No Other Way

But this is to fulfill the scripture: He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me. I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He. I tell you the truth, ... whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.

John 13:18b-20

The contrast here is between the knowledge of Jesus and the ignorant unbelief of Judas. Jesus knew from the Scriptures that one among those close to Him would betray Him, and He knew from the beginning which one it would be. But Judas didn't know that. Judas was ignorantly following the greed of his own heart, and he was resisting every effort Jesus made to reach him. Now he was on the verge of that final act of rejection that would plunge him over the precipice into utter and complete disaster.

In the next paragraph you see that described--how he took the sop from Jesus' hand, and that was the final chance he had. When he did, Satan entered into him, and Judas was no longer his own master. But Jesus indicates that He understands what will happen. He says, I'm telling you this before it happens, so when it does, you will know I am the one this Scripture describes. Judas, on the other hand, didn't know what was happening to him or how he had fallen into Satan's snare and now was at the brink of disaster. You can see how these two stand opposed one to another. Jesus sacrificed Himself in order to save His disciples; Judas sacrificed Jesus in order to save himself. Those two philosophies dominate the world today.

In this final appeal. Jesus is directing a word to the holders of these two basic attitudes, Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives any one whom I send receives me. That is a word to us, that when someone comes to wash our feet, to help us with some problem of sin in our life, we are to remember that this person is sent by Jesus. Therefore, it is He who is offering to wash our feet. And we are not to resent this ministry from others. But we are to remember what Jesus says, He who receives any one whom I send, receives me.

The last word was addressed to Judas: And he who receives me receives him who sent me. That is, he receives God the Father. And there is no other way to the Father but by Jesus. This is the truth Jesus declares again and again, and it is the great truth that Judas sought to circumvent. He tried to live his life before God without relating at all to the ministry and the salvation offered by Jesus. He is stumbling blindly on, not realizing that he is facing the most important crisis of his life, and only Jesus can bring him to God. This was Jesus' last-ditch stand to reach Judas before it was too late, and Judas refuses Him, as subsequent events will show. But the great truth Jesus leaves before us is this: There is no other way.

Lord, in Your unfailing way You reached out to Judas, showing him that You are the only way. Help me to receive both You and the ones You send to me, reaching out to restore me to fellowship with You.