Today, I want to speak to you on this important topic: “Hope in the Face of Fear.”
Isolated from meeting together because of the Coronavirus, we meet for worship online. Of course, there is no substitute for gathering together in person. How I look forward to seeing everyone face to face! I am so grateful to our technology team for providing this online opportunity. Even though a virus can keep us out of our buildings for a while, there is no virus that can stop the church from being the church. Amen?
We are just two Sundays from Easter and I invite you to find John 13 with me. To prepare us to celebrate the resurrection, we are in a series entitled “What Makes Jesus Say Amen.”
Today’s Scripture
“After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. 23 One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus’ side, 24 so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. 25 So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” 28 Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. 29 Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. 30 So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.
31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. 33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
36 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.” 37 Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” 38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times” (John 13:21-38).
We need help right now, don’t we? We need a cure for this virus that has killed more 1,300 people in our nation and 25,000 around the world as of Friday. We need economic help as many of you are either underemployed or unemployed because of this “shelter in place.” Young parents need help when they have so many children at home along with pets and all of them are fighting for limited data to complete their work! You need help when you sit at your kitchen table surrounded by unpaid bills. We are fragile and afraid.
Fear grips the heart of even seemingly secure people. Katherine II, of Russia, was terrified when she noticed that her hair was getting thin. She had some wig-makers come and begin to make up wigs for her. In fact, she locked the wig-makers up in the palace for three years so nobody would tell her secret.
Did you know that Kublai Khan, who conquered more space and land than any other conqueror in the world, was absolutely afraid of old age? He had all his finest horses killed at the age of six, and all of his ministers exiled at the age of sixty. Part of us wonders, “Can anybody help us with our fears?”
We are analyzing when Jesus said the word amen. Now, when you hear the word “amen,” it usually means, “I like that.” But when Jesus used the word “amen,” He uses it in a different way and I want you to pay careful attention to how He does this. Jesus would use the word “amen” in front of a statement, to preface a statement. In John 13, Jesus is only hours from His arrest and crucifixion, Jesus steadies our fears with His amen. Four times in a matter of just a few minutes, Jesus says to His disciples these words: “Truly (Amen), truly (Amen), I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him” (John 13:16).
“Truly (Amen), truly (Amen), I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me” (John 13:20).
“Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, ‘Truly (Amen), truly (Amen), I say to you, one of you will betray me’” (John 13:21b).
“Will you lay down your life for me? Truly (Amen), truly (Amen), I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times” (John 13:38b).
In a time of great fear and panic among the disciples, Jesus offers the unvarnished truth from the very throne room of Heaven 4 times in a matter of minutes. We desperately need “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth” to steady us in our day. Let’s look at these last two statements of Jesus’ profound Amen statements during the Last Supper. Watch how Jesus deals with Judas and Peter as both get an amen statement from Him. Compare and contrast these two men (Judas and Peter) with me in the minutes to come.
1. The One Who Betrays Me, Betrays Him
“Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, ‘Truly (Amen), truly (Amen), I say to you, one of you will betray me’” (John 13:21b).
Jesus says, “The one who betrays Me, betrays the Father.” Jesus doesn’t name him here, but in the moments to come it will be clear that this Judas.
A chill goes up my back when I stop to think about Judas. Imagine the panic and fear the disciples were experiencing when Jesus is arrested and Judas is responsible. No doubt, the Disciple felt, “How could one of us betray Jesus?!” Judas is so synonymous with betrayal that his very name is listed in the thesaurus as a synonym for betrayal. Each time the gospels list the Twelve Disciples, they always listed Judas last. Judas Iscariot had everyone fooled except Jesus. Remember, he was even one of the Twelve Disciples.
The story of Judas tells us that there is a gate to hell even from the very gates of heaven.
1.1 Three Facts about Judas
In a time of pandemic and widespread fear, consider Judas with me.
1.1.1 Judas was Greedy
The Bible calls Judas a “traitor” for he was motivated for 30 pieces of silver. Throughout their time together, Judas would often steal from the common moneybag that the disciples used to pay for expenses (John 12:6). It was Judas lifelong love of money that set up him to betray Jesus.
“The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you’” (John 13:10b).
When our Lord Jesus Christ here is talking about being clean, He is not talking about physical dirt. He’s talking about spiritual dirt. When Jesus warns about one not being clean, he’s speaking of betrayal. He is speaking of sin. Judas’ favorite sin was good old fashioned greed. Greed is a passion of demonic strength. Judas covered his greed with a phony, external relationship with Jesus.
Judas was Greedy
1.1.2 Satan Attacks but God Advances
Judas’ betrayal is predicted hundreds of years before in the Old Testament. And Jesus predicted Judas’ betrayal: on screen: “Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” 71 He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the Twelve, was going to betray him” (John 6:70-71).
Jesus didn’t bite His nails and He didn’t pace the floor at Judas’ treacherous actions. You are surprised to know that everything about Jesus’ betrayal, false imprisonment and trial, and eventual murder was planned and predicted by God. Even Judas’ betrayal was planned. Satan May Attack but God’s Cause Advances. Know this: God’s love through the cross of His Son will not be stopped.
Judas was Greedy
1.1.2 Satan Attacks but God Advances
2.1.3 Satan Used Judas
On Wednesday of this week, Luke records a troubling thing: “Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. 4 He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. 5 And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. 6 So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd.” (Luke 22:3-6)
You need to know that Judas’ sinful passions highlighted him in bright red to Satan’s eyes. But it was Judas’ greed that placed the weapon in the hands of Satan. Satan doesn’t take innocent people captive.
Judas died spiritually dirty but you don’t have to be dirty; you can be clean.
I count five times that Jesus mentions the eventual betrayal of Judas throughout the gospels. Judas witnessed the miracles, the anointed teaching of Jesus, and the tremendous heart of our Lord yet He sold Him for thirty pieces of silver. Minutes after the Last Supper, the Roman soldiers followed Judas with lanterns, torches, and weapons in their desire to arrest Jesus (John 18:3). Judas planted a kiss on the cheek of Jesus at Gethsemane.
1.2 Why Not Omit Judas?
Do you wonder why the Bible included the story of Judas’ suicide inside the pages of the Bible? Why did Luke, Matthew, Mark, and John all remind us that Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver and threw the money back in the temple? The reason God included the story of Judas is simple: Not even the betrayal of one of Jesus’ chosen twelve can stop the mission of church. Not even Judas and Satan could undermine or escape the all-encompassing invincibility of God’s powerful purpose. The point of this text is that none of the enemies of God can stop God’s will from taking place. “Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him” (John 6:64b).
Can you can imagine Christ praying as follows: “I have guarded my own, and I only lost one. I can’t account for it — Judas’ treachery, his betrayal. There is no explaining it. It’s a glitch.” But Jesus did not pray that way.
Instead, Jesus prayed these words: on screen: “While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled” (John 17:12).
1.3 Why Is Jesus So Discreet?
What does Jesus do to Judas at the Table of the Last Supper? What does Jesus do when He sees the betrayer there at the table? Does Jesus Christ get up and say, “Men, there’s a traitor at the table. One of you is scum, a disease, and that’s the man?”
Why is Jesus so discreet? We’re told that nobody at the table knew who the traitor was. Again, why is Jesus so discreet? Why won’t Jesus tell anybody else? Because he’s not trying to shatter Judas; instead, He tries to shelter him. He’s trying to melt his heart. He’s not trying to condemn Judas; instead, He’s trying to convert Judas. Even in the very last hours, Jesus isn’t overwhelmed.
Again, God is not sitting on the edge of His throne because of a pandemic. God is not biting His nails because of the stock market. Only your sin will stop the love of God from changing you personally. If you want help today, reach out to Jesus.
God’s love through the death of His Son will change this world! But will it change you? The only item in the universe that can stop the cross of Jesus is your sin; repent right now, will you?
1. The One Who Refuses Me, Refuses Him
2. The Best of Us Can Reject the Best of Him
Out of all the apostles, besides Judas, who had the worst track record during the passion and the death of Jesus Christ? Peter … and he’s the one Jesus leaves in charge when He goes away. Satan works on Peter just as he did Judas. Only when we encounter Peter, we see a genuine disciple rather than a counterfeit.
“Will you lay down your life for me? Truly (Amen), truly (Amen), I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times” (John 13:38b).
Now, when Jesus uses “amen,” He’s calling on you to come to a full stop (pause for effect). For when Jesus says, “amen,” the next words out of His mouth are crucial words for you to digest.
2.1 Peter
What can you say about a guy like Peter? If Peter were your child, you would want to a leash for him. Only they don’t make leashes for the mouth, do they? Earlier that evening, Peter says to Jesus, “You shall never wash my feet” on screen: (John 13:8). Jesus tells Peter in effect, “If you will not allow me to wash your feet, then you’ll no share of any part of me” (John 13:8b). Peter then says, “Wash all of me then!” (John 13:8b). Peter goes from hot to cold. At first, Peter says no washing for me and the next moment, he has a rubber ducky and wants jump in the tub.
2.2 Satan Sifts Peter
“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat,” (Luke 22:31)
Now, you might find it odd that Satan asks God for permission only to have God grant him permission to shake and sift His children. God and Satan can work on the same project but for entirely different outcomes. Satan loves to destroy one of God’s chosen: “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you…” (Luke 22:31). If Satan were to succeed in defeating even one real believer, he would have robbed Jesus of one that He purchased with His very own blood. This cannot happen and it will not happen! If Satan could destroy even one real, genuine child of God then he would have effectively defeated God’s grace and wounded the very heart of God.
Satan is sent into the kitchen to act as God’s dishwasher. Sometimes it is Satan’s special scouring that makes God’s finest china.
2.3 Two Different Eternities
Contrast the reactions of Judas and Peter for a moment. Both men are attacked by Satan. Judas is resolute in his sin but Peter repents. Unlike Judas, Peter melts: “And the Lord turned and looked at Peter” (Luke 22:61a). The only reason Peter’s pride melts is due to the blowtorch of God’s love.
There two men spent equal time with Jesus but came away from their encounter walking in completely two different directions for eternity. Six weeks after the resurrection, Judas is rotting in a field while Peter is leading a movement to change the world. It wasn’t because Peter was smarter or more resilient; it was simply because Peter repented.
Are you Peter or are you Judas?
When the see the face of Jesus … … will you hang yourself in regret? … or will your heart soften in repentance?
2.4 Peter Melts while Judas Hardens
You realize don’t you, that Jesus washed even the feet of Judas? Jesus stooped down to even wash the feet of a man whose feet were caked with the dirt of disloyalty. Jesus washed the feet of the betrayer but minutes away from Judas’ awful betrayal of Him. You have nothing to fear when you trust Jesus for this life and the life to come.
Closing Prayer
Lord, when we see the testing of Peter and the betrayal of Judas, it shakes us. How these two men who be around you for so long and then find themselves capable of this, scares us. Vanquish evil in our hearts and rid us of the awful thoughts of overconfidence. You will use a molecule from China to remind us how fragile we are. Cause us to see your face of love and may our hearts melt. Thaw the pride inside us and make us supple to your will. Cause us to see our shakiness but even more importantly make us feel your love for us. In Jesus Name, Amen.
