John 13 - Part C

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That's ConnectWithSkip.com. Now, let's get started with today's message from Pastor Skip Heitzig. For so I am. If I then, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.

If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. I don't believe that Jesus was saying, I am officially inaugurating a weekly foot washing ceremony. And I think it's important that when you gather together in my name, have a Bible study and a foot washing ceremony. I don't I don't see that. Because if that were the case, you would see that in the early church, you'd see it repeatedly in the book of Acts, you'd see Paul the Apostle highlighting it, elucidating it.

But you don't. You find the Lord's Supper mentioned that way. But you don't find foot washing. And he wasn't, I don't think, intending that we literally wash each other's feet, though there's nothing wrong with that. I know some traditions have that.

And it's quite beautiful. But his ideas, I want you to do as I've done. This is an example of servanthood. Be a servant to people. One of the great needs of the church is to have feet washed. Serve people, encourage people, mature people, train people, love on people, forgive people, talk to people, pray with people, wash their feet. You've been saved.

But now, when I say a great need, here's the deal. You can study the scripture and I'm a huge advocate of study of the Bible, as you know. But in studying the Bible and in looking at Greek and outlining text and going deep and all of that, you can stimulate your mind, you can satisfy your heart, but you still have dirty feet. And look at what Jesus said in that last little section, verse 7. If you know these things, blessed are you if you what?

If you do them. Please note that. He didn't say if you know these things, happy are you if you know them. Who you know these things. You're so awesome. You know stuff. You're so smart. You're so wise. You're so smart.

You got the happy are you if you know them. Oh, you know these things. You're so awesome. You know stuff. You're so smart. You're so wise.

Sagacity pours out from your mouth. You are awesome. He said, you want to be really blessed or happy? Do it.

Do it. The key to happiness is humbleness. You want to be blessed? You want to be truly happy? You do what you read. You do what it says. And when you put it into practice, that's where the joy factor comes in.

If you know these things, happy. Blessed are you if you do them. Let me give you a little advice.

If you're going to wash somebody's feet, if you're going to help somebody along, do it gently. And we all sin. We all blow it. We all have issues.

All of us do. Every day of our lives, we do. And so we need people to counsel with, to talk to, to pray with, et cetera. But this is what the Bible says in terms of gentleness. Galatians chapter 6, verse 1. If anyone is overtaken in any fault or any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, humility, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.

That's how you wash feet. That's how you help a person. You do it in humility.

You do it in meekness. You don't do it, I'm better than you. I'm smarter than you. I'm wiser than you. Listen up.

You're about to get schooled. You humble yourself. You get underneath them. You become people of the towel. People of the towel. Grab the towel. Do it gently. Some people love to wash feet with ice cold water.

You know what I'm saying? They're formal. They're cold and aloof. Other people try to wash feet with scalding hot water. Criticism. Ooh, you're really horrible. I hope you feel bad because you are bad. I mean, it's just that snobbery superiority. But then, even worse than cold water and hot water, some people don't even use water.

They just hit hard. It's like scraping the dirt off somebody's feet. Do it gently. Become a person of the towel.

If you know these things, happier you if you do them. I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen. But that the scripture may be fulfilled. He who eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me. He's quoting Psalm 41. What it shows me is that Jesus knows what is happening, knows who's going to betray him, quotes a scripture that he knows so well, just to show them I'm in control of this whole operation.

This is not any misstep. I'm perfectly on time in the Father's hour, in this hour, my hour. Now I tell you before it comes that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am he. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me. When Jesus had said these things, he was troubled in spirit and testified and said, most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray me. Then the disciples looked at one another perplexed about whom he spoke. Now did Jesus know that Peter was going to deny him? Yes, he did.

He predicted it. Did Jesus know that Thomas was going to doubt him? Yes, he did. Did Jesus know that Judas was going to betray him? Yes, he did.

Why? Because he's omniscient, right? He's omniscient. He knows everything. That's one of the attributes of God. He could tell people what they're thinking.

Often he did that. He predicted what was coming in incredible detail. He is omniscient.

But here's what I want you to see. Being omniscient, having these attributes of divinity that he had, having all power and being fully aware of who is going to betray him, deny him, doubt him, it didn't soften the blow. It says his heart was troubled. It's a strong word. It says he was troubled in spirit.

Taraso is the word agitated deeply. Now why do I bring this up? Because we evangelicals are really good at defending the deity of Christ. What we are not really great at is getting in touch with the humanity of Christ. He was fully God and still is.

He was fully man and still is. Do you know that when Jesus was glorified, when he went up to heaven, he was a glorified, resurrected human being, God in human flesh, still in his incarnated body. And today, tonight, there is a man at the right hand of the throne of glory who intercedes for you and I. I'm glad that you approve of that, because it shows me that you appreciate what that means.

What it means is Jesus intercedes to the Father for you as a human. So Hebrews 4, he is able to touch all of the feelings of our infirmities, it says. He knows what it's like to feel pain. He knows what it's like to feel rejection.

So even though he knew in his complete and absolute omniscience being total deity, he still had humanity, that that deity was encased in. And he got troubled. It bothered him. So when he talks to the Father about you, he knows what you feel.

He's not aloof. He relates. Now, verse 23, there was, leaning on Jesus' bosom, one of his disciples whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom he spoke. Now, the disciple Jesus loved is none other than John, the writer of the gospel. He doesn't call himself John. He calls himself the disciple that Jesus loved. I like that about John.

Well, who are you? I'm the one he loves. Of course, any of his disciples could say he's the one he loves. He loved them all. You're the disciple Jesus loved. So am I. I like to think of myself, oh, I'm the one he loves. Four boys were in my family. And if you were to ask my mom, which one is he?

She'd say, oh, that's the one I love. John was one who experienced the love of God as the disciple whom Jesus loved. Jesus answered, it is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it. And having dipped the bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. After the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, what you do, do quickly. But no one at the table knew for what reason he said this to him. For he was the son of Jesus. What reason he said this to him, for some thought, because Judas had the money box that Jesus had said to him, buy those things which we need for the feast or that he should give something to the poor. That was custom in those days. When you had a big meal like a Passover meal and you didn't eat it all, you would take a portion of it and you would set it aside and you would go out and you would find somebody in the neighborhood, a family or a person, who needed a meal and you would be generous to them. It's part of the Levitical code. You will be kind to the poor of the land.

Having received the piece of bread, he then went out immediately and it was night. 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 wanna 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.

Now I have to give you quickly the setting. The Last Supper was not as Leonardo da Vinci painted it. You know the famous picture. When I say the Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci, you know the one where they're all sitting on one side of a table, kind of like facing the camera and kind of looking at it, kind of head leaning toward Jesus, right?

Get that out of your mind, that is not what it was. They weren't sitting on chairs, they were reclining on a triclinium. A triclinium was a three tiered table. So if you can imagine this table up front and then another table attached to it going that direction opposite this and then another one on the other side doing the same thing, you have a three section table that would sit about 12 people. At a meal, at a Passover especially on the triclinium, you would lean, recline on your left shoulder.

Why? Because most people are right handed, they need their right hand to grab food and eat it. So can you picture them laying on their left shoulder, kind of leaning one direction and with their right hand they're able to grab things, eat it, pass it around. What this means is that John, the disciple whom Jesus loved was reclining to the right of Jesus because he was leaning his head on Jesus' bosom, that's in the reclining position, his head is toward the breast of Jesus near his heart. Which then brings up the question, I can't tell you where every disciples sat but where was Judas sitting? Obviously on the very left, on the very left. On the immediate right of Jesus was John who is leaning in toward his chest or bosom, his heart and Jesus was leaning in toward Judas' bosom or heart.

How do I knew this? Because in verse 26, Jesus says, it is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I've dipped it. Now the host was in charge of two things, taking the bread and starting the meal and number one, making the placement of where people sat.

Which means if you're gonna sit at the right or left side of the host, you have to be invited there. Which means since he's not giving it to John who sat next to him and he can't go all the way to the other side where the other disciples are because of the shape of the triclinium, it must mean that Judas was to the very left of him so he could easily pass that little piece. And it also means that Judas got there by Jesus giving him a special invitation.

I can picture it, I can hear it. Friend, I want you in the place of honor right next to me. It was as if Jesus was reaching out one final time to the man who had already agreed to betray him.

Sit in this place of honor. What I love is John is leaning toward Jesus. Judas, however, is leaning away from Jesus. And I wanna ask you, where are you leaning? Are you leaning toward him so that you're close to his heart, just inches away? Or are you leaning away from him? You may be invited in, it might be a place of honor, but where are you leaning?

What are you inclined toward? He gets up and he leaves. Notice the end of verse 30. What's that last sentence?

What does it say? And it was night. To me, that's significant. It wouldn't be if it weren't the Gospel of John, but because it's John's writing, it's significant. Because in John's Gospel, light and darkness are used a lot symbolically by John. Jesus said it, but he highlights it a lot. I am the light of this world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but have the light of life. So to leave Jesus' presence, you're getting into dark territory. When you walk away from Jesus, when you leave his presence, when you shut him out, you're moving toward darkness.

Not a good thing, and it was night. And when he had gone out, Jesus said, now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in him, speaking of the cross. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and glorify him immediately. Little children, I shall be with you a little longer. You will seek me. As I said to the Jews, where I am going, you cannot come. And now I say to you, 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. I'm giving you a new commandment. Now, if you're a Bible student, and I'm speaking to Bible students when I speak to my Wednesday night crowd, this I know. I hope when you read this, you're going, wait a minute, this isn't new.

I've read this before. I've read this in the Old Testament before. My mind goes back to Leviticus chapter 19, where God said, you shall not seek revenge or take out a grudge on any of the children of your people, but you will love your neighbor as yourself.

You will love them. A new commandment, I give unto you that you should love one another. That's an old commandment, but here's the deal. The word Jesus used for new is the word that means renewed. It means fresh.

You know it, but I'm gonna freshen it up a little bit, okay? The word is kinos. If Jesus meant it's brand new in chronology, he would have used an entirely different word, the word naos, but he didn't.

He used the word kinos, which means it's renewed, it's refreshed. And what I mean by that is Jesus took a commandment they were familiar with, but then he qualified it because he goes, now, there's a new standard by which you are to love. And that is, you're to love people like I love. As I have love, that's how you're to love. You saw me wash feet, you wash feet. You saw me serve, you serve.

You see how I love, you love like I love. Well, how did Jesus love? Well, let's see, sacrificially. Well, let's see, unconditionally. Well, let's see, nonreciprocally, all right? He loved us while we were sinners, not expecting, without us loving him back, he loved us in a sacrificial manner, unconditional manner, and nonreciprocal manner.

That's the new standard. Now, when we read this, that didn't put warm fuzzies in us. Because if you're reading this literally and you're thinking about this like you should, you're thinking, well, that's impossible. I can't love like Jesus loved. He set that standard pretty high, that bar pretty high.

How on earth can I do that? Listen, love is not a goose bump. It's an act of the will. It's whether you feel like it or not. Can I tell you there's times I don't feel like serving my wife?

It's true, I confessed it. I don't feel like it. But then this thought comes to me.

Do it, get the towel, serve. But it's not real if I don't feel. Yeah, it is, it's called obedience, last time I checked. Doesn't always feel good at first, but you will be happy. If you know these things, happy are you. If you do them, just keep doing it. You'll get really happy.

That's how it works, that's how it works. So it's a new commandment, and you should love as I love. You should love as I love, by the way, do you know, listen to this, you have an infinite capacity to love? I know, I'm saying that, and a lot of you aren't even believing it, I know that, because I know people I think well enough by now as old as I am, but you have an infinite capacity to love.

How do I know this? Because Romans 5 says that God has poured out his love in our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom he has given. That means when you run out, he's got more to pour in. Oh, I just don't have enough love, oh, just wait for it. He'll pour it in, he's shed his love abroad or poured it in, which means as a believer in Jesus Christ, no one in your circle should be love starved ever, ever.

You can do this, you can do it, I don't feel like it, it's okay, don't feel like it, but do it anyway. And watch how transforming it becomes for you and for them. That's the new commandment, love like I loved. Simon Peter said to him, Lord, where are you going? Jesus said, where I'm going, you cannot follow me now, but you will follow me afterward. Peter said to him, Lord, why can I not follow you now?

This is just, I don't even have to comment, this is Peter, you know him by now. He said, I will lay down my life for your sake, Mr. Spiritual comes out, Joe Spiritual, there he is again, Jesus answered, will you lay down your life for my sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied me three times.

I'm looking at the time and the time is, I'm way over time, I have a minute to do communion, it's gonna take about five minutes. And I'm sorry, I just get carried away, but I have to say this as we close the chapter. Jesus knew Peter was gonna fail him. He's not shocked by your failure.

He didn't go, he's not perfect, doesn't shock him. But he also knows you'll be restored. In Luke's gospel, he said, Peter, I know you're gonna fall, but when you are returned, strengthen your brothers. So what I wanna say to you is don't let your failure be your undertaker, let it be your teacher.

Learn from it. 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 wanna 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 crossing.

Cast your 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. Now, we want to let you know about an exciting opportunity coming up soon in Southern California.

Hi, Pastor Skip here. I'm heading to Menifee, California to teach at Revival Christian Fellowships, Nuts and Bolts of Expository Preaching Conference in January. I'll be teaching alongside my very good friend and fellow expositor, Pastor John Miller. Join us to deepen your knowledge and ignite or reignite a lasting passion to teach the Bible expositionally.

I hope to see you there. So check out the link and claim your spot. To learn more about the nuts and bolts and to register, visit expositorypreaching.org. That's expositorypreaching.org.