John 13:21-30

John 13:21-30

1. Let us mark what trouble our Lord Jesus went through for the sake of our souls.
2. Let us mark the power and malignity of our great enemy the devil.
3. Let us mark the extreme hardness which comes over the heart of a backsliding professor of faith.

"How many cups of sorrow He drained to the dregs in working out our salvation, beside the mighty cup of bearing our sins! They show us how little reason we have for complaining when friends fail us and people disappoint us."

"Trifling with the first thoughts of sin, making light of evil ideas when first offered to our hearts, allowing Satan to talk to us, flatter us and put bad notions into our hearts—all this may seem a small matter to many. It is precisely at this point that the road to ruin often begins."

"Let us watch jealously over our hearts and beware of giving way to the beginnings of sin. Happy is the one who fears always and walks humbly with their God."

Questions

1. We see the heart of Jesus burdened when Judas Iscariot betrays Him. Ryle encourages us to consider how many cups of sorrow he drank besides the mighty cup of bearing out sins. He points out that we should have very little reason for complaining when others fail and disappoint us. Can we say this is true?
2. We see the evil of Satan who puts a thought into Judas's head, and then enters him when he acts on it. The Bible tells us not to be ignorant of Satan's devices and Ryle encourages that our only safety is to resist him and to not listen to his first advances. Are we aware of Satan's schemes? Do we daily pray to be kept from temptation?
3. We see the hardness of the heart of Judas as Jesus speaks his last words to him. Ryle warns against resisting the light and knowledge we have, and that such work is most common amongst those who deliberately turn their backs on such light and knowledge. He closes with this helpful word, namely that the strongest Christian is the one who feels their weakness most and cries for help most frequently. In light of this standard, how strong are we?