JOHN CHAPTER THIRTEEN

 

Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet
John 13:1-20 NLT:

1 Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end.
2 It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.
3 Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God.
4 So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist,
5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.
6 When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.”
8 “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.”
9 Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!”
10 Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you.”
11 For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
12 After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing?
13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am.
14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet.
15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.
16 I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message.
17 Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.
18 “I am not saying these things to all of you; I know the ones I have chosen. But this fulfills the Scripture that says, ‘The one who eats my food has turned against me.’
19 I tell you this beforehand, so that when it happens you will believe that I Am the Messiah.
20 I tell you the truth, anyone who welcomes my messenger is welcoming me, and anyone who welcomes me is welcoming the Father who sent me.”

“Arnold Billie was a rural mail carrier in southern New Jersey. For twenty-five years his daily route took him sixty-three miles through two counties and five municipalities. Mr. Billie not only delivered mail, he brought personal service. Anything you could get at the post office you could get from Mr. Billie—stamps, money orders, and pickup service. All the customer had to do was leave the flag up on the mailbox. One elderly woman had trouble starting her lawn mower, so when she wanted to use it, she left it by her mailbox and Mr. Billie would start it when he arrived.” [fn]

Think about it for a moment. If the standard of behavior and motivation of every citizen in the United States was to be like Mr. Billie, we probably could get by with one-tenth of the number of law enforcement officers, one-tenth the number of politicians and patronage workers, one-tenth the amount of taxes, one-tenth the number of lawyers and judges, one-tenth the number of psychologists and psychiatrists, and much less of a drivenness to buy things to try and make ourselves happy. We also would not need to work so hard to impress our neighbors, friends, co-workers, family, remote acquaintances, and strangers we pass on the street with how important we are, or perhaps it would be more accurate to say how important we would like to be.

But the ultimate utopia for our nation would be to have as our role model, the one and only Jesus Christ. If we all tried to behave according to the example Jesus set for us, we probably would need only a handful of politicians, police, taxes, lawyers, judges, psychologists, and debt collectors. We would not need armies because no one would allow their anger to escalate to the point of conflict. People would not compete with one another to get the best and most because they would give the best and most away. No one would suffer and die from starvation because those that had would share with those that have nothing. There would be no divorce because husbands and wives would live by the teachings of Jesus and submit to one another. We could probably keep listing such potential benefits for several pages but I think by now you get the drift. Several years ago WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?) bracelets became popular supposedly as a way  to remind people to live like Jesus would live. We must say that we saw a number of the bracelets and T-shirts, but we are not so sure we actually saw much of the behavior. If people really followed the example of Jesus it would revolutionize behavior today.

“Impossible,” you say. “No way that could ever happen in this world.” Well, it could happen beginning today in this world if people would really behave according to the standards set and lived by Jesus Christ. As a matter of fact we have heard through the Scriptures from both God and Jesus that one day such a world will be a reality, and it will become a reality the day Jesus returns after the Tribulation to set up His Millennial Kingdom.

Now we will take a much closer look at these verses in John 13 and as we do we will hopefully understand how Jesus wanted His disciples to live after He had gone back to Heaven and why He wanted them to live that way.

John 13:1-5 NAS:
1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.
2 During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him,
3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God,
4 got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself.
5 Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.

In this culture people walked everywhere they went. They wore sandals and walked over dusty roads, so you can imagine how dusty their feet would be when they arrived at their destination. So it was customary for a host to provide water for his guests’ feet to be washed. The one who washed the feet of the guests was usually a slave of the lowest order or, in some cases, the host’s wife or children. This sign of hospitality went all the way back to Abraham nearly 2,000 years before the birth of Christ. In Genesis18:3,4 NLT Abraham says:

3 “My lord,” he said, “if it pleases you, stop here for a while.
4 Rest in the shade of this tree while water is brought to wash your feet.

We also see a reference to the custom of foot washing in 1 Samuel during the time of David.

1 Samuel 25:40-41 NLT:
40 When the messengers arrived at Carmel, they told Abigail, “David has sent us to take you back to marry him.”
41 She bowed low to the ground and responded, “I, your servant, would be happy to marry David. I would even be willing to become a slave, washing the feet of his servants!”

During Passover week Jesus was on God’s precise timetable. He had entered Jerusalem on Sunday, and on Monday He cleansed the Temple by driving out the moneychangers. On Tuesday the Jewish religious leaders attacked Him with a vengeance as they tried every trick in the book to get evidence to arrest Him. If interested you can get more detail about what went on in Matthew 21—25. Although we cannot be certain, it appears likely that Wednesday was probably a day of rest. Thursday was the evening they met for the Last Supper during which Jesus performed this act of servitude by washing His disciples’ feet. This meal was a normal part of the Passover celebration but it would be the last they shared together and Jesus wanted to drive home the importance of servanthood so that they could carry that message to others after Jesus was gone. He wanted them to understand that it was the fullest expression of love toward others and was an example of the kind of love both He and God had for each and every human being that has lived or ever will live.

Jesus knew that His hour had come. We have seen in a number of places in John that Jesus was aware during His ministry that His hour had not yet come. But this was the time God had appointed for Jesus to be crucified for the salvation of all mankind, and Jesus was keenly aware that this was His hour. This would be the hour when the pain and suffering would be severe and Jesus was keenly aware of that as well. But he was also aware that it would be His hour to be glorified through His death, resurrection, and ascension back to Heaven.

You know there is a message here for all of us regarding our service to God. We might get some argument on this, but that is okay. We welcome a good stimulating argument now and then. But we believe that based on John 17:4 we can know that, when the servant of God is in the will of God, he/she is immortal until his/her work on earth is done. The Jewish leaders were unable to arrest Jesus and they were unable to kill Him until the time that God had scheduled for Him to die. We too can be assured that as long as we are submitting to and accomplishing the will of God, He will not let our ministry be cut short until the time He has appointed.

Jesus knew that Judas was going to betray Him. Satan had entered into Judas according to Luke 22:3, and now he would see to it that Judas carried out his betrayal against Jesus. If you remember Jesus’ words back in John chapter six you recall that Jesus knew even then that Judas was an unbeliever so he had no defense mechanism for fighting off Satan’s attacks. Listen to Jesus’ words in John 6:64,70–71 NAS:

64 "But there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him.
70 "Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil?" 71 Now He meant Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray Him.

The task of washing another person’s feet in first century Palestine was not a status symbol that everyone envied. In fact it would probably be equivalent on the status scale today of a soldier who cleans the latrines. It was a menial task but one that Jesus did not hesitate to take on.

Jesus knew that these twelve apostles each had a desire to be number one and that such competition would be self-defeating in carrying the message Jesus wanted them to carry. In fact, in just a little while they would begin to argue over who among them was the greatest. Listen to what Jesus told them in Luke 22:24-27 NAS:

24 And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest. 25 And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called 'Benefactors.' 26 "But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant. 27 "For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves.

They needed to know the meaning and importance of humility and what better way to teach that than for Jesus to do something that would teach them what He wanted them to learn.

Warren Wiersbe makes a very profound statement that you might want to give careful consideration: “The lack of humility is the sufficient explanation of every defect and failure.”[fn]Think about it: “The lack of humility is the sufficient explanation of every defect and failure.”

John 13:6-11 NAS:
6 So He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, "Lord, do You wash my feet?" 7 Jesus answered and said to him, "What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter." 8 Peter said to Him, "Never shall You wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me." 9 Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head." 10 Jesus said to him, "He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you." 11 For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, "Not all of you are clean."
Jesus’ example of serving so violates the cultural practices that Peter is outraged by it and claims he will have no part in it. If you are familiar with Christ’s ministry, you are probably aware that Peter was not the kind of guy who thought much before he acted and he often had to be corrected by Jesus. It was not uncommon for Peter to spring into action before he knew what was really going on. This situation proved to be no exception when he told Jesus that he would not let Jesus wash his feet. But then when he found out that by refusing to have Jesus wash his feet, he would lose fellowship with Him, he changed his mind and asked Jesus to bathe him from head to toe. Peter was not yet ready to minister to others because he could not allow Christ to minister to him. We are not to question or try to change any of Jesus’ teaching. The word translated “wash” in John 13:5–6, 8, 12, and 14 is nipto and means “to wash a part of the body.” But the word translated “washed” in John 13:10 is louo and means “to bathe all over.” The distinction is important, for Jesus was trying to teach His disciples the importance of walking righteously with God.[fn] When a person accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior, they are “bathed all over” and their sins are washed away and forgiven. That truth is clearly stated in the following passage:[fn]

1 Corinthians 6:9–11 NAS:
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate , nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

So we see from Scripture that a person who believes in the work of Christ has all their sins forgiven forever, they are washed clean.

But as they go about their business in this world they are going to occasionally stumble into sin because they still live within a human body that is subject to sin. But that person does not need to be completely bathed from sin again. They simply need to have that part of them that has been defiled cleansed.[fn] God promises to cleanse us when we confess our sins to Him (1 John 1:9).

In effect we are getting a foot washing when we take our sins to God, confess them and ask for forgiveness. Because if we are defiled we cannot have daily communion with Jesus. As Jesus said to Peter in John 13:8, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me” (NAS).[fn]

When God “bathes us all over,” that is the moment we receive our salvation as we are cleansed of our sin. This is what brings about our union with Christ; and that is a permanent relationship that can never change. However, our daily communion with Christ depends on our keeping ourselves “unblemished by the world” (James 1:27). If we permit unconfessed sin in our lives, we hinder our walk with Jesus; and that is when we need to have our feet washed.[fn]

That is why in our communion service we always encourage you to confess your sins before you partake of the elements.

God cleanses us through the blood of Christ and through the application of His Word to our lives, as we see in:

1 John 1:5-10 NAS:
5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;
7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

John 15:3 NAS:
3 "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

The “water of the Word” can keep our hearts and minds clean from the contamination that the sin of the world can bring into our lives. But if we do sin, we can take that sin immediately to Christ, confess it, and receive immediate forgiveness.

1 John 2:1–2 NLT:
1 My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous.2 He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.

Now we could ask, why did Jesus go ahead and wash Judas’ feet under these circumstances? We do not know but, whatever His reason, it was of no benefit to Judas because he had never received a complete washing from head to toe. Jesus said that Judas had never been washed of his sins and was an unbeliever. Perhaps Christ was indicating that He offers salvation to everyone, but not everyone receives that salvation and believes in Him on order to be completely cleansed of their sins.It is a wonderful thing to deepen your fellowship with Jesus. The important thing is to be honest with Him and with ourselves and keep our feet clean.[fn]

John 13:12-17 NAS:
12 So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? 13 "You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. 14 "If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 "For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. 16 "Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. 17 "If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

The essential lesson in this passage is found in John 13:17:  "If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.”

Jesus asked the disciples if they understood what He had done, and it appears that He felt they did not because He goes on to explain it to them. He told them that He had given them a lesson in how to serve from a humble perspective. Happiness comes when you live your life within the will of God, and Jesus did not just tell them how to find it, He showed them. By humbling Himself to serve them in a most menial task He was able to demonstrate the kind of holy behavior that pleases God and is rewarded with happiness. According to the world’s standards, success and material wealth bring happiness. But true happiness comes when we serve others in the name of Jesus. And that is a promise Jesus makes to us right here in verse 17. People in our day keep seeking happiness by catering to their own desires, acquiring money and possessions, and they stay pretty miserable. You have probably heard the saying, “He who is all wrapped up in himself is wrapped up in a pretty small package.” To be so concerned about self all the time is to buy misery. True joy and happiness come from serving the Lord and others.

Would we be presumptuous to make the statement that wealth and success is a breeding ground for unhappiness? My personal experience has led me to believe that without Jesus Christ you have nothing, no matter how much wealth, or good looks, or fame you might have. However Christ may well bless a believer with wealth and power in order to do good things that will bring them happiness. But the bottom line is that you are chasing your tail if you think you can find happiness according to the world’s standards. You never are able to grab hold of it and many spend a lifetime of frustration chasing it.

Jesus gave His disciples an example of true Christian ministry.

“A slave is not greater than his master;” so, if the master becomes a slave, what does that make the slave? That makes the slave an equal to his master. By His example in becoming a servant, Jesus gave sacrifice and service the respect that it deserves in the Christian life. And just knowing this truth is not enough, we must turn what we know into action that produces desired results. James 1:22-27 describes this concept as well and is worth reviewing here:

James 1:22-27 NAS:
 22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror;
24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.
25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.
26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless.
27 Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

We might want to consider a simple formula for happiness in order to help us remember what Christ taught in this passage:

Submission to God + A Clean Life + Service to Others = Happiness

John 13:18-20 NAS:
18 “I am not saying these things to all of you; I know the ones I have chosen. But this fulfills the Scripture that says, ‘The one who eats my food has turned against me.’ 19 I tell you this beforehand, so that when it happens you will believe that I Am the Messiah.
20 I tell you the truth, anyone who welcomes my messenger is welcoming me, and anyone who welcomes me is welcoming the Father who sent me.”

God predicts the future so that when it comes about people will know that He is the one and only God. The gods of other nations could not do this. And verse 20 tells us that anyone who welcomes a messenger in effect welcomes the one who sent him. If someone accepts us as a messenger for Jesus, we believe that person may be ready to accept the saving message of Jesus, as well as the God who sent Him.

Jesus’ coming was an act of love for all mankind and He showed the full extent of His love in three ways:

1)         His humble service 
2)         His teaching , and
3)         His death

These three things pretty much sum up Christ’s ministry on earth, Philippians 2:5-8 NAS:

5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Some denominations teach that a child receives salvation when they are baptized. That is a misleading and potentially damning doctrine. Any one who believes this could ignore the true message of salvation found in the Bible. When one receives Christ as their Lord and Savior based on His dying on the cross for our sins, we are then baptized and fully cleansed by His blood which is symbolized by a full immersion baptism in water. This represents our being washed clean from head to toe and only requiring an occasional foot washing when we bring our sins to Christ, repent of them, and receive His forgiveness.

How can we best serve Jesus? By following His example and putting into action those things we learn from our Bibles. We would not be surprised if Mr. Billie in our opening story was a Christian doing just that. Let it be our prayer that all Christians everywhere would start conducting themselves in a similar manner. Such a commitment would change the world. May that commitment begin with you and me.

 

Love Is All You Need
John 13:21-38

“Love Is All You Need.” Do you remember that hit Beatles’ tune? They had the right title and words for this music, but they did not have any understanding of the pure love that brings joy, contentment, and happiness. In this section of our study we learn how important the right kind of love is and how to express and receive it. We will begin by reading John 13:21-38 NLT:

21 Now Jesus was deeply troubled, and he exclaimed, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me!”22 The disciples looked at each other, wondering whom he could mean.23 The disciple Jesus loved was sitting next to Jesus at the table. 24 Simon Peter motioned to him to ask, “Who’s he talking about?”25 So that disciple leaned over to Jesus and asked, “Lord, who is it?”26 Jesus responded, “It is the one to whom I give the bread I dip in the bowl.” And when he had dipped it, he gave it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot.27 When Judas had eaten the bread, Satan entered into him. Then Jesus told him, “Hurry and do what you’re going to do.”28 None of the others at the table knew what Jesus meant.29 Since Judas was their treasurer, some thought Jesus was telling him to go and pay for the food or to give some money to the poor.30 So Judas left at once, going out into the night.
31 As soon as Judas left the room, Jesus said, “The time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory, and God will be glorified because of him.32 And since God receives glory because of the Son, he will soon give glory to the Son.
33 Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going.
34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.
35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”36 Simon Peter asked, “Lord, where are you going?” And Jesus replied, “You can’t go with me now, but you will follow me later.”37 “But why can’t I come now, Lord?” he asked. “I’m ready to die for you.”38 Jesus answered, “Die for me? I tell you the truth, Peter—before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.

The person who tells the following story begins by saying that he had been blessed by some truly humble people.

“One I remember most is Joan Hollister Gilbert. Joan was a delightful person who had a long, difficult, and courageous battle against cancer. During her illness, her husband, Jack, was diagnosed with cancer, and she had to deal with that and eventually with Jack's death.

“A few years later when Joan was dying, with just a few days left to her life, she invited Charleen and me to come and sit by her bedside. She said she knew she was going to die, and she talked about it. Most people in my experience choose not to do that. She said she wasn't afraid. She said she was excited about entering the presence of God.

“But that was by far the shortest part of the conversation. Most of the time she talked about people for whom she was concerned. She talked about us and our children. She talked about her children and the children of others.

“I found out that on that day, and the day before, and the day after, leading right up to her death, she invited a whole list of people to come to her bedside so she could bless them before she died. Those who could not come she talked with on the telephone.

“If anyone ever had a right to be self-concerned, and if ever there was a time when she had every justification to be primarily focused upon herself, it was Joan and it was then. But she lived out humility. She cared more about others and their needs than she cared about herself and her own needs. That's the way it was with Jesus. The humble person cares about people in need.”[fn]

Beginning in verse 21 Jesus lets us know that He knew that He was about to be betrayed by Judas and it troubled Him the same way it would trouble us if a friend we have known and loved would betray us. Betrayal is one of the most painful emotional experiences that anyone can go through. If a husband betrays his wife by having an affair with another woman and his wife finds out about it her sense of betrayal may never go away, whether they remain married or not. It is the breaking of a trust and that really hurts when you are on the receiving end. And we would bet that if that betrayed wife divorced her husband and one day remarried, she would have a great deal of difficulty trusting her new husband and I think you can understand why. She would always be wondering if he were going to do the same thing to her that her first husband did. In fact she may even manufacture a false sense of guilt thinking there may be something wrong with her that would drive any man into the arms of another woman. What a terrible load for someone to have to carry because of the uncaring nature of one who lives only for themselves. Remember, Jesus was fully human as well as being fully God. So he felt all the same kinds of things that you and I feel and I know He must have been deeply hurt by what Judas did.

When Peter heard Jesus tell them that one of them was going to betray Him, Peter once again, as he did so often, sprung into action, most likely to deal with the traitor. John was reclining on one side of Jesus and Judas on the other. Because Peter was not close enough to Jesus to lean over and ask Him personally who it was that would betray Him, he motioned to John to ask Jesus who it was. John leaned over and asked Jesus who it would be, and Jesus indicated to John that it would be Judas and gave Judas the morsel of bread. When a host normally gave a guest a morsel of bread at supper it was a sign of friendship, so the other disciples did not notice anything out of the ordinary when Jesus did this.

As soon as Judas ate the bread Satan entered into him and would now use this poor fool to accomplish the most horrible act in history; the cold, calculated murder of God Himself, in the human form of Jesus. Perhaps you can imagine an event worse than this, but we cannot. Had Judas not been such a selfish, self-serving fool he probably would have accepted Jesus as his Savior. But the only thing he thought about as the treasurer for the group was the money box and his false god, the love of money, drove him to betray the true God and the only person that could save His soul and grant him eternal life in Heaven. There are many of the same kind of fools running around today and their fate and eternity are going to be exactly the same as Judas’ for exactly the same reason. Whether it is out of stubborn pride, or greed, or lust, or love of money, those who are foolish enough to ignore the truth that is available through God’s Word in the Bible are going to determine their own future and they are going to be sending themselves to Hell. No one should blame God, because He sent Jesus to pay the price for their sins. They do not even have to do anything good in order to receive the gift of salvation. The only thing they have to do is reach out and accept it. They do not have to jump in a pool full of alligators; they do not have to walk a half-mile across crushed glass in their bare feet; they do not have to pray ten hours every day for ten years. There is simply nothing you have to do except believe in what Jesus did for you. Why in the world do you think people will not believe that or do it?

There is no other religion in the world that offers salvation on the basis of love alone. They all require some kind of good works. That alone should make people realize there is something unique about the God of the Bible. He does not want to beat you up, He wants to lift you up. But He cannot lift you up if you keep putting Him down, if you keep avoiding Him, or if you kick and scream and run away when you bump into Him somewhere. That certainly sounds like insane reasoning and behavior, does it not? 

Let us just make one more illustration and then we promise we will stop. Suppose you go out to your mailbox one day and you find there an invitation for a private audience and dinner with the president of the United States. He tells you that he will send his private plane, “Air Force One” to pick you up at the airport and fly you back to Washington. The letter further states that the government of the good old USA wants to honor you before a joint session of Congress and confirm on you the title of “Most Intelligent, Best Looking, Most Gifted and Talented, Kindest, and Most Generous United States Citizen.”

Well, I would imagine you would take that letter, tear it up, and say “I am not going to go, that is no big deal, besides that is on the day of the week when I play golf.” Is that what you would do? I doubt it. You would probably be overwhelmed and go to the phone and immediately accept. But here we have the King of the universe sending you a personal invitation, delivered by no one other than His Son, to be adopted into His family, become His son or daughter, to become royalty, and to inherit wealth that far exceeds all the money and material possessions in the world. Yet most refuse that invitation, choosing to remain where they are, and live as they have always lived, in a state of quiet desperation.

Now if you are still struggling with this, I encourage you, when you put your head on the pillow at night, or wake up in the morning, or sometime you can be alone with God, just ask Him sincerely to reveal His truth to you, and then keep an open mind for what will begin to come your way.

If you ask Him sincerely, we can guarantee He will reveal the truth to you and before long you will believe. We can also guarantee that if you try it you will like it.

Now getting back to the Last Supper, as Judas left only John had any idea that he might be up to no good and we have no indication that he told anyone else what Jesus had revealed to him about Judas being the one who would betray Him. Most likely none of the other disciples had a clue that he was up to anything but the work Jesus had assigned him to do in connection with their financial resources. Perhaps he was going to give some money to the poor or to buy supplies.

Verses 31–38 set the stage for what has become known as the “farewell discourses,” which continue in chapters 14–16. These verses contain two themes—Jesus’ relationship to the disciples and His specific prediction about Peter. Once again Jesus speaks of God being glorified as well as His own coming glorification (verses 31–32).

The crucifixion and death of Christ was a cowardly act on the part of the Jewish leaders and the Romans, but an incredibly brave and faithful act on the part of Christ. It was an act that consequently revealed the glory of God. In John 12:23 Jesus said, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified (NAS).” Daniel 7:13 identifies this title as messianic, and Jesus sometimes used it this way as we can see in Matthew 26:64, “Jesus said to him, ‘You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see The Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming on the clouds of heaven .’" [fn]

What did it mean for Jesus to glorify the Father? He tells us in His prayer in John 17:1-5 NAS:

1 Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You,
2 even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life.
3 "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
4 "I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.
5 "Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

This is the way we can all glorify God, by faithfully doing what He calls us to do. In our 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 (John 17:1, 5).

What do you suppose it means to glorify God or Christ? Well why not take just a little time to find out what the Bible means when it speaks of “glory,” “glorify,” or “glorification”?

One source defines GLORY as, “The singular splendor of God and the consequences for humanity.” God’s glory refers primarily to His majestic beauty and splendor. His glory is over all the earth.[fn] Creation proclaims the glory of God.[fn]

Psalm 19:1-6 NLT:
1 The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship.
2 Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known.
3 They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard.
4 Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world. God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.
5 It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding. It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race.
6 The sun rises at one end of the heavens and follows its course to the other end. Nothing can hide from its heat.

Romans 1:20 NAS:
 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

God’s glory is revealed by His mighty acts of salvation and deliverance.[fn] His glory is revealed in praise.[fn]

References to the glory of God are frequently made regarding His physical appearances at various times in the Old Testament in the image of light and fire. In the writings of the Rabbis of the Old Testament we also find the term, shekinah glory, a phrase meaning the “dwelling glory.” It refers primarily to the presence of God in the pillar of cloud and fire in the Old Testament. The first clear reference to the glory cloud is found in Exodus 13:21–22 NLT:[fn]

21 The Lord went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light at night with a pillar of fire. This allowed them to travel by day or by night.
22 And the Lord did not remove the pillar of cloud or pillar of fire from its place in front of the people.

At the time of the exodus, the glory of God appeared in the pillar of cloud and fire to lead the people through the sea and wilderness, Nehemiah 9:11–12, 19 NLT:

11 You divided the sea for your people so they could walk through on dry land! And then you hurled their enemies into the depths of the sea. They sank like stones beneath the mighty waters.
12 You led our ancestors by a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night so that they could find their way.
19 “But in your great mercy you did not abandon them to die in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud still led them forward by day, and the pillar of fire showed them the way through the night.

At Sinai, with Israel encamped around the mountain, the glory of God came in the cloud and fire to speak with Moses in the sight of the people.[fn] When Moses was given a glimpse of that glory unconcealed by the cloud and fire, his own face became radiant. Listen to what God said to Moses in Exodus 33:17-23 NLT:[fn]

17 The Lord replied to Moses, “I will indeed do what you have asked, for I look favorably on you, and I know you by name.”18 Moses responded, “Then show me your glorious presence.”19 The Lord replied, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, Yahweh, before you. For I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.20 But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live.”21 The Lord continued, “Look, stand near me on this rock.22 As my glorious presence passes by, I will hide you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.23 Then I will remove my hand and let you see me from behind. But my face will not be seen.” [fn]

The picture of Israel encamped around the glory of God on Sinai portrays God dwelling in the midst of His people. When the tabernacle is completed and the people set out on their march, the glory cloud of God’s presence dwells above them throughout their journey.[fn] When they make camp, the tribes encircle the tabernacle (Numbers 1:50–2:2), and the cloud reminds them of His presence in their midst. Later, the same glory filled the new Temple that Solomon built.[fn] The psalmists celebrated Jerusalem and the Temple as the place where God’s glory dwelt.[fn] God was in their midst.[fn]

In his visions Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord return to dwell in the Temple again (Ezekiel 43:2–9), a time when the glory would return to a purified people and dwell among them forever. That will not however take place until the Millennium begins.[fn]

We are told that God’s glory was seen again on earth in the coming and person of Jesus Christ. John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son.” As such, Jesus was the new tabernacle for God’s glory. In Jesus, God dwelt among people. Since Christ was (and is) the very image of God, to see the light of his face was to know the glory of God (2 Corinthians 4:4–6). To see Jesus was to see a “light to the Gentiles and the glory of Israel” (Luke 2:30–32). The disciples who witnessed the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1–8) saw His glory in a marvelous way (2 Peter 1:16–17), for it was a glory that burst out of His human body. This outburst of glory was a preview of the glorification Christ experienced in resurrection and ascension.[fn] [fn]

Because Jesus humbled Himself and was obedient to the point of death, God highly exalted him as we see in Philippians 2:6-11 NLT:

6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8 he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

After Jesus suffered death on the cross, He entered into His glory (Luke 24:26) with a new and glorious body, 1 Corinthians 15:42–43 NLT:

42 It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever.43 Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength.[fn]

The glorified Christ appeared to His servants. Stephen saw His glory (Acts 7:55), and Saul was blinded by his splendor (Acts 9:3). That same Christ is predicted to return in glory. He will sit on His throne in judgment (Matthew 25:31); evil will be punished.[fn] At the return of Christ the whole earth will be filled with His glory.[fn] 

Now we do not feel competent in any way to introduce the splendor of the Psalm we are about to read for you. This Psalm just knocks our socks off. This Psalm is a prayer to God from King David at the coronation of his son, Solomon, as king of Israel. David, praying for Solomon, shows the goodness and glory of his own kingdom as well as the kingdom his son will rule over and, now do not miss this, he is therefore also praying for Christ's kingdom to come, which will not happen until after Jesus’ Second Coming when He returns and rules during the Millennium. Just imagine if you can, that David is praying for his son and at the same time God has let him know that one of his direct descendants will be the Messiah (Jesus Christ) who will one day rule the world in glory. So David is praying for Jesus as well. If you do not believe in God, this kind of foretelling of the future should be enough alone to make you think seriously about whether you just may be mistaken. Imagine David, a thousand years before Christ, knowing that Jesus would be born and then one day also rule over the entire earth. We just stand in awe of what God can do. Listen to this remarkable prayer.

Psalm 72:1-19 NLT:
1 Give your love of justice to the king, O God, and righteousness to the king’s son.2 Help him judge your people in the right way; let the poor always be treated fairly.3 May the mountains yield prosperity for all, and may the hills be fruitful.4 Help him to defend the poor, to rescue the children of the needy, and to crush their oppressors.5 May they fear you as long as the sun shines, as long as the moon remains in the sky. Yes, forever!
6 May the king’s rule be refreshing like spring rain on freshly cut grass, like the showers that water the earth.7 May all the godly flourish during his reign. May there be abundant prosperity until the moon is no more.8 May he reign from sea to sea, and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.9 Desert nomads will bow before him; his enemies will fall before him in the dust.10 The western kings of Tarshish and other distant lands will bring him tribute. The eastern kings of Sheba and Seba will bring him gifts.11 All kings will bow before him, and all nations will serve him.
12 He will rescue the poor when they cry to him; he will help the oppressed, who have no one to defend them.13 He feels pity for the weak and the needy, and he will rescue them.
14 He will redeem them from oppression and violence, for their lives are precious to him.
15 Long live the king! May the gold of Sheba be given to him. May the people always pray for him and bless him all day long.16 May there be abundant grain throughout the land, flourishing even on the hilltops. May the fruit trees flourish like the trees of Lebanon, and may the people thrive like grass in a field.17 May the king’s name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun shines. May all nations be blessed through him and bring him praise.
18 Praise the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does such wonderful things.19 Praise his glorious name forever! Let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and amen!
The people of God have experienced and continue to experience the glory of the presence of God. The glory cloud of the Old Testament allowed God’s people to experience His glory.[fn] Christ then came as the representative of the glory of God; God was still in the midst of His people in Christ. When Christ ascended, He sent his Spirit to live within each believer (John 16:7–14) so that God could still live in the midst of His people. The Spirit of glory rests on those who suffer for the name of Christ (1 Peter 4:14); that Spirit is the guarantee of the glorious resurrection of those same believers in their future heavenly home (Romans 8:16–17).[fn]
God has given His people the hope of glory.[fn] They will share in the glory of Christ.[fn] The sufferings of this age do not compare with the glory that will be revealed (Romans 8:18; 2 Corinthians 4:17). The whole of creation longs to see the glorious freedom of the children of God (Romans 8:21). This hope of glory is so certain that Peter can speak of participating in it even now (1 Peter 5:1) while looking forward to that eternal glory (1 Peter 5:10). As partakers in the glory of Christ, the Church is called to glorify God.[fn] We do hope that you now understand a bit more about the glory of God than you did just a few minutes ago.[fn]

These verses reveal the courageous and confident way in which Jesus faced His final hours which are referred to as His passion. He had no doubt that God was fully in charge of everything that was happening. The wording of John 13:33 (“I am with you a little while longer. . . 'Where I am going, you cannot come'”) reminds us of what Jesus said to the Jews back in John 7:34 and 8:21. Jesus repeated these words for His disciples for whom they carried a different meaning. His glorification would involve separation from His disciples. But one day the believing disciples would go to be with Him (John 14:1–3), and they would also see Him after His resurrection. But during this time of His suffering and death, it was important that they not try to follow Him. Although Peter is sure that he will follow Jesus to the death, he does not understand that death is precisely where Jesus is going (John 14:5).

But there would come a time when Jesus would be glorified in these disciples and He would glorify them in the same way He was glorified.

John 17:20-24 NLT:
20 “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message.21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.22 “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one.
23 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.
24 Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began!

God’s glory is also revealed through His love for us. You cannot experience God’s glory without also being touched by His love. The new commandment in verse 34 (“love one another, even as I have loved you”) is repeated in the teaching of John 15:12. Commands to love were already known in the sense of the highest devotion to God, but Jesus’ command that the disciples should love one another was new both in its scope and its motivation, which sprang from the love Jesus had for them.[fn]

The disciples’ responsibility was to love one another just as Christ had loved them. They would certainly need this love in the hours to follow, when their Master would be taken from them and their brave spokesman, Peter, would fail Him and them. In fact, all of them would fail, and the only thing that would bring them together would be their love for Christ and for each other.[fn]

The word love is a key word in Christ’s farewell sermon to His disciples. The word new does not mean “new in time,” because love has been important to God’s people even from Old Testament times  (Leviticus 19:18). But love would take on a new meaning and power because of the death of Christ on the cross (John 15:13). With the coming of the Holy Spirit, love would have a new power in their lives.[fn]

This section begins and ends with love: Jesus’ love for His own (John 13:1) and the disciples’ love for one another. It is love that is the true evidence that we belong to Jesus Christ. The church leader Tertullian (155–220 A.D.) quoted the pagans as saying of the Christians, “See how they love one another.” And how do we evidence that love? By doing what Jesus did; laying down our lives for other believers (1 John 3:16). And the way to start is by getting down and washing one another’s feet in sacrificial service.[fn]

Isaiah

John

Romans

1 Peter


© Ron Teed - Used by permission. All rights Reserved.