Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20021006.htm

JESUS CHRIST IN OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY
Part X: Following Jesus In Handling Betrayals
(Psalm 41:9 with John 13:1-26)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

Betrayal in human relationships afflicts people at both the family as well as the corporate levels:

(1) When a married couple breaks up, their children often feel betrayed by the absent parent; this was portrayed this week on the TV show, "The Gilmore Girls" Tuesday where a teen girl erupted in anger at her father for appearing to be estranged for living apart from her and her mother.

(2) We see betrayal in the religious scene. The recent Answers Update circular of the Answers in Genesis ministry reports the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) has passed a resolution upholding Darwinism in reaction to the secular Ohio State Board of Education's consideration of including "intelligent design," a reference for special creation, in its science standards. So, not only has this denomination capitulated to Darwinism in contrast to the founders of the Presbyterian denomination, but is countering a secular state Board of Education's effort to leave the door open for the Biblical account of origins! This can only be massive betrayal of the truth by a once godly denomination!



When "let down" in a betrayal in a marriage, home, job or even religious realm of relationships or group stands, HOW are we to ADJUST so as to LIVE effectively afterwards?



(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )



Need: "I or a friend has been BETRAYED in a relationship or other realm, and the afflicted doesn't know if he can trust such a party anymore or even relate well to others! What happens NOW?"
  1. The RISEN Jesus told the disciples on the road to Emmaus how He fulfilled Old Testament Messianic prophecies, Luke 24:25-27.
  2. As these men were edified by Christ's teaching of those passages (Luke 24:32), we also view them, following the list of prophecies named in the Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, s. v. "Messianic Prophecies."
  3. Psalm 41:9 predicts how Messiah Jesus would be betrayed by a close associate in Judas Iscariot as fulfilled in John 13:18, 21.
    1. King David reported in Psalm 41:9 how he had been betrayed by a false friend who had even dined with him in fellowship.
    2. This report also predicts how Messiah, Jesus would be betrayed by Judas Iscariot as Jesus clarified in John 13:18, 21 and 26.
  4. Since we Christians are to follow Jesus' footsteps in sufferings we face (cf. 1 Peter 2:21), we can view the John 13 CONTEXT for helpful instruction on HANDLING such BETRAYALS as follows:
    1. Factor One - Betrayals are often influenced by SATAN, John 13:2; 2 Tim. 2:24-26 with 3:1, 4a. Hence, we should adjust regarding the angelic conflict when experiencing a betrayal:
      1. It was Satan who influenced Judas to betray Jesus, John 13:2.
      2. Similarly, the Apostle Paul indicated in 2 Timothy 2:24-26 with 3:1,4a that we believers in the latter era of Church History would face hard times in being betrayed, implying this came from associates being ensnared in their lusts by Satan to betray us!
      3. Hence, if betrayed, we need to assume a potential Satanic cause to it, and immediately depend on God and His Word for guidance and empowering in the circumstances faced, 2 Tim. 3:12-13, 16-17
    2. Factor Two - God is bigger than the betrayal event, so we can handle it by leaning on HIS strength and goodness for sustainment!
      1. In view of Jesus' awareness He was about to be betrayed (13:18, 26), He ALSO had a great love for His true disciples, John 13:1.
      2. Thus, God's plan would continue with Jesus returning to the Father in events Judas' betrayal could not obstruct, cf. John 13:3.
      3. In fact, God USED Judas' betrayal itself to further His purposes:
        1. Jesus informed His disciples that one of them would betray Him in fulfillment of David's prophecy in Psalm 41:9.
        2. He then claimed He told them of this coming betrayal so that, when it came to pass, they would know He had given a true prophecy so as to believe in Him, John 13:19 with Dt. 18:20-22.
        3. Hence, even the betrayal was used of God to further His plans!
      4. Hence, we must know God is SOVEREIGN in ruling and overruling even in painful betrayals, and TRUST Him in them!
    3. Factor Three - Though being betrayed is a troubling experience, like Jesus, we can balance its pain by the rewarding exercise of serving the needs of fellow believers in humility and love, John 13:4-17:
      1. In full knowledge of Judas' coming betrayal, Jesus expressed great emotional unrest, John 13:21:
        1. The word translated in the NIV and KJV at John 13:21 as "troubled" is from tarasso, meaning "to be agitated, stirred," so in telling His disciples one of them would betray Him, Jesus was visibly very emotionally upset! (cf. UBS Grk. N.T., p. 383; Arndt & Ging., A Grk.-Engl. Lex. of the N.T., p. 812-813)
        2. Nevertheless, He had just informed His disciples they would be (lit.) "happy" (from makarios) were they to follow His example of humbly washing each other's feet, John 13:4-16 with 13:17! (Ibid., UBS Grk. N.T.; Ibid., Arndt & Ging., p. 487)
        3. Accordingly, Jesus balanced His grief over Judas' betrayal with humble, selfless, rewarding service to His true disciples.
      2. In like fashion, God wants us to balance the grief of being betrayed with His JOY that comes by the Holy Spirit's ministry in us as we humbly, selflessly meet the needs of other Christians of like precious faith (cf. 2 Timothy 2:21 with 2:22 where Paul urged Timothy to withdraw from false teachers (unclean vessels) while associating closely with those of a pure heart).
Application: If experiencing upsetting betrayal of some kind, (1) believe on Jesus Christ as personal Savior from sin to become related to God for the power and equipping to HANDLE it all, John 3:16; Romans 8:9b. (2) Then, follow JESUS' steps in John 13:1-26 as named above for spiritual victory in all circumstances.

Lesson: Though it is painful to be betrayed, like Jesus, we can face it by (1) remembering the angelic conflict may be fueling it so that we heed Scripture closely, (2) by recalling God is sovereign in the event so that we look to Scripture for direction in it and (3) by balancing the betrayal pain with rewarding selfless, humble service to help fellow believers.

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

 I have worked for weeks on five pages in my manuscript on divine election on interpreting Acts 13:48! In the process, the Lord has USED a two painful "betrayal" events to direct me in it!

(1) I found scholars take the periphrastic, aysan tetagmenoi translated "were ordained" to be in the passive voice, and say the verse teaches God eternally ordained men to believe. Yet, I found the perfect participle in tetagmenoi can be in the MIDDLE voice as the middle and passive voices are spelled the same way in the perfect participle form! Also, Luke's context not only supports seeing the participle in the middle voice, but even counters the passive voice to the extent that, 150 years ago, Henry Alford, the Cambridge scholar wrote about this verse as a CALVINIST: "We know, that it is God who worketh in us the will to believe, and that the preparation of the heart is of Him: but to find in this text pre-ordination to life asserted is to force both the word and the context to a meaning which they do not contain." (Alford's definition of tetagmenoi would be modified by recent finds, but his argument on the context still stands, cf. Alford, The Greek Testament: The Acts of the Apostles, p. 140.) Even the periphrastic if taken as a past perfect (pluperfect) as some Calvinists today say, is supported in the middle voice: the Gentiles had marshaled themselves for days since hearing of Paul's gospel the previous Sabbath, Acts 13:38-44, 45-48! I am troubled that such BIAS leads scholars to DENY God's people the right to know that Acts 13:48 even CAN teach something BESIDES predestination! It leads me to want to COMPLETE this manuscript to SERVE the needs of God's flock!

(2) Then, IN my manuscript work, I had neglected to add a point God had clearly led me to see several weeks ago! Well, in His allowing me to be restless about what I had written, and in allowing a betrayal event to be faced, I was driven this week to make ROOM for that omitted point in the paper to serve the needs of God's people BEFORE the pain of it all let up! No doubt there was angelic conflict involved, but the Lord allowed it for His purposes to be fulfilled!