As we walk down the corridors of time in the last few days of Jesus’ life, it is easy to focus only on the cruel part of this timeline, but let us not forget the words of Jesus in the time between Jesus’ washing of the disciples’ feet and His journey to the garden. Jesus is still in the upper room, and he begins to speak in such a way that He challenges his disciples. He gives them choices to make, to believe or not to believe, to be faithful or to deny Him.
In verse 18 Jesus begins these last hours with His disciples by identifying His betrayer. Jesus knows all and He knew that the scriptures would be fulfilled by Judas selling Him out. However, it was still Judas’ choice. While God knows the future, present, and past, He does not dictate our actions. We have a free will to choose or reject Him. Judas had been chosen just as the others and had been with them throughout Jesus’ ministry. The phrase “he who ate my bread” was proof of friendship during this time period. Judas had all the privileges of all the disciples. This made his betrayal even more hideous. He did not love Jesus as he should but was ungrateful and greedy.
John 13:18 “I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.”
In verses 19-20, Jesus’ knowledge of what is about to happen will reaffirm to them when it comes to pass, that Jesus was who He said He was. This was not to say they didn’t believe before because we know in Matthew 16:15-16 Jesus asks Peter who He believed He was and Peter answered, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” However, at a time when their faith was about to be tested, it was further affirmation that Jesus was the Messiah.
John 13:19-20 “Now I tell you before it comes, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receives whomsoever I send receives me; and he that receives me receives him that sent me.”
Matthew 16:15-16 “He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus now turns his attention to what was to come. He was troubled in spirit, not for himself but for Judas. Jesus knew what His purpose was, but it troubled Him that one that He had been with and taught was about to make a fatal mistake by betraying Him. When He declared to the 12 that one of them would betray Him they were all astonished, looking at one another trying to figure out who Jesus was talking about. Peter even motions for Him to come closer to Him so He can ask who it is, then John asks the same question. Then Jesus explains that it will be the one he gives the bread dipped in wine to eat.
John 13:2125 “When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spoke. Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter, therefore, beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake. He then lying on Jesus’ breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it? Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.”
Now Jesus has exposed Judas but the disciples still did not understand. In verse 29 it says some thought because Judas was the treasurer Jesus wanted him to go buy what they needed. Jesus tells him to do what he is going to do. In other words, leave us and fulfill what you wanted. Satan was now tempting Judas to go ahead, and Judas yielded.
John 13:27-29 “And after the sop, Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly. Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him. For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor.”
Judas understood even though the others didn’t. He immediately left them. He knew He was found out by Jesus. Let me remind you that Judas still had a choice. He could have repented right at that moment, but he chose not to.
John 13:30 “He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night.”
Each of us makes choices every day. When we did youth ministry there was a great summer camp we took our teens to every year. They had a motto that has stuck with me for the last 39 years. Their motto was “there are two choices on the shelf, pleasing God or pleasing self.” This is one of the truest statements I have ever read. We all have two choices, and everything boils down to this. We can do what we desire, or we can seek what God desires and choose Him. What will it be for you?
