Jesus gets sad in a few hours, as He prays alone in the garden before they come to arrest Him. There aren't many other times where it is recorded that he gets "troubled in spirit". The only times I can remember off the top of my head are the time when Mary and Martha are so upset because Lazarus is dead and here, when he shares that one of them, Judas, will betray Him. I think I like this very much. I like that Jesus is hurt when He is betrayed. I like that my obeying Him, my trusting him, my loyalty to Him and my friendship means so much to Him. It's easier to obey someone who treasures my obedience so much.
The "Judas" type is not rare. Selling Jesus for money is not rare. Hearing the words of Jesus and them not having an affect is not rare. Often, I have been like Judas. Judas probably saw Jesus do hundreds of miracles. The last verse of the Gospel of John seems to state that most of Jesus' miracles weren't recorded:
John 21:25- Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.
So Judas saw all of these miracles and He heard the most spellbinding, amazing sermons that have ever been spoken. He probably bathed with Jesus in the Jordan River and probably joked and told stories around campfires with Him. Judas probably thought that His experience was the same as James, John, Andrew, Peter and all the other disciples, especially in the first 2 of the 3 years of Jesus' ministry. But something began to happen to Judas, in that last year. Not sure what it was. Might have been jealousy. John, Peter and James seemed to be the ones that were becoming the leaders of the rest. They were the ones Jesus would bring with Him like on the mount of transfiguration, for example. Judas may have felt jealousy over that.
It could have been the way they were living. The hard life of constant travel, strife and threats from the Jewish leaders. They were poor. Judas, when he first began to follow Jesus, may have been attracted to Him because of Jesus' claim to be the Eternal King of the Jews. He initially thought, as did the others, that He was going to immediately institute a new Kingdom with Jesus as it's head. Judas wanted to be a part of that for sure. But the years of poverty, the years of hard work and the growing understanding that Judas' idea of King and Jesus' idea of King were quite different, eventually caused Judas' to start looking around for a better deal. He knew of the power of the Sanhedrin and he probably began to gather that they were going to kill Jesus and not be too happy with anyone that may have been a part of Jesus' crew. His move was probably more about self preservation than anything else. He was not willing to decrease so that Jesus might increase. He didn't believe that Jesus was who HE said He was. Like I said, not all that rare.
Verse 23- The "disciple whom Jesus loved" is John.
Verse 27- There is Satan again. Satan entered Judas, because He was able. Judas was ready to be entered by Satan because He hadn't committed himself to Jesus. That is always how it works and it is as common today as it was then. Judas didn't know Satan was in him but he was in him just the same. Even after 3 years with Jesus. Don't flirt with Jesus.
Verses 37 and 38- Beloved Peter again. All will not fight for you Jesus but I will. I will give my life for you. I love you more than everyone else. I am different. I am special compared to these others. We so often think our way is best, that we are the most forgiving, or most righteous, or most humble but Jesus will be the judge of that. Jesus will show you just how dark you are, my friend. Peter couldn't have been more wrong about himself. Again, after being with Jesus for 3 years, he didn't have the remotest clue about himself. We are ridiculous, prideful little creatures. In a few hours, mighty Peter will be afraid to tell a little girl that He is with Jesus. But Peter will finally learn and Jesus will restore Him but only after Peter, finally, learns to despise his own understanding and learns to trust Jesus. Yay Peter!
18 “I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture: ‘He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me.’ 19 “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He. 20 I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.” 21 After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me.” 22 His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. 23One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. 24 Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.” 25 Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon. 27 As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. “What you are about to do, do quickly,” Jesus told him, 28 but no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. 29 Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the Feast, or to give something to the poor. 30 As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night. 31 When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once. 33 “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. 34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” 36 Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.” 37 Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”38 Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!
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