Take your Bibles please and turn to John 13. This is a chapter that we began with a couple of weeks ago. And I wanted to continue here. We're going to look at one main situation that takes place here. The title of the message is Betrayal. Judas's fatal choice. It is a fascinating, fascinating study, and I hope and pray that you see and you agree, but just, you know, there are situations that we wind up reading about, you know, in our current history, in our nation's history, and it's just kind of interesting to, to look at a character or characters and observe their actions, et cetera. I just got a book not too long ago. It's one that I have on my Kindle. I enjoy listening to it as well, but it was by Bill O'Reilly on the presidents. And you find out a lot of things about the former presidents we had here in the United States. They were not all on the up and up. In fact, even a long time ago, they were not. But when it comes to the characters we read in the Bible, the Holy Spirit and cross-referencing and just meditating on and recalling, taking things that are mentioned here, it helps you to see and glean what we need to, not only from the story, but you observe weaknesses, and you also observe strengths with some. And then there are those you grieve for and rejoice in, like David. There was hurt, there was sin, but overall, you know how God has used him, and obviously Christ comes in the line of David. So we're just gonna take a few minutes tonight and look into this. And I pray again, it is a blessing. So let's pray. Heavenly Father, Lord, open your word up to us tonight. We look at this man, Judas, and we grieve. And yet at the same time, we have a warning. And Lord, I pray that we would heed that warning. Closeness does not always guarantee relationship. So Lord, help us to see. I pray in Christ's name, amen. So very quickly beforehand, what we looked at in this chapter, just one thought in verse 13 of chapter 13, the Lord made this statement. He called me master and Lord, and you say, well, for so I am. If I then your Lord and master have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. So here is a lesson. for us all. I remember meeting a lady that she said she was part of what is known in the South or elsewhere as the foot-washing Baptists. They actually do this. I don't know, I'm sure some of you have heard about that, but they actually perform this. They will wash one another's feet. They believe it was something close to a command. I don't see it as a command, I see it as an observation of, again, a character. in our hearts what ought to be there, but just to stop and consider who was there when this was taking place. And we know the conversation between Christ and Peter in this, this is the last that we saw of him. He said, hey, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head when Christ said, hey, if you don't do this, you have no part of me. Then this comes, if you could please look at verse 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. Now, again, here is Christ speaking Old Testament prophecy. He has done this before with his disciples. We're not gonna go back to that. But some have speculated, and I'm not going to negate that speculation. Some have speculated that he, in a manner, was giving Judas an opportunity to recognize what he was about to do and he, He has an out. God can use it another way. God can make another way, but it doesn't happen that way. Verse 19, now I tell you before it come, that when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he. Literally he is saying, I am. I am God come in the flesh. You have, you know, I've spoken to you about this. He that hath seen me hath seen the Father, and the Father indeed is the great I am. Jesus is God. We've all been taught that, or most of us, in doctrine, in discipleship, in our Bible classes, that when you look at God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, they are the three in one. Each has characterizations of the other two. God is God in all of them. But then, verse 20, verily, verily, truly, truly, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. Again, speaking of the father. But when Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit and testified and said, once again, verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you indeed shall Betray me. The Bible says that he was troubled in spirit. Interesting that the same Greek word is used at the tomb of Lazarus when Christ was troubled in John 11. And again, when the Greeks came to him in John 12, Jesus was not just static in his heart. He was quite touched, he was very touched. We praise God for this and this truth, that when he came and lived, he was tempted like as we are, the Bible says, but yet without sin. So we have deliverance from sin through him. He was tempted, he did not sin. We can do the same, but at the same time, he was troubled like we wind up getting troubled. Now with Judas at the table, he was troubled. And again, there have been those, I've read them, that speculated that Christ was giving him an out. He did not take it. This is fascinating. Now what I'm going to give you right now, there might be some that debate about it back and forth, and that's okay, that's fine. But I found this fascinating in looking a little bit deeper at what took place at the temple. Gonna look at this man, Judas. In the disciples, we had men that were fishermen. We had a tax collector. Judas, I believe, was a priest. Now, I'll give it to you in a little bit, but he was of the Aaronic line. I'll show you. The only ones, the only ones that could enter the temple and the holy place and the holy of holies was the priesthood, right? All right. When Judas realized, when he was paid the 30 pieces of silver, and realized what took place, the Bible says that he came to the temple and he threw them on the floor of the nes, which is the Greek word for holy place, and the holy of holies. Judas was in this place when this took place. Now, some people say, well, you know, he must've just forced his way in. I don't think so. I don't think so. When he realized what he had done, the only ones that could enter into, again, these areas, were the Aaronic priest. Matthew 27 five says this, and he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, in the temple and departed and went and hanged himself. There's another situation. This again is fascinating. In Mark 14, There are some that say that there is an indication here that Judas was not just any disciple. There are those that say he's called the one of the 12. Now, just hang in there with me and hear me out. I'm trying to speed ahead on this. In Mark 14, 10, we read this. And Judas Iscariot, one of the 12, went unto the chief priest to betray him unto them. He could have been the one. Now here's where this comes from. Look at verse 22 in John 13. Then the disciples looked one another, doubting of whom he spake. Christ has just said, One of you shall betray me. Now, they're looking back and forth. They're doubting of whom he said. That Greek word there means they were left wanting. They didn't know what to think about this. They were at a loss, not knowing which way to turn. What? Here they are. Brethren, they are gathered on a sacred night. They're eating. with the Savior. And he says, one of you will betray me. Not everybody looked and says, you know what? I got a feeling I know who it was. They didn't know. So watch this please. Look at verse 23. 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. I remember when my wife and I, when we were there in Israel, that Arieh, our guide, he showed, this is how they would come in. And they made a U-shaped, when they would walk in, they made a U-shape coming in. There was the, There were couches kind of, you know, I mean, not the couch like we think of today. Their legs are out, but they're propped up and they're comfortable and they're able to reach in and eat. Then Christ says, again, one of you shall betray me. John is on his right. That is not the place of honor with Christ. That was a place of intimacy, John whom Jesus loved and John loved him, et cetera. So he makes this statement, look at verse 24. Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake. That word beckon means to not, you ever signal somebody, You don't have to say anything, you just nod, you just, you know. There was something like that that went on. Ask him. You know, it's something like that. So this is what happened. Look at verse 25. He then, lying on Jesus' breast, said unto him, Lord, who is it? Jesus answered, he it is to whom I shall give a sop when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, now the sop is a sauce and you dip your bread in it. When he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. So here's Christ, they're sitting in a U-shaped, John is there, able to look to Christ. He is leaning back and able to look at him and say, Lord, who is it? Judas, excuse me, Jesus says, it's the one I'm going to give the sop to. There are some that speculate that the person that was on the left was the man who was of the priesthood. We've got fishermen. We've got a tax collector. We have somebody in the line of the priest. All Jesus had to do, he didn't have to dip the sop and toss it to somebody. He dipped it and handed it to Judas. Now stop and consider, in the way that they rested, in the same way that John would be leaning up against Christ, Christ is leaning up to Judas. That seat on the left was a seat of honor. He simply dipped it, and gave it. The disciples couldn't understand what he said. Watch this, again, verse 25. He then lying on Jesus' breast said on him, Lord, who is it? 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. If indeed that is the situation, we wind up realizing and remembering, you know, in all that the disciples did, he was never mentioned. Jesus took Peter, James, and John to the Mount. Remember the Mount of Transfiguration. But there were others that were not mentioned either. Yet they were there, they went out, and through the power that the Lord gave them, they were able to perform miracles. They were able to preach with power. There was nobody that was suspect, including Judas. They were not. Now look at verse 27, to me, This hangs out more than ever. And when the sop, oh, chapter 13, John 13. And after the sop, Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, that thou doest, do quickly. Do you realize what just took place here? At that split second, at that moment, Here is a man who is right there next to Christ, but there is something in his heart. And Satan is waiting for one thing, for a choice to be made. The revelation has come. He it is to whom I will dip the sop and give it to. When Jesus hands it to him, he takes it. In taking it, he knows what that is meant, what that is all about. Consider the fatal choice. You know, there was a man on the cross, hours away from death, He made a choice. He looked to the Savior and he said, Lord, remember me when thou enterest into thy kingdom. But that man did not know Christ like others knew, like the disciples knew. Folks, stop and consider what just took place here. A very real Satan came in and possessed a man that in reality never had a relationship with Christ in the first place. Now, as a believer, we cannot be, I am absolutely convinced based on scripture, we cannot be demon possessed. We have the spirit of God, but we can be demon oppressed. I just had somebody on Facebook said, pray for me. We are in a real spiritual warfare. I know what that spiritual warfare can be like. And I believe that we need to be mindful of that today. I hurt when I consider people that I know, when I consider people that I'm sure they've manifested being a believer. but they have given opportunity. Now let's finish up with Judas and then we're pretty much done. Look at verse 28. 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 he had said unto him, buy those things that we have need of against the feast or that he should give something to the poor. You see how close the conversation went? Jesus didn't shout. Jesus didn't speak to anybody across the gathering there. It was close enough, it was intimate enough that the rest of them did not understand. I believe Judas was on the left. Not only that, I believe that he was so trusted that there was no argument. I don't know who chose, I mean, the Lord knew in his sovereignty. But Judas wound up having the bag. Now he enjoyed having the bag because he was a thief. But nobody in scripture is looking to him and going, you know, I'm telling you, I need to talk to the Savior about this guy. I'm just not trusting him. That bag seems to be getting lighter a little too fast. That didn't take place. It grieves me to consider that this man was so close. We think about people in eternity right now that had every opportunity. One of the greatest was Judas. And to think that he has spent the last 2000 years realizing what he did. There was a fatal choice. The Lord spoke to him. There's more than just a few that have said they believe that the Lord was giving him opportunity. You don't have to do this. He offered him the sop. He took it, knowing full well what this meant. Verse 30, he then, having received the sop, went out, went immediately out, and it was night. You know, it was night in more ways than one. Again, I started thinking about this a little bit more. Being in the priesthood, Judas would have known the Old Testament. He would have known the prophecies. He would have read Isaiah 53. He would have read Isaiah 7.14, Isaiah 9.6. He would have read Genesis 3. He would have read all of that. These people had the opportunity to see everything. It was night for the last 2000 years. It has been night for Judas. Nearness does not guarantee relationship. I will say that again. Nearness does not guarantee relationship. I have told you before, there are people that I have seen in the last 33 plus years while I stood in this pulpit, I have watched their actions. I've watched their actions during invitations. They weren't even in the building. They did not hear the scripture. And eventually they walked out. And when I mean they walked out, I mean they walked out. And I think there's every opportunity that they will be in the same place that Judas is. Nearness does not guarantee relationship. Instead of reaching out for the sop, people need to reach out for the savior. That's what needs to take place. Just a couple of verses and I'm done. Look at verse 31. Therefore, when he was gone out, when Judas was gone out, Jesus said, now is the son of man Betrayed, no. 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. You know, we're gonna be celebrating the birth of the King of Kings. Not too long after that, we're gonna be celebrating his resurrection. What an awesome, wonderful thing. This is our salvation. But the sad thing is, is reading it through, we wind up reading of one who was so close. We have people like that. They have grown up in Christian families. They have gone to Bible preaching churches and a decision, a fatal choice was made If there was ever a reason that we needed to pray for others, including in this church, if there was ever a reason we needed to pray for our families, this is it. Friends, neighbors, you name it. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, Lord, you are glorified and we rejoice in that. Heavenly Father, I pray that you will be glorified in this place. Even in the work that we've done here in the platform and then the coming of the carpet, not for our glory, but for yours. We want you to be glorified in a place where people can come and recognize the investments of God's people, that this is a place that we hold precious, But the most precious thing is the fact that Christ has come to save sinners. And like Paul, we can say of whom we are chief, but that is what we have so great salvation. We pray this in our Savior's name, amen.