SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/23/2016 8:16 PM
My Worship Time Focus:
The Treachery Anticipated
Bible Reading &
Meditation Reference: John 13:18
Message of the verses: “18 "I do not speak of all of you. I know the ones I have chosen;
but it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ’HE WHO EATS MY BREAD HAS LIFTED
UP HIS HEEL AGAINST ME.’”
Jesus is
telling His disciples this so that when the betrayal and the arrest came about
that they would not think that Jesus knew nothing about it. Now we have learned in our verses from the
last section of John 13 that Jesus told His disciples that not all of them were
clean. Do you wonder as perhaps the disciples
may have wondered as to why Jesus chose Judas in the first place; did Jesus
completely misjudge His character? Now
as we look at the first section of this verse we see that Jesus was not
speaking of all of His disciples, so in His omniscience “(cf. 2:24-25) ‘He knew
the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, ‘Not all of you are clean’’
(v. 11)—only ‘the ones’ whom He had chosen (cf. 15:16).”
To answer
our question Jesus was not at all caught off guard, for we have learned that everything
that Jesus did was done because He was following what the Father wanted Him to
do. I know that I have spoken of this
before but in the gospel of Luke we read about when Jesus was 12 years old and
left his earthly parents and was in the temple His parents asked Him what He
was doing for they had been looking for Him for three days, and His response
was that He was about the business of His Father. Ok as we come to the very end of His life on
earth as He was suffering and dying on the cross, right before He gave up His life
He stated “It is Finished.” The word
actually means “paid in full,” but as we compare it with the section in Luke we
can also say that He was done with His Father’s business, and as we look at
what Judas was doing we believe that this too was a part of His Father’s
business. Leon Morris states “He was not
the deceived and helpless Victim of unsuspected treachery, but One sent by God
to effect God’s purpose going forward calmly and unafraid, to do what God had
planned for Him to do.”
The answer
as to why Jesus chose Judas is answered when we read “but it is that the
Scripture may be fulfilled.” He then
quotes the Scripture from Psalm 41:9 “Even my close friend in whom I trusted,
Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me.” In this psalm David was lamenting his
betrayal by a close and trusted companion, and this may be Ahithophel as John MacArthur
states that this is what some rabbinic sources suggest. Psalm 55 also speaks of David being betrayed
and also in our study of Zechariah we have read from 11:12-13 “12 I said to them, "If it is good in your
sight, give me my wages; but if not, never mind!" So they weighed out
thirty shekels of silver as my wages. 13 Then the LORD said to me, "Throw
it to the potter, that magnificent price at which I was valued by them."
So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the
house of the LORD.”
So we can
see from these OT Scriptures that all of this was written and prophesied long
before Judas was even born.
Now we have
to mention again that even though he was fulfilling OT prophecy Judas was very
willing to do what he did, and we also mentioned Pharaoh who had his heart
hardened by God, but only after he hardened his heart before God hardened
it. John MacArthur writes “The same
tension between divine sovereignty and human choice is evident in Judas’s
becoming a disciple. He chose to follow
Christ, yet he became a follower of Christ only because Christ chose him (cf.
John 15:16)—though not, of course, to salvation. Judas’s betrayal was predetermined, but that
in no way contradicts the truth that he acted of his own volition. Jesus affirmed both truths when He said in
Luke 22:22 ‘For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined [God’s
sovereignty]; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed [Judas’s
responsibility]!’ The sovereign God, ‘who
works all things after the counsel of His will’ (Eph. 1:11), used the evil plans
of Judas’s wicked heart to bring about the good of redemption (cf. Gen. 50:20;
Ps. 76:10).”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I have mentioned in earlier SD’s that as all
of this is going on Jesus’ disciples had no clue that Judas was the betrayer,
and so I want to be wise when I listen to those who do not seem to know the
truth about God’s word.
My Steps of Faith for
Today: Trust the Lord for this crazy
mixed up election that is going on in our country since before the world was created
God chose who our next President will be, and it will be done for His glory
even though it may be hard for me to understand it.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible question: “Job” (Job 2:7).”
Today’s very difficult Bible question: “In Jewish money, how many shekels equaled
one talent?”
Answer in our next SD.
10/23/2016 9:02 PM
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