John: Betrayal. Denial. Unshakeable Love.

John 13:21-38

Have you ever been betrayed by a friend? 

It is painful when someone you believed would always offer support and encouragement turns against you. King David expressed this in Psalm 41, saying, “Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me” (Ps. 41:9). Jesus used David’s experience to illustrate what Judas was about to do (John 13:18), and later, also Peter. 

Let’s begin with a quick review, then continue with the interaction between Jesus and his disciples in our passage today. 

In John chapters 1-11, we learn about Jesus—the Word—God in the flesh—who came to live among us. To demonstrate Jesus’ deity, John chose seven signs, ending with the raising of Lazarus. John 12 shifts from Jesus’ public ministry to private time with his disciples. This section, recorded in John 13-17, is called the Farewell Discourse or Upper Room Discourse, where Jesus is preparing the disciples for future ministry. Keep this in mind as we study this part of the book. 

After Jesus washed the disciples’ feet and referenced the psalm to explain what was about to happen, he provided further details. Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me” (John 13:21). The disciples were troubled by this and wondered what Jesus meant. 

John was sitting near Jesus, so Peter signaled for him to ask Jesus who the betrayer was.

John 13:25-28
So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” 

No one understood what Jesus was intending when he spoke to Judas. Some thought that, because Judas was the group's treasurer, Jesus was telling him to buy something for the Passover or to give money to the poor (John 13:29). 

After Jesus gave Judas a piece of bread, he stood up and left. John adds, “And it was night” (John 13:30). This reflects the physical time, but remember, in John’s gospel, there’s a constant contrast between darkness and light. So, a spiritual time is also implied—the beginning of spiritual darkness. 

Judas was on his way to deliver Jesus to the religious leaders. Speaking about his death, resurrection, and ascension (glorification), Jesus told the remaining disciples this:

John 13:31-33
Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ 

This was a troubling time for the disciples. They had given up everything to follow Jesus and believed he was the victorious Messiah. They had spent most of the past three years traveling with him. Now, he said he was going somewhere they couldn't go. They were confused. 

After this statement, Jesus explained to the disciples how important it was to love one another (we’ll discuss that later). Peter completely missed this point because he was still focused on Jesus’ comment, “Where I am going you cannot come.” This was unthinkable to Peter, so he asked more questions.

John 13:36-38
“Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.”  Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.” 

When Jesus said, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now,” he was referring to the cross. Dying for our sins was something only Jesus could do; the cross was a place only Jesus could go. Only the One who was fully God and fully man could atone for sins as our substitute. 

In response to Peter’s emotional and heartfelt statement that he would die for Jesus, our Lord said that, before the cross, Peter would deny him three times. After the resurrection, Peter was restored and boldly proclaimed the gospel message. According to early church historians, Peter even chose to die hanging upside down on a cross because he felt he didn’t deserve to be crucified in the same way as Jesus. However, Peter died as a martyr, not as our Savior. He died as a witness to Jesus’ power to forgive sins. Only Jesus could die for the sins of humanity.

At the end of his explanation that he would be going someplace where he had to go alone, Jesus gave this powerful truth that he introduced as a “new commandment.”

John 13:34-35
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. 

The sacrificial love Jesus showed by dying for our sins was passed on to the disciples. That deep love became the defining trait of everyone who followed Jesus. It still is today. 

People will recognize we belong to Jesus by the way we love one another. 

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD 
Time in the Word: Read and reflect on John 13:21-38. Focus on the love that Jesus showed to us and the love we are to show to each other. 

Talking to God:  When have you found it difficult to love someone who disappointed or betrayed you, and how might Jesus’ example of love—even in the face of betrayal and denial—challenge your response?

Have Questions?
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Know Jesus more intimately.
Love Jesus more passionately.
Follow Jesus wholeheartedly.