The
Expression Of Love
John 13:1 “Now before the feast of the
passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come
that he should depart out of this world unto the
Father, having loved his own which were in the
world, he loved them unto the end.
2
And supper being ended, the devil having now put
into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to
betray him;
3 Jesus knowing that
the Father had given all things into his hands, and
that he was come from God, and went to God;
4 He riseth from supper, and laid
aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded
himself.
5 After that he poureth
water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples'
feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he
was girded.
6 Then cometh he to
Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost
thou wash my feet?
7 Jesus
answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest
not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.
8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never
wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee
not, thou hast no part with me.
9
Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only,
but also my hands and my head.
10
Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not
save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and
ye are clean, but not all.”
1. Love Till The End
2. Devil Puts
Into Heart
3. The Great Foot Washing
4. Clean
Every Whit
1. Love Till The End
Verse one: “Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.”
It is true that God loves the world. John three sixteen bears testimony to all men everywhere to that fact. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
But our text here today shows forth that HE “loved his own which were in the world.”
In the forty-two months of ministry, a little band of believers had gathered to HIM, and Jesus loved them. He not only loved them, but The Son of GOD loved them “unto the end.” Amen!
Jesus loves the lost sinners of this world, but the love HE has for HIS own is way beyond that, and is very special.
The Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul in Galatians chapter six, verse ten shows this very same order and level of preference, and is given as a command to the New Testament Christian to discern the two different levels of doing “good”.
One level of doing “good” is to “all men” and the second [higher] level of doing “good” is to all those “who are of the household of faith.” “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” Galatians 6:10
Doing “good unto others” flows from the love we have “for others”.
It is the same kind of love that God has for us.
Ultimately, it is all about others! Jesus Christ went to the Cross of Calvary … for others! Amen!
Now, that love that Jesus Christ has for the Christian is a love that is characterized as a love “unto the end.”
No matter what we go through in this old world, the SON of GOD promises He will stick with us till the end. Amen!
[Hebrews 13:5]. Let’s us read from there! “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
Did you see that? He says: “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
Isn’t that love unto the end? Amen!
2. Devil Puts Into Heart
Verse two: “And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him.”
Please, my friend, do not fail to see this!
The DEVIL has a vested interest in the hearts of men.
Furthermore, the Devil has the [little understood by men] power to put things into your heart.
Now, how do we know this?
We know this from this BOOK, [the King James Bible of 1611, or any edition of it], that the heart of man is deceitful above all things! Does that surprise you? Well, do not believe me, BELIEVE the BOOK!
Turn to [Jeremiah 17:9] “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
So watch out, the Devil, or one of his cohorts, [the devils … the fallen angels] can put something into your heart for the purpose of hurting others, and hurting you, and thereby, leading you to your destruction.
Consider what happened to Judas. Judas went, and hung himself … DEAD. Deader than a doornail!
You can see this in Matthew chapter twenty-seven, verse five: “And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.” [Matthew 27:5]
What can we learn from this? This is what we can learn.
Never mistake the fact that your heart is deceitful to you [It will lie to you!], and also prone to having supernatural persons putting things into it … for the purpose of using you, and bringing you to your utter destruction. It would be better for you to give your heart to the LORD JESUS CHRIST for safe keeping, than lend it to the Devil for your destruction. Amen!
The bottom line is: let it not your HEART be TROUBLED! [John 14:1]
“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.”
3. The Great Foot Washing
Verse four and five: “He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.”
God Himself had come to this earth to live among men [Whom HE created] for thirty-three and half years.
Now, He rises up from the table while those He loves remain seated. What a scene to behold through your minds eye. The SON of God had come to minister to men as the Scripture testifies in [Mark 10:45]. “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
The CREATOR [The GREATER] came to serve the CREATURE [The LESSER]. There is no doubt about it. The GREATER was there with them Who will love them to the end.
Jesus Christ is the Greater! HE is Greater than all who ever lived, or will ever live, on this earth. Amen!
Go now, to Matthew chapter twelve, verse forty-one and two. Let us see the word of GOD has to say on this GREATER. “The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.
The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here”. [Matthew 12:41-42]
My friend let me pause here, and ask you a question. Are you ready for the question? Would you be willing to have the SAVIOR wash your feet?
I mean right now! He is the GREATER, you are the LESSER. HE is the POTTER. You are the CLAY.
Now, take a look at Peter. Verses eight and nine show how Peter misunderstood the very purpose of the FIRST ADVENT of Jesus Christ.
Here is another question. Are you ready? Are we any better than Peter? Peter did not at that point understand it was necessary for the CHRIST to come into the world to die for the sins of humanity.
Look at what he says. “Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet.”
The GREATER came to minister to Peter [the LESSER] by showing [symbolically] through the foot washing, the substitution that was to be done in their place [mankind] by the CHRIST.
This all important substitution would involve the shedding of the BLOOD of the LAMB of GOD … in the soon coming event of HIS death on the Cross.
HE did it for Peter! He did it for you! He did it for me! He did it for the whole world! Amen! Amen!
You can see this is all so very true … by the answer Jesus gave Peter. “Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.”
If you have a part with the SON of GOD you will stay seated at the table while HE does it all.
HE went to CROSS!
He ministered the perfect sacrifice to be a propitiation for our sin. Such LOVE! Amen!
[1 John 4:10] “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
4. Clean Every Whit
Verse ten: “Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.”
Eleven of those disciples were clean every whit! One of those disciples was still dirty … dead in his sins!
This a tremendous picture that the Spirit of God wants to set into our minds.
Here it is!
Here is where our whole body gets cleaned. It is at the Cross!
The blood of the SON of GOD on Calvary’s Cross was shed to wash all our sin away.
[Revelation 1:5] “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.”
We, as believers in Jesus Christ, are justified by HIS NAME at time we trust in Jesus Christ for salvation.
You can see this in First Corinthians chapter six, verse eleven: “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” [1 Corinthians 6:11]
Are you clean every whit?
Have you been washed by the BLOOD of the LAMB of GOD?
Come to Jesus NOW!