SESSION 2
A Life of Loyalty
Question 1:
Who comes to mind when you think of loyalty?
THE POINT
Connection to Christ calls for consistent loyalty.
THE PASSAGES
John 13:21-27,31-35
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
I’ve never met anyone named “Judas.” My wife and I have three children, so three times we’ve brainstormed names for a new human entering the world. Judas never made the list. Even in an age when the limits of baby-naming creativity have been stretched, we just don’t meet any baby Judases. That’s because Judas was the most famous betrayer in the history of broken humanity. He didn’t betray just anybody; He betrayed God Himself and nudged the Rescuer of the world closer to crucifixion.
Judas may be an uncommon name, but betrayal is a common behavior. We encounter it in nearly every area of life. We sometimes see it in ourselves. We might even see it in the people of God. In John 13 we’ll encounter Judas, but we’ll also see Jesus. We’ll see His glory on display, even on such a heartbreaking occasion. We’ll have the opportunity to rekindle our own loyalty to Jesus as we seek to live life connected to Him.
JOHN 13:21-27
21 When Jesus had said this, he was troubled in his spirit and testified, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”
22 The disciples started looking at one another—uncertain which one he was speaking about.
23 One of his disciples, the one Jesus loved, was reclining close beside Jesus.
24 Simon Peter motioned to him to find out who it was he was talking about.
25 So he leaned back against Jesus and asked him, “Lord, who is it?”
26 Jesus replied, “He’s the one I give the piece of bread to after I have dipped it.” When he had dipped the bread, he gave it to Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son.
27 After Judas ate the piece of bread, Satan entered him. So Jesus told him, “What you’re doing, do quickly.”
John 13 begins with an account of Jesus’ last meeting with His twelve apostles before His crucifixion, and it included awkward and even painful moments. We’ve all been in meetings involving uncomfortable conversations, veiled accusations, or cringeworthy use of web cameras in virtual meetings. But this discussion between Jesus and the men He had chosen to change the world suddenly went from feet washing and servant leadership to accusations of betrayal. Jesus said, “ ‘Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.’ ”
The reaction of the disciples was much like what you would expect. They wanted to know who it could possibly be. Who’s the betrayer? How does Jesus know there’s a betrayer? What will the betrayer do? Am I the betrayer? Clearly, the disciples were confused. If this had been a modern meeting, they would have been texting each other trying to figure out what was going on. In fact, Peter signaled to John, who was sitting next to Jesus, to find out who He was talking about.
Someone in the room was disloyal.
John asked for the identity of the traitor, and in response, Jesus dipped a piece of bread into the bowl they shared at the table and handed the bread to Judas. “After Judas ate the piece of bread, Satan entered him,” and Jesus dismissed Judas to carry out his plan of betrayal. This is the only time in the Gospel of John that Satan was mentioned by name, but John clearly wanted none of his readers to mistake who influenced the betrayal of Christ.
The influence of Satan is uncomfortably clear. What is less clear was the degree of the disloyalty at that table. “The disciples started looking at one another.” Is it you? Do you think it is me? The sad reality is that, while Judas was the major betrayer and the one who would never turn from his disloyalty, he was not the only disciple in the room capable of turning on the One who had led them and loved them. Later in this same chapter, Jesus told Peter that he would betray Him as well by denying Him “three times” (v. 38). Judas betrayed Jesus before his arrest, and Peter denied Him three times before the rooster crowed on the morning of His arrest (Matt. 26:69-75). But it didn’t stop there. At Jesus’ arrest, “all the disciples deserted him and ran away” (v. 56).
All these things should help us to understand that we don’t have to be named “Judas” to be disloyal to Jesus. We only have to be sinners—and we are. This passage should cause our hearts to break for Judas, but it should also cause us to look for the loose threads of disloyalty in our own lives. Since Jesus is who He says He is, and since He has done what the Word says He has done, He is worthy of 100 percent of our hearts. How amazing is it that the One true God in a human body died a human death for sinful humans with wandering hearts? It is worthy-of-our-lives amazing.
Jesus was both fully God and fully man. We’ll see evidence of His divinity in the next few verses, but here we see evidence of His humanity. The text says Jesus “was troubled in his spirit.” That was His humanity showing through. Jesus knew Judas’s betrayal would set in motion His walk toward Calvary—the steps toward the whip, the thorns, the cross, and the grave. But Jesus was not troubled only for Himself; He was surely troubled for Judas as well. Commentator and pastor H.A. Ironside wrote of Christ’s troubled spirit: “He groaned in anguish as He thought of the judgment that the treachery of Judas was to bring down upon that guilty man. No soul will ever be lost without filling His soul with grief.” 1
How beautiful it is that Jesus, betrayed by His own disciples, still went to the cross. He went to the cross for them. Jesus died for the disloyal. That’s you and me. Let’s look for any betrayal hiding in our hearts as we remember the ultimate loyalty of Jesus on our behalf.
Question 2:
How have you seen Christians be disloyal to Jesus?
ENGAGE
What are some ways we can show loyalty to Christ and His church?
JOHN 13:31-33
31 When he had left, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in him.
32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once.
33 Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so now I tell you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’
KEY WORDS: Son of Man (v. 31)—Originally poetic for “a man,” Daniel 7:13 used it of the Messiah. Jesus took this term for Himself and used it to claim both humanity and deity.
Our lists might vary, but when we think of great turning points in history, we might think of events like the D-Day, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and 9/11. Such moments turn history, right? We must certainly add to that list the events in John 13. Consider just verse 31: “ ‘Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in him.’ ” It is as though Jesus was saying, “It’s time.”
Judas had left and the actions of his betrayal were in motion. Things were definitely moving toward the events that would culminate at the cross of Calvary. Redemption was barreling its way forward, and although the coming hours would seem like the darkest the disciples had ever known, God would be glorified through it all.
The apostle John began his Gospel with this profound truth: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” God is the great “Why?” behind everything that exists. God was all that existed. His awesome power led to all that exists. God created for the sake of His glory being known and on display. Unfortunately, humanity introduced sin into God’s perfect creation. Humanity sinned and keeps right on sinning.
Nevertheless, God is still glorious, and as we see in the “now” of verse 31, no amount of sinful disruption or human failing can hide that glory. God the Father sent His Son to fix every broken thing in this sinful, fallen world so that both Father and Son could be glorified.
My wife brought me a broken necklace she couldn’t fix. It was her favorite necklace and a link had broken, meaning the accessory she wanted was unwearable. It wasn’t exactly a life-or-death problem, but I was able to fix it. With two minutes and a pair of tweezers, I restored the jewelry and immediately basked in wifely praise: “You’re so amazing! I knew you could fix it. Thank you so much!”
It was just a broken necklace, but still I was praised. I was glorified (for only about twenty seconds) because I fixed a broken chain. God looked at a broken world and said, “I’ve got this.” Of course, everything can be fixed by Him. He’s the only One powerful enough and glorious enough to do what needed to be done—and He would do it.
In John 13, Jesus knew He was sprinting toward His death and resurrection that would lead to the restoration of all things. Jesus knew that between John 13 and John 20 (when He would rise from the dead) He would experience a tremendous amount of pain, grief, and sin. But Jesus would do it because He knew what it was all about. “God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once.”
Jesus did what He did out of love for us and for God’s greater glory. We are to make God’s glory the “why” behind all we do in our own lives. The all-powerful, all-knowing God who created us for His glory sent His Son to fix, save, and restore us to what He created us to be. Jesus’ work on our behalf is also for His glory. When we follow Christ and live for His glory, we find the greatest fulfillment, purpose, and pleasure. His great glory is our greatest joy.
Question 3:
What are some ways we can glorify God in our lives?
JOHN 13:34-35
34 “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another.
35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Social media may have some benefits, but it can also be a dark place. If I’m looking for encouragement, neither Facebook®, nor Twitter®, nor Instagram® is my first choice. We live in a socially fractured world. Society demands love much more often than we display it. The world can be pretty mean.
By contrast, Jesus gave His followers a command to love. His mandate certainly matters for all cultures and all times, but in these days of division and conflict, there’s no denying the compelling nature of Christ’s command to love. “ ‘I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another.’ ”
Question 4:
What are some tangible ways we can show that we love one another?
This is the only time in John’s Gospel that Jesus used the word new. It highlights the significance of His desire for His disciples to demonstrate love. It’s as though He is saying He has a unique new goal for the world. A goal that is, in fact, a call for His followers to be unique in the way they love. To love as Jesus calls us to love points right back to Him. “ ‘By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.’ ”
Love, of course, was not a new idea in Scripture. The Old Testament commanded God’s people to love.
“Love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev. 19:18).
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (Deut. 6:5).
“Mankind, he has told each of you what is good and what it is the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Mic. 6:8).
The newness is not the love itself, but the depth of the love and the motivation behind the love. Jesus changes everything, even love. Leon Morris noted, “The new thing appears to be the mutual affection that Christians have for one another on account of Christ’s great love for them. A community has been created based on Jesus’ work for us, and there is a new relationship within that community.” 2
This time, God’s command didn’t come through a prophet. This time God had “skin in the game.” God commanded us to love through the vocal cords of His own human body. God, having left heaven to stand there in fragile flesh, said, “Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another.” God, having already told His followers He would have to die so they could live (Luke 9:23-24), now told them to love “as I have loved.”
Jesus has bought our loyalty in a most breathtaking way. God, in human form, was tortured, killed, and raised for us—the very ones He loves. As His children and followers now, we are to be a channel of His love, letting His love flow through us into the lives of our brothers and sisters in Christ. He has shown the way. When we love as He loves, the world stands up and takes notice. Loving as Christ loves points the world to the One we follow. “ ‘By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.’ ”
Question 5:
How does our love for one another point others to Christ?
LIVE IT OUT
Jesus is always loyal to us even when we are not loyal to Him. Because of His faithfulness, He gives us second chances.
Confess. Confess to God any way you’ve been disloyal to Him. Ask Him to forgive you.
Memorize. Consider choosing one of these verses about God’s glory to memorize this week: John 1:14; 2 Corinthians 4:6; Psalm 19:1; Philippians 2:10-11.
Share. If you share on social media, consider posting about a brother or sister in Christ who has loved you, encouraged you, or helped you experience more joy in Christ.
END NOTES
1. H.A. Ironside, Addresses on the Gospel of John (Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers, 1942), 568.
2. Leon Morris, The Gospel according to John (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.), 562. [Lifeway Adults (NaN). (p. 28). Bible Studies for Life: Senior Adult Personal Study Guide - CSB - Spring 2022. Lifeway Press. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]
A Life of Loyalty
Question 1:
Who comes to mind when you think of loyalty?
THE POINT
Connection to Christ calls for consistent loyalty.
THE PASSAGES
John 13:21-27,31-35
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
I’ve never met anyone named “Judas.” My wife and I have three children, so three times we’ve brainstormed names for a new human entering the world. Judas never made the list. Even in an age when the limits of baby-naming creativity have been stretched, we just don’t meet any baby Judases. That’s because Judas was the most famous betrayer in the history of broken humanity. He didn’t betray just anybody; He betrayed God Himself and nudged the Rescuer of the world closer to crucifixion.
Judas may be an uncommon name, but betrayal is a common behavior. We encounter it in nearly every area of life. We sometimes see it in ourselves. We might even see it in the people of God. In John 13 we’ll encounter Judas, but we’ll also see Jesus. We’ll see His glory on display, even on such a heartbreaking occasion. We’ll have the opportunity to rekindle our own loyalty to Jesus as we seek to live life connected to Him.
JOHN 13:21-27
21 When Jesus had said this, he was troubled in his spirit and testified, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”
22 The disciples started looking at one another—uncertain which one he was speaking about.
23 One of his disciples, the one Jesus loved, was reclining close beside Jesus.
24 Simon Peter motioned to him to find out who it was he was talking about.
25 So he leaned back against Jesus and asked him, “Lord, who is it?”
26 Jesus replied, “He’s the one I give the piece of bread to after I have dipped it.” When he had dipped the bread, he gave it to Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son.
27 After Judas ate the piece of bread, Satan entered him. So Jesus told him, “What you’re doing, do quickly.”
John 13 begins with an account of Jesus’ last meeting with His twelve apostles before His crucifixion, and it included awkward and even painful moments. We’ve all been in meetings involving uncomfortable conversations, veiled accusations, or cringeworthy use of web cameras in virtual meetings. But this discussion between Jesus and the men He had chosen to change the world suddenly went from feet washing and servant leadership to accusations of betrayal. Jesus said, “ ‘Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.’ ”
The reaction of the disciples was much like what you would expect. They wanted to know who it could possibly be. Who’s the betrayer? How does Jesus know there’s a betrayer? What will the betrayer do? Am I the betrayer? Clearly, the disciples were confused. If this had been a modern meeting, they would have been texting each other trying to figure out what was going on. In fact, Peter signaled to John, who was sitting next to Jesus, to find out who He was talking about.
Someone in the room was disloyal.
John asked for the identity of the traitor, and in response, Jesus dipped a piece of bread into the bowl they shared at the table and handed the bread to Judas. “After Judas ate the piece of bread, Satan entered him,” and Jesus dismissed Judas to carry out his plan of betrayal. This is the only time in the Gospel of John that Satan was mentioned by name, but John clearly wanted none of his readers to mistake who influenced the betrayal of Christ.
The influence of Satan is uncomfortably clear. What is less clear was the degree of the disloyalty at that table. “The disciples started looking at one another.” Is it you? Do you think it is me? The sad reality is that, while Judas was the major betrayer and the one who would never turn from his disloyalty, he was not the only disciple in the room capable of turning on the One who had led them and loved them. Later in this same chapter, Jesus told Peter that he would betray Him as well by denying Him “three times” (v. 38). Judas betrayed Jesus before his arrest, and Peter denied Him three times before the rooster crowed on the morning of His arrest (Matt. 26:69-75). But it didn’t stop there. At Jesus’ arrest, “all the disciples deserted him and ran away” (v. 56).
All these things should help us to understand that we don’t have to be named “Judas” to be disloyal to Jesus. We only have to be sinners—and we are. This passage should cause our hearts to break for Judas, but it should also cause us to look for the loose threads of disloyalty in our own lives. Since Jesus is who He says He is, and since He has done what the Word says He has done, He is worthy of 100 percent of our hearts. How amazing is it that the One true God in a human body died a human death for sinful humans with wandering hearts? It is worthy-of-our-lives amazing.
Jesus was both fully God and fully man. We’ll see evidence of His divinity in the next few verses, but here we see evidence of His humanity. The text says Jesus “was troubled in his spirit.” That was His humanity showing through. Jesus knew Judas’s betrayal would set in motion His walk toward Calvary—the steps toward the whip, the thorns, the cross, and the grave. But Jesus was not troubled only for Himself; He was surely troubled for Judas as well. Commentator and pastor H.A. Ironside wrote of Christ’s troubled spirit: “He groaned in anguish as He thought of the judgment that the treachery of Judas was to bring down upon that guilty man. No soul will ever be lost without filling His soul with grief.” 1
How beautiful it is that Jesus, betrayed by His own disciples, still went to the cross. He went to the cross for them. Jesus died for the disloyal. That’s you and me. Let’s look for any betrayal hiding in our hearts as we remember the ultimate loyalty of Jesus on our behalf.
Question 2:
How have you seen Christians be disloyal to Jesus?
ENGAGE
What are some ways we can show loyalty to Christ and His church?
JOHN 13:31-33
31 When he had left, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in him.
32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once.
33 Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so now I tell you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’
KEY WORDS: Son of Man (v. 31)—Originally poetic for “a man,” Daniel 7:13 used it of the Messiah. Jesus took this term for Himself and used it to claim both humanity and deity.
Our lists might vary, but when we think of great turning points in history, we might think of events like the D-Day, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and 9/11. Such moments turn history, right? We must certainly add to that list the events in John 13. Consider just verse 31: “ ‘Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in him.’ ” It is as though Jesus was saying, “It’s time.”
Judas had left and the actions of his betrayal were in motion. Things were definitely moving toward the events that would culminate at the cross of Calvary. Redemption was barreling its way forward, and although the coming hours would seem like the darkest the disciples had ever known, God would be glorified through it all.
The apostle John began his Gospel with this profound truth: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” God is the great “Why?” behind everything that exists. God was all that existed. His awesome power led to all that exists. God created for the sake of His glory being known and on display. Unfortunately, humanity introduced sin into God’s perfect creation. Humanity sinned and keeps right on sinning.
Nevertheless, God is still glorious, and as we see in the “now” of verse 31, no amount of sinful disruption or human failing can hide that glory. God the Father sent His Son to fix every broken thing in this sinful, fallen world so that both Father and Son could be glorified.
My wife brought me a broken necklace she couldn’t fix. It was her favorite necklace and a link had broken, meaning the accessory she wanted was unwearable. It wasn’t exactly a life-or-death problem, but I was able to fix it. With two minutes and a pair of tweezers, I restored the jewelry and immediately basked in wifely praise: “You’re so amazing! I knew you could fix it. Thank you so much!”
It was just a broken necklace, but still I was praised. I was glorified (for only about twenty seconds) because I fixed a broken chain. God looked at a broken world and said, “I’ve got this.” Of course, everything can be fixed by Him. He’s the only One powerful enough and glorious enough to do what needed to be done—and He would do it.
In John 13, Jesus knew He was sprinting toward His death and resurrection that would lead to the restoration of all things. Jesus knew that between John 13 and John 20 (when He would rise from the dead) He would experience a tremendous amount of pain, grief, and sin. But Jesus would do it because He knew what it was all about. “God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once.”
Jesus did what He did out of love for us and for God’s greater glory. We are to make God’s glory the “why” behind all we do in our own lives. The all-powerful, all-knowing God who created us for His glory sent His Son to fix, save, and restore us to what He created us to be. Jesus’ work on our behalf is also for His glory. When we follow Christ and live for His glory, we find the greatest fulfillment, purpose, and pleasure. His great glory is our greatest joy.
Question 3:
What are some ways we can glorify God in our lives?
JOHN 13:34-35
34 “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another.
35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Social media may have some benefits, but it can also be a dark place. If I’m looking for encouragement, neither Facebook®, nor Twitter®, nor Instagram® is my first choice. We live in a socially fractured world. Society demands love much more often than we display it. The world can be pretty mean.
By contrast, Jesus gave His followers a command to love. His mandate certainly matters for all cultures and all times, but in these days of division and conflict, there’s no denying the compelling nature of Christ’s command to love. “ ‘I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another.’ ”
Question 4:
What are some tangible ways we can show that we love one another?
This is the only time in John’s Gospel that Jesus used the word new. It highlights the significance of His desire for His disciples to demonstrate love. It’s as though He is saying He has a unique new goal for the world. A goal that is, in fact, a call for His followers to be unique in the way they love. To love as Jesus calls us to love points right back to Him. “ ‘By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.’ ”
Love, of course, was not a new idea in Scripture. The Old Testament commanded God’s people to love.
“Love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev. 19:18).
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (Deut. 6:5).
“Mankind, he has told each of you what is good and what it is the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Mic. 6:8).
The newness is not the love itself, but the depth of the love and the motivation behind the love. Jesus changes everything, even love. Leon Morris noted, “The new thing appears to be the mutual affection that Christians have for one another on account of Christ’s great love for them. A community has been created based on Jesus’ work for us, and there is a new relationship within that community.” 2
This time, God’s command didn’t come through a prophet. This time God had “skin in the game.” God commanded us to love through the vocal cords of His own human body. God, having left heaven to stand there in fragile flesh, said, “Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another.” God, having already told His followers He would have to die so they could live (Luke 9:23-24), now told them to love “as I have loved.”
Jesus has bought our loyalty in a most breathtaking way. God, in human form, was tortured, killed, and raised for us—the very ones He loves. As His children and followers now, we are to be a channel of His love, letting His love flow through us into the lives of our brothers and sisters in Christ. He has shown the way. When we love as He loves, the world stands up and takes notice. Loving as Christ loves points the world to the One we follow. “ ‘By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.’ ”
Question 5:
How does our love for one another point others to Christ?
LIVE IT OUT
Jesus is always loyal to us even when we are not loyal to Him. Because of His faithfulness, He gives us second chances.
Confess. Confess to God any way you’ve been disloyal to Him. Ask Him to forgive you.
Memorize. Consider choosing one of these verses about God’s glory to memorize this week: John 1:14; 2 Corinthians 4:6; Psalm 19:1; Philippians 2:10-11.
Share. If you share on social media, consider posting about a brother or sister in Christ who has loved you, encouraged you, or helped you experience more joy in Christ.
END NOTES
1. H.A. Ironside, Addresses on the Gospel of John (Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers, 1942), 568.
2. Leon Morris, The Gospel according to John (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.), 562. [Lifeway Adults (NaN). (p. 28). Bible Studies for Life: Senior Adult Personal Study Guide - CSB - Spring 2022. Lifeway Press. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]