SEARCH THE SCRIPTURE by Pastor Kumuyi of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry for today is here. Digest the word of the lord and pray believing.
ADULT STS
LESSON 156_ JESUS PREDICTS HIS BETRAYAL
MEMORY VERSE: “I speak not of you all: I know whom I
have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with
me hath lifted up his heel against me” (John 13:18). TEXT: John 13:18-38
One of Christ’s special
marks of divinity is His foreknowledge. As omniscient, He knows the future. He
can tell the details of events that will unfold in the near or distant future.
He knew that for just thirty pieces of silver, Judas Iscariot would betray Him;
He knew that for fear of a damsel or a maid, Peter would deny Him. He knows the
hearts of everyone sinners and saints alike. He knows those who are
hypocritical and those who are holy. He knows those playing religion or
practising righteousness. He knows when we are spiritually weak or strong,
cowardly or courageous, fearful or fearless, humble or haughty. “Neither is
there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked
and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do” (Hebrews 4:13). He
knows about the sinful schemes and tricks people carefully hatch under cover
and the things swept under the carpet. He knows about the secret sins that have
not been confessed. The Lord knows those who are His, those whom He has
forgiven their sins and saved. With Christ’s all-informed intelligence, it is
impossible for any unsaved person to enter His Kingdom. These predictions on
betrayals came, not just for the sake of knowledge, but to forewarn both Judas
Iscariot and Peter of the consequences of the actions they were about to take.
When Christ warns believers against making spiritual shipwreck of their faith
while there are no present feelings of danger or during height of spirituality,
we, as believers, must humble ourselves and pray. This is because He knows the
future and the plans of the devil. He reveals such satanic schemes ahead of
time for saints to take prayer action against the wiles of the devil (Proverbs
22:3; 27:12; 14:16). As mere mortals, we know nothing but He knows tomorrow.
God’s utmost priority is for people not just to hear but also to do His word
(Matthew 7:21). To do His will is the mark that we belong to the Lord. And the
secret of belonging to Christ is that we “do whatsoever” He “commands” us. So,
as we come to the presence of God, we must have that personal link and
connection with Him. “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may
have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the
city” (Revelation 22:14).
DISLOYALTY BY THE SON
OF PERDITION (John 13:18-30; 6:64;
12:4-6; Psalm 41:9; Matthew 26:21; Mark 14:18; Luke 22:21)
When we consider Judas’
betrayal, we have every cause to trace it back to the Old Testament when it was
prophesied: “Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of
my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me” (Psalm 41:9). This was exactly
what happened to Jesus. At this time, they were at the dining table. Jesus
prophesied that one of them eating and dining with Him would betray Him. The
action of Judas before now proved he was never steady. He was a thief before
this time. He was faithful to the devil. Although he is no more here, we study
this because the spirit of betrayal is still in many people today. Such people
hinder and destroy others with a pretentious smile. Others have rejected
servants of God and ultimately,
Christ. To betray is to
hurt somebody who trusts you, especially by not being loyal or faithful to
them. It also means to divulge the secrets of a friend to an enemy. The
betrayer hardened his heart against Christ, His love, appeal, warning, goodness
and Messiahship. He hardened his heart against the deity of Christ, grace and
the truth. The common characteristic of betrayers is hardness of heart against
their own salvation and security, blessing and benefit, privilege of
partnership with the Lord and to their own destruction, doom and eternal
damnation. We must beware, think and be vigilant so as not to go the way of
betrayers. Before Judas Iscariot betrayed his Master and Lord (John 13:13), he
was saved and was one of those sent out to preach the gospel. By virtue of
being a treasurer among the twelve, he was a prominent figure among the
disciples but his heart later moved away from the Lord. Earlier in the chapter,
the Scripture records that Satan dropped the idea of betraying his Master in
his heart (John 13:2). He did not nip the idea in the bud and Satan soon
overwhelmed him with it (John 13:27) until it developed into an action of
betrayal. He was tempted and he yielded to it. It is often said that temptation
is not sin until the tempted yields to it. This means that we must guard
against evil thoughts because they often lead to sin. Judas’ action was
premeditated. This explains the process of backsliding: it is sequential. He
had love for money. "Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot,
Simon’s son, which should betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for three
hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the
poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put
therein” (John 12:4-6). Believers are to beware of covetousness as the
Scripture warns. “And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness:
for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he
possesseth” (Luke 12:15). There had been incidences of betrayal before the act
of Judas Iscariot. Ahithophel betrayed the trust David reposed in him; Joab
stabbed Amasa to death while calling him “my brother”; Jael, the wife of Heber
the Kenite offered milk instead of water requested by Sisera who was fleeing
from Barak, the commander of Israel’s army and subsequently killed him while he
was asleep in her house. The inference here is that true Christian leaders also
suffer betrayal from close associates or people whom they have laboured to
train physically and spiritually. But Christian ministers need not be
discouraged. Christ’s attitude during this trying period, which He foresaw is
what every servant of God should emulate. Like Judas, many love the world and
its politics than they love Christ. They value tribal ceremony than the things
of God. They are engrossed with the love of self (2 Timothy 3:2), love of
pleasure (2 Timothy 3:4), love of praise (John 12:43), and love of relations
and things of this life than Christ (Matthew 10:37; John 21:15-17). Those who
betray others show by their conduct that they do not have the love of God in their
hearts. The negative action of Judas Iscariot did not change Christ’s love or
His message. He continued with His mission by teaching an all-important message
of agape love. In the same way, acts of betrayal should not stop us from
preaching the gospel or serving God. Christians who are betrayed should remain
faithful to the Lord no matter the import or the betrayer’s action.
DIVINE LOVE: MARK OF
TRUE DISCIPLESHIP (John 13:31-35;
Romans 13:8-10; 1 Corinthians 13:1-8; Song of Solomon 8:6; Deuteronomy 30:6;
Romans 8:35-39)
There is an interlude
between Christ’s prediction on Judas Iscariot’s betrayal and that of Peter’s
denial. As it were, none of these upcoming negative events had happened. Though
He would be the victim of these prophecies, He did not allow it to stop His
ministry. He used the interlude to emphasise His glorification and to teach His
disciples the indispensability of love. He declared that love for one another
was a.new
Commandment that He was
giving them as a hallmark of their discipleship. Without love, Christianity
becomes an empty profession. Except love takes a firm root in a Christian’s
life, the tides of betrayal and denial could drift such from the pathway of
righteousness. Christ’s command to every Christian is to: “love one another; as
I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know
that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:34,35). The
yardstick of the believer’s love for fellow Christians is Christ’s measure of
love for him. True love is not in the world, as the devil, the god of this
world, has no love and cannot love anyone. The natural man cannot love as
Christ loves, since they do not have Christ in them. The world is full of evil
and all kinds of vices: hatred, malice, bitterness, fighting, murder, etc. But
when they see love in demonstration by believers, they will be drawn to Christ.
To possess agape love requires that a sinner repents of sin and receives Christ
as Saviour and Lord. There is also the need to pray for the sanctification
experience because agape love flows uninterrupted from a sanctified heart. This
love is a fruit of the Spirit that brings together all other virtues to make
believers perfect in Christ. When Christlike love dwells in us, we will never
“judge one another” or provoke one another to act foolishly. Where the
sanctification experience has taken place and the Lord has purified the heart,
it is not possible to bear grudge, animosity, bitterness or hatred against
others. This love makes us have “peace one with another”, as the salt of the
earth. It takes salvation, sanctification and purity of heart to “be ye all of
one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be
courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing…” (1 Peter
3:8,9). As believers, we must encourage, remind, counsel, warn and exhort one
another. Love as expressed, demonstrated and manifested by Christ is practical,
positive, purposeful, purifying, helpful, uplifting and edifying. Christlike
love is sacrificial, sanctifying and sustaining; it is not seductive and
self-seeking. This kind of love should be possessed and demonstrated by all
believers.
DENIAL OF CHRIST BY
SIMON PETER PREDICTED (John 13:36-38;
18:25-27; Mark 14:29-31,67-72; Luke 22:31-33; Matthew 26:69-75)
While a life of duplicity
and disloyalty was the bane of Judas Iscariot’s failure in ministry, Simon
Peter’s undoing was his over-confidence. Gifted with spiritual insight (John
6:69), Peter relied on the failing arm of flesh and trusted in himself at a
critical moment of his life. He was boastful even in the face of Christ’s
prediction of the denial. “Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee
now? I will lay down my life for thy sake. Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay
down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not
crow, till thou hast denied me thrice” (John 13:37,38). When a believer is
ignorant of his or her shortcoming and frailty, It will breed over- confidence.
Simon Peter was sincere; but he needed Christ’s strength to resist the
temptation. The Master was right but Peter was wrong. Peter’s denial was based
on the perception of the impending consequences he could suffer and be killed.
Some believers still behave like Peter; they tell lies in the family, office
and other places of business in order to avoid punishment or to acquire wealth.
Yet, others prefer to compromise their faith for fear of persecution or loss of
privilege. Believers should be watchful and prayerful so they do not enter into
temptation (Matthew 26:41). In summary, this study teaches that, one, Judas’
betrayal of Christ was an exercise of his willpower and not a matter of destiny
(Proverbs 29:1). Two, Christlike love is a mark of true discipleship (John
13:34,35; 1 John 3:10). Three, temptation to deny Christ and backslide should
be overcome by our closeness to Him and being prayerful and watchful.
Questions for review:
1. What was the purpose of
the predictions of Christ?
2. What is betrayal and
what should believers do to avoid betraying the Lord Jesus Christ?
3. Name people in the
Bible who betrayed the trust put in them.
4. What should be the
attitude of gospel ministers towards acts of betrayal?
5. Why is the
sanctification experience important for all believers in Christ?
6. What can Christians
learn from Peter’s denial of Christ despite his boasting to be with Him until
the end?
7. Enumerate various
lessons believers can draw from the study.
