After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.(Luke 22:17-20)
The Master’s table is our individual and corporate privilege! When we come to it we obtain a fresh and renewed awareness of the precious benefits of our Savior’s sacrifice. It is to be our constant reminder of the person and work of Jesus. His body broken, His blood poured out, the elements constantly pointing to the blessed truth that Christ Jesus died for sinners, our foundation for encouragement, hope, and joy. The blood of animals, while commanded through the law, was not sufficient. The constant sacrificing for sins was proof enough of that.
The writer of Hebrews tells us:
The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming–not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. (Hebrews 10:1-4)
Jeremiah prophesied regarding God’s future establishment of a new covenant which would be based on the full and eternal atonement secured by the death of Christ Jesus.
This is the new covenant of which Jesus refers to in our verses for today:
“The time is coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them, “declares the LORD. “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. (Jeremiah 31:31-33)
This new covenant is based on an individual, personal knowledge of God and is characterized by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It is an eternal covenant of peace which Jesus, the Prince of Peace, ushers in.
Paul tells us in Colossians:
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (Colossians 2:13-15)
“The agony in Gethsemane was the agony of the Son of God in fulfilling His destiny as the Savior of the world. The veil is pulled back here to reveal all that it cost Him to make it possible for us to become sons of God. His agony was the basis for the simplicity of our salvation. The Cross of Christ was a triumph for the Son of Man. It was not only a sign that our Lord had triumphed, but that He had triumphed to save the human race. Because of what the Son of Man went through, every human being has been provided with a way of access into the very presence of God.” (Oswald Chambers)
Take It to Heart
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16-17)
Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?”
Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon.
As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.
“What you are about to do, do quickly,” Jesus told him, but no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. (John 13:25-28)
Reclining upon the Lord Jesus, resting between His shoulders, the beloved disciple is perfectly positioned to ask of the Master who will be the one to betray Him. Those who rest upon the Lord are privy to some of the deepest secrets of His heart. All are invited to rest.
His call found in Matthew is not an exclusive one:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
One of my favorite Old Testament verses regarding resting depicts a loved and protected child. It is penned by Moses, who Scripture tells us God spoke to as a friend:
“Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders.” (Deuteronomy 33:12)
I can just imagine John’s head resting between Jesus’ shoulders. Rest is very important to God and it is a subject which permeates much of Scripture. God Himself rested on the seventh day making it holy. He commanded man to rest, animals to rest and even the land to rest.
We who live in such a frenzied hectic world should take heed of this. We put more and more on our plates filling our hours with work and more work yet getting less and less accomplished. Our dependence lies in our own weak abilities. We seem to be continually striving to drink from the empty cups of our own power ever stuffing our emotions, acceptance, money, positions, etc. into bags with gaping soul holes–always coming up unsatisfied.
It is God’s desire for us to be abiding, not striving or struggling. We are always to be looking to Jesus and His power for He is our very present Savior. He is our achieving power for service as well as our source of abundant unchanging joy.
Jesus clearly teaches that our strength will be found in abiding in Him! This sure truth remains–anything of eternal value is accomplished only through our abiding in Jesus:
“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5)
What does remaining or resting look like in a life? How is this intimate relationship with Jesus achieved? Certainly, it must begin with our salvation in Christ, accepting Jesus as our Savior and Lord, but it was never meant to cease at that point. Our growth–our sanctification–is to continue throughout our lives. Abiding consists of being in fellowship with God through His Word, through prayer, and through loving obedience to Him. It is God’s desire for believers to be conformed to the image of His Son. That is the path of peace which passes understanding.
Take It to Heart
Never having given Christ lordship of his heart, Judas remained open to the advances of the adversary.
“Let us watch jealously over our hearts, and beware of giving way in the beginnings of sin. Happy is he who feareth always, and walks humbly with his God. The strongest Christian is the one who feels his weakness most, and cries most frequently, ‘Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe.’” (John Ryle)
His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.” (John 13:22-24)
Impetuous Peter seemed always to be the first responder of Jesus’ disciples. He was generally the leading man, appearing to be the most eager, the most likely to speak up, the most likely to jump out of the boat, as well as the most likely to draw the sword and cut off an ear of the opposition! He would have been a wonderful 911 worker! I have to believe Jesus loved Peter’s zeal and passion even if it could be askewed! To his credit, Peter was right on target–some of the time!
Consider his fine response to Jesus’ query regarding who the disciples said that He was:
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:13-20)
Then there were the other times when Peter’s star did not shine quite so brightly. Such as the time when he was thoroughly convinced that he would never betray his Master–insisting that he would never disown Him, even to the point of death.
It may not serve us well to be too over the top with zeal if we have a tendency to run ahead with our mouths!
Being the very impulsive type, I have no trouble relating to Peter. I can readily see myself jumping out of the boat to walk on water, as well as running like a chicken when the circumstances get frightening just to save my own skin. It is easy for me to think I can handle something–before the fire starts to sizzle and the temperature rises–then realize I am sorely out of my league! Let’s get real, apart from Christ I am always sorely out of my league.
But I love the promise of Scripture given through the pen of Paul in Philippians, it breaths hope to my soul:
I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13)
“Oh, how great peace and quietness would he possess who should cut off all vain anxiety and place all his confidence in God.” (Thomas a Kempis)
Take It to Heart
In our verses for today, the disciples were heartsick over the Lord’s news of betrayal and were certainly at a loss as to whom He could be referring. The disciples saw their Master troubled and they too were troubled. It is God’s desire for our hearts to break over the things that break His and rejoice over those things that bring Him joy.
Jesus wept over the lost in Jerusalem:
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.” (Matthew 23:37)
After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me.” (John 13:21)
Ever been betrayed by someone you held near and dear to your heart? Jesus understands. In a very solemn announcement He testifies that His spirit is and troubled over the coming betrayal of one He has shared life with. It is painful to His core. What a bitter sorrow to witness an apostle turn apostate. It is evident that this is a particularly cutting sorrow to Jesus. Just because Judas’ actions were foreknown by our Lord neither lessened nor dulled the blow. Sorrow is no less acute known long in advance. Certainly our Lord had sensed the hardness and deadness that sin had produced in Judas’ heart. He knows exactly what is in a man’s heart, much better than we know ourselves, discerning even the motives behind our actions.
O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. (Psalm 139:1-4)
In this verse for today, Jesus was not only giving the other disciples a “heads up,” but also lovingly warning Judas as well. Unfortunately for Judas, he did not heed the Lord’s admonition. The next time Judas will see Jesus will be in the garden when he comes with the mob to betray him. Sadly, within a very short time both the Master and the servant are dead–the Master dying for our sins–the treacherous servant dying in his. Judas missed his opportunity to turn for his sin.
What trouble the Lord went through for the sake of our souls! Indeed, He was acquainted with sorrow and suffering.
The prophet Isaiah had prophesized regarding this as well:
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (Isaiah 53:3)
It is verses like these that help us see the amazing love Christ demonstrated towards sinners. He died for Judas. He died for me and He died for you as well. His love for us is beyond measure in depth and tenderness. His love carries with it the great cost of Calvary.
“Love seeks one thing only: the good of the one loved.” (Thomas Merton)
I am reminded of Paul’s words in Romans:
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8)
This single verse in John that is our verse for today serves as a reminder to all believers that, like our Lord, we will neither be loved nor embraced by the world. We can expect opposition. We have no cause to be surprised if we share in our Lord’s lot when friends fail and men disappoint. We are in the world but we are not to be of the world. Friendship with God is to be enduring the world’s hatred.
Jesus had warned His disciples regarding this very thing:
“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.” (John 15:18-20)
Take It to Heart
“Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
Pardon there was multiplied to me;
There my burdened soul found liberty,
At Calvary.”
(William R. Newell, At Calvary)
“Redemption does not only look back to Calvary. It looks forward to the freedom in which the redeemed stand.” (Leon Morris)
When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 22:14-16)
What a lesson for us to learn here! Jesus, knowing that this Passover would be a prologue to His suffering, set His heart upon this pleasant event with His closest companions. Knowing full well what He was about to experience, Jesus kept His focus on the fact that His future suffering was necessary for man’s redemption and for His Father’s glory. Suffering is oftentimes the prelude to glory.
Oh if we all could only look at life through those lenses! We must not scorn the pain, the hard work, the trial, the obstacle. Rather, we must seek to see what God will produce in and through us. As we embrace our circumstances with joy, by focusing on what it will inevitably produce, we bring God much glory. We must never forget that Jesus chose to die for us, because of the outcome His actions would accomplish.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)
Pain is pain. We should never marginalize or minimize others afflictions. I remember once being told when I was going through a rather trying time that at least I was not in a concentration camp! I don’t know your pain tolerance, but being one notch better off than a concentration camp experience brought me little, if any, comfort. The promise of Scripture, on the other hand, brought peace to my troubled soul.
Paul’s words in Romans reverberated in my weary spirit:
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. (Romans 8:28-30)
All things are not good; rather God works all things for our good. There is a huge difference between those two statements! The cross was not good, but what God worked by that action was extremely good–the salvation of mankind!
All of our works will one day be tested by fire. Everything done apart from God’s will goes up in smoke:
For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. (1 Corinthians 3:11-15)
Our goal as believers in Jesus is what Epaphras prayed for the church at Colosse:
Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. (Colossians 4:12)
Take It to Heart
“A depressed, dejected, dispirited believer is a poor recommendation for the Christian faith. We’re to be hopeful people–optimists–who have grasped the reality of Romans 8:28 and its guarantee of God’s all-encompassing providence over the lives of His children.” (Robert Morgan)
Standing firm and fully assured even when the winds of trial and dire circumstances are blowing is a mark of a mature Christian. It is also a mark of one who brings God much glory. It is easy to be “on fire” when circumstances are favorable, but let a little rain fall on our parade and we are often found wallowing in self pity, groaning and complaining. How much better for us to season our lives with the spices of contentment and joy rather than to harbor bitterness and resentment which will corrode our vessels like acid.
When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” (John 13:12-17)
As believers in the Lord Jesus, we are under an obligation to follow the example of our Master. What Christ has done we should not disdain to do. Our freedom in Christ was never meant to be a license for laziness and self indulgences. This ultimately results in slavery as sin always gains a foothold in a life when it is consistently allowed. The goal of freedom in Christ is loving service.
The Bible says:
Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. (1 John 2:6)
Jesus tells us:
Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave–just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:25-28)
The wording Jesus uses in our verses for today confirms and points to the fact we are to follow in His footsteps. The word translated “should” in verse 14 is from the Greek Word opheilo which means “to owe, to be indebted” (Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible–New Testament Lexical Aids).
The word “should” oftentimes in our day leaves us more with the impression of suggestion rather than obligation. This is not what Jesus means here. As His followers, He is our Teacher and Lord and it is our spiritual obligation to follow. It is the highest way and it is the best way for our lives. The loving pattern Jesus demonstrates to us by the example of His life is the best way for every human.
This is not legalism, but love. And when we begin to follow the path Jesus set forth for His followers to follow–acting according to His example through the power of the Holy Spirit it–our actions often turn from being motivated by duty to being motivated by desire. It is a high calling unearthly in its satisfaction and pleasure.
“To love God, to serve Him because we love Him, is … our highest happiness … Love makes all labor light. We serve with enthusiasm where we love with sincerity.”
(Hannah More)
In our verses for today Jesus gives us the promise that obedience to our knowledge of the truth will always be blessed. Knowledge can be a very funny thing.
The Bible tells us:
Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. (1 Corinthians 8:1)
Nothing is more common than for one to sit, soak … and sour regarding the teaching of God’s Word. Professing to know truth yet remaining in disobedience. People seem to flatter themselves in thinking that there is something redeeming and credible in knowledge alone yet they remain barren of fruit in heart or character. Sadly, to know what we ought to do and what we ought to believe and what we ought to be yet remain unaffected by this knowledge only adds to our guilt in the sight of God. Where much has been given, much is expected. We who live in a land inundated with Bibles and commentaries and sermons and churches and more Biblical resources than one can imagine should take heed to this. Unfortunately, we oftentimes are careless and indifferent to what has been graciously allowed to us.
Take It to Heart
Obedience and practice is the very life of our relationship with God. We will never truly be happy in our Lord’s service if we are content with only the head knowledge of duty. Doctrinal orthodoxy apart from practical love and humility is worthless before God. We shrink the Holy Spirit within us through our lack of willing obedience. God does not force our obedience; we always have a choice.
“In the kingdom of God, service is not a stepping stone to nobility. It is nobility.” (T. W. Manson)
Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
(John 13:3-9)
Well aware of His own sovereign authority, origin, and coming destiny, Jesus fleshes out for His disciples (and for all of us as well) a wonderful example of servant leadership in action. He had been from eternity with God and He was going back to God, knowing all the dignity and majesty of His office. And yet, He condescends to perform the most menial task.
Believers comfortable in their own skin–knowing who they belong to, knowing their lives are filled with purpose and power and hope, knowing they are fully loved and accepted, have no trouble grasping this great truth of Scripture: Whoever desires to be great must be a servant. Those most highly esteemed in God’s kingdom are those who serve, those who willingly humble themselves.
Our Master has shown us true servanthood and has paved the way for our obedience. He is our great teacher of lowliness of heart, stripping off one glorious robe of honor after another until we find Him naked on a cross pouring out His lifeblood for each one of us. How then do we dare have the audacity to be proud?
Paul tells us in Philippians:
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death–even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:5-8)
We care so much about what man thinks. This thought has permeated our churches and our ministries as well as our lives. We oftentimes rate our success or failure on the approval and accolades of man. I doubt seriously if Mother Teresa began her ministry caring for the poorest of poor on this earth in Calcutta with the Nobel Peace Prize in mind. She was simply humbly serving her Master by stopping to love and care for those who could not help themselves–and it was the Lord who exalted her in the eyes of man.
Our confidence lies in the fact that Christ is genuinely concerned about our welfare. He is acutely aware of all we are going through and has promised the grace sufficient to meet each need. He loves us and desires for us to fulfill His purposes!
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)
To Peter’s credit, his opposition was motivated by humility. What he couldn’t accept was the reversal of the roles the Lord appeared to be initiating. Peter was the servant and Jesus was his Master. He had been privy to see His Master’s hands heal the leper and restore sight to the blind. He had seen Jesus raise the dead and believed Him to be the Son of God … and now He stoops to wash the feet of His disciples? Peter should be the one washing the Lord’s feet! It was a paradox beyond his comprehension. Yet Jesus’ purpose in this act of service was to teach a great spiritual lesson to His disciples and to all of us as well. We are all in need of continual cleansing and renewal to remain in fellowship with God. We sin, we fall, we break fellowship, we humbly repent, and we are then restored. This is not regarding our salvation, rather our abiding fellowship with Him.
Take It to Heart
Nothing eternal is ever accomplished in the flesh. When our fellowship is broken through sin, we unfortunately begin to operate in ways that seem right in our own eyes. Jesus tells us that apart from Him we can do nothing.
Jesus silences Peter’s objections by stating his lack of understanding. His vision was now veiled, yet later he would comprehend. How often that happens to us as well. Our vision is blurred by our circumstances and we raise objections regarding God’s best for our lives. Often, like Peter, we oppose what we do not understand. It is only through our willing obedience that our eyes will be open to more of His ways. Never forget, Christ’s way is supremely the best way.
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