John 13:1-17 - Part 2 - The Demonstration of Royal Service
Introduction:
- Review of last week
1. The Drive For Royal Service (v.1b-2)
a) He knew that His hour had come (v.1a)
(1) He knew How To Live With A Sense of Timing.
(2) He Used His Time For His Father.
(3) We Must Use Our Time For Our Father. (Eph.5:16)!
(4) The Bible Warns Those Who Think They Will Always Have Time To Do What They Should.
(5) He knew not The Time Of His Return (Mark 13:32).
(6) We don’t know the time of His return (Matt.24:32-51; 25:1-11)
(7) He never knew you (Matt.7:21-27).
b) He knew that He that He should depart from this world to the Father (1b.)
(1) We don’t know when we are going to depart to the Father:
Jesus spoke a parable saying, “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”" (Luke 12:16-21, NKJV)
Our Prayer should be "Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered, and that my life is fleeing away. My life is no longer than the width of my hand. An entire lifetime is just a moment to you; human existence is but a breath.” Interlude" (Psalm 39:4-5, NLT)
(2) The usual meaning of depart μεταβαίνειν is “to move from one place to another,” “to pass or go from one place to another,” especially “to change one’s dwelling”:
John writes, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14, NKJV)
(3) In Johns writing it is used metaphorically. Believers are moved from sphere of death. By accepting God’s Word in faith, they have crossed the frontier between death and life even while still being on earth:
Jesus says "He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life." (John 5:24, NKJV)
John writes in his 1st epistle "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death." (1 John 3:14, NKJV)
(4) Paul Explained That He Had The Desire To Depart And Be With Christ (Philippians 1:23):
(a) Several Meanings To the term depart.
(i) | John 11:44; Rom.6:7, 18, 20, 22 |
To depart was used: “to unloose,” like a boat being “untied from its moorings”, “to weigh anchor”, as when it is ready to set sail to another port. The believer does not cease to exist, he simply loosens the moorings of this life, pulls the anchor up, and sets sail for God’s eternal presence.
(ii) To depart was used: prisoner’s being freed from his bonds, of an animal’s being freed of its burden, or of a military detachment’s breaking camp.
(iii) To depart was used: to break up; to loosen as in breaking camp and loosening the ropes of the tent. The same picture is true of the believer when he departs this life. He is not ceasing to exist; he is simply breaking loose and moving on to a new campsite, in fact, a perfect campsite.
(b) | Departing from Iniquity 2 Timothy 2:19God’s seal of ownership is on the church in 2 ways1. The Divine Assurance that you belong to the Lord. Probably taken from (Num.16:5) 2. Personal Holiness Departing from wickedness Taken from (Num.16:26) those who did not separate themselves from the wicked people were destroyed with them |
For Christians, death is simply breaking their temporary earthly camp and moving on to their eternal heavenly home. Paul alluded to this figure in 2 Corinthians 5:1:
“We know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”
(c) The related noun analusis was often used for death, which Paul had in mind in the present text (Phil.1:23).
A few years later, Paul writes to Timothy, his son in the faith saying:” For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing." (2 Timothy 4:6-8, NKJV)
(d) For a Christian, death is exchanging the burden of earthly life for the eternal joy of heaven:
Paul said "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21, NKJV)
(i) What does life mean to you? Why are you living? What is your great purpose in life?
(ii) Tombstone Illustration: “1965—2000” the dash is the duration of your life!
(iii) The thing that excites us and “turns us on” is the thing that really is life to us.
(iv) Illustration of how I come alive when I see something that I get excited about when Kristi and I go shopping
c) He loved His Own to the very end (v.1d).
(1) He loves “His own… in the world…to the end.”
(a) “To the end” is an expression that carries the meaning “completely, to perfection, fully, or comprehensively—to the uttermost.”
The writer of Hebrews: "Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them." (Hebrews 7:25, NKJV)
(b) God loves the world (Jn.3:16) and sinners (Jn.3:16; Matt.5:44,45; Titus 3:4) with compassion and common grace, He loves all of humanity, but He loves “His own” perfectly, unchangingly, completely, fully, — to the uttermost. To say it simply: He loves His own:
(i) to the complete extent of His capacity to love His creatures.
(ii) to make them joint-heirs with Christ.
(iii) to make them into His very image.
(iv) to lavish them with all the riches of His grace for all of eternity.
(v) to the full extent and completely as any human could ever be loved by God—and His love knows no limits.
In the Upper Room He Consciously made that Issue: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”" (John 13:34-35, NKJV)
Add in 17:26 Jesus tells the Father "And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”" (John 17:26, NKJV)
(vi) Teaching His people to love was one of Jesus’ overall purposes in the Upper Room Discourse.
d) He knew His enemies (v.2)
(1) Jesus knew the devil already put in Judas’ heart to betray Him.
(2) How did the Devil do this to Judas? Judas already had it in his heart:
James writes: "Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death." (James 1:13-15, NKJV)
(3) Under Satan’s influence, Judas sold out Christ. Satan himself makes Judas his tool by filling his mind with traitorous thoughts and moving his will to act on them. This is mental possession, giving Satan control of the mind, heart, and will. This is why we are to “take every thought captive” (2Cor.10:5), “not letting the sun go down on your wrath… giving place to the devil” (Eph.4:26-27).
(4) God also puts into the hearts of People As Well:
Believers: "Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me; I told no one what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem; nor was there any animal with me, except the one on which I rode." (Nehemiah 2:12).
Unbelievers: "Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem," (Ezra 7:27, NKJV)
(5) Prepare your heart to seek Him
"For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel." (Ezra 7:10, NKJV)
The Psalmist writes: "Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. " (Psalm 37:4, NKJV)
Paul says, "for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13)
(6) Judas was lost for the same reason millions are lost today: he did not repent of his sins and believe on Jesus Christ (John 6:64–71; 13:10–11). If you have never been born again, one day you will wish you had not been born at all.
Think About This: The same three things should drive every believer to serve and to serve now:
a) Knowing The Hour Has Come, That Time Is Short.
(1) For Such A Time as this (Esther 4:1-14)
(a) Esther was not here by accident. God had been divinely leading her all the way:
The statement of Joseph to his brother comes to mind "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive." (Genesis 50:20, NKJV)
(2) As you ponder Mordecai’s words, you will learn some basic truths about the providence of God that are important for Christians today.
(a) God Has Divine Purposes To Accomplish In This World.
(b) God Accomplishes His Purposes Through People.
(c) God Will Accomplish His Purposes Even If His Servants Refuse To Obey His Will.
(3) About Our Time: Its More That Counting Your Time, Rather Its, Making Your Time Count.
(a) If someone is 35, you have about 500 hours left to live.
(b) If that person lives another 36 years, take away sleeping, eating, getting dressed, going to the doctor, etc. disposable time left is about 500 hours, how are you going to use your time?
b) Loving “our own,” those for whom the believer is responsible.
Remember "Greater love has no one than this , that one lay down his life for his friends . " (John 15:13, NASB95)
John writes "We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren… "But if anyone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need and refuses to help—how can God’s love be in that person? Dear children, let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions. It is by our actions that we know we are living in the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before the Lord," (1 John 3:16NASB, 17-19, NLT)
c) Knowing Our Enemy.
Remember the parable Jesus told saying: "When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road . " (Matthew 13:19, NASB95)
Paul writes "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. " (Ephesians 6:10-11, NASB95)
One of his schemes is for us to be unforgiving to one-another: "This punishment which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient for such a man, so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow. Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him… lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices." (2 Corinthians 2:6-8, 11)
Another is of schemes is false teaching "But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." (2 Corinthians 11:3, NKJV)
Paul goes on to write "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15, NKJV)
When you know the truth, you will "no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting," (Ephesians 4:14, NKJV)
This is why we are to "Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. " (James 4:7, NASB95)
Peter goes on to say "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. " (1 Peter 5:8-9, NASB95)
The same facts should drive us to stick to our service: "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord." (1 Corinthians 15:58, NASB95)
2. The Demonstration Of Royal Service (v.3-5)
a) He knew His mission (v.3)
(1) Jesus Knew That The Father Had Given All Things Into His Hands: all power and authority and glory and honor—all beings both in heaven and earth—all administration (ministry) and rule—all judgment and responsibility for saving the universe.
Þ Jesus Knew That He Had Come From God.
He knew the exalted position from which He had come and the enormous condescension He had made. He knew the great gulf He had spanned in coming to earth.
Þ Jesus Knew The Splendor And Brilliance And Glory Of His Person.
Þ Jesus Knew That He Was Returning To God.
He knew that He was to assume His former position of glory, honor, and rule. He knew that He was to take His place at the right hand of God very soon.
(2) If You Know Who You Are, You Don’t Have To Prove Anything.
(a) When you’re at peace with your past (I know where I’ve come from), and secure in your future (I’m going to heaven), (it really frees you) you can love in the present.
b) Filled With Shades of Meaning (v.4-5)
Remember in (v.1) John says Jesus Loved them to the end (the full extent of His love, to utter perfection). Jesus was performing for them a parable about what his whole ministry on earth was all about, why he had come, what he would do on the cross.
(1) He rose up from supper (v.4)
He already rose up from the banquet table in heaven, and made the voluntary decision to submit to the Father and go down to the earth and perform atonement.
(2) He laid aside his garments (v.4)
He emptied himself of the prerogatives of divinity, the independent use of his power (Phil.2:7ff)
(3) He took a towel and girded himself (v.4)
He wrapped his divinity in a cloak of humanity, he wrapped himself in humanity so that he could relate to all the things we go through.
(4) He poured water in a basin, and began to wash the disciples feet (v.5)
In a few hours, he would be washing the sins of the world
Also washing the daily sins of the feet (lives) of the disciples.
(5) He dried them with a towel (v.5)
Jesus completed the work (Phil.1:6).
c) The style of Jesus vs. the style of Satan.
(1) The Style of Jesus:
Paul writes "Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal’s death on a cross." (Philippians 2:6-8, NLT)
(2) The Style of Satan
God says "How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world. For you said to yourself, ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north." (Isaiah 14:12-13, NLT)
(3) God Has The Final Word:
Look what God says about Jesus "Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name," (Philippians 2:9, NKJV)
About Satan” Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit. " (Isaiah 14:15)