John 13, 12/8

JOHN 13

This is a chapter where we hear the declaration of the FOREKNOWLEDGE of the Lord.  v. 1 “Jesus knew…”  v. 11 “For He knew who was going to betray Him.”  V. 19 Jesus shared the betrayal of Judas with the disciples “so that when it occurs, you will KNOW for sure Who I am!” 

MEET THE FOOTWASHER!  …  An object lesson never to be forgotten!

Since the LORD knew that He had come from God and was now returning to God, He took a servant’s towel and became the Servant:

1.     Showed humility.  Jesus’ humility did not come from being poor…He was rich!  (John 5: 19, 30, 6:38, 7:16, 8:50, Jesus was the Sovereign, yet He took the place of a servant.  He had all things in His hands, yet He picked up a tower.  He was Lord and Master, yet He served His followers.  HUMILITY for you and for me is to be in total dependence upon HIM, just as the LORD was totally dependent upon the Father and followed the Father’s time table.  The ultimate expression of the Lord’s humility was the cross. 

We today, just like the disciples that evening, desperately need this lesson on humility.  The church is filled with a worldly spirit of competition and criticism as believers view with one another to see who is the greatest.  We are growing in knowledge, but not in grace.  Andrew Murray said, “The lack of humility is the sufficient explanation of every defect and failure.”    Jesus served His disciples because of His humility and because of His love.  It is said in the Greek text, “He loved them to the uttermost.”  We are told that the world will know that we are Christians because of our love for one another.

 

2.   V. 7 When He said to Peter that “he did not understand now what I am doing, but you will understand later on = WHEN THE COCK CROWS!”  Peter would know the principle of confession as expressed in v. 10…you have been washed all over IF you belong to Jesus, but on the journey of life, you will get your feet soiled (sin) and it will require washing your feet…CONFESSION.

The word translated wash in v. 5-6, 8, 12, 14 is nipto and means ‘to wash a part of the body.’  But the word translated “washed” in v. 10 is louo and means ‘to bathe all over.’ 

When someone is SAVED, they are bathed all over and never need to be bathed all over again…but he needs his feet washed regularly…I John 1:9.

 

3.   “Owe nothing but a debt of love”  v. 14.  “it is your duty, you are under obligation, you owe it to wash one another’s feet.  In understanding what Jesus has done for us…FORGIVENESS … we owe others FORGIVENESS.  (Gal 6, Matthew 5:23-24)

How can you wash another’s feet?  Asking forgiveness, giving forgiveness...whether asked or not.  Sharing Matt.  18 an offense!  NOT necessarily for correction of another, but for the purpose of restoration and reconciliation. 

Judas had made the wrong choice before Satan entered!  A born again cannot be possessed by the enemy!  Even near the hour of betrayal by Judas the LORD protected him.  What do you think would have happened if the LORD had openly accused Judas before all these men?  Remember what happened in the garden with the quick draw of the sword?

From the very beginning, the Lord knew that Judas would betray Him (foreknowledge), but He did not compel him to do it.  Judas was exposed to the same spiritual privileges as the other disciples, yet they did him no good.  The same sun that melts the ice only hardens the clay.  In spite of all that the Lord had taught about money…warning about covetousness, Judas continued to be a thief and steal from the treasury.  In spite of all our Lord’s warning about unbelief.  Judas persisted in his rejection…Jesus even washed Judas’ feet…yet his hard heart did not yield. 

Only John knew what the Lord had answered him and he had no time to reveal this to the rest of the group.  Keep in mind that Judas knew what he was doing and that he did it deliberately.  He had already met with the Jewish religious leaders and agreed to lead them to Jesus in such a way that there would not be any public disturbance.  He hear Jesus say…Matt 26:24 yet he persisted in his unbelief and treachery.  Light and dark are important spiritual images in the Gospel.  Jesus is the Light of the world but Judas rejected Jesus and went out into darkness…for Judas, it is still night.  Those who do evil hate the light. 

When Judas departed, there was a great contrast in the room he left behind…the Lord began to teach his disciples.

What did it mean for the Lord to glorify the Father?  John 17:4  This the way all of us glority God..by faithfully doing what He calls us to do.  In the Lord’s case, the Father’s will was that the Son die for lost sinners, be raised from the dead and then ascend to heaven.  The Son glorified the Father and the Father glorified the Son 17: 1,5

There would come a time that the Son would be glorified in these disciples but they could not follow Him at that time.  Peter had said that he wanted to follow where the LORD was going.   The LORD explained that he could not…but Peter did follow…and he should not have…look what happened.  Peter perhaps knew as well when he heard the rooster crowed.  He disregarded this warning from the Lord and he got into trouble.   

Love would take on a deeper meaning and power after the death of Christ on the cross.  “Christ in me, is my hope of glory and my only hope of loving others as the Lord has loved me!”  This chapter has begun with love – the Jesus love for us and in v. 34-35, the Lord is admonishing us to love one another.  “Love one another as I have loved you!”  (I Peter 1:22) 

NO, you can’t! but He can…through you!