John 13 Verses 18-30

John 13:18  “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. 19 Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.  20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.  

21 When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. 22 Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake. 23 Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. 24 Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake. 25 He then lying on Jesus' breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it? 26 Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27 And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly. 28 Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him. 29 For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor. 30 He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night.” 

“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.  Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.”  The scripture to which the Lord was referring is: Ps. 41:9 “Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.”  After the Lord’s death, burial, and resurrection, the disciples looked back and remembered events that were prophesied in the Old Testament concerning himself and were fulfilled in Him. 

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.”  When the Lord sent forth the apostles and people received them and their teachings, then they were also receiving Jesus and receiving the Father that sent him.  

“When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.  Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake.”  At this point the disciples were ignorant of who among them would betray the Lord.  I suspect there were 11 of them that were afraid that it would be them and hoping it would not be them.   

“Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.  Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake.  He then lying on Jesus' breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it?”  John was the writer of this gospel and he was referring to himself when he said, “whom Jesus loved.”  There is no doubt in my mind that the Lord loves all of his children.  However, it should be of great joy to each of us that Jesus loves us.  As we so often see, Peter was a leader of the disciples and often spoke up first.   

“Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.”  Now it is identified at this time who would betray the Lord.

“And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.  Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him.  For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor.  He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night.”  Up to this point, the disciples still did not believe that the Lord was going to be delivered into the hands of men and would be crucified.  They were then ignorant of how that Judas would betray the Lord.   

John 13 Verses 31-35 

John 13:31 “Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him. 33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you. 34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” 

“Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him.  If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him.”  The subject of glorification will be covered in John chapter 17.  Through all the great works the Lord had done on the earth, he was glorified and glorified the Father.  Moreover, the greater glory was yet to come, in the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord and in what the Lord accomplished in delivering His people from their sins and giving them eternal life. 

“Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.”  The Lord was referring to his going to the cross to redeem his people from their sins.  No one else on earth could do what he was about to do.  So not only could not the Jews come with him or the disciples come with him to do this work. 

“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye 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.”  God had already given two great commandments: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and soul, and mind; and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.  Now we are commanded as disciples to love one another as the Lord loved us.  The Lord’s love to us is both sacrificial and totally unselfish.

John 13 Verses 36-38 

John 13:36 “Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards. 37 Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake. 38 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.” 

I wonder how many times in each of our lives we have been like Peter.  We just know that we will do something, and then end up doing just the opposite.  Yet, Peter in his declaration was going opposite of what the Lord had said would happen.  Anytime we go contrary to what the Lord has said, we are going to be wrong every time.