Belief and Betrayal

John 13:18-30

Main Idea: The account of Judas’s betrayal instills confidence in Jesus Christ.

1. Jesus Fulfills Messianic Prophecy (13:18-19).
2. Jesus Orchestrates the Coming Events (13:20-30).

In John 13 we read about Judas’s betrayal, and we also find the prediction of Peter’s denial. In this encounter between Jesus and the traitor Judas, the apostle John has a perfect seat to observe and record all that happens. He is the one, prompted by Peter, to ask Jesus who the betrayer is. Apparently he is also the only one close enough to Jesus to hear him reply (v. 26). None of the other disciples understood why Jesus sent Judas away with a command to do something quickly. John’s report is firsthand, and he makes a reliable witness to the actual events of that Passover Festival. As we look at the events recorded in John 13, we see this passage was included to deepen our faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Many passages we’ve studied in the Gospel of John have struck a note of hope, but this one echoes with chords of sadness. Here is a man who walked, talked, and lived with Jesus for a lengthy period, yet he walks away from the one who brings hope. The final chapter for Judas is a hopeless, tragic end. But there aren’t simply negative lessons we can learn from this account (“Don’t Be a Judas”). As we closely examine these verses, we discover a positive purpose in this act of treachery. The account of Judas’s betrayal instills confidence in Jesus Christ.

John wrote this Gospel so that we would understand who the Messiah is (20:31). He wants us to come to the wonderful, life-changing, life-giving realization that Jesus Christ, a lowly carpenter from Nazareth, is the promised Messiah, the Son of the one, true God. Since this is his purpose, the events from the life of Jesus that John has recorded help us connect those dots. We have, on the one hand, a host of Old Testament teaching devoted to the coming Messiah. He was first promised to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, and that promise, like a scarlet thread, is woven throughout all the pages of the Old Testament. On the other side we have the life of Jesus Christ, a man who by all accounts lived a quiet, unremarkable life for about thirty years in a small village in Galilee but then roared onto the public stage, healing sickness, restoring sight, exorcising demons, controlling nature, and claiming to be the Son of God.

John wrote this Gospel so we could see that these events in the life of Jesus were not done to create a following or cause a spectacle. They were done to perfectly fulfill the promises made about the Messiah in the Old Testament. He wants us to connect the promise of the Messiah’s power with the demonstration of Jesus’s power. He wants us to see the works of Jesus as the fulfillment of those promises made so long before. His purpose is advanced in this account of Judas’s betrayal. It is placed in this book, right here in this spot, to give us confidence that Jesus’s claim to be the Messiah is accurate. We find two reasons to have greater confidence in Jesus.

Jesus Fulfills Messianic Prophecy

John 13:18-19

Why did Jesus choose Judas as one of his disciples? Scripture is clear that Jesus wasn’t surprised to discover treachery in the heart of Judas:

Jesus replied to them, “Didn’t I choose you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil.” He was referring to Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son, one of the Twelve, because he was going to betray him.(6:70-71)

Jesus chose Judas because Judas’s betrayal was necessary to demonstrate Jesus was the Messiah (v. 18). The quotation is from Psalm 41:9, where King David chronicles his suffering and mistreatment by those who’d been his friends. The reason this psalm is considered messianic is because much of David’s life is a model for the coming Messiah (Carson, John, 470). Not everything, but the broad, general sweeping themes are seen as pointing toward the coming King, a son of David who would rule forever on the throne of David. The theme of David’s life most frequently interpreted as pointing to the Messiah is his suffering. For instance, Jesus himself quoted David’s prayer from Psalm 22:1: “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

The disciples were going to have enough trouble understanding Jesus’s death. On this night before he went to the cross, Jesus assures them that he was not a false Messiah. Even this sinister betrayal could give them confidence he is indeed the promised Son of David, the long-awaited Messiah. Jesus experienced an act of treachery at the hand of a trusted friend just as David did.

It’s easy to look back on a past event and forget the bad and latch on to the good, thereby revising the truth of what really happened. Jesus wasn’t betrayed by Judas, and then John and the disciples looked back on his life and revised history to make it fit their new version. Jesus actually discusses the betrayal before it ever happened. He told them about the betrayal beforehand so they wouldn’t have to look back and wonder why it happened (v. 19). They wouldn’t be forced to explain it away. He prophesied the betrayal and told them why it was necessary before it happened so they might believe. Judas’s betrayal would serve as a steroid for the disciples’ faith.

Jesus didn’t want them to believe he was merely an insightful prophet, a good man, or an excellent teacher. Jesus said they were to believe that “I am he” (v. 19). The word he is not in the original manuscript; the translators supplied it. Jesus said they were to believe (in the Greek) “ego eimi” or “I AM.” Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus has called on them to believe that he is “I AM.” Ego eimi is the Greek equivalent of the name given by God to Moses at the burning bush (Exod 3:14). Earlier in the Gospel of John, Jesus claimed this title, and the people understood exactly what he was saying. In fact, many of them attempted to stone him for what they considered blasphemy (8:58). Jesus is saying their faith would be strengthened by believing that Jesus is “I AM”—that Jesus was, is, and forever will be God.

Faith must have an object. By definition faith is not faith if there is no one in whom we place it. These days the word faith has become just another way to say that a person has a positive outlook or a hopeful attitude; that’s not how the Bible discusses faith. Biblical faith must have Jesus Christ as its object. Biblical faith must embrace certain truths about the person and work of Jesus Christ. When we hear about someone’s “faith,” we need to listen with discernment. We do no one a favor by quietly and tacitly endorsing self-centered, humanistic thinking clothed in religious language. When we talk to a friend or neighbor, we must not call him merely to faith but to faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

There’s no way to come to God apart from a right belief in Jesus. Generic faith in God does nothing but damn a person’s soul to hell. Right belief in Jesus (v. 20—through the testimony of those whom he has sent) will reconcile us wicked, vile sinners with the Holy God. Faith apart from Jesus is futile and hopeless, but faith in Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah will bring reconciliation with God. When we receive Jesus, we receive the one who sent him.

Jesus Orchestrates the Coming Events

John 13:20-30

The backdrop of the events in John 13 is a battle. Not an isolated skirmish in some backwater village, but a cosmic battle that has been raging for thousands of years. Verse 1 relates Jesus’s march to the cross. He is the Lamb of God making his way into the city to be sacrificed for the sins of man. He knew “his hour”—a phrase used throughout the book to speak of his death—had come. Verse 1 overviews one side of the conflict. Verse 2 spells out the enemy’s plan. This is where we discover Judas is only a bit player. He’s the puppet, and someone more powerful is pulling his strings: the devil is behind this betrayal.

This battle has a long history. It goes back to the beginning of civilization. God made a garden and placed man and woman in the middle. They were created to live in peace and harmony. Their responsibility was to serve God, enjoy his fellowship, and obey his word. He had given them one command: “Enjoy everything I’ve created for your benefit, but don’t eat from the tree in the middle of the garden.” The devil showed up disguised as a serpent and tricked the woman into eating from the tree. Adam followed her example. Soon God arrived and delivered a punishment for their disobedience. All the good things he had created would be cursed by sin. Instead of the ground serving man, man would serve the ground. Instead of marriage and children being a simple pleasure and perfect joy for the woman, these relationships would be plagued by sin.

They weren’t the only ones who were cursed that day. The serpent was cursed as well. Earthly serpents were cursed above all animals, but the curse was extended to Satan (Gen 3:15). With that pronouncement the great serpent’s fate was sealed. God promised a deliverer would come and liberate mankind from the oppressive rule of sin. When that deliverance came, the devil would be defeated, and his head would be crushed.

This promise is nearing its fulfillment in the upper room. Jesus and Satan are squaring off for the final battle, but the battle had been decided long before. Jesus is not surprised by the devil’s move. He’s not startled by Judas’s treachery. Jesus is sovereign over everything that has happened and will happen, including his own betrayal. If you ever doubt the sovereign power of Jesus Christ, memorize verse 3. What had God given Jesus? “Everything.” That’s a word in Greek (panta) that means “all, every, the whole.” Everything is in Jesus’s hands. As the old spiritual says, “He’s got the whole world in his hands.”

• When someone mistreats you and justice seems far away, Jesus has everything in his hands.
• When the doctor calls with bad news, Jesus has everything in his hands.
• When your boss unexpectedly hands you a pink slip, Jesus has everything in his hands.
• When you’ve been faithful to teach your children, and they still walk away from the truth, Jesus has everything in his hands.
• When the person you pledge your love to discards you and you question your worth, Jesus has everything in his hands.
• When every waking thought is consumed by worry and anxiety, Jesus has everything in his hands.
• When your 401k plunges and there’s no sign of recovery, Jesus has everything in his hands.
• When a friend seeks popularity by airing your dirty laundry, Jesus has everything in his hands.
• When you’re pressured to do things you know you’ll regret, Jesus has everything in his hands.

Few truths can engage our affections, calm our hearts, and influence our decisions like the reality of the sovereign power of Jesus.

I’ve heard people say, “You don’t want to show up for a gunfight carrying a knife.” I like to think Satan showed up for a nuclear war carrying a spoon. He is powerless. Jesus’s life is not being taken from him. Satan can’t defeat him. Jesus lays down his life willingly. After Satan enters into Judas, Jesus demonstrates his authority by telling Satan to leave and do what he’s going to do quickly (v. 27). Even at this moment, he’s in control. Jesus is not a powerless pawn in the struggle between Israel and Rome. He’s not a tragic figure, shockingly betrayed by his old friend. He was and is the Son of God who marches to the cross in complete control of every event and circumstance. His journey to the cross is why we can say, “Where, death, is your victory? Where, death, is your sting?” (1 Cor 15:55). On that cross Jesus crushes the serpent’s head. The cosmic battle culminates. Satan’s prophesied defeat becomes a reality. Jesus triumphs over the serpent.

We understand the human drama of a friend betraying another friend, but the significance of this story extends far beyond a single traitorous act. The story of Judas should not bring despair and sadness, but it should remind us of the great power of Jesus Christ. In this circumstance, which seems like a great failure, Jesus wins a great victory. Against the backdrop of human wickedness, his character and his control are revealed in vivid and stunning detail.

Acts records Judas’s tragic end, but John makes a powerful point about Judas. He concludes the account of betrayal with the phrase, “And it was night” (v. 30). Throughout this Gospel, John has recorded the words of Jesus about light and darkness. He calls Jesus the true light, who entered this world of darkness to bring light. We hear Jesus cry out, “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life” (8:12). When Judas walks out of the candlelit room into the dark street, he’s walking away from the light of the world. As the door shuts behind him, his fate is sealed. He’s turned his back on the only source of life. This is the end of Judas. He chose darkness over light. He chose death over life. And with his example comes a question: Will I embrace the light, or will I walk into the night?

Reflect and Discuss

1. How does Judas’s betrayal give us confidence in Jesus?
2. Why did Jesus choose Judas to be one of his disciples?
3. What theme of David’s life most frequently points to the Messiah?
4. Why does Jesus prophesy Judas’s betrayal and tell his disciples of its necessity before it happened?
5. Why does Jesus say the disciples are to believe that “I am he” in verse 19?
6. How is the way the Bible speaks of faith different from our culture’s use of the word?
7. Describe how Genesis 1–3 is the backdrop to the events in this passage.
8. Why is it good news that Jesus has been given all things?
9. If Jesus is sovereign over all things, what does it free you to do as his follower that you wouldn’t do otherwise?
10. How does this passage demonstrate Jesus’s power over Satan?