Wednesday, April 8, 2009

The Last Supper, Part 13 of 15

Text: John 13:2, 6-11, 26-27—And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him....
Then Jesus came to Simon Peter.  And Peter said to him, "Lord, are you washing my feet?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this."  Peter said to him, "You shall never wash my feet!"  Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with me."  Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!"  Jesus said to him, "He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you."  For he knew who would betray him.  He said, "You are not all clean."
Jesus answered, "It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it."  And having dipped the bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.  Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him.  Then Jesus said to him, "What you do, do quickly."

IDEA: Every Christian will fail Jesus but some who say they are Christians will betray Him.

PURPOSE: To help listeners understand that it is possible to be a disciple outwardly but be a traitor inwardly.

In John 13 there are two men who in many ways resemble one another, but in one serious way they are different from one another.

I. Judas and Peter are very much alike.

Both of them were disciples who were in Jesus' company for three years.

Both of them were men who by their actions looked as if though they were genuine in their faith in Jesus.

Both of them had their feet washed by Jesus.

Both of them appeared to those who knew them to be genuine followers of Christ.

Both of them betrayed Jesus.

Jesus knew both of the men and knew the path they would take.

II. There was one strategic difference between the two men.

A. Peter was a follower who sinned, but Judas was a follower who betrayed Christ.

When Jesus washed Peter's feet, he said that Peter had been washed but had dirty feet (John 13:6-9), but Judas had never been washed at all (John 13:11).

It didn't take Judas by surprise but it did take Peter by surprise. It's possible to go through the motions. One can have the heart of a betrayer or the heart of a believer.

It is possible to be a disciple outwardly but be a traitor inwardly.