Two Types of Servants: Betrayer and Denier – Tuesday of Holy Week

 In the Gospel Reading of Tuesday of Holy Week (John 13: 21-33. 36-38), we see how Judas Iscariot was activated by Satan to prepare his treacherous act against Jesus (vv. 21-33) and Jesus foretelling Peter’s denials (vv.36-38) during the Lord’s Supper.

Sensing that the it was almost the hour that he would enter into his Passion toward death, during the Supper, as prophesized in the fourth servant song in the Book of Isaiah (52:13-53:12), Jesus was in distress and announced to the disciples that one of them would betray him.

This is like a dropping a bomb at the dinner table, as it was during the time that Jesus and the disciples were dining together after having the disciple’s feet washed clean (John 13:1-20). In fact, during the washing of the disciples’ feet, Jesus already hinted about the presence of the betrayer among them, by saying:

Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed, for he is clean all over; so that you are clan, but not all. Not all of you are clean (John 13:10-11).

Then, at the supper, Jesus further spoke of the betrayer more specifically:

I am not speaking of all of you. I know those whom I have chosen. But so that the scripture might be fulfilled, “The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me”. From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I AM. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me (John 13:18-21).

Then Jesus said, “Not all of you are clean”(John 13:11), none of the disciples seemed to be so concerned about this matter, as they were having their feet washed by Jesus. But, as the supper began, in response to Jesus’ more specific words on the betrayers, “The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me”(John 13:18), the disciples reacted with great anxiety as to whom Jesus was referring as the betrayer. So, John, prompted by Peter, asked Jesus who that would be (John 13:25). And Judas left the supper. Thus, Jesus’ words, “The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me”(John 13:18) began to be fulfilled.

And Jesus answered:

It is the one to whom I hand the morsel after I have dipped it (John 13:26).

And Jesus dipped the morsel into the cup of wine and handed it over to Judas, and Satan entered him, activating him to begin preparing for his treacherous act against Jesus (John 13:26-27a). Then, Jesus urged Judas to do what he had intended to do against him (John 13:27b).

Judas received the dipped morsel from Jesus at the Supper. In this action, Jesus showed his endearment to him, as Boaz called his beloved Ruth to share his morsel with her dipped in the cup (Ruth 2:14), though knowing of his betrayal to be imminent. It seems that Jesus wanted to show Judas that he always loved him, even though he was to betray him soon, through this intimate table fellowship gesture of sharing the morsel dipped in the cup with him.  

Even to that point, the disciples seemed to have no clue about Judas to betray Jesus, as they thought that he left the dinner table for an errand as he was in charge of money (John 13:28-29). And it was night (John 13:30). But, it was not simply when the evening darkness had fallen but marked the beginning of the spiritual darkness that Judas’ betrayal would bring and in which Jesus would go into his Passion to death. And this darkness is reflected in the Tenebrae service that takes place on Holy Thursday night.

After Judas left, Jesus said:

Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in Himself, and He will glorify him at once (John 13:31-33).

What did Jesus mean by these words about himself?

Jesus now signals that the time for his glorification process begun as the spiritual darkness began to fall, and the glorification points to his death on the Cross, his Resurrection, and his Ascension. And this was echoed as Jesus began his final prayer at the end of the supper (John 17:1), and he confirmed the glorification during his prayer shortly before his arrest (John 17:10).

Why is his death to be glorification? It is because his life will be hidden in the Father upon his death until his Resurrection – just as our lives will be hidden in him upon our death (Colossians 3:3). In fact, Jesus had already shown the preview of the glory in his Resurrection during his Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-8//Mark 9:2-8//Luke 9:28-36). And, the glorification completed with his Ascension (1 Timothy 3:16; cf. John 7:39; 16:7).

Jesus had already touched upon his glorification by the Father during his argument with his accusers (John 8:54). He also mentioned this to the crowd in Jerusalem earlier during his last week before his Passion (John 12:28-29).

So, Jesus said to the disciples remaining at the supper:

My children, I will be with you only a little while longer. You will look for me, and as I told the Jews, “Where I go you cannot come”(Jon 13:33).

Now Jesus indicates the imminence of his departure, which has two-fold meaning: his death (John 13:36-37) and his return to the Father through Ascension (John 7:33; 8:21-23).

And Jesus gave the remaining disciples his new commandment to love one another as he had loved them, as a mark of their discipleship (John 13:34-35).

Then, Peter asked Jesus where he would go (John 13:36), in regard to the statement indicative of his departure (John 13:33). Peter also said to Jesus, “Master, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you” (John 13:37).

It is obvious that Peter really wanted to follow Jesus – though he would soon prove that all he had for Jesus was mere feeling but he did not have the necessary spiritual strengths to truly love Jesus with all his life.

So, Jesus foretold Peter of his denials:

Will you lay down your life for me? Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow before you deny me three times (John 13:38).

In the Gospel Reading (John 13:21-33, 36-38), we peak into the scene of Holy Thursday with two themes: betrayal by Judas and denial by Peter. Both Judas and Peter were disciples whom Jesus picked.

Prior to the scene of the Gospel Reading of this day (John 13:21-33, 36-38), Jesus was teaching the disciples that service to one another, symbolized with washing the feet, as demonstrated by their servant-master, Jesus (John 13:1-17). And Jesus capped the service as an act of love in his new commandment (John 13:34-35). So, we have two servants in the Gospel Reading: Judas and Peter, to reflect on.

Judas turned out to be a servant who betrays the master, while Peter was the servant to deny his affiliation with his master three time. Judas’ betrayal was motivated by his greed (i.e. John 12:6). It suggests that Judas was not loyal to Jesus, and perhaps, he did not have much affection for Jesus as he followed Jesus for his personal advantage. That is why he was able to “sell” Jesus for some cash for his money bag (Matthew 26:14-16). Had he believed in Jesus, he would be too afraid to betray God. But because of his lack of faith, Judas could have thought it was like one of these human trafficking business. On the other hand, Peter really loved Jesus in a way to be his number one disciple. That is why he pledged to be the most loyal disciple to die for him (John 13:37). Peter meant well. But, he was not really thinking when he said that. And he did not know himself well when he made that pledge of loyalty to Jesus. He did not know that he lacked the substance to die for Jesus. And he was not ready to die for him until he received the power, namely, the Holy Spirit on Pentecost (Acts 1:8; 2:1-14; 4:8-29). Peter was always faithful, but his faith was not strong enough at the time of Lord’s supper. So, he was afraid to be arrested for his association with Jesus. But, he just could not forget about his beloved master, Jesus. That is why he followed Jesus from the distance (John 18:15-18, 25-27).

The First Reading (Isaiah 49:1-6), which is drawn from the second servant song in the Book of Isaiah (49:1-13). And this reflects what kind of servant Jesus is to his Father, who sent him. In this, we can see that Jesus put his steadfast trust in his “master”, his Father. And he knew that his service to the Father leads to the glory (Isaiah 49:3).

What about us?

We say we are Christians. So, we go to church. We read the Bible. And we do our best to do as commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ. But, are we serving our Lord with humility and love, as exemplified by Mary of Bethany (John 12:1-11)? Are we serving him as Jesus served his Father? Or did we become Christians for certain self-serving reason, as Judas joined the discipleship? Is our trust in the Lord strong enough to die for him, as Peter had to learn?