Read and meditate on John 13.20, 21.
Jesus was troubled, deeply and visibly troubled. He should have been, and so should we.

                                            ²¹Now when He
had said these things, then He was troubled in
His spirit, and He said, “I say again,
one of you will betray Me.” ²²Then, perplexed
at this, they looked at one another.
 
- John 13.21, 22

Reflect
1.  The sense of the verb troubled, indicates that Jesus was stirred to shaking. He was deeply and visibly troubled. But we have already seen all the things Jesus knew, including that God had put all things into His hands (v. 3). Why should Jesus be so troubled? Complete this prayer: Lord, I’m sure many things trouble You even now, as You rule at the right hand of God, such as…

2.  To be thus deeply affected about a situation is an experience we have perhaps all known at one time or another. Is being troubled about something a sin? Could it even be right for us to be troubled about something? Explain. Lord, whenever I feel this way, whenever I’m deeply troubled, I want to…

3.  Jesus had previously said that someone among His disciples was not clean (v. 10), and that one of them would “lift up his heel” against Him (v. 18). Now He tells the disciples what He meant by this, and why He was so deeply and visibly troubled. What should this tell us about how the Lord feels about betrayal? What is betrayal? Are you ever faced with the temptation to betray Jesus? Explain. Lord, I know that I’m facing the possibility of betraying You when…

4.  Jesus’ announcement plunged the disciples into perplexity, uncertainty, and a feeling of despair. We know from the other gospels that “each of them” feared they might be the betrayer (cf. Matt. 26.22). They were horrified at the prospect, and rightly so. Why? Lord, whenever I am faced with the prospect of betraying You, help me to…

5.  Sin should trouble us. The prospect of betraying Jesus should trouble us. Sin is not a small matter. We should be alert to every temptation that invites us to choose self-interest over the will of Christ. Such challenges come at us every day, in a variety of forms. How can we prepare so that we will recognize temptations to betray Jesus, and be ready to act in faith and obedience? Bring together into one your prayers from questions 1-4.

Summary
“He was troubled, then, who had power to lay down his life and power to take it up again. That mighty power is troubled, that immovable rock is disturbed? Or is it rather our infirmity that is troubling him? Most certainly this is the case. Let servants believe nothing unworthy of their Lord but recognize their own membership in their Head. He who died for us was also himself troubled in our place. He therefore who died in power was troubled in the midst of his power. He who shall transform the body of our humility into similarity of form with the body of his glory has also transferred into himself the feeling of our infirmity. He sympathizes with us in the feelings of his own soul. And so, when it is the great, the brave, the sure, the invincible One that is troubled, let us have no fear for him as if he were capable of failing. He is not perishing but is in search of us [who are]…” Augustine (354-430 AD)

Sin disturbs the Lord, and it should disturb us. Every act of sin is a betrayal of the Lord, and of our calling as His disciples. Believers are commanded to hate sin (Ps. 97.10). How can we nurture this attitude toward sin?

Closing Prayer
I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly;
I go mourning all the day long.
For my loins are full of inflammation,
And there is no soundness in my flesh.
I am feeble and severely broken;
I groan because of the turmoil of my heart.
Lord, all my desire is before You;
And my sighing is not hidden from You.
My heart pants, my strength fails me;
As for the light of my eyes, it also has gone from me.
My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague,
And my relatives stand afar off.
Those also who seek my life lay snares for me;
Those who seek my hurt speak of destruction,
And plan deception all the day long.
But I, like a deaf man, do not hear;
And I am like a mute who does not open his mouth.
Thus I am like a man who does not hear,
And in whose mouth is no response.
For in You, O LORD, I hope;
You will hear, O Lord my God.
For I said, “Hear me, lest they rejoice over me,
Lest, when my foot slips, they exalt themselves against me.”
For I am ready to fall,
And my sorrow is continually before me.
For I will declare my iniquity;
I will be in anguish over my sin.

Psalm 38.6-18

Psalm 38.5-16 (Leoni: The God of Abraham Praise)
My sinful wounds grow foul, and fester painfully;
I bend and groan within my soul most mournfully!
Sin fills my every part;
Conviction stings my breast.
Lord, ease my numbed and burning heart and grant me rest!

You know all my desire, my sighs You know full well.
My strength fails and light’s holy fire my eyes dispel.
My friends and loved ones fail;
The wicked do me wrong.
My life they seek, my soul assail the whole day long.

Their threats I will not heed, nor speak to their  reproof;
To hear or speak I have no need – I claim Your truth!
Lord, hear my fervent prayer!
Let not my foes rejoice;
Redeem me from their traps and snares – Lord, hear my voice!  

T. M. Moore

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series IV a and b: John, edited by Joel C. Elowsky, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006. Verse translation of John by T. M. Moore.