John 13:20-38 – Three Kinds of Disciples – Which Are You?
Question: Are you a Christian?
About 2.3 billion people in the world will answer “yes” to that question.
But many of these same people will say that their religion is not important to them. In Western Europe, for example, 91% of people have been baptized and 71% identify as Christians but only 22% attend church at least once a month.
One wonders what a Christian is.
The Bible only uses the word “Christian” three times. But the word “disciple” is used over 250 times. Jesus had disciples and He told His disciples to “Go and make disciples.” He didn’t say to go and make Christians.
Question: Are you a disciple?
The idea of disciple carries the idea of commitment. It means to be a “follower.” A follower is to go in the same direction as their leader. It indicates a way of life, something different than just a title or a religion. A disciple submits to his leader.
I hope you answer “Yes” to the question “Are you a disciple?”
Today we are going to look at three kinds of disciples. Which one are you?
I. The Fake Disciple
Jesus was troubled and announced that one of the disciples would betray Him. That doesn’t surprise any of us because we have heard it before.
But for the disciples, this was shocking. They had been doing everything together with Jesus for years. They shared life, meals, and journeys. They had all witnessed Jesus’ miracles and teachings. How could one of their own betray their leader?
I have heard of one similar situation recently. A pastor’s wife in an Asian country went to the police and reported on her church. This church was then raided and the members and other leaders got in trouble.
I have a close friend in this country whose mother went to that church for the first time on the very day it was raided. After a few months, she got the courage to join again. The second time she joined, it was raided again, seemingly because the pastor’s wife reported on them again.
I was shocked and saddened to hear this. How could a believer do this? How could a disciple betray her fellow brothers and sisters in Christ? It’s terrible.
What Judas did is even worse. Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God, his leader, and his friend. Judas was going to betray Him to death.
Notice how Jesus treated Judas. In the previous passage, Jesus washed all of their feet. That included Judas. Here, Jesus serves Judas. It was customary for the host to serve the guests.
In China, there is the same custom. I remember going to my wife’s parents’ home. Her mother zealously served me. She always gave me the best portion of meat and kept refilling my bowl no matter how full I was.
Jesus gave him a morsel of bread. Jesus didn’t speak harshly to him. He didn’t ask, “How can you do this to me?” Even the way that Jesus announced Judas’ betrayal was subtle and understated. It was necessary to point this out to the other disciples so they would understand God was sovereign. It was also an act of mercy to point this out to Judas as well, giving him one more opportunity to repent.
But even though declaring Judas as the betrayer was necessary and merciful, Jesus did it gently and without anger.
After this, we see two more developments.
Firstly, Satan enters Judas and then Judas went out.
A. Allowed Satan to enter
John 13:27 – Satan entered into him.
Someone might look at this and think that Judas had no choice, that he was merely a vessel for Satan.
Jesus never said, “You are not responsible.” He did say, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” This was Judas’ choice. It wasn’t made spur of the amount. Many smaller decisions led up to this big decision.
Judas had hardened his heart many times already. He had callously stolen money from the team’s moneybox. He had already gone to the leaders and offered to betray Jesus for money even before Satan entered him here.
Judas was responsible for his actions. He could not claim the “I had no choice” defense.
I have heard some people argue before that they “had no choice.”
• “All of my classmates were cheating. I had no choice or I would fall behind.” You have a choice. (I knew a Christian in that class who chose to not look at the material that was handed to him beforehand. He still passed).
• “You can’t do business in this country without lying. Everybody lies.” You have a choice.
• Everybody is living together with their girlfriend or boyfriend before marriage. We can’t afford to live separately.” I had a professing Christian tell me that before. You have a choice.
There is always a choice. Turn to your neighbor and say, “You have a choice.”
God gives you a choice. He promises to never allow you to face a temptation so great that there is no choice.
This is a great promise.
Judas allowed Satan to enter him. He was a willing accomplice.
What should he have done? What should you do?
James 4:7 – Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
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B. Judas went out
After receiving the morsel of bread, Judas left. This was the last blessing he would ever receive from Jesus. He chose to leave the Good Shepherd and go his own way.
Here John mentions it is night. There might be spiritual overtones to this mention of night here. He was overcome by darkness.
A few weeks ago, we read this in John 12.
John 12:35-36 – So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”
Judas left the light to walk in darkness.
Many ask why did Judas do this? Why, when he had so much evidence and the personal experience of witnessing Jesus, did he betray him?
There are many speculations. Some believe that he was expecting Jesus to be a powerful political ruler and was disappointed that Jesus hadn’t done that or was trying to force his hand. Perhaps he had always hoped that he could profit off of Jesus’ ministry and that wasn’t happening.
All of these are just speculations. What we know is that he offered to betray Jesus for money. Clearly, he was motivated by worldly riches. Serving Jesus hadn’t made him rich.
Judas had his own motivations for following Jesus. On the outside, he walked and talked like he was one of the disciples. He even served and did miracles as one of them.
But Judas was a fake disciple.
Like John said (1 John 2:19), he went out from them because he was not one of them.
Application –
I once had someone ask me a question. He said, “If I follow Jesus, what can I get? Will he allow me to immigrate to the US? Will I get a beautiful girlfriend?”
Why are you following Jesus?
Friends? Health? Money? Community?
Maybe some of us don’t even know or realize why we are following Jesus. Let us evaluate our hearts and pray this prayer of David.
Psalms 139:23-24 – Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
The first kind of disciple we see in this passage is a fake disciple. A true disciple has the right motivation and endures.
II. The Loving Disciple
The events leading to Jesus’ death had been set in motion. But Jesus did not wallow in self-pity.
As always, He put His disciples’ needs above His own. He thought of them and not Himself.
To help guide them, He gave them this famous instruction.
John 13:34 – A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
A New Commandment?
In the Old Testament, God’s people are commanded to “love your neighbor” (Leviticus 19:18). Jesus had taught this as well.
So how is this a new command?
Here it is the degree of love required that is unique. His instruction is not just to “Love one another.” It is, “Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another.”
That is a high standard. The disciples were a mixed crew of people from all different backgrounds. On the two extremes, you had a zealot (Simon of the strong anti-Rome faction) and a tax collector (Matthew of the Rome collaborators).
Did all the disciples like each other? Were they best friends?
There is nothing in Scripture that indicates that. Based on human nature, we know it is unlikely.
Bickering about who was the greatest was one of the disciples’ past times.
It was to this motley crew that Jesus gave this crucial command, love as I have loved you.
Loving each other as He loved us
How did He love us? Ask your neighbor how Jesus loved the disciples. Then switch and give a different answer.
A. Took Initiative
Jesus was the initiator of the relationship. He made the first move. He came from heaven to earth to become a man. Then He went and called the disciples. He went into their life and situation and found them where they were. He did this willingly and joyfully.
We are to take the initiative to show love to others. Don’t wait for others to make the first move. Step out of your comfort zone. In church, that could mean walking up to a newcomer and welcoming them. In friendships, it could mean being the first one to apologize.
B. When we were unlovely
Jesus didn’t love the disciples because they were model citizens. He loved Matthew the tax collector. He loved Peter who denied Christ. He loved all the disciples who kept arguing about who was greatest. Romans 5:8 says that God showed His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Love does not say, “After you change, I will love you.”
We are called to love others how they are. In the body of Christ, we have many people with all kinds of personalities. Is there another believer whom you find to be annoying and difficult to love? Does a name come to mind? It could even be your spouse or a family member. You see their ugliest sides. Jesus didn’t choose to love only the nicest or kindest people. He loved all.
If you are to love as He did, you are called to love even the unlovely and annoying.
C. As a servant
Jesus said, “Just as I have loved you.” He had just shown them what that meant when He washed their feet. He humbled himself and took the lowest job.
Are you willing to humble yourself and do the dirty or mundane jobs that no one else wants to do?
D. Sacrificially
The biggest way that Jesus showed love to the disciples and to us was in His death on the cross. He sacrificed Himself for us. Not because He deserved it. Not because it was His responsibility. But because of love.
We are called to love each other sacrificially. That means loving when we are tired and when it is inconvenient. That means putting others’ needs above our own.
What have you sacrificed for your brothers and sisters in Christ?
• Money
• Sleep
• Comfort
• Opportunities
If you can’t think of anything that you have sacrificed, you are not loving others as Jesus did.
A testimony to the world
John 13:35 – By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
Love is the key identifying mark of Jesus’ disciples.
He didn’t mention prayer, reading the Bible, church, or theology.
All of these things are important. But they are not the identifying marks of disciples. Those things may not attract the world to Christ.
But when someone sees the Christian community loving each other, caring for and supporting each other, being friends and living life joyfully together that is attractive.
You have to be together in order to love one another. If you stay in your own apartment or dorm by yourself isolated from other believers, you can’t do this. Jesus was with His disciples. And He calls us to be with each other.
Loving others as Jesus did means being together and staying connected. It’s impossible to fulfill this command alone!
A true disciple loves as Jesus loved us.
III. The Self-Confident Disciple
Unlike Judas, Peter was a real disciple. You can see his heart here.
John 13:36-37 – Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.” Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”
A disciple is a follower of Jesus. Peter wanted to follow Jesus. There is a lot to admire about Peter here.
Loved Jesus
There is no doubt that Peter loved Jesus. He had already given up his career as a fisherman and spent a lot of time away from home for three years to follow Jesus.
Good intentions
Peter had good intentions. He truly wanted to follow Jesus. At that moment, he was even willing to die for Jesus if it came to that.
The problem was not his intentions, but his self-confidence.
Self-confidence
Matthew 26:33 – Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.”
Notice Peter’s emphasis on “I” and on comparing himself to the others. He thought he was the most spiritual of them all.
Peter put his confidence in his flesh, his steely determination to follow Jesus no matter what. This was a problem of self-reliance, believing in himself instead of in Jesus.
Peter did not plan to deny Jesus, but it happened. It happened because of pride.
What should Peter have done when Jesus said this?
He should have come to Jesus and begged for help. He should have told Jesus, “I want to follow you, but I am so weak. I know I can’t stand for you on my own. Please help me. Please give me the strength to stand for you.”
There is no record that Peter asked Jesus for help or prayed to God for strength. In his mind, he didn’t need to. He was a faithful disciple and his will was strong enough.
Ask the person next to you, “Is it good to be self-confident?”
Self-confidence vs God-confidence
How many times does the term “self-confidence” appear in the Bible? The answer is zero.
In all of Scripture, we are never told that we should have confidence in ourselves or our own ability. Actually, we are warned against this repeatedly. We are reminded about how weak our flesh is and how we need God.
Jeremiah 17:5-9 Thus says the Lord:
“Cursed is the man who trusts in man
and makes flesh his strength,
whose heart turns away from the Lord.
He is like a shrub in the desert,
and shall not see any good come.
He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness,
in an uninhabited salt land.
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?
This says that putting our trust in any man, whether a politician, a pastor, or ourselves is futile.
I have asked many people, “What do you believe in?” Many have answered, “I believe in myself.”
This is a form of idolatry.
Such people vastly overestimate their own strengths and abilities. They vastly underestimate their own weaknesses and sins.
The text above says that our heart is deceitful and desperately wicked.
We should not trust in ourselves because we are weak. Peter was confident in his ability to stay the course. Within twenty-four hours he fell.
Let’s not just think about Peter, but about ourselves. How often do you rely on your own flesh?
• Do we tell ourselves “I won’t get angry with my family today” and then lose it?
• Is there a temptation or addiction you are facing that you are sure you can just will away, and then it comes back again?
• Do you trust in your own ability to teach a class, ace an exam, or preach a great sermon?
If we are to be a good disciple of Jesus, we need to put away our self-confidence.
What does that look like? That doesn’t mean you go into an interview with slumped shoulders and downcast eyes, answering questions with a mumbled “I don’t know.” It doesn’t mean we are timid or shirk back from opportunities to serve God.
We are to replace that self-confidence with God-confidence.
Proverbs 3:26 – For the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.
That is the very essence of what it means to be a disciple. When we come to Christ, we stop believing in ourselves. We recognize our sins and our weaknesses. We acknowledge that we are lost and helpless to save ourselves. We don’t stop trusting in anything. Instead, we transfer trust from ourselves to God.
Did Noah lack confidence when he built the ark? No, his confidence was in God to help him complete this monumental task.
Did David look like someone who was timid and lacked confidence when he faced Goliath? No, he was supremely confident that God would give him the victory.
Was Peter afraid to preach the name of Jesus when the Jewish leaders opposed him? No, he had learned his lesson. He preached boldly but relied on Christ. The Jewish leaders saw this bold confidence and realized he had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13).
Christians do not lack confidence. We just place our confidence in the Lord.
Application – Depend on the Lord, not your own flesh.
1 Corinthians 10:12 – Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.
What are you trying to accomplish by your own power?
• Improving your marriage?
• Getting a scholarship?
• Getting free of temptation?
• Preaching a sermon, teaching a study, or serving God?
• Or perhaps the Christian life? Trying so hard to read the Bible, pray, go to church, and obey God.
Humbly surrender to the Lord. Say what Peter should have said, “I can’t do this on my own. I need your help. Please give me the strength. I trust in you with the result.”
A true disciple relies on Him.
Conclusion
From today’s passage, we learned about three kinds of disciples, the fake disciple, the loving disciple, and the self-confident disciple.
We learned that a true disciple:
A. Has the right motivations and endures (unlike Judas)
B. Loves as He loved us
C. Relies on Him and not our own power
A and B start with C. We cannot endure by our own power. We cannot love by our own strength. We need to humbly come to the Lord, surrender ourselves to Him, and ask for help so that we can be a true disciple. As we close in prayer, I invite you to do that now.
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