YE ARE NOT ALL CLEAN
JOHN 13:1-11
Introduction:
Jesus makes His final preparations before going to the Cross of Calvary. He gathers His disciples and washes their feet. Peter objects and the Lord explains saying, “ye are not all clean.” Note the word “ye” is you plural, “you all.” Among the disciples there was someone who was not converted to Christ.
Jesus knew who he was and what he was about to do that the Scriptures might be fulfilled which say, “Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.” Psalm 41:9.
I. THE PROPHESY
Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”
A. Jesus came to redeem mankind from sin, Luke 19:10, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
B. Satan is and has been determined to destroy the work of God.
1. He blasphemes the name of the Lord, Psalm 74:10, “O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?”
2. He tempts men to sin against God:
a. He tempted the Lord, but without success, Matthew 4:1, 10-11, “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.”
b. He tempts man everyday, James 1:13-14, “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”
C. Satan is the Deceiver of this world, Revelation 12:9, “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”
D. Satan was to “bruise” the heel of the seed of the woman, Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”
1. Satan would cripple mankind with temptation to sin, (you will strike at his heel).
2. But the Seed, CHRIST, would deliver the FATAL BLOW (He will crush your head).
II. THE PERPETRATOR
A. Judas had rejected the life giving, cleansing words of Jesus, John 6:63, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”
B. He had not been cleansed by the Word of the Lord as were the other Apostles, John 15:3, “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.”
1. The Lord knew his heart, John 2:25, “And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.”
2. Jesus knew his past and his present, John 4:29,“Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?”
a. Judas was chosen to fulfill the Scriptures, John 13:18, “I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.”
b. The Lord knew his character, John 12:4-6, “Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him, 5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? 6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.”
c. Jesus knew that Judas would betray Him, John 6:64, “But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.”
1) Judas was not one of the Lord’s true disciples, 1 John 2:19, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.”
2) Many professed disciples walked away from the Lord’s message, John 6:66, “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.”
d. Judas was clean in his own eyes, Proverbs 30:12, “There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.”
e. Judas was the son of perdition, John 17:12, “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.”
C. Judas finally betrayed the Lord as the Lord knew he would.
1. The sign of betrayal, Matthew 26:48, “Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast.”
2. The deed done, Matthew 26:49, “And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him.”
CONCLUSION:
The Lord had said “He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.” John 13:10. One person was not clean among the Lord’s disciples. That one was Judas Iscariot and he was the one Satan used to betray the Lord.
God uses even His enemies to accomplish His will. If Christ has not been betrayed and crucified on Calvary we would be in our sins today without hope.