JOHN

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John Chapter 13

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.

Jesus loves the eternal soul of each person that lived then and now. He loved us so much that He stayed upon that cross and didn't allow the angels to come and rescue Him. I can just picture the angels standing around that cross waiting for so much as a nod from the Son of God. The angels would have wiped the Pharisees and soldiers off the map if Jesus would have given His permission.

All He would have had to have done is say, "I can't stand the pain any longer, please get me down from here," and the angels would have come. He loved us enough to stay there until the sacrifice of His own body was given for the sins of the entire world.

All and that means all who would believe shall be saved and given life eternal. Just to believe in the Son of God and believe in His word to us will save our souls without us doing one good deed to deserve it. We deserve nothing. He is the righteous one and we have to be filled with His righteousness to be saved. Our supposed righteousness could not save anyone.

If we think we have no sin and are good enough without Jesus, then we can't be saved. If we do not believe that He is the prophet or Messiah that God sent to save us from sin, then we can't be saved.

We are saved only by faith in Him, not in rituals, sacraments, confessing to priests, or any other work or commandment of men.

When we believe in Him as savior, our sins are forgiven and we are made free from sin. As we study the word and believe, the word cleanses us and the Holy Spirit resides in us. When we hide the word in our hearts, we will not want to return to sin. We are not supposed to sin a little bit every day as some teach. If we sin, we are to confess and ask the Lord to remove it from our hearts. He forgives and He will cleanse us from sin if we really want to live for Him.

1John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

If we say we have to sin, we lie. I understand this to mean that if a person who is of the age of accountability says that he or she hasn't sinned so they don't need any salvation from God, then they are deceived and lie for all who have reached the age of accountability have sinned in one way or another. We all need to be saved. Without Jesus the sin lies within us.

Some take this verse to mean that if we have been cleansed of sin by coming to Christ and then say we have not sin, that we lie. Usually this is taught by those that believe once a person comes to Christ, he or she can't be lost and still can sin a little every day. I disagree with that interpretation. Taken in context I believe it refers to the sin we had before coming to Christ. One can sin after coming to Christ but we need to confess and forsake it as soon as it is revealed to us, not allow it to grow.

John 13:2 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 basin, 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.
11 For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.
12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?
13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.
15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

I used to belong to a church that believes in literal feet washing and that is okay but I believe this teaching means more than literally washing the feet of others.

Many of us have forgotten what Jesus is teaching here. As soon as the apostles began to die off, some set up church organization and government much more than what was originally intended. The old priesthood and religious order was done away with and fulfilled when Jesus died on the cross. We now do not need another intercessor besides Jesus.

We do need faithful elders and teachers that are full of the Holy Ghost and are to be gentle shepherds to teach and keep us from falling away into false doctrines. These shepherds are servants of God and not to be exalted high above everyone else, nor are they ever to place themselves between an individual believer and Jesus Christ. Jesus is still the head of the church.

They are to teach and encourage us to pray to God ourselves and be filled with the Holy Ghost ourselves. They are not to be like the prophets of old that the people had to go to before they could speak to God or know the will of God. We now have the written word and the Holy Spirit to teach us. No one of us is to exalt themselves over any other believer to cause that believer to depend on us spiritually instead of seeking spiritual guidance from the Lord Himself.

The bible was chained up and hidden for over a thousand years from the common people. They were told that only the priests were able to properly understand the word and teach the right way. We see what a mess that made of things when corrupt priests and popes began the practice of indulgences where some thought they had to buy their way out of purgatory and buy their way into heaven. Had they listened to this teaching of Jesus about the true meaning of washing the feet of fellow believers, they would have avoided appointing men over other men and having one leader to be exalted and have the final word above everyone else.

I know we have to have some form of church government in order to keep out of false doctrine and heresy but to stand in place of Christ and begin to intercede between individuals and Christ is to keep them from knowing Christ for themselves.

A person can be saved from sin by faith in Christ alone independent upon the church, rituals, priests, prophets, pastors and any other spiritual leader. The church and pastors are to be vessels to bring the message of salvation but they have no power to save the soul from sin. The spirit of God does that and it is not something that can be forced on anyone.

We have the power to present the gospel and allow God's spirit to use us to save the lost but the actual power that makes one to be "born again" by the spirit is God's power working in the individual. We can't force it on anyone. God brings the increase, we are the vessels. God gives the gifts, we are the receivers. We have nothing God can't give to the least one among us. That makes us equal. A king is not greater than a servant. A servant is not greater than a king. In Christ we are all the same.

Matthew 23:8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

Also in Peter:

1Peter 5:2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.

We are as servants, not considering ourselves above anyone but remembering that Christ is the head of the church.

John 13:18 I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.
19 Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.
20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.

Now I must speak of the other half of what I said above. Those the bring the gospel and represent Christ are to be loved, cared for and respected because of God who they represent. We are to follow them only to the point that they follow Christ. If they stop following Christ and preach false doctrine, we keep following Christ and not them. As long as they bring the message of truth and walk in holiness, we are to respect them, love them and listen to them. If we reject them, we are rejecting Christ. This is only for those that bring truth and bear the fruits of the spirit.

They are not to be lords over God's people but bearers of the truth. To give them a cup of cold water is to give to Christ. This is for faithful representatives of God's word, not deceivers and false teachers. There is a difference and that is why God provided us with the great gift of the written word of God called the bible.

Now we have a road map, a guide, and book that we can know what is the truth and who is telling us the truth. If we want to take the word of the messenger without checking out the truth, it's our own fault if we get deceived.

Yet those that are true and walk in obedience to the Lord in all ways are so precious. Imagine leaving a comfortable home and a good paying job to venture out into places where the gospel is not welcome and one's life can be in jeopardy for preaching the gospel. Even now there are places in the world where you could lose your land, your job and even your life for preaching about Jesus Christ. Yet so many will do as Jesus did and leave comfort and stability to go to those that are lost to preach the gospel. If we harm them the wrath of God will be upon us.

The "touch not my anointed" warning is not for those that exalt themselves and make themselves great to be highly esteemed by men but it is for those that humble themselves and become as servants to obey the calling of God and go where God sends them. To those men or women, we are never to harm them without suffering the judgment of God. To receive them is to receive Jesus. There is a difference and that is why I believe Jesus washed the disciples' feet in this way.

John 13:21 When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.
22 Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake.
23 Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.
24 Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake.
25 He then lying on Jesus' breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it?
26 Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.
27 And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.
28 Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him.
29 For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor.
30 He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night.

Had the disciple really understood what Judas was going to do, they would have stopped him. That is why they didn't really understand what was going on even though Jesus actually told them what was happening.

John 13:31 Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him.

When Judas walked out the door, it was the beginning of the end of Christ's life on the earth as a human man. The final way of salvation and the glorifying of Jesus was swiftly going to come to pass. Jesus was getting ready to become the despised, rejected, bearer of our sins and then resurrected from the dead to be exalted above all and be glorified. When He comes the Second time He will be glorified and mighty. He that humbles himself shall be exalted.

John 13:32 If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him.
33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.
34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

If we would have just remembered this one commandment of Jesus, we would have avoided all the harm done to those during the Middle Ages who were killed and persecuted when they tried to return the church back to the word of God and the original faith once delivered to the saints. Saints means all believers, not just those chosen by the church. The love that caused Jesus to stay on that cross until the work was finished is the same love we should have for one another.

John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

The true test of a true believer. This is more than an outward show of love and being friendly. Politicians can do that. This is love that comes from the Holy Spirit that when one suffers, we all suffer with them. If one is hungry, we try to give them to eat. If one is hurting, we try to comfort them. If one is in error, we try to correct them in the spirit of meekness. Not by torture, burning at the stake and such things that were done in the name of Christ in the past. And some of the present day practice of putting curses on people that come against a ministry is not what Jesus taught either.

Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Does this verse say to put curses on people that oppose us? Does it say to arrest and jail those that teach false doctrine? Does it say to burn people at the stake that we think may be a heretic? A good chapter to read is 1 Corinthians 13.

John 13:36 Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.
37 Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake.
38 Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.

Peter was quick to always act rashly with actions and words but would later fail miserably. We tend to be like that sometimes. We think we would never do what some of those in the bible did, but under the same circumstances, we would probably fail as they failed. The fear of man is strong and it isn't easy to stand up for Christ amid opposition. I believe that is why Jesus Himself sent His apostles out by twos so that would not be alone. Jesus said earlier to Peter, James and John to watch and pray. He knew they needed strength that only constant prayer could get them through. DC

Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Mark 13:33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.