The Word Made Plain

Guest (Male): Welcome to the Word Made Playing, with senior pastor Tony Clark of Calvary Chapel Newport News in Virginia. Currently, pastor Tony is teaching in the book of John. Please open your Bible to John chapter 13 verses 12 through 26.

Tony Clark: Luke wrote in Acts 1 verse 1 talking about Jesus. He said the former account I made, Luke is referring to the Gospel of Luke, oh Theophilus, of all Jesus began both, watch this, to do and to teach. See, Jesus would do, then he would teach. Jesus washed their feet to do, and then he taught them. Do you know what I have done to you? And if you want to be effective parents, we must learn from Jesus. We need to do then to teach. So often we want to teach our children and then tell them to do.

But Jesus was just the opposite. He did it first, then he taught them. It was leadership by example, uh which is the most effective form of leadership. It was not this stuff we used to hear long ago. Do what I say, not as I do. It's none of that kind of mess. No, Jesus or the Jesus way is to do it then to teach it. And that is leadership by example, which is the most effective form of leadership. Look what it says there in verses 16 and 17. Most assuredly I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.

If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. Now remember whenever the author John tells us that Jesus starts off by using this phrase, most assuredly I say to you, that he is about to introduce an important truth. Now Jesus said, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is he who sent greater than he who sent him. Oh with this statement, Jesus is saying, no servant will think that any task is beneath him if his master performed the task first. In other words, Jesus was saying, you're not above me and I washed your feet, so you ought to wash one another's feet.

Well, I'm sure that the disciples were nodding their heads and saying, yes Lord, you you're right. Yeah, yeah, you're right. Now I say this because this is why Jesus said in verse 17, if you know these things, by them nodding their heads saying, yeah, you're right. Blessed are you if you do them. Oh Jesus constantly stressed throughout the Scriptures and his earthly ministry, the necessity of doing God's will. Oh we see this in in Matthew 7 verses 21 to 24. We see it in Mark 3 verse 35. See, having knowledge of what is right or acknowledging what is right has no value in our lives unless we do it.

Oh James 4:17 says, therefore to him who knows to do good and doesn't do it, to him it is sin. So it is a sin when we know what God says in his word and we don't do it. Well, this is especially a warning to those who claim to have read the Bible and know what it says but doesn't live it out or doesn't do what it says. Oh the blessedness comes from doing what is right and not just knowing it. Oh that Greek word for blessed in verse 17 is macarios. And it it is used several times in the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 and verses 3 through 11.

And it means happy or oh how happy. So we can easily say the key to happiness is by washing feet, serving other people. And Jesus said in verse 17, happy are those who do what I said. Jesus didn't say happy are those who just listen to what I said or happy are those who just are not and agree with what I said. No, happy are those who do what I said. Why? Why is this? Don't forget then, don't miss this principle because after humiliation is exaltation. You say, well what do you mean? Well, in Philippians 2 in verses 8 9 Jesus once again demonstrated this principle and says, being found in appearance of a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Therefore, God has also highly exalted him. See, after humiliation is always exaltation. Oh let me ask you this, are you tired of being in the pits of despair? Do you want to be exalted to a higher place in your walk with the Lord? Do you want to experience a new level of joy and happiness? Although the key is humility. Oh even James tells us this in James 4:10 that's not on the screen for you note taker. This says, humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and he will lift you up. Before there is exaltation, there is always humiliation.

Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and he will lift you up. And just as the branch with the most fruit bows the lowest, so too the one who is most fruitful in the things of God bows the lowest to serve others. Oh Jesus continues in verses 18 to 20 to discuss the subject of betrayal. Look what he says there in verses 18 to 20. I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen, but that the Scriptures may be fulfilled. He who eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me.

Now I tell you before it comes that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am he. Most assuredly I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives me. And he who receives me receives him who sent me. Now it is no doubt that the betrayal of Judas left a serious impression upon John the author. He is the one who told us in chapter 6 verse 71 that one of his disciples chosen was the devil, that John says was Judas. In chapter 12 verse 4, he tells us that Judas was the betrayer.

He mentions in verses 10 and 11 that the unclean disciple was Judas. Now here in verse 18, he is referring to Judas again. So Jesus refers to Judas in verse 18, but he quotes Psalm 41 verse 9. Now in this Psalm, David was referring to the time he was betrayed by his friend Ahithophel that 2 Samuel chapters 13 through 15 talks about. Now in those particular chapters, David's son Absalom launched a rebellion against him. And all of a sudden, Ahithophel sided with Absalom. David was devastated and so was everyone else. They were blown away that Ahithophel would side with the rebellion.

Because Ahithophel was David's closest friend. David said, we used to take sweet counsel together before the Lord. He said, we sat at the same table and ate bread together. And then he turned and betrayed him. So Ahithophel betraying David was a picture of what Judas would later do to Jesus. For he would also hang himself because of his guilt just like Judas did according to 2 Samuel 17 verse 23. Now here is a side note. Here's a side note, don't miss this. Here's a side note. It is believed that Ahithophel betrayed David because Ahithophel had a granddaughter by the name of Bathsheba.

And when David seduced her and got her pregnant and tried to put the pregnancy off on the husband the husband was out, Uriah was out in battle. He had Uriah come in. Say, how's the battle going Uriah? Well, you know it's going tough, but you know we're hanging in there. He said, oh okay, okay uh won't you go down to the house and enjoy your wife and we'll send you back out to the battle. He was too honorable of a man. He said, the Lord's army is out there fighting and here I'm at home going to enjoy my wife.

He said, no and no he wouldn't go home. Next night, David got him drunk and said, maybe if he got drunk he'll go home and and and be with his wife and so the pregnancy will be blamed on him. He still wouldn't go. And so all of a sudden David said, I need you to take this to the general. Here's a note to the general here. And went out and it was this death sentence. Told the general, put Uriah in the hottest part of the battle and then withdraw the troops. And he died. And so David took Bathsheba as his own wife.

Here's the thing. That didn't sit too well with grandpa. And so when the rebellion took place when the rebellion took place he sided right along with the rebellion. Oh this whole issue left a bitter taste in the mouth of grandpa. And this is why I always told you to beware of bitterness. Beware of bitterness because you like Ahithophel will look for an opportunity to betray the one you're bitter towards. And guess what? You will all of a sudden become an Ahithophel to them. Oh there's a there's another person who was guilty of betrayal and his name is Peter.

He denied the Lord three times. Oh the Bible says on the third time he cursed and swore that he didn't know the Lord. And many misinformed preachers say, yeah, you know Peter was cursing, you know. He was not. Curse words were not even invented back then. He said, you know when he the Bible says he cursed and swore, he swore with an oath. He said, may I be eternally condemned if I know that man. Oh to take it a step further to put it in terms we can understand, he said, may I burn in hell for all eternity if I know that man.

Oh that is stronger than some four-letter words. But he didn't end his life when he denied the Lord, when he betrayed the Lord. He didn't end his life by hanging himself from a tree like Judas and Ahithophel did. But Peter looked to the one who hung on the tree of Calvary and that was Jesus. See, all of us are either Judas, Ahithophel, or Peter. For all of us have betrayed the Lord in one way or another. But here's the issue. Are we going to get hung up and say, I'm going to end it all or are we going to look to him who hung on the tree and said, thank you Lord for dying in my place?

All the choice is yours and I'm here to encourage you to choose life today. Because all of us all of us are one way or another. We are Judas, we are Ahithophel, or we're Peter. The real issue is how you going to deal with the betrayal. And it's not whether you are going to betray her. Now you are, we are. It's how we going to deal with it. And after Jesus tells the disciples in verse 18 that Judas betraying him is like what Ahithophel did to David he tells them in verse 19, now I tell you before it comes that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am he.

You see the he at the end of verse 19. It notice is in italics in your Bible, meaning that it's not part of the original Greek. The translators tried to put it there to add clarity. Really, Jesus was saying, um when it comes to pass you may believe that I am. And that phrase I am in the Greek is uh and it is Jesus saying that he is God in human flesh. That he is the great I am that Exodus 3:14 talks about that said, he was the one. He was God, the one speaking to Moses in the burning bush passage.

When Moses said, okay you want me to go back to get your people, well what is your name who who are you? What what should I tell the people? He said, tell them I am that I am. You saw the Ten Commandments, you know it. That's what he said. Well, Jesus was saying that he was the great I am speaking to Moses in the burning bush. Then Jesus starts off verse 20 with most assuredly I say to you, like he did in verse 16, because he is about to introduce another important truth. Jesus understood that betrayal and death would bring confusion and discouragement.

So Jesus knew that they would be tempted to give up on the mission he was about to send them out on. And he tells them in verse 20, he who receives whomever I send receives me and he who receives me receives him who sent me. And he was telling them that not only was he sending them out into the world to spread the message of the Gospel but the father was sending them out as well. Now this is very important because knowing that Jesus was sending him out on them on this mission was one thing, but to hear that the father, God the father was sending them out was another.

Because this knowing this and having this knowledge means that no matter what opposition comes their way, they'll be able to press through because they were on a mission from God himself. Oh the same thing is true in our lives that we're on a mission by God himself. That no matter what opposition and there's plenty of it today and this is just the beginning. There's plenty of opposition against us and there's many opportunities for us to get discouraged and bumped out and sad because of the persecution that's coming against Christianity. But we have to realize like Jesus was trying to tell these disciples that we are on a mission from God himself.

And that we that can get us through any opposition that we will face. Look at verses 21 to 26. It says when Jesus has said these things, he was troubled in spirit and testified and said, most assuredly I say to you, one of you will betray me. And then the disciples looked at one another, perplexed about whom he spoke. Now there was leaning on Jesus's bosom one of his disciples whom he Jesus loved. And Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was whom he spoke. And then leaning back on Jesus's breast, he said to him, Lord, who is it?

And Jesus answered, it is he whom I shall give a piece of bread when he had dipped it. And having dipped the bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. Now we going to just kind of overview these verses right now and we going to dig into more of the nuggets and truths of these verses God's will next time. But suffices to say after Jesus said in verse 18 he who eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me then verse 21 says, when Jesus has said these things, he was troubled in spirit.

Oh that Greek verb translated troubled is tarasso and it means to stir up, to to troubled. Uh it was a strong verb that was used at this particular time. It was used figuratively to speak of severe mental or spiritual turmoil. Oh this same Greek word is used in Matthew 14 verse 26 to describe the disciples's emotional state when they saw Jesus walking on the water coming toward them. You remember in Matthew 14 they saw Jesus walking on the water and they were like, whoa, a ghost. And they were freaked out. Well, that's the same Greek word, tarasso.

The question is what was Jesus troubled about? Remember he's about to introduce an important truth because he started off by saying, most assuredly I say to you one of you will betray me. He was troubled that one of his very own disciples was about to betray him. See, we see this at the end of verse 21. Then according to verse 22, the disciples were perplexed and stunned and looked at one another at who Jesus was referring to. Oh it is obvious that Judas was so effective at hiding the truth that he was a false disciple that the other disciples didn't suspect him.

Oh when Jesus said one of his disciples are about to betray me they they easily could have said, Judas come to the front. You you're sin that's found you out. We knew it was you the whole time. No. They didn't say that at all. And please understand that Judas is alive and well in church today. Oh you come and pretend to be righteous. You pretend to be a Christian, but you're a Judas, a pretender. You pretend to be a true believer using all the terminology and praise the Lord and amen and hallelujah and that smile.

But you're Judas and a pretender. And you're pretending to be a a believer to get some woman or to trap some man. And Jesus is troubled at your intentions because you were placed here by Satan to get someone's attention off the things of God. And you are a true hypocrite. The word hypocrite comes from the Greek word hypokrites and it means an actor. It described those in the plays who wore mask with exaggerated expressions to describe the emotion they were acting out. A hypocrite is not a true believer. Many people believe that a true believer who sinned, they call you a hypocrite.

No, no, no. That's not it. Uh uh uh a true believer who sinned is a believer who sinned. A hypocrite is someone acting like a Christian. And they're only wearing a mask. And Judas was the ultimate hypocrite. He was so good that none of his other disciples suspected him. And the same way is very true. There are many who come into churches and a true hypocrite and no one suspects you. That person next to you don't suspect you because you know the terminology and the word and hallelujah and too blessed to be stressed and you know you know the phrases and all that kind of stuff and you know and you're hypocrite, a true hypocrite at heart.

Because all the time you want to you want to try to have sex with her and you want to try to get her and try to trap a man and all that kind of stuff. I've seen it. True Judas comes to church today. Telling you, he does. And the Lord sees this this kind of stuff. And so often single ladies, so often you've been shot by Cupid's arrow. And all of a sudden you all you see is hearts. And and you it blinds you to seeing that he is a Judas. And he just figures it because you they were told, well you know I can only date a Christian and and a person that comes to church and when you go to church and he's thinking in my mind, hmm, I go to church a few times to get her and then once I get her she won't see me in church again.

And then he come and he'll sit there and you know and and just sit there and it's just kind of looking crazy and just and all the time to get you. And then when he walks you down the aisle and say I do, we don't see him down the doors again. Real Judas, real hypocrite. And I've seen where many many well in I mean single people want to be married, want to be loved, got caught up and they end up with a Judas. Because he fooled them. Is it it it Judas was good. He was good.

Nobody suspected him. Nobody said Judas, you we knew you uh every time we saw you had the black hat on. You know in the in the westerns the black hat was always the villain, you know. And no, no. Judas was good. And there's so folks that are really good at what they do. And let me and here's the thing, we got to ask ourselves this, you know what happened next? Well, we got to wait until next time so we can pick it up. Because there are some things that we need to dig in verses 21 to 26 some more and see how far we can get down to the end of the chapter.

But I can tell you what there's some things we have to bring out God's will next week in the message of betrayal part two. Now let me conclude with this. Betrayal is a terrible thing. It really is. Before we get too angry at at Ahithophel or Judas, we need to ask ourselves have we betrayed anyone before? Or how many times have we betrayed Jesus with our disobedient or ungodly ways and lifestyles? See, the issue is not how many times we have betrayed someone or especially the Lord. The real question is how are we going to deal with it?

Will we deal with it like Absalom and Judas and hang ourselves? Or will we deal with it like Peter and look to the one who was hung on Calvary's cross, Jesus Christ? The one who is ready to forgive us if we come to him in brokenness and humility. So will you leave here in despair and depression or will you leave here in triumph and victory because you look to the one who hung on the cross for you? Oh the choice is yours. And I'm here to encourage you to choose life today. Choose life in Christ today.

Let's pray. Father, thank you so much for this time in your word. We pray that Lord that you would speak into our hearts, write this word upon our hearts. I pray that Satan would not come and remove this word that's planted in the hearts of your people. And Lord I just pray that we will receive with meekness the implanted word which is able to save our souls. And Lord I pray if there's anyone here who has not surrendered their life to Jesus Christ, I pray that today will be the day of salvation for them. That they repent of their sin and draw close to you.

Ask you to come into their hearts and change their lives. Lord I just pray have mercy upon us for betraying you. Help us Lord to live for you. Help us Lord for just being hearers of your word and not doers. You said, blessed are those who do what you say. And so Lord may we be doers of your word from here on out in Jesus's name. Amen.

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