Please let's turn our seats and let's turn to John. John chapter 13, we'll commence reading from verse 21. John chapter 13, verse 21 to verse 30, and as we do so, there was an announcement that was made to do with this coming Sunday. where the campus outreach ministry will be bringing, inviting some students and therefore they are appealing to members that we open up our homes, register There's a paper at the back there, you can indicate your names or see anyone from the campus outreach if you are willing to host some students this coming Sunday. You can indicate how many and the gender or simply indicate that your home is available and then they'll assign to you some students. And the goal is that as they proceed with the leadership conference, they invite the students to church on Sunday And then instead of the students going back to their homes, they are hosted by us in our homes. And then hopefully come for the evening service, and the hosting provides us with an opportunity to get to know the students. So please, let's not disappoint our brethren. One should have taken place on the 3rd of December, and there was at least a few names. I do recall there was at least one name that did register one or two names that did indicate that they're willing to host. And so let's do that this coming Lord's Day. And then I hope those that are not here this morning at the youth camp, you know we are very trusting and believing. We are Christians. So they must be at the camp. So I'm sure the three elders there will let us know who was there. John chapter 13, we'll commence reading from verse 21. After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit and testified, truly, truly, I said to you, one of you will betray me. The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at a table at Jesus' side. So Simon Peter motioned to him to ask of whom he was speaking. So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, Lord, who is it? 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. Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, what you are going to do, do quickly. Now, no one at the table knew why he said this to him. Some thought that because Judas had the money bag, Jesus was telling him, buy what we need for the feast, or that he should give something to the poor. So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out, and it was night. We are back in our study of the Gospel of John, and as we go through the study of this Gospel, our goal is to see the portrait that John gives us of the Lord Jesus Christ, and as we do so, we too, like John, can conclude that this Jesus is truly the Christ, and by doing so, we may believe in Him. And so John does not record everything that Jesus did. In fact, he himself tells us that if we were to record everything that Jesus had done, there won't be enough space for us to do so. And so John highlights certain elements or certain events in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ That shows us that truly Jesus was the Word of God. He was the promised Messiah and he wants us to conclude with John that this is the promised Messiah and we may believe in him. And as we do so, we come to chapter 13, verse 21 through to verse 30. And in this portion of Scripture, we see a distressed Savior, perplexed disciples, and a defiant betrayer. That's really what John is highlighting for us in that portion of the Scriptures. And as we do so, we need to, at least for a moment, try and limit our minds and imagine what was going through the minds of those who were present at table that evening. Because sometimes when we are reading the Scriptures, We read the scriptures, especially when we read the gospels. It's easy for us to read the gospels, or even the scriptures indeed, the way we watch our favorite movies. If you're like me, who loves cartoons, my old favorite cartoon is Lion King, and I can recite line by line for you. And you can ask my wife, if you're watching Land King with me, I'm a very bad company because I'll be telling you what Simba or Pumba or Timon will say next. And I'm afraid that sometimes when we're reading the narratives of the gospel writers, we read than the way we watch cartoons because we know what is going to happen or we know what's going to happen next. And so we fail to limit ourselves to what is really transpiring and what the people present were going through because they did not have the hindsight that we have. when we read the Gospels. And because we know the story from beginning to end, when we come to such a portion, our minds quickly go to what happened. We know Judas will betray the Lord Jesus Christ. We know Jesus Christ will be crucified. We know he will be raised from the dead. But at this point, Jesus had just said these things to his disciples. They heard what he had said, but these things had not yet happened. And so, we want to try and go through that moment and see what John records for us and get what they felt and apply that to ourselves today. The Lord Jesus Christ has just announced in chapter 13, verse 1, that his hour had come. And now he has announced that one of them will betray him. And as he dipped the muscle of bread into the dish and gave it to Judas, who took it, no one thought that Judas would betray the Lord Jesus Christ. No one seems to grasp what Jesus had just done or indicated in their presence. No one ever thought that one of them would betray this man who they had followed for three or so years. being with him, witnessing the miracles that he was doing. And the certainty with which the Lord Jesus Christ announces the news was so disturbing to the disciples that they began to inquire one from another who could have done this or who was going to do that. and John wants us to see. Hazi runs with a theme of light and darkness in his gospel. We see those two themes emerging from John's portrait of the events that day. The light of Jesus' glory and the awful darkness of human sin. Judas had just rejected the light that is Christ Jesus. And so as we open up those verses, we need to limit ourselves to what John is recording in order to appreciate what John is saying for us here. And the first thing we see there is that John brings to us a distressed Saviour. A distressed Saviour. And we'll pick it from verse 18 to 21. Jesus had just washed the disciples' feet, and in verse 18 he says this, I am not speaking of all of you. I know whom I have chosen, but the scriptures will be fulfilled. He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me. I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place, you may believe that I am here. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send, receives me, and whoever receives me, receives the one who sent me. After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and he testified, truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me. And we see that Jesus, in the most solemn and authoritative way possible, tells the twelve that one of them will betray him. And the Lord Jesus Christ's distress is highlighted in his prophetic lament, as he laments prophetically. John shows us that Jesus was able to tell the future. And as he does so, he wants the disciples to remember what he's telling them when these events begin to occur. You see that in John chapter 13 verse 10, the Lord Jesus Christ had said, when you are all clean, And then he added, but not every one of you. And now he continues in verse 18, all the way to verse 21. And as he says this, He was trying to highlight that though I have cleansed you, not all of you are clean. One of you is not clean. One of you is not one of me. One of you has not come to that moment when he sees me as the saviour of the world. And so Jesus says, before it takes place, so that when he does, they will remember his words. And Jesus knew just how much the betrayal of Judas would shake the faith of the other disciples. And perhaps the disciples might have thought Or were we going to think that Judas outsmarted the Lord Jesus Christ? Remember he chose the twelve and he repeats that I chose you, yet one of you. And when it takes place, Jesus wanted the disciples not to think that he was deceived or outsmarted. He didn't know what Judas was doing and he was caught by surprise. And John records for us that he did this, so that before it takes place and when it takes place, they may believe that it is he who said he was. They needed to know, remember, and be assured that the outworking plans of God cannot be thwarted or disturbed by human actions. Before it happened, The Lord Jesus Christ mentioned it to his disciples. And he specifically quotes Psalm 41 and verse 9. In Psalm 41 and verse 9, it reads, Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me. That's what Psalm 41 verse 9 says. The Psalm was attributed to David, in which David calls upon God for deliverance from a great personal betrayal. Now, most commentators would say that the most likely setting of Psalm 41 is the rebellion of Absalom, the son to David. And when Absalom rebelled against David, David the king was so surprised by this rebellion, he was driven out of Jerusalem in the most desperate circumstances. And the Lord Jesus Christ is now showing his disciples and us that yes, even though that psalm is attributed to David, this psalm was prophetic, pointing to what was going to happen to the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. And as he does so, John records for us in verse 21 that Jesus was troubled in the spirit. And in the Gospel of John, this is the third time John records that Jesus was troubled in the Spirit. The first description or the first time John records for us that Jesus was troubled in the Spirit is in chapter 11 and verse 33. And that was at the death, the burial site of Lazarus. The Lord Jesus Christ saw what sin had done and that because of sin, death has entered the world. And at the site of Lazarus' burial, Jesus was troubled in the Spirit. Again in chapter 12 and verse 27, again there you recall that John records for us that Jesus was troubled in the Spirit. Again, this was at the prospect of the coming hour when He was going to suffer and die. He was suffering the penalty of sin. for man's sin, and he knew that he was going to suffer at the hands of his father. And John records for us in John 12, 27, that he was troubled in the Spirit. And now here in chapter 13 and verse 21, John records that Jesus was troubled in the Spirit, but this time it's at the thought of one of his own followers betraying him. And so we see that our Lord Jesus Christ's distress was not self-centered. He was distressed at the spiritual condition and conduct and the destiny of one of his own, one of those who followed him. He was distressed seeing how this man who had been with Him for this long, who had witnessed the miracles, who had witnessed Jesus display His power over nature, over disease, and over power, over all things, how that this man still went ahead and betrayed the Son of God. Jesus was distressed when He perceives What awaits Judas for his stubborn madness? Betraying the Son of God. Judas had received a position of honor and privilege, but he still sank to the lowest depth that a person can possibly sink to. and betrayed the Saviour of the world. And this is despite the abundance of light, love and grace that the Lord Jesus Christ had exposed Judas to. He had hardened himself until there was no chance to recover. He had hardened himself. And the Lord Jesus Christ, He's distressed. He's troubled in the Spirit. He knows what will happen. He knows what awaits Judas. And He knows that after this, there is no point of return for this man. He was troubled at the consequences that will follow the actions of Judas. But we must not forget that the Lord Jesus Christ has spent time with the Twelve. He was a human being. He was man like all of us, one who needed friends, one who enjoyed the company of his friends, one who entrusted himself to others, and yet one of them was going to betray him. There are few bitter pills to rival that of a betrayal of a close friend. One who intentionally uses a relationship of truth, trust, intimacy, closeness or companionship and falsely and maliciously betrays a friend. And you can imagine what the Lord Jesus Christ was feeling. If you and I can be distressed and troubled in the spirit when a close friend uses that relationship of trust and betrays you, it can be a spouse who betrays their partner. It can be a child who mocks the parental love and concern, or a parent who abuses his parental authority over his children. These are among the most bitter shocks, precisely because of the relationship of trust that is violated when one betrays the other in a relationship of trust and closeness. And the danger for us as human beings is that when such happens, We easily turn into bitterness and malice. But this was not the case with the Lord Jesus Christ. And no doubt it's clear that our Lord suffered emotionally at the betrayal of Judas. But he did not become bitter or malicious. Even though the Lord Jesus Christ prophetically lamented, he who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me. John tells us that Jesus was troubled in the Spirit. But even in this moment, He still wanted to show love and grace to Judas Iscariot. He still wanted Judas to think what he was going to do and come to his senses. And the Lord Jesus Christ wants us to see that in this life, when we are abandoned by loved ones or betrayed because of our Christian belief, we can take solace in the friendship and the fellowship we have with the Lord Jesus Christ. One who was Betrayed, wickedly betrayed by one of his own followers. This person, Judas, who ate with the Lord, this same Judas who had expressed alarm that a jar of alabaster, an alabaster jar worth 300 denarios was being wasted on the Lord Jesus Christ, now betrays his master, the king of glory, for 30 pieces of silver. And John records for us that we have one who's been betrayed before, one who understands the depth of betrayal. And when you find yourself as a child of God, in such a moment, there is one to whom you can find solace, one to whom you can find comfort, the Lord Jesus Christ. He truly understands what it means to be betrayed by one to whom You gave yourself untrusted. But even in those moments when you are distressed, look to Him who loves you. But also we need to underscore that when those who claim to be followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, when they give themselves to sin, We distress our Saviour. And Paul tells us in Ephesians, we grieve the Holy Spirit, giving ourselves to a life of sin and yet claim to be followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's a betrayal of the trust and fellowship we have with Christ. And the moment, that moment, when we're about to give ourselves to sin, we must pose and ask ourselves the question, how will this sit with my Saviour, who loves me and has given Himself for me? But the second thing we see, It's the perplexed disciples. We've seen the distressed Saviour, and now the perplexed disciples. Verse 22 to 25. The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at a table at Jesus' side. So Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking, so that that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, Lord, who is it? This news so confused the disciples. With Christ speaking with such authority and certainty, it is quite understandable why the disciples were this confused. And there were two big blows that were coming as far as the disciples were concerned. The first was that one of them would betray the Lord, thus potentially bringing discredit upon all of them. But secondly, the second blow was that Jesus was about to be killed. that even the eleven disciples who knew that they had no plans to betray Jesus Christ were so confused and began to doubt themselves. And they were asking, when you read in Matthew chapter 26, they began to ask one another, Lord, is it I? Out of 11, out of the 12, the 11 knew they had no plans to betray the Son of God. But even then, Christ's words were more certain that they thought to themselves, could it be me? Could it be that my actions are indicating to the Savior that I will betray Him? And it was with this troubled spirit that Jesus announced the betrayal of one of them. And the effect of this announcement puzzled the disciples. Now, we must not forget that the fellowship of the disciples centered on mutual relationship with Jesus Christ. And this is why, with such instant alarm at the idea that one of them should betray the Saviour, the disciples were worried, confused. They could not grasp the extent of what Jesus was saying. And John focuses on three of the twelve disciples. There was Judas, Peter, and the one the disciple Jesus loved. But when you read in Matthew 26, verse 21 to 25, back to verse 24, Matthew informs us that the eleven disciples responded in one way while Judas responded differently. Matthew 24. Did I say Matthew 24? It's Matthew 26. Matthew chapter 26. Let's pick it up from verse 21, although it begins from verse 17 all the way to verse 25, but verse 21 of Matthew 26. And as they were eating, he said, truly, I said to you, one of you will betray me. And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, is it I, Lord? He answered, he who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. The son of man goes as it is written of him, but what to him, what to that man by whom the son of man is betrayed? It would have been better for that man if he had not been born. Now listen, Judas, who would betray him, answered, Is it I, Rabbi? He said to him, You have said so. Now notice, the rest was saying, Is it I, Lord? Is it I, Master? And then Judas says, Is it I, Teacher? And as Matthew records for us, as far as Judas was concerned, the Lord Jesus Christ was simply a teacher. He had not gone past beyond that to see Christ not only as a teacher, but as the Lord and Saviour of his life. And as you read, and John records for us, Peter motioned to the disciple whom Jesus loved to inquire who could it be. We see from Matthew that while everyone else responded in a certain way, Judas responded in another way. And the Lord Jesus Christ said to him, it is as you have said. The disciples. were confused, were puzzled, that one among them would be willing to disturb the fellowship they've enjoyed with their Saviour, this sweet fellowship. And they probably must have asked questions among themselves. Matthew records that they each examined themselves, is it I? For a moment they paused. The Lord spoke with authority and certainty that one of them will betray him. The Lord knew who it was and the disciples confused, examined themselves to ensure that it was not them who were guilty of betraying the Lord Jesus Christ. They were loved by their Saviour and he placed them in this fellowship with himself. And they were puzzled. perplexed, confused. You see, the center of any Christian fellowship is the relationship of individuals to the Lord Jesus Christ. The fulcrum of Christianity Oh, Christian fellowship is the relationship of each individual to the Lord Jesus Christ. What binds any Christian fellowship is a shared commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ, the teachings of Christ, the mission of Christ, the love of Christ. And we must all examine ourselves to ensure that this is true of each one of us. We must pose and examine our hearts. Do I still enjoy this fellowship with Christ? And if I still have this fellowship with Christ, do I enjoy fellowship with his people? And those who disturb the fellowship of God's people have no place in this fellowship which is based and centred on the Lord Jesus Christ. And this is what puzzled the disciples, that anyone would break or be willing to break this fellowship that they enjoyed. They were so puzzled that anyone who who claims to have the part in the Lord Jesus Christ would be willing to break this sweet fellowship. Only those who are not in Christ will be willing to go out of their way and do everything within their powers to disturb the fellowship of God's people. Those who belong to Christ will see to it as far as it depends on them to maintain the bonds of Christian fellowship. They are willing to suffer loss and pain For the greater good, the fellowship of God's people, and for the glory of God, they are not willing to be responsible for breaking the fellowship of God's people. And this news confused the disciples and they examined themselves. In the third place, we see a defiant betrayer. A defiant betrayer. Verse 26 to 30 of John chapter 13. 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. Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, what you are going to do, do it quickly. Now, no one at the table knew why he said this to him. Some thought that because Judas had the money bag, Jesus was telling him, buy what we need for the feast, or that he should give something to the poor. So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out, and it was night. At this point, Jesus had not even yet publicly exposed Judas. And He did not even do it at any other time, but the disciples saw that it was Judas whom the Lord Jesus Christ was referring to. Even Judas, as Matthew records for us in Matthew 26, to even ask the Lord Jesus Christ, Rabbi, is it I? It was hypocritical deceit that here was a man who was intended to break the fellowship of God's people, the disciples, however brief. He still went on to ask the Lord Jesus Christ, is it I? He is a man who had walked with the Saviour, knew the Saviour, knew, heard the claims of the Lord Jesus Christ, witnessed the power and the glory that Christ would display at certain points in his ministry. Here is a man to whom when the Lord Jesus Christ called the first disciples, he would say to Philip and Nathanael, I saw you. Here is a man who saw Christ reveals his omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience, and yet still asked, Rabbi, is it I? Here is a man who thought perhaps the Lord Jesus Christ He's playing a game of chance. Maybe Jesus doesn't truly know that it is me. And he asked, is it I, rabbi? And in John's account, John records that Jesus unmasks Judas in his answer, he says, It is to him I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it. And so when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Escargot. That's John 13 and verse 26. Jesus responding to Judas, was an indication to Judas, I know what I'm talking about. I know what is in your heart. I know what you are about to do. In that culture, for the host to take food off his own plate and offer it to a guest, with his own hands was an expression of high favor. Jesus was offering his personal blessing to Judas. He was offering his grace and mercy to Judas. Judas knew what that meant and he should have paused at this moment to think, but he still went ahead. It was an expression of high favour. When you read Ruth chapter 2 and verse 14, You recall when Boaz says to Ruth, come here and eat some of my bread and dip your morsel in the wine. It was an expression of thy favor. You found favor with the guest, rather the host, and he extends his favor and blessings to you. But we see this great tragedy. is that while Judas took the muscle of bread from the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ, He continued to close his heart. Even to this last offer of mercy and grace, he closed his heart. And John records for us in verse 27, Then after he had taken the Mosel, Satan entered into him. And Jesus said to him, What you are going to do, do quickly. And we see that as the Lord Jesus Christ says his words to Judas, it's after everything that needed to be done to help Judas come to his senses had been done. He still was on the path to destruction. He hardened his heart and he did not respond to the offer. of Macy, extended to him by the Lord Jesus Christ. And this last encounter between Jesus and Judas before the actual betrayal teaches us a lot that we need to apply to ourselves today. The first lesson we see is this. Judas teaches us about how the devil works in anyone's life. That's what we see. And Jesse Rao comments, and I quote, when he talks about the works of the devil, he says, first the devil suggests, then he commands. First the devil knocks at the door and asks permission to come in. Then once admitted, he takes complete possession and rules the inward man like a tyrant. Once he takes complete possession, he rules the inward man like a tyrant. And this is how the devil operates. He suggests, he commands, he knocks, and before long, you are a slave to sin. And in James 4, verse 7 tells us, or gives us the remedy. James 4, verse 7, and this is the remedy. Submit yourselves, therefore, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. These two go together. You must submit yourself to God, you must submit yourself to God's authority, and you must resist the impulses, the attractions of sin, of unbelief, and the devil will flee from you. He will flee in search of more convenient targets. We see the work of the devil in anyone's life. But secondly, we see the absolute necessity of the new birth as the sovereign act of God's grace. We see the absolute necessity of the new birth as the sovereign act of God's grace. Judah shows us that even the best of Christian example cannot save. Judas had the best of examples, the son of God. He saw and witnessed the miracles of the Son of God. The power of God displayed. Most likely, he was even there when he heard the Father say during the baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. He spent three or so years with the Son of God. And yet the best of Christian examples had no effect upon the life of Judas Iscariot. And the lesson is this, religious privileges cannot save anyone from their sins. We need the grace of God. Even the most powerful teaching of the gospel cannot save anyone. Jesus had semen from the lips of the Son of God. Only God, by His sovereign grace, can open the heart of one who is held captive in sin. And therefore, we must preach the gospel. We must not try to manipulate or manufacture conversion by worldly means. Only by the grace of God. And that's why we must pray that God, by His Spirit, open the hearts of the hearers so that they may respond to the grace of God. And thirdly, with the lessons we see, that we note how difficult it is to accurately assess the state of anyone's soul, anyone's soul. When Jesus sent out the other disciples, Judas must have been with them. Outward appearance, was no indication of the state of Judah's soul before God. Even when Jesus said these words, the other disciples could not get what he was saying. They thought because he was their treasurer, he needed to buy certain things. But the Son of God sees the mind and the heart He's the only one who's able to assess the true state of someone's heart before Him. And that's why the Bible tells us, you will know them by their fruit. And what is the fruit? The fruit of the new birth. It's continuous in faith to the very end. Those who persevere to the end will be saved, the Bible tells us. Those who remain in Christ, and Christ abides in them, and by the Holy Spirit they are producing the fruits of righteousness, and they persevere to the end, those are the ones who will be saved, as the Scriptures tell us. But forthwith and quickly we learn the lesson from Judas' life, that proves the danger of playing with sin. The danger of playing with sin. The betrayal was not the start, but the result of Judas experimenting with sin. We don't know where it began. But we can easily imagine how the devil used Judas in this sense. Judas was playing with sin, the thoughts of sin, making light of sin. And when the temptation came to his heart, he made light of those temptations. He made light of sin. And he allowed the evil one to talk him into sin. He flirted with sin. And then he put his intentions into motions. And his mind and his heart were taken by sin. He was held into the captive of sin. Playing with sin is dangerous. You don't know how far sin will drag you into the mud. It can be a little look, like David on the roof of his palace. A little look led him to lust, to committing adultery, to lying and to killing. Like Eve, a little look. Like Achan, a little covetousness. Like Lot, a little look at the plans of the Jordan. Playing with sin is dangerous, dear friends. Don't give yourselves to sin, not even an ounce or an inch of sin. You don't know how far sin will drag you into the mud. And this is what we see from Judah's life. But also we see the graciousness of our Lord Jesus Christ, that even to this very last minute, the Lord Jesus Christ was patient, was merciful and gracious to Judah. He extended his grace and mercy to him. He was patient, trying to resonate and show Judas so that he comes to his senses and see the need of Christ in his life. And this is what we see. This is true this morning. The Lord Jesus Christ is patient. He extends his grace and mercy to you. Don't harden your hearts. Respond to His grace. Come to Him today. Believe in Him for the forgiveness of your sins. You don't know how close you are to that point of no return. Like Judas, this might be your last call to come to grace today. And John concludes for us that portion in verse 30 where he says, So after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out, and it was night. And the implication of this final statement of John is that Judas had reached the point of no return. And he cast himself into eternal darkness because he had rejected the offer of grace from the Savior of the world. Jesus, as we are told in John 1 verse 4, that in him was life and the life was the light of men. And Judas rejected this offer and he chose to cast himself into darkness. And that was it. opportunity for him to believe. You have an opportunity today to call on Jesus. Because you don't know how far you are to the point of no return. may just give you to the desires of your heart and you'll be lost forever in your sins. Judas is a picture of all those who hear the gospel and cast it aside by rejecting the sinless Son of God who takes away the sins of the world. You have the opportunity to believe in Christ today. Don't harden your heart. Sin is crouching at your door. Don't allow sin to ruin you and take full control of you like Judas and to be cast into the night of eternal condemnation. Come to Christ today and He will forgive you of your sins. But the warning is clear. Don't play with sin. Don't harden your heart. Come to Christ today. Amen.