Unconditional Love

Jesus Loved to The End

John points out that Jesus hour had come and that He was going back to the Father and be restored to His glory He had before stepping out of heaven and taking on the form of man. John elaborates on the fact that the Father had given all things into His hands. Ultimately He had authority in heaven and earth.

Now one might think that at this point Jesus would demand to be served. That he would hold those who lacked faith, and would betray Him accountable for their actions. You would think He would chastise them as he knew that they would betray him when he was arrested. I’m sure there are many other things that the disciples did that He cold have punished them for, but He chose not to. Instead He chose to love them to the end.

John, Volumes 1 & 2 Christ’s Particular Love for His Own

Yet, observes J. C. Ryle, “knowing perfectly well that they were about to forsake Him shamefully in a very few hours, in full view of their approaching display of weakness and infirmity, our blessed Master did not cease to have loving thoughts of His disciples.” This tells us that we can look to the love of Christ despite our failures and sins. However we might fall short of our calling, believers are still Christ’s own and enjoy his unfailing love. How this ought to motivate us to please him in the manner of our lives.

He would go to the cross and die in their place for the forgiveness of their sins. He could have easily said that He was not going to do it and let them face the consequences of their sin. This is not what the Father Called Jesus to do. He did not come to judge the world but to save it. John 12:47

John 12:47 NASB95

“If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.

Jesus loved “His own” to the end. What does “His own” mean? It means those that believed and followed Him. This doesn’t mean Jesus doesn’t love all people, it simply means that only those who believe and follow are recipients of the saving love Jesus demonstrated on the cross.

Jesus loves us today

The fact that Jesus forgives us our sin and gives us His righteousness is a testimony to the depth of love Jesus has for us. It is so brilliant that we are overcome by it and even have a hard time receiving it. There is nothing we can do that will cause Jesus to stop loving His children! Romans 8:38-39

Romans 8:38–39 NASB95

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

There are times where some believe that they cannot be loved because of their past. They believe that what they have done is unforgivable. This discounts the measure of love that Christ displays on the cross. There is no sin to big to be forgiven except unbelief.

There are also times after belief where we will fall to temptation and give into sin. We may be tempted to think that we blew it and that we can’t have a relationship with Jesus anymore. Christ knew that you were going to blow it and he died for you anyway. You do not lose the love of Christ because you sin. He desires for your to repent of that sin so you can enjoy your fellowship with Him!

How about that sin that you keep repeating? Is there a limit on how many times we can repeat the same sin and lose Jesus love for us.

Matthew 18:21–35 NASB95

Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. “When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. “But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. “So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ “And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. “But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ “So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ “But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. “So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. “Then summoning him, his lord said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ‘Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ “And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. “My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”

The amount of forgiveness is unlimited. We should reciprocate that forgiveness. Jesus loves us to the end!

Jesus Love Demonstrated

Understanding that all things had been given to Christ. He was King of King. You would think that he would demand to be served at this point. He did something that is unthinkable for a king. He washed the nasty feet of the disciples.

To put this in perspective, this task of service was meant for the lowest of servants. During this day the roads were not paved and people wore open sandals. This would cause their feet to become very dirty when they would travel. Then the custom of the day was to sit at the dinner table with your feet exposed. For this many people that hosted dinner parties would have a servant that was to wash the feet of the guests. Since Jesus was borrowing the room for the dinner there was no servant to wash feet.

I can imagine the thoughts of the disciples who sat around the table with dirty feet. They were probably waiting for one of the other disciples to get up and do it. They didn’t wan to be seen as a lowly foot washer. This would have been insulting to their status among the group. They wanted to be the prominent ones. You recall Matthew 20:20-24

Matthew 20:20–24 NASB95

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him. And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left.” But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to Him, “We are able.” He said to them, “My cup you shall drink; but to sit on My right and on My left, this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.” And hearing this, the ten became indignant with the two brothers.

They wanted a position of high respect. They didn’t want to be a lowly foot washer.

Can you imagine what they were thinking when Jesus got up and began washing their feet? Peter expressed it when He said John 13:8

John 13:8 NASB95

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.”

Peter was humble enough not to think Jesus should wash his feet, but proud enough to rebuke Jesus fro washing his feet.

Jesus makes a remarkable statement about feet washing to Peter in John 13:10

John 13:10 NASB95

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.”

He was letting Peter know that His sins would be forgiven forever, but you will need to repent often.

Two principles of washing

A person who has bathed is already clean. This means that in Christ we stand clean of sin before the Father. This does not change. When you have been washed in the blood you are perpetually clean before the Father. It is like the old hymn says:

Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are you washed in the blood? In the soul cleansing blood of the Lamb? Are your garments spotless, are they white as snow? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are you walking daily by the Savior's side? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Do you rest each moment in the crucified? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are your garments spotless, are they white as snow? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

The second principle is that we will often get dirty feet by the world we live in. John Phillips puts it this way: Jesus was pointing out that believers still live in a dirty world. We are touched by it, are impacted by it, and continue to be infected by its sins. We are clean in the sight of God, but our feet are soiled as we walk through this world. Therefore, it is not our standing before God that needs ongoing cleansing, but our walk as Jesus’ disciples that compels us to bring our feet to the towel-wearing Savior. This is why Jesus taught believers to pray regularly, “Forgive us our debts.… Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matt. 6:12–13).

There is not a single Christian whose walk in this world is not polluted by sin. Jesus knows this. He knows that we fall into sin. He knows that our minds are polluted with the evil of the world. He knows that our hearts are poisoned by foul streams, so that we are brought into confusion, grief, and sometimes even despair. John Calvin observes that the term dirty feet is metaphorically applied to “all the passions and cares by which we are brought into contact with the world.… Thus Christ always finds in us something to cleanse.”

Richard D. Phillips, John, ed. Richard D. Phillips, Philip Graham Ryken, and Daniel M. Doriani, 1st ed., vol. 2, Reformed Expository Commentary (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2014), 150–151.

We must then recognize that we are clean in the eyes of the Lord but must constantly wash our feet from the pollution of the world.

Love Rejected

Jesus told his disciples that they were all clean except one. Jesus knew this to be Judas. Judas had already purposed in His heart to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. He chose the world over the Savior.

His heart was revealed when he rebuked Mary for anointing Jesus. He stated that she wasted the valuable perfume. He said it should have been sold instead and given to the poor. He really didn’t have a heart for the poor. He wanted it sold so he could have stole some of the proceeds.

Judas chose to love the world rather than receive the love of Jesus. When he realized that the world did not satisfy and that he had rejected the love Jesus offered it led him to a point of suicide.