John 13:18-38. Judas had been pretending all along. It is fairly well agreed upon that he had never been truly saved. Strangely, he stuck with Jesus and the disciples until nearly the end. We can barely get saved believers to stick with Jesus and continue meeting together even today! Judas played with sin. He put off salvation. He made a deliberate choice to betray Jesus even after being warned and given every opportunity to repent.
This scene is not the Lord's Supper, but is set before that time. Why? John was aware that there were other Christians merely making a ritual of it and just going through the motions. The point of the communion is Jesus. Don't miss it.
Hypocrisy is still alive and well, even in my own heart. I fight against "The Fake" every day. It's a continual battle to stay real with God, myself, and others. It's in the relationships that genuineness is played out. Even what happens behind closed doors, when I'm in the dark and all alone, is still contained within a relationship in one of those three categories. I've worked very hard over many years to develop a steadiness that allows me to be the same person, no matter what hat I'm wearing. This effort arose from realizing the challenge of being real in every circle I walk. For some people, it is a very natural thing, but for those that have a large hat rack, it becomes more challenging. I've been committing this very thing to the Lord for years now and have seen "real" fruit although it is a daily process to walk through.
Jesus is trying to help us out in v.19. He is saying don't be so discouraged when you experience defeats along the way. Stay with Him. Don't jump ship just yet. He is still sovereign, even though we have limited vision in some circumstances.
V.34 brings a new command: love one another, as Jesus has loved us. Last week, Jesus showed the full extent of His love by washing feet. This represents Him forgiving our daily sins. Forgiveness is a major element of His love. I believe we are missing out on the joy and peace of relationships because we aren't deliberately participating in this daily practice. We need to give forgiveness to others. We need to receive forgiveness from Jesus. After confession comes the joy of fellowship and renewed intimacy.
Peter was bold and confident, but he didn't realize the potential of his own heart to surrender to the temptation to be fake. He truly didn't think it was possible the deny Jesus three times. It must've hurt his heart something fierce when his fears became real. Jesus restored him later, but Peter learned a valuable lesson. He would write down the secret to our success in 1Pet. 5:5-6, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time."
It takes genuine humility to be real with God and man. With selfishness at an all-time high, and rising, we have the most difficult challenge ahead of us in dealing with others and with our own hearts. I want to encourage us to stay in the Bible, stay with the Lord, and stay the course. Practice forgiveness as a two-way street. Continuing with Jesus will make us deeper people- a people with a greater capacity for understanding and wisdom to deal with the great challenges that lie ahead. Only Jesus can provide the depth needed to thrive within these difficult relationships in the world today.
