John Chapter 13
In John Chapter 12, Jesus said
"The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified." (vs.23).
He spoke of how his death would bring about much fruit. He made the statement that if anyone served Him, they must follow Him. The crowds were always divided about what they believed concerning Him as they are still today.
Jesus will not walk publicly among the Jews now because they are seeking to KILL Him...Yet...before this PASSOVER Feast, when He will become the Passover Lamb for the sins of the world, ..... He will spend some intimate time with his own disciples, preparing them for the days that lay ahead of them.
During this supper with His own disciples, Jesus girded Himself with a towel and took on the role of a servant as He washed the feet of His disciples. It was customary in those days to have your feet washed before eating a meal, but the lowest servants were usually the ones to wash the feet. Here, Jesus is serving His own disciples as a servant to them, ministering to them out of His love for them.
Peter wanted to wash His feet, not be washed by Him! Peter wanted to serve Him, not be served by Him! But Jesus came as the God/man to give us an example to live by. We must be servants to show His love to others. Jesus told Peter.... "If you don't allow Me to wash you, you will have no part with Me.".
Jesus makes a very interesting statement in verse 10. He states that those who have 'bathed' only need a foot washing, but they are completely clean. He told the disciples: "You are clean, but not all of you." Vs.ll - For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, "Not all of you are clean."
According to verse 2, who had already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus?
What did we learn about Judas Iscariot in John 12:4-6?
Judas had never been a true believer. He was a thief and his nature had never changed. Because he was an unbeliever, Satan could use him to be the one to betray the Lord Jesus. However, Jesus knew he was of the devil the entire time, not taken by surprise at all. JESUS WASHED THE FEET OF JUDAS ALONG WITH THE REST WHICH SHOWS HOW MUCH HE LOVED HIM AND WAS WILLING TO REACH OUT TO HIM IN LOVE AND SERVICE.
Every Scripture in the Old Testament that pointed to Jesus, the Messiah, the King of the Jews, would be fulfilled, including this one from the Psalms! When Jesus knew he was about to be betrayed, He announced to the group that it was going to happen. They all looked at each other. Who could it be?
Jesus submitted to the will of the Father, for as he said in John 12:27 "Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I CAME TO THIS HOUR." He tells Judas in John 13:27 - "What you do, do quickly".....all the other disciples did not understand thinking that there were several things Jesus might be asking him to do for Him.
After Judas had left, Jesus said to the rest:
"Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now also I say to you, 'Where I am going, you cannot come.".......(vs.33)
Now, He calls them little children...they are part of Him! Part of the family of God because they have believed in Him. The only unbeliever has left and has gone out to betray Him. Once He is crucified and goes to be with the Father, they cannot go with Him at that time.
Peter makes a BOLD STATEMENT:
"I WILL LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU"
Sometimes we think we are stronger than we really are! When our faith is tested to the core, we find out that our human natures can be pretty weak! Jesus knows that the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. He tells Peter ahead of time what will happen so that when the cock really crows, Peter can remember the words of His Lord and He can become stronger after his falling away. This is a precious truth!
Read Luke 22:31-34.
This is the same account, but tells us what Jesus said to Peter in greater detail.
Write it out. It is precious.
And the Lord said " Simon, Simon, Indeed satan has askd fdor you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fall, and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren. But he said to Him, Lord I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death. Then He said " I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day, before you will deny three times that you knew Me."
What does this tell you, dear Christian? What is Jesus going to do for Peter during this sifting of his faith?
Do you believe He does the same for you when your faith is being sifted like wheat?
What is He going to pray for concerning Peter?
What does He already know the OUTCOME of the trial will be?(vs.32)
He is going to turn back to the Lord !
PETER certainly believes he will lay 'his' life down for Jesus, but will soon see that until JESUS lays down HIS LIFE FOR HIM, he will be powerless. Once Jesus lays His life down and shows Peter that it is not what "Peter" can do for Him, just like the foot washing, but what HE DOES FOR PETER and can do THROUGH Peter by way of the Holy Spirit ! Peter will be used greatly by the Lord to do mighty works for the kingdom as we see in the book of Acts as well as the letters that Peter wrote in the New Testament (I and 2 Peter)........!!!
Application:
Is your faith being sifted today?
Do you think Jesus knows about it?
Do you believe He is praying for your faith to remain strong?
Does He want you to give up or is He praying that you will become stronger and then turn to strengthen others with your testimony of overcoming?
Now that Jesus has resurrected and is at the right hand of the Father, what is His ministry to you and to me?
READ Hebrews 7:25
So, Jesus is praying for you before the Father RIGHT NOW.He lives forever to intercede for you.
Write out your thoughts of how you can return your affection to Him:
As a final reflection of John, Chapter 13...let's think about what Jesus told them in reference to washing their feet.
John 13:34,35 - He tells us to love one another, for this is the way that all men will know we are His disciples if we have love one for another
"A new commandment I give you, that you LOVE ONE ANOTHER, even as I have LOVED you, that you also LOVE one another. BY THIS, all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have LOVE for one another."
Yes, the law of Moses, in the 10 commandments said to love your neighbor as yourself, but the new love would be from the Lord Jesus sending the Holy Spirit inside of them to live His life through them so that they could love in the same way that He loved them.
He came to show the Father's LOVE, to reveal what it means for GOD HIMSELF TO PUT A TOWEL ON AND WASH YOUR FEET.
What love and how we should put a towel on and love one another in honor of our Lord's example!
Will you humble yourself and let Him wash you today?
Do you need to be made clean once and for all?
Have you been made clean, but need a foot washing for the sin you have been caught up in?
What does I John 1:9 tell you to do?
What is God's promise to you in that verse?
Is there someone you need to love?
Is there someone you need to put a towel on and serve?
How will you carry out the message of this chapter in your own life?
Your Summary and Prayer:
Created For RTB msn group by B. LeMoine, used by permission only. Please join us at www.read-the-bible.webs.com
| 
No comments:
Post a Comment