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Staying Close to Christ, Part III John 13:7-11
We are learning in this passage from the Gospel of John that God is a servant God.
As far as we are concerned all things that God does are acts of service.
He maketh the rain to fall on the good and on the evil.
He makes every seed to sprout and bring forth every grain for very loaf of bread ever made on the Earth.
He makes the sun to shine on every face providing warmth and light.
Every molecule of air He makes for every lung that ever was and will be.
Without God’s provision in everything nothing would exist.
Jesus Christ did not come to the Earth to be served, but on the contrary he came to the Earth to seek and to save.
He came to Earth to serve and in so doing he teaches his disciples including his disciples of the 21st century that servanthood is the highest position in God's order of things.
But we see in this passage Peter’s strong opposition to service and Jesus’ even stronger reaction to his opposition.
Peter’s turn to have his feet washed comes and he quickly says:
Lord dost thou wash my feet? Thou shalt never wash my feet!
But Jesus does not take this opposition lightly for to hinder someone from service is to indicate that serving is of low value.
And to hinder God's benefits, to shun God's service is to lift up oneself with pride as if not in need of those benefits.
We are reading Jonathan Edward’s sermon, Sinners in the hands of an angry God.
So why is God angry?
In a nutshell God is angry because of man opposing His service.
He says to man, Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
This is a message of service, this is an offer of service by God Almighty and when that service is rejected God is angry!
God does not take opposition to His service lightly and that is revealed to us in this John 13 passage where we hear Jesus say to Peter, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.
We may see this as an out of the ordinary strong reaction but this is the heart of God. He came to serve for our benefit and to shun that service is to tell God we know better than Him what is best for us.
Now Jesus knows Peter and he knows his impetuous and impulsive reactions so he begins his response to Peter with patience.
Reading in John 13:7, Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.
In this response Jesus is giving instruction to all of us to dig deep in our study of His actions and His words.
Jesus Christ wants Peter to learn that what he is doing now by washing the feet of his disciples is a picture of His work to come.
It is a sample of the work which he will perform for his people when he returns to the Father.
There will be no towel, no basin, no water but each of these things represent what will be done for God’s children by the daily washing of the Word of God.
Peter, you do not see this now but you will when the Holy Spirit teaches you all things.
This is a gentle rebuke to you Peter.
Faith should have guided you in your speech and your thoughts.
Does not the Lord do all things well?
If he wants to wash your feet, should you question that?
Peter does question that for he is impulsive in his speech for in John 13:8 he says: …………….. Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.
The language here is imperative.
Peter is saying, Lord, you will never wash my feet at any time or at any place.
Why should I the servant, be washed by my Master?
You will never, never, never, wash my feet!
But Jesus says: If I wash thee not you will have no part with me.
Jesus says If I wash thee not!
In this, Jesus Christ tells us that only He can wash a man, woman, boy or girl into being a Christian.
You cannot wash yourself into being a Christian.
Christ only saves those whom he washes.
And those who will to wash themselves do not have the right cleansing agent for the job.
It can't be done. Only the blood of Christ can wash away sin!
And this is true not only for the saving of our souls where the washing of the whole man is required but for the washing of our defiled walk.
Our feet get dirty and require a daily cleansing.
Not by ourselves but by Jesus Christ, by the word of God.
Jesus Christ is telling Peter in this passage that fellowship with him requires Peter to submit his feet to Jesus Christ.
Peter must submit his feet that have gotten dirty that day, to the word of God so the word of God can wash off the dirt of his daily walk.
Peter, this is not simply confession of sin and God's forgiveness.
Peter, it is the searching out of the word of that which leads you and me into sin.
Peter, it is allowing the light of the word of God to do a work of grace in your heart.
Let the light in and search out those ways in your heart that are your ways, ways that are not God's ways.
Ways that the dusty trails of the world teach you.
It is the attitude of the Psalmist:
Psalm 139:23,24, Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. |