John 13:21-30 When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Truly, truly, I say to you… I. A SEVERE TROUBLE. 1. The trouble of Jesus. He was troubled in spirit. This was no ordinary trouble, but it was unique in its circumstances, cause, and painfulness. He was troubled in the highest regions of his nature. (1) Because he was about to be betrayed. The betrayal in itself was painful. Its personal and general results are not taken into account here, but the black deed in itself, apart from the perpetrator. (2) Because he was about to be betrayed by one of his disciples. "One of you shall betray me." It is not a foe or a distant acquaintance, but one of his nearest and dearest friends. "One of you." This made the edge of the betrayal all the keener, and its poison peculiarly loathsome and deadly. (3) Because he was about to be betrayed by one whom he had done all in his power to reclaim. He had given him warning after warning, but gave it in such a general way as not to cause suspicion to point to him and cause him to lose his self-respect. He was not exposed, and was not excluded from the society - he was treated with the same kindness as the rest, and perhaps with more. His indignant objection to the anointing of Jesus was not explained, but left to pass with the remark which was addressed to all the disciples, "Let her alone." The betraying disciple's feet had just been washed by the kindly hand of the Master. All that affectionate and Divine love could do to avert the calamity had been done, but to no effect. (4) Because of the awful consequences of the deed to the betrayer himself. Keen as Jesus felt it in his own soul, as severe as it affected him, we venture to say that he felt more, after all, for the traitor himself. He who could weep for a wicked city could not contemplate the self-ruin of even this wicked and inexcusable man without experiencing groaning which could not be uttered. He could not bear to lose anything, and the loss of even the "son of perdition" gave him a most severe pang of anguish. The betrayal, as it affected himself, was not so painful to him as its terrible effects on the traitor himself. (5) All this plunged him in the greatest trouble. The betrayal wounded his very spirit, and the betraying kiss was to him more agonizing than the piercing of the sharpest nails or that of the most pointed spears. It was the trouble of a wounded spirit, and that spirit was pure benevolence. It was the trouble of being betrayed by a professed near friend - the trouble of insulted, checkered, and wounded love; trouble arising from the terrible doom of an old disciple, a trusted official, the treasurer of the society. 2. The trouble of the disciples. (Ver. 22.) They were in doubt, perplexity, and bewilderment. In fact, they were in trouble similar to that of Jesus, only theirs was as a drop compared to the ocean. (1) Theirs was the trouble of conscious innocence. (2) The trouble of conscious weakness. (3) The trouble of personal sympathy. II. AN AWFUL REVELATION. The personality of the betrayer was revealed. 1. This revelation was made in consequence of a request. (Vers. 24, 25.) (1) This request was direct. "Lord, who is it?" Each had asked before, "Lord, is it I?" The charge assumed a general form, and the inquiry was made in a general and indirect way. But now the question is put directly, "Who is it?" "Who is the betrayer?" (2) It was reasonable. The charge, as it had been several times made, was general, and it might apply to any of the twelve - to loving John, or honest Peter, or to any of the group. Now they could stand it no longer; they request a definite information at any cost, and it was quite reasonable. This is admitted by the revelation of Jesus. (3) It was timely. The disciples were ready for it. Jesus was ready. The awful secret troubled his spirit, and struggled for publicity. He could scarcely keep it any longer. The betrayer was ready. He was ripe for revelation, and, if it was delayed much longer, he would have revealed himself by performing the terrible deed. 2. The revelation was made by a sign. "He it is to whom I shall give a sop when," etc. We can well imagine all the disciples, save one, looking at their Lord with bated breath, and watching every look and movement of his with beating hearts; but there was one there keeping his countenance better than any of the rest, and more himself than one of them, and amid the silent but stirring excitement Jesus gave the sop to Judas, the son of Simon, etc. (1) The traitor was revealed in a most considerate and tender manner. By a sign, and privately. Judas could not know that anything referred to him unless his guilty conscience made him suspicious. (2) He was revealed by an act of kindness. "It is he to whom I shall give the sop," etc. The sign was an act of kindness. What was a revelation of a foul traitor to the disciples was a deed of love to the traitor himself. One would think that he would be pointed out in a voice of thunder and in looks of lightning. This would be manlike; but as Jesus was God-like, Jesus was kind to Judas to the last. He was determined to the utmost to block up his course with kindness, and that no act of his could furnish him with the faintest shadow of excuse for his foul deed. This was the last kindness of Jesus to Judas, but would not be the last if he had the least chance. (3) The participation of this kindness led to a foul entrance. "After the sop Satan entered into him." Jesus only could see this. He could see that dark form by Judas's side, waiting for admission; he had been there a long time fanning the temptation and ripening the dread resolve and preparing the place. The hypocritical participation of Jesus' kindness completed the necessary preparations, and he entered and took lull possession. What Jesus did to stop his entrance cleared the way for him to enter. Satan entered, and Jesus was left out, and the last sop of love was introductory to the final possession of the demon of hatred and avarice. 3. The revelation was wade directly and publicly to the betrayer. "What thou doest," etc., implies: (1) The present actuality of the deed. It was inwardly done, therefore actually done to Jesus, as confirmed thoughts are deeds to him. It was too late to repent, he had gone too far to retreat; the demon of treachery was on the throne, Satan was in his soul, and his soul was in the bag. (2) The mysterious utility of a speedy execution. "Do quickly." Once an act is a real thought and resolve, execution is an advantage. It was better for Judas, because the sooner he faced the inevitable the better. Where there is a spiritual conception, birth cannot be too soon; sin is better out than in. There is a ventilation, and any remaining good has a better chance for development. If you are going to hell, the sooner the better you arrive. Better for Jesus. Delay to him was painful once it was an actuality. Better for all concerned. To a certain point he retarded a wicked deed, but when that point was reached he hastened it. (3) The readiness of Jesus. The traitor might think that he was taken unawares and unprepared, but he was mistaken. Jesus was ready, far readier for his fate than Judas was. So ready was he for it that he advises or commands speed. "Do quickly." He hails it with confidence, if not with satisfaction. The guilty deed of Judas fitted in with the eternal purposes of God and the mission of Jesus better than he would think. Jesus can say to every schemer of evil, every sinning designer of harm, "That thou doest, do quickly." He is ready whenever they are. There is no evil without good; the good will not come till the evil is complete, for good the sooner the better. 4. The relation of the traitor was not fully understood by the disciples. III. A SAD DEPARTURE. (Ver. 30.) 1. The departure of an old disciple from the kindest of Masters and from his only Savior. He could have really no cause for this, the reason was entirely in himself. In Jesus he had every reason for continued attachment and love, but he went out immediately, and walked with feet newly washed by the hands of that Master he was now deserting, and with strength invigorated by his kindness. 2. It was the departure of an old disciple for the vilest purpose - to betray his Master, and sell him to his foes for the meanest consideration. 3. It was the departure of an old disciple, never to return again. It was his last farewell to a loving Savior. He came to him again, not as a disciple, but as a traitor. He was leaving for the last time, not to buy provisions for the feast, but to sell his Master to his enemies. 4. It was the speedy departure of an old disciple immediately. Judas was now ready for the deed; the command of Christ was timely, and it was echoed in Judas's soul. He was ripe for the dark deed. The presence of Jesus was now painful to him, and it was a relief to depart. Once Satan gets full control of the reins, he is a furious driver; once the rapids of the Niagara are reached, the velocity is increasingly swift, and the terrible falls are soon reached. 5. It was the departure of an old disciple for a terrible doom. "He went out." And whither? The answer is in the foul controlling spirit within; once that spirit had full possession of his soul, he would soon lead him to his own place. John significantly adds, "And it was night." Night seems to be in harmony with the dark deed. When it reached its climax on Calvary, the day was so out of sympathy with it that it turned into night. But it was now night. There could scarcely be any stars in the sky, as they had fled from the treacherous act, and if there were, they would have welcomed a cloud as a veil. But the darkest night was within and before the poor traitor's soul. He left the day, and the last ray of the Sun of Righteousness was extinguished before the entrance of the prince of darkness. And with regard to his dark deed, his sad condition, his precipitated departure, and his terrible doom, volumes could not say more than the incidental but significant sentence of the evangelist, "And it was night." LESSONS. 1. The most terrible fall is a fall from Christ, and the saddest departure is the departure of an old disciple from the Savior. 2. This is a terrible possibility as instanced by Judas. Whatever he fell from, he fell from being a disciple to be a betrayer, from being a treasurer of the Christian society to be the traitor of his Lord. 3. The higher the position the greater is the danger and the greater is the responsibility. Only an apostle could fall so terribly as Judas. 4. This case is highly calculated to teach the professed followers of Jesus humility, watchfulness, and godly fear. - B.T. Parallel Verses KJV: 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. |
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