Sermon Study Guide

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The Lord Was Betrayed But Would Not Betray His Own “Light: Experiencing Christ in the Psalms” Psalms 41 & 109

November 25, 2018 BIG IDEA Though Jesus was beaten, bruised, despised and rejected, we can be eternally grateful that he embraced the cross. Though he was betrayed, he never turned his back on us. He never betrayed his own.

THIS WEEK’S SCRIPTURE Context: Though these two Psalms were written some one thousand years before the earthly ministry of Jesus began, they paint a stark picture of his betrayal. The Advent season is built around the idea that God sent his Son into the world to save us from sin. In order to do so, Jesus allowed a close friend to betray him. David is the featured character in the Psalm. He was also betrayed. He was thankful that God would rescue him, but his pain is easy to see. In short, we read the pain of Jesus through the heart of David. Psalm 41:4-10 4

As for me, I said, “O LORD, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against you!” 5 My enemies say of me in malice, “When will he die, and his name perish?” 6 And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words, while his heart gathers iniquity; when he goes out, he tells it abroad. 7 All who hate me whisper together about me; they imagine the worst for me. 8

They say, “A deadly thing is poured out on him; he will not rise again from where he lies.” Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me. 10 But you, O LORD, be gracious to me, and raise me up, that I may repay them. 9

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Psalm 109:1-5 1

Be not silent, O God of my praise! 2 For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues. 3 They encircle me with words of hate, and attack me without cause. 4 In return for my love they accuse me, but I give myself to prayer. 5 So they reward me evil for good, and hatred for my love.

DISCUSSION & APPLICATION 1. The Types Paint a Picture John 13:2 (NIV) – The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. In Psalm 41 there are two betrayers: Ahithophel (a likely counselor to David) is the immediate subject and Judas is alluded to. There are two that were betrayed: David (the author) and Jesus the coming Messiah. As we jump to the future and deal with the betrayal of Jesus, keep in mind that Christ is the Son of God. He is the King of the Universe. Yet, here he is, allowing himself to be arrested while appointing an envoy of Satan to betray him. Judas was exposed during the Last Supper. a. Have you been betrayed by someone close to you? How did it feel?

b. By thinking about your own experience, can you get a feeling for what it must have been like for Jesus?

c. Jesus was willing to be betrayed in order for his mission to be accomplished. What are you willing to sacrifice to God in order make disciples?

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2. The Picture Is One of Close-Up Betrayal and Deep Pain Psalm 109:2 – For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues. The suffering of Christ wasn’t just physical—it was also emotional. In Psalm 109 there is another allusion to the Judas-Jesus relationship. People were betraying David as they would Jesus. Psalm 109 is a place where we see this clearly. The men around David were deceitful and hateful. They turned his good will into treachery. As a godly king, David endured persecution. But for the anti-type (the greater fulfillment of the type) it was worse. The Lord was mocked and rejected by his own people. Still today Jews don’t believe in him. Betrayal was part of his journey to the cross. His own people willingly traded him to the Romans in order have their dirty work done for them. John records an episode where the governor, Pontius Pilate, was trying to get a handle on why the Jews were trying to get Jesus killed. There was no good reason. He was simply being betrayed. John 18:29-30 – So Pilate went outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.” a. What does it feel like to be falsely accused? Have you ever had to deal with a person that was trying to destroy you for no good reason? How did you react? Talk about this with the group.

b. It is easy to think that suffering is new to our lives. Here, though, are two men that suffered greatly. Jesus was persecuted because he was the True King of Israel. His own people turned him over to the enemy. Why did Jesus sacrifice so much to hang on a cross?

c. What is preventing you from surrendering to God and his plan for your life? Are you willing to carry a cross like Jesus did?

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3. The Error of Expediency Produced Dire Consequences The end of both betrayers came from their own hands. Psalm 49:8 – They say, a deadly thing is poured out on him; he will not rise again from where he lies. These betrayers both died by hanging. The Judas account is summarized in this Matthew passage: Matthew 27:3-5 – Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. Don’t try and take shortcuts. Don’t chase the world’s ways and think that you’re going to gain something in the end. All you’ll gain is heartbreak. Ahithophel and Judas ended up hanging from a tree. Whatever it is that you’re thinking of doing that isn’t scriptural, it’s not worth it. Stop. a. Is there something that you want but you aren’t sure that God wants you to have it? Is it an emotional affair, a job that would be difficult for your family, a new house, better clothes, or many other alluring pursuits? Why are these things so appealing to you?

b. The fact that Jesus humbled himself by succumbing to a human death and becoming the ultimate sacrifice for our sins demands a response from us. What will your response be?

c. Surrendering your life to Jesus is not just about agreeing to follow him; it is about actually following him, following his example and living as he did. It means giving up the things of the world and following him and him only. Can you do that? Why or why not?

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4. Jesus Would Not Betray His Own It’s not in the Lord’s character to betray the men and women that he created. Christ can only act out of love and devotion to the mission. Jesus didn’t seek revenge. David didn’t either. The king was sure that God was his refuge so he didn’t try to manufacture his own kind of justice. Psalm 109:21 – But you, O GOD my Lord, deal on my behalf for your name’s sake; because your steadfast love is good, deliver me! Though Jesus was treated horribly, cruelly, and without any regard to Jewish law, he remained silent, accepting his fate. He didn’t feel a need to hunt down those that had betrayed him. Isaiah 53:7 – He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. The Lord didn’t feel a need to defend himself. He somehow had the wherewithal to shout from a Roman cross: “Forgive them, for they know not what they do.” What a great Savior! The second amazing truth about how Jesus handled this betrayal is that he fulfilled what God had for him. The Lord embraced the cross and carried it all the way to the hill of death. There—naked, beaten, and torn apart—he hung for all to see. It was his sacrificial atoning death that allows all that believe in him to be saved. It’s by his blood that we can be forgiven through faith. a. Jesus died to pay for your sin. We call this the Penal (legal) Substitutionary (in place of) Atonement (expiation of sin and full reconciliation with God). You can have this by, 1) repenting of your sin, 2) trusting Jesus to forgive you, 3) acknowledging that you believe that Jesus is the Risen Son of God, and 4) telling him that you trust only him for your salvation. Have you done that? Will you do that?

If you have taken this step, you are now a child of God. You have been granted eternal life! Make sure you tell someone that can help you find out more about Jesus!

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5. How All of This Affects Me If Jesus can forgive a group of Roman soldiers that nailed him to a cross, you can forgive others. It’s commanded by Jesus: Luke 17:3-4 – “Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” Here are three questions that I hope will challenge you regarding the Lord’s betrayal. I hope that you’ve seen that Jesus is a wonderful example to follow. He is someone that has amazing courage and is always faithful. a. Have you forgiven anyone that’s betrayed you? The pain of betrayal can cause us to harden our hearts. It can cause us to simmer in bitterness. We can blame them for all of the bad things that happen to us. But really, the only person that is destroyed by unforgiveness is you.

b. Have you moved forward or are you stuck? Processing betrayal is important and appropriate. But Satan can cause us to get stuck and miss all that God has for us. Make sure that you are getting help.

c. Do you owe anyone an apology for betraying them?

PRAY Lord, help me to grow deeper with you. Help me to learn to carry the cross. I think that it is amazing that you allowed (or even arranged for) betrayal. You must love me a lot. Thank you for doing that! Amen.

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DIG DEEPER For further study this week:  

Fundamentals of the Faith: 13 Lessons to Grow in the Grace and Knowledge of Jesus Christ – a book from John MacArthur The Jesus I Never Knew – a book from Philip Yancey

NEXT WEEK’S BIG IDEA Our Advent Series Continues: “Light: Experiencing Christ in the Psalms” Next Week’s Theme: Jesus Will Come as Conquering King! (Psalms 2 & 110)

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