p. 12 | The Sabbath School

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Feb 18, 1897

The Sabbath School

International Series.

Lesson X.—Sabbath, March 6, 1897.

The Betrayal by Judas; the New Commandment; the Fall of Peter.

Lesson Scripture, John 13: 21-38, R. V.

21 “When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in the spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. 22 Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake. 23 There was at the table reclining in Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. 24 Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, and saith unto him, Tell us who it is of whom he speaketh. 25 He leaning back, as he was, on Jesus’ breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it? Jesus therefore answereth, He it is, for whom I shall dip the sop, and give it him. So when he had dipped the sop, he taketh and giveth it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 And after the sop, then entered Satan into him. Jesus therefore saith unto him, That thou doest, do quickly. 28 Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him. 29 For some thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus said unto him, Buy what things we have need of for the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor. 30 He then having received the sop went out straightway; and it was night. 31 “When therefore he was gone out, Jesus saith, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him; and God shall glorify him in himself, and straightway shall he glorify him. 33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me; and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye can not come; so now I say unto you. 34 A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; even as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. 36 “Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow afterwards. 37 Peter saith unto him, Lord, why can I not follow thee even now? I will lay down my life for thee. 38 Jesus answereth, Wilt thou lay down thy life for me? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.”

QUESTIONS.

How was Jesus affected by the thought of his betrayal?
What did it lead him to say?
How did the disciples receive his statement?
Who was reclining next to Jesus?
What was he urged to do?
How did he respond to the request?
What answer did Jesus make to his inquiry?
What did Jesus then do?
Who now took possession of Judas?
What instruction did Jesus give to him?
Did the other disciples understand his remark?
How did some of them interpret it?
What did Judas then do? What time was it?
After his withdrawal, what statement did Jesus first make?
How did he refer to his impending death?
What did he say to his disciples with reference to his separation from them?
What instruction did he then give them?
What did he declare to be evidence of discipleship?
What inquiry did Peter make?
What reply was given?
What inquiry and profession of loyalty followed?
What experience did Jesus then foretell?

NOTES.

1. “As the disciples sat at the Passover with their beloved Master, they observed that he still appeared greatly troubled and depressed. A cloud settled over them all, a premonition of some dreadful calamity, the character of which they did not understand. As they ate in silence, Jesus said, ‘Verily, I say unto you that one of you shall betray me.’” “He says, ‘One of you.’ Rather will he frighten all, than that the one should lose this last impulse to repentance.” “There was a touching forbearance manifested in the dealing of Jesus with Judas. It evinced an infinite mercy, giving him one more chance of repentance, by showing him that all his thoughts and purposes were fully known to the Son of God. . . . But Judas, altho surprised and alarmed, was not moved to repentance.”—Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 3, pp. 85, 86.

2. “The fashion of the world is to love the treachery, and to hate the traitor. But Christ reverses this—he abhors the treachery, whilst he seeks to save the traitor’s soul, because it is dear to him.” “Not even John knew who it was of whom Jesus spake, so reticent had been the love of this most faithful Shepherd of souls so long as a single hope of life yet remained on behalf of this son of perdition.” “John had a right to speak of himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved. So have I, so have you.”

3. “According to the rendering of the Revised Version, Peter said to John, ‘Tell us who it is of whom he speaketh;’ and John, not knowing himself, asked Jesus; ‘and he who of old time had not been able to hide from Abraham his secrets, because Abraham was his friend’ (Gen. 18: 17), reveals this matter to his beloved disciple. Judas ‘had been deliberately, step by step, opening his heart to Satan, until now at length he had become wholly of one mind with the arch-enemy of Jesus Christ. . . . This, “Satan entered into him,” is the exact opposite of what the children of God experience when the Father and the Son come and, in the Holy Ghost, take up their abode within them.’”

4. “The Word of God favors the opinion that every heart is potentially deceitful and wicked to this degree, that there are germs of iniquity in every heart, that need only a suitable train and combination of circumstances to fructify into just such marvels of malevolence as we find in Judas.”

5. “When Jesus saw that Judas and Satan could now no longer be separated, he gave him up, and drove him speeding into the darkness: ‘Depart, then, I will no longer detain thee.’ It is like that last word which Moses spake to Pharaoh in Ex. 10: 29.” Compare also Matt. 25: 41.

6. “Had Jesus remained silent, in apparent ignorance of that which was to come upon him, an impression might have been left on the minds of his disciples that their Master had not divine foresight, and had been deceived, surprised, and betrayed into the hands of a murderous mob. A year before, Jesus had told the disciples that he had chosen twelve, but that one was a devil; and now his words to Judas on the occasion of the Passover, showing that his treachery was fully known to his Master, would strengthen the faith of his true followers during his humiliation.”—Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 3, p. 87.

7. “Some thought that he (Judas) should buy something for the feast. Ah, they little knew what a sacrifice that was which, through the hand of Judas, was to be purchased for this feast! Judas, however, had understood; having received the sop, he went immediately out—and it was night; night also in the heart of this son of perdition; for no ray of grace from Jesus’ face could any longer penetrate there. And soon ‘the power of darkness’ rushed in. Luke 22: 53.”

8. “There comes a point in the downward course of the wicked, at which they are given over to a reprobate mind. In other words, Satan, who has been by degrees encroaching upon their souls, at last succeeds in establishing his empire within them, and they become his. Then they separate themselves from the company of the godly. They excommunicate themselves. They go to their own place. Like Judas, they step out of the light of the chamber where Jesus is, into the outside darkness.”

9. “Men still profess to be Christians who are so only in the degree in which Judas was. They expect some good from Christ but not all. . . . They retain command of their own life, and are prepared to go with Christ only so far as they find it agreeable or inviting. . . . They are seeking to use Christ, and are not willing to be used by him. They are not wholly and heartily his, but merely seek to derive some influence from him. The result is they one day find that, through all their religious profession and apparent Christian life, their characteristic sin has actually been gaining strength. . . . They find that the reward of double-mindedness is the most absolute perdition, that both Christ and the world, to be made anything of, require the whole man, and that he who tries to get the good of both gets the good of neither.”

10. “The withdrawal of Judas was a relief to all present. The Saviour’s face lighted immediately, and the oppressive shadow was lifted from the disciples as they saw the peace of heaven return to the pale, worn countenance of their Lord.”

11. “In the command of the New Testament, ‘Love one another, as Christ also hath loved you,’ the command of the Old Testament, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself,’ appears again in a new and restored form.” “I have given you the commandment; I will give you the heart to obey it.” Eph. 5: 2; Eze. 36: 26, 27. “Those who cherished a common love to him were drawn to one another more closely than even to blood relations.”

12. “A picture of self-confidence and its result is presented in the dialog between Jesus and Peter. ‘Satan has a quiver full of poisoned arrows. Knowest thou which of them is the most deadly?—It is trust and confidence towards thyself. See to it that he does not wound thee thereby; for in the wound will grow the proud flesh of security; and that afterwards festers into what?—Presumption.’”

Suggestions for Further Study.

What intimations had Jesus already given that one of his disciples would turn against him?
For a full record of the conversation at the table, compare Matt. 26: 21–25; Mark 14: 18–21; Luke 22: 21–23.
On what ground did the other disciples recommend Judas to Jesus as a desirable addition to their number? For what purpose did Jesus accept him?
With verses 34 and 35 compare 1 John 4: 7–21.