The Gospel of John | The Sovereign and Willful Jesus – John 13:21-30
Jesus, knowing that His crucifixion was coming, willingly laid down His life for us.
One of the more recent criticism of the Gospel comes from describing the act of the Father as divine child abuse. This describes God who had set His son to die for others without the son having any understanding of the actual mission that He had been sent to achieve. The God in this criticism murders His son on a whim pouring out the fullness of His wrath upon an unwilling recipient. While there are plenty of depictions and qualities of God that would outright reject this fabricated objection to the Divine Will of God, John shows us the perspective of Jesus on the night before his crucifixion. To call the works of Christ as ignorant of the consequences or being coerced by a Father on a whim would be to overlook the character and love of God on full display in sections such as these. Jesus never presents Himself as one who did not know what is going on. Rather, Jesus’ divine nature shines brightly, understanding the consequences and the act that stood before Him.
Jesus sat with His disciples sharing a meal with them in an intimate setting. Meals during that time were highly personal events that were shared among people in close relationship with one another. Often reclining, the people would enjoy each other’s company in relationship together. Yet, this was no ordinary meal, but the last meal that the disciples of Christ would share with one another. Having just discussed with them that His authority stemmed from the Father, Jesus broke the news to them. One of them would betray Him, leading to the events that would inevitably have Jesus crucified. Peter and the Beloved Disciple (the first mention of this title, most likely referring to John) inquired of Jesus who could possibly be the one to betray them. Through the passing of bread, Jesus identifies Judas as the one and Satan enters and consumes Him fully during that night. In this section of the Gospel according to John, we see Jesus at work in a few different ways. First, we see the sovereignty of God demonstrated in His omniscience. Second, we see the loving kindness of Christ through His willingness to pursue the cross, knowing full well what implications that held. Jesus willfully went to the cross, willing to lay down His life for the sake of His people.
Sovereignty and Omniscience
As Jesus announced to the disciples that one of them would surely betray Him this night, everyone reacts with some suspicion. They looked towards one another, wondering who would be the one to betray Jesus and what that even meant. As Peter and John inquired of Jesus who the person was, Jesus identified Judas as the one who would betray Him. This was not a speculation or a suspicion that Jesus had regarding the events that would transpire but a divine nature and understanding of what was to come. Judas would be the one to betray Jesus and send Him to His death. Then, Jesus, after Satan had fully entered Judas, told him to do what he was going to do and to do it without delay. While some have viewed this as a challenge to the Satan filled Judas, paired with the foreknowledge of Christ means we should view this, not as a challenge, but as a display of the sovereign reign and rule of Jesus Christ over all situations. He was not reacting to situations as they were unfolding before Him, nor was He challenging a situation but rather was fully in control of the situation.
Too often, we feel as if the events of the cross simply happened to Jesus Christ as if He were a passive player in the story. However, this runs contrary to the nature of God and the person of Jesus Christ. God does not act as a passive player but rather as the only person active enough to fully enact the plan of grace and mercy that is needed for the salvation of people. Furthermore, the works of Jesus Christ were no accident and were not improvised on the fly. Dying for the sins of mankind had always been the plan since the beginning of time. At no point did an all knowing God need to course correct or adjust the plan. Rather, every step reflected the glory of God who never relinquished control. We can trust in Jesus Christ and in His works as good and perfect. Nothing occurs that is beyond His reach or ability and nothing happens without His permission. Even during the times when things are difficult, we can trust that God’s sovereign rule has not been diminished. God is all knowing and rules perfectly over mankind, inviting us back into right relationship with Him as a display of His love and glory. Jesus’ knowledge of everything Judas had planned and even the timing of Satan’s entering of Jesus demonstrating that nothing, whether it be good or evil, is beyond the understanding and reign of Jesus Christ in the world
- How does Jesus respond to the understanding that Judas will be the one to betray Him? What qualities of God are revealed in Peter and John’s conversation with Jesus?
The Willfulness of Jesus Christ
We also cannot read through this passage and think that Jesus was in anyway not complicit and fully willing to endure the cross of Christ. This is not divine child abuse but God who willingly took on flesh and, knowing the future and knowing the pain that He would endure, planned the work of the cross. When confronted with Judas, Jesus gives permission and assent to the betrayal of Jesus. Just as Jesus maintained His divine omniscience, Christ’s sovereignty is on full display. Nothing that Judas, consumed by Satan, does lies outside of the rule and reign of Jesus. Had He not given them permission to do what the were doing, it would not have happened. In truth, the cross of Christ was never plan B as a response to the sin of mankind, but rather had been the plan since the beginning of time. Nothing came as a surprise to the omniscience of God and nothing could overpower the grace of God to willingly endure the cross for the sake of His people and for His glory.
The detail that Jesus willfully endured the cross for our sake is no small detail but highly revealing of the nature and character of Christ. With the humanity of Christ, the pain was real, the weight of bearing the sins of the world upon Himself was real, and the agony of the physical, emotional, and spiritual torture placed on Him were real. To willfully endure the punishment of another demonstrates a deep and profound love. If you ponder on the pain that Christ endured, do so knowing that love fueled the endurance. Christ died for us, the innocent for the guilty, once for all, so that we might return to Him. Throughout this passage in John, the disciples could not fully grasp the work of Christ (and would not until they saw Him ascend into heaven). Their confusion mirrors our own where we fail to grasp the depth and understanding of the work of Christ as full comprehensive salvation offered by grace and fully by the works of Jesus Christ. The love of Christ runs deep, providing hope and salvation for all who put their faith in trust in Him. Jesus would go to the cross willfully and we bow before Him, identifying with Him in His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. Christ goes before us in love and bids us to return to Him through His sovereign rule and reign given to us in grace.
- What does Christ’s knowledge of what Judas sought to do and enduring it anyway tell us about the character of Jesus Christ?
Discussion Questions
- How would you describe the sovereignty of God? Where do you see God’s sovereignty at work in this discourse in the Gospel of John?
- In what ways did Jesus Christ display His love for His people? What does this imply about how Christ views you?
- What are some of the ways we should respond to the love of Christ and His sovereignty?
- How does trusting in God’s sovereignty help us to endure the difficulties we face in our daily life?
About The Author
Daniel Burton is the founder of The Gospel Outpost. He is passionate about discipleship and seeing people grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. To find out more about him, check out his Author Page.
