Two Disciples With Diverging Destinies

Transcript

GR 388
2/1/1981
Two Disciples With Diverging Destinies
John 13:21-38
Gil Rugh

John chapter 13 in your Bibles. John's gospel and the 13th chapter. We're in the midst of considering this section which focuses on the intimate time Jesus spends with His disciples on the evening before the crucifixion. Very close and warm time as He prepares His disciples for His impending crucifixion, and subsequent resurrection and ascension to the Father. It's going to be a traumatic experience for the disciples. They are not ready to have the One they are looking to as the Messiah of Israel be taken from their midst, particularly to suffer such a violent, humiliating death, dying on a cross. So through these chapters, this last evening, Jesus is teaching them and preparing them for these coming events. He has told them of His coming betrayal again in verse 18 of chapter 13. He says, "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.'" Psalm 41 a thousand years earlier—David had written concerning the fact that one of those intimately associated with the Messiah, one who would even be dining with Him would be the one who would turn violently against Him. The disciples don't grasp the significance of that. They can say that someone may betray Him, but the full import of that they do not understand. And as Jesus talks about these matters and realizes how close these events are, verse 21 says "When Jesus had said this, He became troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray Me.’" It's important for us to keep in mind as we're in a gospel where the emphasis is on the deity of Jesus Christ that He was not only God but He was also man. And the agony of the impending events weighed heavily upon Him. It’s a strong word here, troubled. He was very moved in His very being in His spirit as He contemplates that one of His very own disciples will betray Him. One who has been intimately associated with Him during this 3-year period. One to whom He has reached out again and again with the message of life and it has been rejected. One to whom as much as possible Jesus has extended to the warmth and intimacy of His relationship, and yet it has been unaccepted. Jesus is moved by this and it troubles Him. He expresses this to the disciples reclining around this table, that it is one of you who is going to betray Me. It comes as a tremendous shock to the disciples. They are not prepared for that. In spite of the fact that Jesus has eluded to this on a number of occasions. Back in chapter 6 He mentioned the fact that He had chosen the twelve and one of them was a devil, but now there are just the twelve of them assembled with Christ. And in this intimate group reclining at table, for Jesus to point out the fact that it is one of you who is going to betray Me, they are aghast. And they still don’t understand the significance of what He means by betrayal. ’You mean one of us is going to turn against You?' and that is awful. But none of them, probably Judas included, realizes that by betrayal He means that this will result in the crucifixion of the Son of Man.

Verse 22, "The disciples began looking at one another, at a loss to know of which one He was speaking.” This is an interesting verse. One that we ought to have in mind because after three years of working very intimately together as disciples of Jesus Christ, as followers of Him, being involved in a ministry of presenting Him to the nation Israel as Messiah, no one has suspected that Judas was not a believer. Now that to me is striking. That you could work intimately in the ministry of proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah over a 3-year period. You live together, you preach together, you travel together, and after 3 years no one suspected that Judas wasn't genuine. No one sat back and said 'It must be Judas. You know, he's never fit in. He's always been the one out of step. He's the one who has been spiritually insensitive. He is the one who seems to be lacking in power.' No one suspects that it's Judas. In fact,Jesus points out and says 'You've said it. You're the one' that Judas might be caused to stop and think that if He knows it's me, maybe there is more to what He has been claiming and I have been unwilling to acknowledge? But Judas is set and confirmed and hardened in his sin. There is nothing that will cause him to change. He is settled in his unbelief, in his refusal to believe.

Look back in John chapter 13. Verse 23 tells us "there was reclining on Jesus' breast one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved." And most are in agreement that this is a reference to John the Apostle, the writer of this gospel. He never refers to himself by name, but rather he is the 'one whom Jesus loved.' He enjoyed this special relationship of intimacy with Christ. He is reclining on Jesus' breast. Now important here to see something of the configuration. It's not quite like that famous painting where there is a long table and all the disciples are lined up around one side of that table. As we've said before, they would be reclining on what we would call couches, I guess, around the table. And they would stretch out with their head up at the table and their feet away, and rest on their left arm, left elbow. Prop themselves up and then they would be free to eat with their right hand. The one reclining at Jesus breast would be the one reclining in front of him, so that his head would be back where Jesus' breast was. But it's possible in conversation for him simply to lean back on his elbow and speak very personally and quietly with Christ. So this is the position that John has.

"And Simon Peter. “Good old Simon. Good Bible study for you—go through the gospels and see all the times that Peter speaks up or is the initiator for one action or another. He is an inquisitive person. And Jesus says that one of you are going to betray Me. And Peter just has to know who it is. And he is a little bit around the table, obviously, so he signals to John to ask Him who it is. Well Peter doesn't want to blurt it out and I don't know why because it hasn't bothered him on other occasions. But here he's being a little bit reserved each one is concerned that he might be the one himself.

Look back in Matthew chapter 26. Matthew relates the events of that evening not giving near the details that John does. But in Matthew chapter 26, verse 20, ""Now when evening had come, He was reclining at table with the twelve disciples. And as they were eating, He said, 'Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me.' And being deeply grieved, they each one began to say to Him, 'Surely not I, Lord?"' And here is a healthy response. They are each concerned that they not be the one. Again, they don't understand what is the full scope of betrayal, but they realize perhaps the potential that resides in each of them, that they could turn and be unfaithful. So they begin to question, 'It's not me, is it, Lord?'

And verse 23, "And He answered and said, 'He who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl is the one who will betray Me.'" We'll see that in a moment in John. "The Son of Man is to go, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man through whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.' And Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, 'Surely it is not I, Rabbi?"' Now you see something of the deceitfulness of the man Judas. After three years of living with the Son of Man he has the audacity to continue the hypocrisy in joining in with the disciples. He doesn't want to stick out so as the disciples are saying 'Surely it's not I, Lord?' Judas too chimed in, 'Surely it's not I, Rabbi?' But Jesus singles him out and says, "You yourself have said it." You have said it yourself. You notice how totally in control Jesus is of all that's going on. Totally aware. He has said He is going to be betrayed. He said that He is going to be betrayed by one who will be eating with Him. He has said that He will be betrayed by one of His very twelve who are present. And He singles out and says to Judas, "You are the one."

Now wouldn't you think that would make an impact on Judas who has already set in process the events of the betrayal? That here he reclines at table and so he signals to John to ask Jesus who it is. Maybe he realizes it would be more appropriate than rather just speaking aloud across the table. "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' breast, said to Him, 'Lord, who is it?"' So John simply leans back a little bit so he is very close to Christ and asks Him quietly. You note, this is not a conversation going on around the table now where Peter speaks out so all are involved. He signals to John. Perhaps the other disciples are not even aware of what Peter has done because they are talking amongst themselves as to who it might be who would betray Him. John simply leans back and quietly asks Christ, '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, He took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot." The morsel or the sop, as the King James Version has it, is a piece of bread or meat that was dipped in juice or gravy and then it is given to someone. Some believe that it was a symbol of honor for the host to dip the morsel and give it to someone. He dipped it and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. "And after the morsel, Satan then entered into him. Jesus therefore said to him, 'What you do, do quickly.'" Now, you remember back in verse 2 of chapter 13 we were told that the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas to betray Christ. Judas had already made up his mind that he would betray Him. Now was simply the proper time to do it. Now as Jesus gives the morsel to Judas, He tells him, 'What you do, do quickly.' Jesus is in total control of what is going on. He determines when the appropriate time is. Satan enters in to Judas. I take it what we have here is that Satan takes total control of Judas at this point. Judas becomes demon possessed in the fullest possible sense. Because the task that Judas is to carry out is so important in Satan's plan of opposition to the Son of God that he does not delegate it to a demonic being who would be under his authority, but he personally takes control of Judas to carry out the betrayal and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. So Jesus tells Judas what he’s to do, do quickly.

Because of what is done here that Jesus can pass this morsel to Judas is addressing him in a way again that the disciples don't fully comprehend. Some would suppose that perhaps Judas was reclining on the other side of Jesus Christ which would enable Jesus to dip the morsel and hand it to him. If he was around the table very far that would be rather awkwardly would have to be passed to him. If that's the case, it's interesting because it's the position behind Christ that was viewed as the position of honor. Today if we have a more formal setting, you may set someone at the right at a table to indicate a position of honor. And in this time, if you were reclining in effect to the left of the central person, the host, which would be behind him was a position of honor. At any rate, Judas here is given his instructions by Christ. And Judas is still unmoved. There is no turning back. There was no changing his mind.

Now note here. The disciples are still unaware of what is happening. Verse 28. "Now no one of those reclining at table knew for what purpose He had said this to him." They heard Him say "What you do, do quickly" and given him the morsel. But they don't grasp what is going on. Now whether John knew, Jesus has told him it's the one I give the morsel to, it's not elaborated here. Perhaps it is humility on John's part. John doesn't say 'I was the only one who really had insight into what was happening.' He just relates the event and the disciples don't comprehend what is happening. In fact, they have two possible explanations. Verse 29, "Some were supposing, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus was saying to him, 'Buy the things we have need of for the feast'." Judas was the treasurer. So some of the disciples thought Jesus meant for him to go out and get additional provisions for observing the feast, which is one of the reasons I think we're not talking about the Passover here probably, but a meal before the Passover. But at any rate, the disciples were thinking maybe he was going out to buy some things for the feast. Or, the second possibility. That he should give something to the poor. I wonder how many times Judas had been sent to give money to the poor and he just applied it his own investments. It’s also interesting that the disciples here would expect an occasion when Jesus would be sending Judas the treasurer to give money to the poor.
He’s not exactly what you would call wealthy. As the One who had no place to lay His head, who had nothing really to call His own, and here the disciples expect that it would not be unusual on this occasion that Jesus would be sending Judas out to give money to the poor. But at any rate, no one expects it's Judas, so after receiving the morsel he went out immediately. Jesus told him, "What you do, do quickly." And immediately Judas leaves. "...and it was night.' I think that's a time line. It's dark. But I think in the Gospel of John there is more to it than that. Remember there is repeated emphasis throughout the Gospel of John on the importance of the light and the contrast between light and darkness. What is being driven home here is the spiritual darkness that prevails with Judas. He goes out from the Son of God, the Son of Man, the One who is light, but he himself is in darkness. He turns from the light to the darkness.

Back in John chapter 11, verse 10, Jesus has said "If anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." I take it that's what we're talking about with Judas. He is walking in the night because the light is not in him. The spiritual darkness. He is still unaware of who Jesus really is. Still unaware of his tremendous need of salvation in Christ, and he departs from the group.

You can't help as you study the Gospels to be amazed at the man Judas. That a man could have such a close, intimate relationship with the Son of God over a period of years and be spiritually unaffected. Spiritually unmoved. One thing that it does make clear, and that is that apart from the gracious intervention of the grace of God, we are hopelessly sinful. If God does not do a special, supernatural work to intervene in our lives personally to turn us from our sin, nothing changes us. Here is a man who was exposed in the most personal, intimate level with the Son of God for a period of approximately three years. To His teaching, to His ministry, to the warmth of His person and he is unmoved, unchanged, rebellious and hardened against what God is accomplishing in the person of His Son.

Couple of verses I want to look at with you just briefly before we look over the rest of this chapter. Over in 2 Corinthians chapter 13. The Scriptures do remind us of the danger that is present in assuming that because we have certain external characteristics, like believers do, that we really belong to Jesus Christ. It's interesting that Judas was the only person among the twelve that we know of that had an official position. He was the treasurer. Now we think of Peter as being an unofficial leader. But Judas was the official treasurer—the only one with an official position among the twelve. Yet he is the only one who is not a believer.

In 2 Corinthians chapter 13, verse 5, Paul says to the Corinthians, "Test yourselves..." Put yourselves to the test. "...to see if you are in the faith. Examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?" Paul writes and says that it is important that each of you personally examine yourself in light of the Scripture to see if you’re really in the faith. If you're really believers in Jesus Christ. You understand if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ dwells in you. And if He is not in you, you fail the test, then you don’t belong to Him. So I come and I examine myself in light of the Word. And what do we often do? Oh, I've been baptized. I've been confirmed. Or, I've been a member of this church. I've been active in teaching Sunday School, in serving on the Board, in being involved in this. I imagine Judas could have given as good a resume as anyone among the disciples. It didn’t change the fact—he is not genuine. You must examine yourself by coming to the Word and I examine myself in light of the Word and in light of what God says I ask myself, "Have I ever really seen myself before God as a sinner, defiled and unclean before Him? Guilty because of my sin? Have I really ever recognized that His Son, Jesus Christ, died on a cross because that was the only way my sins could be cared for? Have I come to believe that He died for me personally that I might be forgiven?" If I’m not, everything else is superficial and incidental. You must examine yourself to see if you are in the faith. There is a personal matter here. To a certain extent we can examine one another. John mentions this in his first epistle. James mentions it. When it comes down to the rock bottom evidence, only I am capable of examining myself before God and knowing for sure whether I'm a believer or not because I can go through the motions and put on the externals that is sufficient to fool everyone. Men like John with his insight, Peter, James, the other disciples were fooled by Judas. You know the only one who wasn't fooled? Christ wasn’t fooled and Judas wasn't fooled. If he honestly considered himself before God, he recognized that he wasn't genuine.

Another passage. Look over in Hebrews. Hebrews chapter 3. The situation here—the children of Israel in the Old Testament again had enjoyed like benefits and blessings, and they had experienced basically the same kinds of things. They had all gone through the parting of the sea following Moses. They had all seen the pillar of fire and cloud. They had experienced God's miraculous provision for them, and yet for many in the nation they remained unchanged and hardened. They did not truly believe in God. And in verse 12 of Hebrews 3, a warning. "Take care, brethren, lest there should be in any one of you an evil, Unbelieving heart, in falling away from the living God." A warning. Look carefully at yourself to be sure that you don't have an evil, unbelieving heart. You've gone along, you’ve been part of the group. Perhaps everyone is fooled. But God is not fooled. Jesus knew from day one what Judas’ condition was. And really the only two that matter are you and God. He knows and you know. I realize many people are deceived because they will not examine themselves in light of Scripture. They are not open to consider what God has said. They are satisfied to accept what their pastors say. They are satisfied to accept what their church teaches. Paul says to examine yourselves. ’’Take care, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief.”

Look over in 2 Peter chapter 1, verse 10. "Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you.” He's talked about those qualities of life that should characterize us as believers, as His children. And then that exhortation to be diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing. Tremendous concern and burden that I have for a body of believers like this is that there be those among us who assume that they are alright. Who go through the externals, but do not stop and consider carefully, "Have I come to believe that Jesus Christ died for me personally? Am I relying upon Him as my Savior?" And sometimes we can get busier and busier but we're not saved by being busy. We're saved by the finished work of the Son of God.

Go back to John chapter 13. When Judas leaves, it changes the atmosphere, I take it, of the group. Particularly, I'm sure it is a relief for Jesus. There is the burden and the stirring of His spirit as He knows that Judas has gone to carry out the betrayal, and shortly He will be crucified. But there must be the relief to know that now He has a few hours to spend with those who truly believe in Him. Truly are committed to Him as Messiah and Savior

So in verse 31, "When therefore he had gone out, Jesus said, 'Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately." Note how many times the world glorify or glory is used in verses 31 and 32. The Son of Man is glorified, God is glorified, God is glorified in Him, God will glorify Him in Himself, God will glorify Him immediately. The subject there is glory, and we're talking about the events surrounding the crucifixion. "Now is the Son of Man glorified." The exultation that will be His as a result of the crucifixion. Remember we looked in Philippians chapter 2 where 'Christ humbled Himself and became obedient, even to the death on the cross. Therefore God highly exalted Him and has given Him a name which is above every name." The Son of Man is glorified. The exultation that will be: Christ's even in His humiliation. And God is glorified in Him. Again you see how inseparable the glorification of the Son and the glorification of the Father is. When the Son is exalted and honored, the Father is exalted and honored. Second Corinthians chapter 5, verse 19 says that "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself." The Father was in the Son reconciling the world unto Himself. It was God the Father accomplishing reconciliation through God the Son. So it's not only glorification of God the Son but the glorification of God the Father because they are both intimately and inseparably involved in that process of reconciling sinful humanity to God through the death of Jesus Christ.

"If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself and will glorify Him immediately." I take it when He talks about glorify Him in Himself He is talking about that final exultation into His glorious presence. That's going to be a unique exultation.

Over in John 17:5 Jesus will pray to the Father that He restore Him to the glorify which He had with the Father before the world was. We saw a glimpse of something of that in Isaiah chapter 6. There will be a unique aspect to this because at the glorification following the crucifixion, it is not only the Son of God that is glorified, but it is the Son of Man. And for all eternity, Jesus Christ as the Son of God has experienced glory. But it is only after the crucifixion that He is glorified as the God-Man. So as Jesus contemplates the crucifixion you note there is a certain seeming contradiction here—that in verse 21 He is in turmoil in His spirit, He is troubled in spirit in the very depths of His being. He is moved by what is about to transpire. And yet at the same time He can talk about the glory that is His as a result of this event. Something of the contradiction you and I experience. Now we don't experience to either depth the turmoil that Christ would have had as He anticipated His death and what that would entail or the exultation to glory that is His alone, but we still see something of the contradiction. As a believer perhaps confronts death there is a certain agony and burden of that, and in the same sense of anticipation of the glory that is ours as we await that. And we as believers in a way are a paradox. We go through suffering and we have the heartache and agony of the suffering, yet there is the joy that is ours as the children of God through that experience. And we have to keep in mind the balance here. Sometimes we think because there is troubling in our spirit that something is wrong spiritually. That may not be the case at all as it was here. But even in those times of burdens and troubles, we ought not to lose sight of the glory that is ours. The pattern is the same. It is suffering and then glory. You and I ought to be encouraged through our suffering. That's what Paul did. Second Corinthians chapter 4—what? He is convinced that the sufferings of this present life, the momentary light afflictions, as he terms them, are not worthy to be compared to the weight of glory that awaits us. So what's he say? I go through the sufferings and I'm encouraged, why? I'm looking at the glory that is ahead. Even now Jesus has the burden but what is He talking about? The glory that is His in the Father's presence.

Verse 33, "Little children..." A warm expression that made an impact upon John. It's characteristic of John's writing and John uses it a number of times through his first epistle. "Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You shall seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ’Where I am going, you cannot come’, now I say this to you also.” Jesus said this in John chapter 7, verses 33 and 34 and again in John chapter 8, verses 21 and 22. Speaking to the Jews that I am going away and where I am going you cannot come. Now He says this to the disciples. He’ll pick up on that in a moment, but He exhorts them regarding love. I’m just going to read these verses because next week we’re going to spend our entire study on verses 34 and 35.

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." A great demonstration of love is going to be the sacrifice of Himself, and that is what is entailed in His leaving them. They can't follow now. It’s not God's intention now that they die.

Good ole Simon Peter! Verse 36, can’t stand the suspense. He couldn’t take it earlier when Jesus said that one of them would betray Him. He has to know, "Who is it?" Now, Jesus says He’s leaving and they can’t come and Peter wonders 'Where can He go that I can’t come?’

Verse 36, "Simon Peter said to Him, ’Lord, where are You going?'" Jesus doesn't answer him directly. "Jesus answered, 'Where I go, you cannot follow Me now.’" Now that's encouraging. He didn't tell the Jews that earlier. He said they couldn't come. But what Jesus says here is that "You cannot follow Me now." "...but you shall follow later." It's an encouragement, isn't it? We get to chapter 14 and Jesus will talk about them following Him later when believers are brought into the presence of Jesus Christ in glory, to the place that God has prepared for them that love Him.

"Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you shall follow later." Into the presence of the Father is what He’s talking about. "Peter said to Him..." Again, Peter here crosses the line, instead of accepting what Christ says. And we have the same problem. We want to know more. It's hard to walk by faith because you can't see where you're going. Otherwise it's not faith. It's not faith for me to open my eyes and walk to the back door. Now it might be faith if you put a blindfold around my eyes and head for the back door because I'm not sure what the next step will entail. Peter is having a hard time with that. "Peter said to Him, 'Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You.'" I mean, that's the ultimate, right? And that's true. So where could Christ go that I can't come? No matter what it entails, even death, I’ll stick with You.

Now Peter here has crossed the line to bragging. He has crossed the line to confidence in himself. Assured that he is strong enough, that he has the courage that he has the stamina, and he lost sight of how weak Peter really is. Sometimes we as believers do that. We're so confident, we're so sure. Oh, I would never do that. When I hear Christians say *0h, I would never do that' I shudder to my very bones! I think, 'Oh, I wish they wouldn't say that' because sometimes we're guilty of over-confidence, and how often is it that people say 'Oh, I would never do that; never me.' I wonder how many people in this congregation at one time or another have said to me, 'Oh, I would never, never, never do that' and in a relatively short time they found themselves in it. How often all of us have experienced that in one way or another because we step over and trust the arm of the flesh. We forget the arm of the flesh is weak. It has no power in spiritual conflicts. My power and strength and resources all come from Him. Our adequacy is from the One who calls us, as Paul wrote to the Corinthians It is so subtle that you begin to trust myself instead of Him. It sounds spiritual here for Peter to say 'Yes, I will follow Him.' Jesus has a serious thing to say to Peter. "Jesus answered, 'Will you lay down your life for Me?' Truly truly, I say to you, a cock shall not crow, until you deny Me three times." I'm sure that made an impact upon Peter, because there is much conversation in the rest of these chapters up to chapter 18 but Peter is never mentioned again. He’s quiet. Perhaps he’s brooding over what has been said. Or meditating on it. Although we know he couldn’t accept it. He just didn’t think that would be possible, that he would deny the Lord? But how often is it that we're with other believers and we're talking about the things of the Lord and we can talk about the power of the gospel, the power of the Word of God. We can talk about the need of sharing Jesus Christ and being bold in it, go out and get into an experience where we're with unbelievers and we’re totally intimidated. I think I ought to speak up right now but underneath you're sweating like crazy, and for some reason you think, ’Boy it just doesn’t seem the right time but I know I could speak up here.' What happens? It's so easy for me to talk and say ’I just want to go out and confront them with the gospel and let them know and really pour it on them.’ We can tell other Christians how they ought to. You ought to just go up and take the opportunity and tell them. If you've been a Christian very long, you’ve been in a situation where there's what we would call a cold sweat (not literally, figuratively) where you’re sitting there (maybe I’m revealing something of myself here) and you just know you ought to say something but you’re just intimated from doing it. You're afraid of what's
going to happen. Here’s the mighty Peter. The man who is ready to take his sword and go to battle for the Lord, and a little servant girl is going to say, ’You’re with Him.’ 'No, not me. I don’t even know Him!' He's going to be willing to curse in his denial of Christ. Totally intimidated. Not by the soldiers, not by the army in the garden but by a little servant girl. You know, I need to be careful. The flesh is very deceptive. "Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall." I am strong in the Lord. And I’ve come to believe the longer I’ve been a Christian that I’ve come to recognize how weak I really am. There is nothing but nothing that my flesh is incapable of as far as sin is concerned. And I've gained a healthier respect, so to speak, for the vileness of the flesh. That I need to trust the Lord even more. Because those things that I didn’t think I was capable of, you know what? I am capable of! Because my flesh is just as corrupt as anyone's. Just as vile. The only difference is that the child of God has the power of God at his disposal, and there is no need for defeat. There is no need for sin as long as I draw upon His power and His adequacy.

So two individuals brought to our attention here. It's interesting. There's a similarity. Judas is to deny Christ and betray Him. Peter is going to deny Him three times. Now in one sense they are very similar, and yet in another sense they are very different. The difference is seen back in verse 10 of chapter 13, as Jesus talked to Peter. "Jesus said to him, 'He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.'" Difference between Judas and Peter? Both in effect are going to deny Jesus Christ, but Judas has never had a bath. He has never been cleansed spiritually by faith in Jesus Christ. So there is no cleansing from his daily defilement. He is unclean through and through. But Peter has come to believe in Jesus Christ. He has come to trust Him as the One who is his Savior, and yet there is the defilement of sin. But there is the cleansing that Christ has provided from his defilement.

So in a way there is a similarity, but there are two different kinds of people. One who is clean, and one who is unclean. Their character is totally different before God.

A question and encouragement. You need to consider before God your relationship. Have you examined yourself carefully in light of the Scripture to see if you are indeed in the faith? Not if you are indeed part of this congregation. Not indeed if you are an active participant in the activities of this local church. But have you ever come to recognize and believe that you are a sinner, and the Son of God died in your place on the cross. Are you trusting in Him alone as your Savior?

And if you are we can join together in praising God for the cleansing and forgiveness we have day by day. We need to be reminded of the need to draw upon His power and His strength at all times, and that will necessitate walking in faith in dependence upon Him so that He can accomplish His purposes in and through us. Let’s pray together.

Father, how we praise you for the greatness of our Savior. Father, for His love for those who are His own even as demonstrated in this conversation in this last evening of His life on earth. Father, for the revelation concerning Judas. We are amazed that he could have such a close, intimate association with the Son of God; and Lord, be unmoved. Lord, we are concerned about ourselves because we see our own sinfulness. Lord, we are no better than Judas. We are no more righteous than he. We are no softer than he spiritually speaking. Lord, it is only as a result of your grace reaching down and taking hold of us, turning us to yourself that has brought about a change in our lives, and we praise you for that grace.

Lord, I pray this morning for those who are here who may be like Judas. Lord, externally they fit so well. They seem to belong. Yet, Lord, you know their heart that they are not yours. Lord, I ask that they might be open to consider themselves in light of your Word so that your Spirit might do a work in their heart in turning them to Jesus Christ.

Lord, for those of us who have believed, remind us of how weak the arm of the flesh is. It is so easy for us even in spiritual areas to begin to rely upon our own strength, our own adequacies. Lord, to become spiritual braggarts confident that we can do it. Lord, we would only be preparing ourselves for defeat. We thank you for your adequacy, your strength, your power. Lord, for the privilege of drawing upon that that you might work in and through us in the accomplishing of your purposes. We commit this to you in Christ's name