Dallas Morning News – Denton Record Chronicle, 7/15/08

• Stephanie Martinez closing• Robber – sunglasses & wig• Co-worker knocked him out• Sunglasses & wig flew off• Martinez: "That's my dad!" • Dad, mom & mate charged• Stephanie in the dark• Who can you trust?!

Jesus’ Appeal to Face the TruthJesus’ Appeal to Face the Truth

John 13:18-24 NIV

• "I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture: 'He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me.' (19) "I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He. (20) I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me."

John 13:18-24 NIV

• (21) After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, "I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me." (22) His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. (23) One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. (24) Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, "Ask him which one he means."

Why was Jesus troubled?

• Facing agony of betrayal• Grieving for his friend Judas• “Troubled” used when he saw others’ grief

– John 11:33 NIV When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.

• Troubled for Judas – throwing life away

Why did Judas betray Jesus?

• Scripture not specific– John 12:6 NIV … he was a thief; as keeper of

the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

• He didn’t love Jesus – was using him• Expected earthly kingdom & leading role• Jesus didn’t meet Judas' expectations

Jesus testifies that one won't receive him but will betray him

• Doesn’t single out Judas• Appeals to Judas without humiliating him• Appeal to face the truth• Judas has lived a life of deceit

– Secretly stealing funds– Planning betrayal & pretending discipleship

Thoughts about deceivers

• Deceivers first deceive selves

• Increase deception to cover earlier

• With each, truth is more distant & reality is redefined

Judas has swallowed large doses of poisonous error

• He redefined his conduct in his own mind– The only antidote to his error is the truth– Truth: Judas was betraying Jesus – Deceived self into believing not betrayal

• Disciples were clueless– John 13:22 NIV His disciples stared at one

another, at a loss to know which of them he meant.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment

• Rodion Raskolnikov– Poor man fantasizes

about killing woman & stealing valuables

– “Extraordinary” people not required to follow morality of “ordinary” people

– Believed he had right to kill so he did!

Judas needed to admit the truth first to himself and then to Jesus • Jesus offers the chance without bullying or

shaming – Appeal is met with silence

• What about our secrets?– Fool selves that they’re okay when they aren’t

• Times when Jesus pulls up a chair & pleads “Friend, please face the truth”

None of the disciples knew who Jesus was talking about

• Two implications:– Judas was such a good actor that none

of the others caught on– Jesus treated Judas no differently from

the others – he still loved him• He washed Judas’ feet just as gently• He sat Judas in a place of prominence• Even more favor to Judas in a few verses

John mentions one leaning on Jesus' breast (kolpos)

• Identity a mystery until the end of the book– John 21:24 NIV This is the disciple who testifies

to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.

• Same language as:– John 1:18 NIV No one has ever seen God, but

God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.

• Same relation to Jesus as Jesus to Father – Close to his heart, intimately connected

In a reclined position at a meal

• Leaned on left arm; right hand free to eat• Head near the table; feet facing away • John to right of Jesus; place for best friend• John knew Jesus loved him • For John that made all the difference • Could’ve made all the difference for Judas

Peter wants to know who the culprit is

• Perhaps wondering “Could it be me?”• Matthew 26:22 NIV They were very sad

and began to say to him one after the other, "Surely not I, Lord?"

• Mark 14:19 NIV They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, "Surely not I?"

Unlike Judas, Peter wants to know the truth

• Peter seated in view of John who could easily ask Jesus

• Perhaps Peter didn't ask himself because he was afraid it might be him

• Judas likely terrified, but Jesus continues his appeal to his deceived friend

Jesus’ Appeal to FriendshipJesus’ Appeal to Friendship

John 13:25-26 NIV

• Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, "Lord, who is it?" (26) Jesus answered, "It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish." Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon.

Private words between John & Jesus

• Jesus protecting Judas from others’ scorn– Identifies traitor in roundabout way

• Judas sits to his left – seat of honor– Passing bread was gesture of intimacy– Jesus treats Judas as honored friend

• This is the moment of truth– First, Jesus appealed to him to face the truth– Now he appeals by offering his friendship

Jesus’ appeal to us

• Not for us to overcome sin & straighten out the mess it has made of our lives

• Rather, to admit our sin & accept his love– The truth: Jesus loves us – Friendship always there – Arms always open – Morsel always extended

Brennan Manning

• “The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.”

Why does Jesus identify the traitor in a roundabout way?

• He’s doing more than identifying the traitor • He's telling John in particular – the one who

knows he is loved by Jesus • If John sees Jesus extending his love – even to

a traitor – he would have a greater understanding of Jesus’ love

• Jesus opened his heart to John and John saw nothing but love

• But what of Judas?

Judas Rejects Truth & FriendshipJudas Rejects Truth & Friendship

John 13:27-30 NIV

• As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. "What you are about to do, do quickly," Jesus told him, (28) but no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. (29) Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the Feast, or to give something to the poor. (30) As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.

Judas accepts the bread, but rejects the friendship

• He faked friendship – Accepted bread while still lying – Acted like intimate friend when he was not

• He could refuse the morsel & walk away – Took morsel – pretended to take in Jesus– In truth he was taking in Satan – Taking the bread gave Satan his opening– What was it that opened the door?– Nothing but the lie – pretense of friendship

Satan's power is that of the lie

• John 8:44 NIV You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

• His goal – to lead us away from Christ • Faked friendship gave Satan his opening

Israel often faked friendship with the Lord

• Priests offered blind, lame & sick animals and kept the best for themselves– Malachi 1:10 NIV "Oh, that one of you would shut

the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD Almighty, "and I will accept no offering from your hands.

• Pretense of worship – reality was rejection• The Lord prefers honest rejection over pretense

of friendship

This lie was point of no return – Judas felt he had no choice

• Dostoyevsky's Raskolnikov reached that point when he felt he no longer had any freedom of choice – and no alternative but to go ahead with his plan

Jesus understood the tactics of Satan

• He recognized the influence of Satan in his friend

• With Satan’s appearance, Jesus tells Judas to get on with it

• Jesus recognizes the final missed turning point on Judas’ collision course with sin

Why does he instruct Judas to do what he's doing quickly

• The whole evening is about friendship • Jesus’ appeal to Judas was of friendship • Presence of a fake friend detracts from

fellowship of true friends• Jesus wants to get on with fellowship with

his true friends

Others didn't know the purpose of Jesus’ instructions to Judas

• Ten disciples were in the dark - showing how effectively deceitful Judas was

• John should have been able to identify Judas as the traitor

• Apparently he too didn't know specifically why Jesus said “What you do, do quickly”

• John may have been in shock!

The disciples come up with two possible explanations

• Both concern the money box • Jesus knew Judas was planning betrayal,

but he still trusted him with the money box!• Did it occur to Judas – after he knew

Jesus was on to him – that Jesus trusted him with the money?– Probably not!– Jesus’ friendship was too threatening!

Judas leaves immediately

• Living in the dark refusing to see the light • Jesus shines light of truth & he can't take it • Flees into darkness, where he’s at home

– John 3:19 NIV This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.

• Judas loved darkness rather than the light

Jesus’ Fellowship with His FriendsJesus’ Fellowship with His Friends

Jerusalem lies in darkness – a light still burns in an upper room • Jesus in fellowship with his friends• The community that would shine the light

of the gospel to the world– Acts 1:8 NIV But you will receive power when

the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Jesus is calling with the truth

• He offers us a chance to admit that we’ve wandered from friendship with him and embraced friendship with the world

• Maybe we’ve deceived ourselves and don't even know it

• Jesus is not only calling with the truth he’s beckoning with friendship