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John 13 - Part A

Connect with Skip Heitzig / Skip Heitzig
The Truth Network Radio
January 8, 2025 5:00 am

John 13 - Part A

Connect with Skip Heitzig / Skip Heitzig

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January 8, 2025 5:00 am

Pastor Skip examines the final hours as Jesus marched toward the culmination of His purpose on earth.

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This is Connect with Skip Heitzig, and we're so glad you've joined us for today's program. You'll receive monthly devotional emails and receive teaching from God's Word right in your inbox each day. Sign up today at ConnectWithSkip.com.

That's ConnectWithSkip.com. Now, let's get started with today's message from Pastor Skip Heitzig. Remember in chapter 12, there was a meal with friends and a foot washing. It was at the home of Lazarus, Mary, Martha, or at the house of Simon, Mary, Martha, Lazarus, the disciples, Jesus were there. It was before the Passover.

It was a house filled with friends. And Mary of Bethany took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped Jesus feet with her hair. When we come to chapter 13, we also have a meal among friends and a foot washing. This time it is not Mary of Bethany, it is the master. Mary of Bethany was anointing Jesus feet in preparation for his burial, he said. In chapter 13, Jesus is washing the disciples feet, preparing them for after his burial, after his death, burial, and resurrection. It is just the disciples in this room, it is a typical Passover meal. It is a meal that Jews have celebrated and do still celebrate annually, marking their deliverance from the bondage of the Egyptians so many years before. And it was on this night that Jesus made the elements of the bread and the wine we commemorate by a piece of bread and grape juice, the fruit of the vine. Symbolic of that first Passover meal that Jesus made those elements so noteworthy, what we call the Last Supper. Now again, remember the perspective of John of these gospel writers. The first 12 chapters cover the first three and a half years of Jesus public ministry. Chapters 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17 and part of 18 cover the last night of his life before he will be sentenced and crucified under Pontius Pilate. So it is weighted toward the last few hours as Jesus makes this eternal transaction for our sins. Now, every Passover, the kids ask a question, they're prompted to ask this question.

They say to the dad, what makes this night different from all other nights? I want you to think about that question in terms of if one of the disciples perhaps asked that question to Jesus. And perhaps one of them did.

That was part of the protocol. Maybe one of the disciples like a child would do at a Passover. Following the protocol, the typical Haggadah of the Jews said, Master, what makes this night different from all other nights?

It was a different night. They had shared many nights with Jesus. They had shared at least two Passovers with Jesus. This is the third, at least the third Passover that they celebrate. And so they're used to the question, but this night would be different.

They don't know what is coming. Jesus will hint at that, intimated that, but he is about to go to the cross. Now, you do know probably most of you that meals were considered sacred, right? To eat with somebody was an intimate form of fellowship. If you want to be close to someone, you break bread together. And essentially that meal, that bread that I put in my mouth becomes a part of my body. The bread you put in your mouth from the same loaf becomes eventually a part of your body. So we are, in essence, becoming a part of each other. So they considered it a sacred thing to eat with another person. This is why Paul the Apostle later on will say, don't even have a meal with somebody who claims to be a believer, but is living in blatant disobedience.

You are sharing a level of intimacy that can't be shared as a believer in Christ. So it is sacred. But at a Passover meal especially, it was more than just this is a meal. This is an even more sacred meal.

Because at a Passover meal is where you linger. You make it last a long time. The opposite of a fast food restaurant. It was a long food restaurant. You sit for hours and you share.

The other night I was with a friend I hadn't seen in a few years and we were at the table for three hours. So it wasn't Passover, but that's the idea. And that's the meaning when Jesus said in Revelation chapter 3, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. And if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him and he with me.

I will share a level of intimacy with that person who invites me to come in to come close. Now, at this Passover meal, the world is shut out. It is just Jesus' men. It is the coach getting his players together before the game. It is the general getting his men together before the battle.

The world is outside. Just Jesus and his disciples are sharing this moment inside. And that's important to note. Jesus' public ministry is over.

It's done. He has nothing more to say to the world, but he has a lot more to say to his men. Now, if you know anything about the discourses of Jesus, you know that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John include four and only four major talks, discourses by Jesus. The first one in the New Testament and probably the most famous one, the most notable one, is the Sermon on the Mount. That's the first discourse.

It's a public discourse. That's Matthew 5, 6 and 7. The second public discourse recorded is called the Kingdom Parables, recorded in Matthew chapter 13. The Kingdom of God is like this.

The Kingdom of God is like that. The third major discourse, we call it the Olivet Discourse. The Olivet Discourse because it was preached on the Mount of Olives in front of Jerusalem. When Jesus predicted the collapse of the temple and the disciples said, when will these things be and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age? And he gave Matthew chapter 24, also mirrored in Mark chapter 13, also mirrored in Luke chapter 21.

That's the Olivet Discourse. Now we come to the fourth one and this is the longest one and this is the most significant one to us because the world is outside and just Jesus' closest friends are on the inside. This is to them and that's why we love this section and we'll just be touching on it tonight in chapter 14, 15, 16. We'll be getting into it. It's Jesus' own words. If you want to look ahead, if you have a red letter edition, look at all the red letters in those chapters. It's just Jesus giving that intimate discourse to his disciples.

Now if you remember and I do want to refresh your memory because I left you hanging last time as I frequently do, unapologetically. But when Jesus was ending his public ministry, which ended in chapter 12 of John, John makes a special note of how they were treating him. In verse 37 of chapter 12, but although he had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in him.

Miracle after miracle, sign after sign, indisputable, visible evidence. And they did not believe that it might be fulfilled the word of Isaiah the prophet which spoke, Lord who has believed our report and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed. Therefore, watch this, therefore they could not believe. See that? They did not believe, therefore they could not believe. Because Isaiah said again, he has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, lest they should see with their eyes, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn that I should heal them. What's the point there?

Here it is. It's pretty simple. If you are unwilling to believe, you may reach a point where you are unable to believe. The point put in another way is this, if you harden your heart, your heart will be hardened. In other words, you might decide I'm going to harden my heart against the truth of God.

God will come along and strengthen whatever decision you make. He did it with Pharaoh. It says Pharaoh hardened his heart. And then we read after that, God hardened the heart of Pharaoh. I meet people who have trouble with that verse. Why would God harden his heart?

Dude, you need to read context. You need to read before that. And before that, Pharaoh hardened his own heart and God came along and said, well, then I'll harden your heart on top of that. So it's like a poker game. I see that five and I raise you ten.

I see your hard heart and I'll raise it up even another notch. So if you are unwilling to believe, you could come to a place in your life where you are unable to believe. That's a judicial hardening.

Willful hardening is followed by a judicial hardening. That's part of the judgment of God on an unbeliever. You're listening to Connect with Skip Heitzig. Before we get back to Skip's teaching, starting the year with a structured Bible study can shape your spiritual journey for the months ahead and help align your life with God's truth. We want to help you do that with Pastor Skip's book, The Bible from 30,000 Feet and Companion Workbook. Journey through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, gaining a deep panoramic understanding of God's word that helps you understand the big picture of Scripture with greater clarity. These resources are our thanks for your gift of at least $50 today to help share biblical teaching with more people around the world through Connect with Skip Heitzig.

Go to connectwithskip.com slash offer or call 800-922-1888 and request your copies when you give at least $50 today to reach people around the world through Connect with Skip Heitzig. Let's continue with today's teaching with Pastor Skip. Anybody can come to Christ, whosoever will, let him come. I believe that. I know my Calvinist friends do not believe that. But I believe that whosoever will can come. And that if you soften your heart, God will even soften it more or he'll firm up that decision you make toward him.

If you harden your heart against him, he'll firm up that decision you make against him. So that closes his public ministry. And then chapter 13 verse 1. Now Jesus is going to teach them. But before he teaches, he touches. He's going to wash their feet and the story is so precious. I mean, this is one of those chapters I tell my fellow pastors that preaches itself. You know, this is plug and play. You just read it and you'll get ministered to without any explanation.

But you know me, that's not going to happen. Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come that he should depart from this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. And supper being ended, the devil already having put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he had come from God and was going to God, rose from the supper, laid aside his garments, took a towel and girded himself.

After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded. I hope you notice that little phrase that appears six times in the Gospel of John tucked into verse one of this chapter. It's very important to John's narrative and it's the little phrase, his hour.

Look at it. Before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come that he should depart. Six times that phrase appears in the Gospel of John. We've already seen it a few times. First time is in chapter two of John at the wedding feast at Cana in Galilee when Mary, the mother of Jesus, sees that the wine has run out and says, hey, Jesus, they're out of wine.

Like, come on. And he says, woman, what does your concern have to do with me? For my hour has not yet come. Then we follow the thread as we keep reading through the Gospel of John and he goes to Jerusalem into the temple area. And twice we are told by John, they tried to lay hands on Jesus to seize him, but they could not for his hour had not yet come. Now his hour has come. Now the time is up. Now the perfect timetable set for Jesus by the Father has arrived.

This is it. It's showtime. It's time to go to that cross to die on it for the sins of the world to glorify the Father. Jesus in chapter 12, even verse 23, answered them saying, the hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.

All of that to just undergird an important truth that I hope your soul can rest in. God is always on time. God is never late. My dad was always late.

Or let me rephrase that. He was often late. When it came to picking me up at school, he was always late. There were other things he kept, you know, he was busy and he had his business and he was on time for. But when it came to when when I heard my mom say, honey, would you pick the boys up today from school?

I thought, oh, you know, I could I could I have an hour to spare. He was often late, always late. When he picked us up, I could bank on it. That was my earthly father. My Heavenly Father is never late. He's always on time.

The Lord is not slack, Peter said, concerning his promises. He keeps him right on time. This is the hour. This is what Jesus looked forward to.

His whole life was this moment. He was marching toward that hour. Now, he has been accused of being late.

Two chapters before this, he comes to Bethany with Mary and Martha. Lazarus is dead and they basically say, you're late. Lord, if you would have been here, my brother wouldn't have died. I.E., you're late. Jesus looks at his little watch and says, I'm not late.

I'm perfectly on time. He's dead, right? Good. He's been dead four days.

Perfect. I'm right on time. You wanted a resuscitation. Hey, I got a resurrection.

Right on time. It says, having loved those who were in the world, he loved them to the end. Or as I believe the NIV puts it, maybe other modern translations, he wanted to show to them the full extent of his love.

How does he do that? The supper has ended. The devil has already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, verse 2, Simon's son, to betray him. If you know your Bibles, you know that in Matthew 26, this has been prearranged. Judas Iscariot has already received the money, 30 pieces of silver, and arranged for a time of betrayal. And what is that time? His hour. Not according to Judas's timetable. He thinks, I got a plan.

I got the right time. He doesn't know he's on God's timetable. As you will see. Jesus knowing, verse 3, that the Father had given all things into his hands. A very important phrase. Knowing that the Father has given him full and absolute authority, it literally means. Or he has all power.

Now just think about that. Here is Jesus, here is God in a body of flesh. He has all power at his fingertips given to him by God the Father. And he knows it. He knows he has ultimate power, ultimate authority. He can do anything he wants to. He can turn water into wine. He can walk on the water. He can raise dead people. He has all the power at his disposal. What are you going to do with all that power?

He washed his feet with all that power. When I work out at the gym, there's one portion of the gym where the free weights are. And it's where the buff guys hang out. I see them over there. I look at them and I notice them. And they're gnarly. Some of them are tough. They've got big, defined muscles. And they're just like hanging out. They even have a snarl sometimes.

It's not a tumor. They're big. And I one time ask one of them. I said, man, you've got a lot of muscles. What do you do with all those muscles? And he looked at me like, well, watch. Flex.

I said, yeah, that's cool. But what do you do with all those muscles? Again, he wanted to show me what he did with them. And that's all he did with them. So what does Jesus, God in human flesh, do with all of that incredible, ultimate, spiritual, unlimited muscle power?

And that's what I want you to see. Knowing that he had all authority, he acted like a slave, a servant. Now here's something you don't know by reading John.

You have to read Luke. Something is going on that night that you may not know about. They have been arguing.

They have been arguing about who's going to be the greatest in the kingdom. Now, typically, when you would walk to a place for Passover. Well, when you'd walk anywhere, for that matter. You didn't have closed toed shoes. All of you that I can see have closed toed shoes tonight.

For a good reason. It's stinking cold out there. But in the Middle East, you had sandals and your toes were exposed. Your feet were exposed.

So walking on those roads, all dirt, all dust. By the time you got to the place where you were going to eat supper, you had gnarly looking feet. So to cure the gnarly feet syndrome, in every place where there was a meal, there was a pitcher of water and a towel. And it was the job of the household servant to wash the feet of the guest to prepare the guest for a meal. If there wasn't a servant in that house, probably that is the case here, they would do it to each other. That was just protocol. Or they would do it for themselves. But typically you would do it to one another. But they are so preoccupied with who's the greatest in the kingdom, nobody's doing it.

They're arguing about who's going to be the greatest. They're not thinking about serving, they're thinking about being a sensation. And so the greatest sensation of history, Jesus becomes a servant. To show them, this is how it's done boys.

God didn't save you to be a sensation, He saved you to be a servant. You get down and you wash feet. Wash feet?

You're the Messiah. You have all power, you're going to wash feet? I mean that's like the president cleaning the toilets in the White House. Or it'd be like the Queen of England doing the laundry at Buckingham Palace. Elvis tuning his own guitar.

Or, that's outdated, John Mayer tuning his own guitar. You have people to do those things. But those people weren't doing those things. The sensation becomes the servant. And there's a hush that falls over the room.

As Jesus takes out the towel and begins to wash feet. Now I believe there's a principle here. When you have all power and you know it, you're secure. You don't have to prove it to anybody. When you know who you are, you don't have to prove who you are.

I want you to hear this. When you know who you are, you don't have to prove. Let me prove. Let me show you who I am. Let me tell you about my degrees. Let me tell you about my education. Just serve.

It's more dramatic when you do. Thanks for listening to Connect with Skip Heitzig. We hope you've been strengthened in your walk with Jesus by today's program.

Before we let you go, we want to remind you about this month's resources that will help you gain a deeper understanding of the sweeping story of scripture. Pastor Skip's book, The Bible from 30,000 Feet, and the companion workbook are our thanks for your support of Connect with Skip Heitzig today. Request your copies when you give $50 or more. Call 800-922-1888.

That's 800-922-1888. Or visit connectwithskip.com slash donate. And did you know that you can get a weekly devotional and other resources from Pastor Skip sent right to your email inbox?

Simply visit connectwithskip.com and sign up for emails from Skip. Come back next time for more verse by verse teaching of God's word here on Connect with Skip Heitzig. Make a connection. Make a connection at the foot of the cross. Cast all burdens on His word. Make a connection. Connect with Skip Heitzig is a presentation of Connection Communications. Connecting you to God's never changing truth in ever changing times.
Whisper: medium.en / 2025-01-08 06:05:03 / 2025-01-08 06:13:55 / 9

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