You might find yourself in a church one day when there is a traitor who is revealed and he is in the middle of the seeming work of God.

And listen, it can rock your world, it can shatter your dreams and aspirations, it can cut you to the core. Just remember it happened then and it still happens now. Be comforted, trust in God, trust in his lordship over your life and trust in his lordship over the church, even if it happens in our church in his good time. So what do we see? Traitor Judas is revealed. Let's pray together.