Session 2: A Life of Loyalty
Question 1:
Who’s someone you think of when it comes to loyalty?
THE POINT
Connection to Christ calls for consistent loyalty.
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 babies named Judas. That’s because Judas was the most famous betrayer in the history of broken humanity. He didn’t betray just anybody; Judas 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.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
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.”
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. 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. 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 wanted none of his readers to mistake who influenced the betrayal of Christ.
While Judas was the major betrayer and the one who would never turn from his disloyalty, he wasn’t the only disciple in the room capable of turning on the One who had led them and loved them. Judas betrayed Jesus before his arrest, and Peter denied Him three times before the rooster crowed on the morning of His arrest (see Matthew 26:69-75). But it didn’t stop there. At Jesus’ arrest, “All the disciples deserted him and ran away” (v. 56).
This passage 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 one hundred 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?
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. Jesus, betrayed by His own disciples, still 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:
What kinds of things would you consider to be disloyal to Jesus?
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.’
Our lists might vary, but when we think of great turning points in history, we might think of events like 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. It’s 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. 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” (John 1:1-2). 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.
Nevertheless, God is still glorious, and as we see in the “now” of John 13:31, 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.
God looked at a broken world and said, “I’ve got this.” 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” (13:32).
Question 3:
What are some ways we can glorify God in our lives?
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.
Engage
ULTIMATE LOYALTY
Jesus was betrayed by His own disciples, yet He died for them—and for us. In your journal, write a prayer expressing thanks for His ultimate sacrifice and asking for help to love others in a way that glorifies Him.
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.”
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.
This is the only time in John’s Gospel that Jesus used the word “new,” highlighting the significance of His desire to demonstrate love. It’s as though He is saying He has a unique new goal for the world. A goal for His followers to be unique in the way they love. To love as Jesus calls us to love points right back to Him.
Question 4:
What are some tangible ways our group can show that we love one another?
Love, of course, wasn’t a new idea. The Old Testament commanded God’s people to love.
“Love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18).
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 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” (Micah 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.”1
God commanded us to love through His own vocal cords. Having left heaven to stand there in fragile flesh, Jesus said, “Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another” (John 13:34). Having already told His followers He would have to die so they could live (see Luke 9:23-24), Jesus now told them to love “as I have loved you.”
In human form, Jesus was tortured, killed, and raised for us—the very ones He loves. As His children, we’re to let His love flow through us into the lives of our brothers and sisters in Christ. 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.
Question 5:
What are some tangible ways our group can show Jesus’ love to our community?
LIVE IT OUT
Setting goals is important, but what’s behind those goals? When we live lives connected to Christ, we discover a greater goal that supersedes and alters all other goals: a desire for God to be glorified. How will God impact your goals this week?
Evaluate your goals. Make a list of your current goals. Read back over your list. Are any of your goals hindering you from putting God first? If so, re-evaluate and rewrite them if necessary. Write “Glorify God” at the top of your completed list and post it where you can see it every day.
Focus your day. Start each day by asking God, “How can I show You more loyalty today?” Journal what you hear Him saying and make those things your goals for the week.
Commit to consistency. Our devotion to God often runs hot and cold with changes in our circumstances. Find an accountability partner of the same gender and meet regularly to encourage one another to continue to grow in your loyalty to the Lord, identifying situations that threaten to drive you away from consistent connection to Christ.
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. Jesus died for the disloyal. That’s you and me. Let’s remember the ultimate loyalty of Jesus on our behalf.
1. Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.), 562. [Lifeway Adults (2021). (p. 21). Bible Studies for Life: Young Adult Personal Study Guide - CSB - Spring 2022. Lifeway Press. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]
Question 1:
Who’s someone you think of when it comes to loyalty?
THE POINT
Connection to Christ calls for consistent loyalty.
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 babies named Judas. That’s because Judas was the most famous betrayer in the history of broken humanity. He didn’t betray just anybody; Judas 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.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
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.”
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. 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. 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 wanted none of his readers to mistake who influenced the betrayal of Christ.
While Judas was the major betrayer and the one who would never turn from his disloyalty, he wasn’t the only disciple in the room capable of turning on the One who had led them and loved them. Judas betrayed Jesus before his arrest, and Peter denied Him three times before the rooster crowed on the morning of His arrest (see Matthew 26:69-75). But it didn’t stop there. At Jesus’ arrest, “All the disciples deserted him and ran away” (v. 56).
This passage 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 one hundred 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?
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. Jesus, betrayed by His own disciples, still 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:
What kinds of things would you consider to be disloyal to Jesus?
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.’
Our lists might vary, but when we think of great turning points in history, we might think of events like 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. It’s 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. 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” (John 1:1-2). 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.
Nevertheless, God is still glorious, and as we see in the “now” of John 13:31, 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.
God looked at a broken world and said, “I’ve got this.” 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” (13:32).
Question 3:
What are some ways we can glorify God in our lives?
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.
Engage
ULTIMATE LOYALTY
Jesus was betrayed by His own disciples, yet He died for them—and for us. In your journal, write a prayer expressing thanks for His ultimate sacrifice and asking for help to love others in a way that glorifies Him.
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.”
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.
This is the only time in John’s Gospel that Jesus used the word “new,” highlighting the significance of His desire to demonstrate love. It’s as though He is saying He has a unique new goal for the world. A goal for His followers to be unique in the way they love. To love as Jesus calls us to love points right back to Him.
Question 4:
What are some tangible ways our group can show that we love one another?
Love, of course, wasn’t a new idea. The Old Testament commanded God’s people to love.
“Love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18).
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 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” (Micah 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.”1
God commanded us to love through His own vocal cords. Having left heaven to stand there in fragile flesh, Jesus said, “Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another” (John 13:34). Having already told His followers He would have to die so they could live (see Luke 9:23-24), Jesus now told them to love “as I have loved you.”
In human form, Jesus was tortured, killed, and raised for us—the very ones He loves. As His children, we’re to let His love flow through us into the lives of our brothers and sisters in Christ. 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.
Question 5:
What are some tangible ways our group can show Jesus’ love to our community?
LIVE IT OUT
Setting goals is important, but what’s behind those goals? When we live lives connected to Christ, we discover a greater goal that supersedes and alters all other goals: a desire for God to be glorified. How will God impact your goals this week?
Evaluate your goals. Make a list of your current goals. Read back over your list. Are any of your goals hindering you from putting God first? If so, re-evaluate and rewrite them if necessary. Write “Glorify God” at the top of your completed list and post it where you can see it every day.
Focus your day. Start each day by asking God, “How can I show You more loyalty today?” Journal what you hear Him saying and make those things your goals for the week.
Commit to consistency. Our devotion to God often runs hot and cold with changes in our circumstances. Find an accountability partner of the same gender and meet regularly to encourage one another to continue to grow in your loyalty to the Lord, identifying situations that threaten to drive you away from consistent connection to Christ.
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. Jesus died for the disloyal. That’s you and me. Let’s remember the ultimate loyalty of Jesus on our behalf.
1. Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.), 562. [Lifeway Adults (2021). (p. 21). Bible Studies for Life: Young Adult Personal Study Guide - CSB - Spring 2022. Lifeway Press. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]