John 13 – 15
Verse 13:8 describes Peter’s reaction to Jesus washing his feet:
Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.”
Jesus washing their feet had two very significant symbolic purposes. First was to show that even the greatest needed to wash the others feet to show humble servitude and not just exalting people above others. We need to get off this status thing that a CEO cannot get down and help clean the bathrooms. The other more subtle and significant symbolism of this act is the Lamb of God cleaning our sins. The key is we must allow Jesus to wash our sins and not just expect it to happen.
Peter’s response was probably what the others were thinking but were afraid to ask. Here Peter was embarrassed to have their teacher serving them doing such a lowly task. When Peter realized the importance he asked for his head and hands to be washed also. Jesus said they were already clean and just the feet. Is there some significance there? Maybe we don’t need to keep confessing sins?
Verse 13:34 is important to touch on:
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
This is something that is difficult to get since we define “love” in many ways. But it’s is simple to “love” each other as a “agape” love or self-sacrificing love. Or as some say it’s an “intentional response” to promote well-being in one that is down. We should all learn this quickly and harbor no ill will on others.
Verse 14:6 cuts into basic salvation message of Christianity:
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
This is where “salvation” meets it true test. If you truly believe the message of Jesus than he IS the only way. Buddha’s enlightenment or Mohammad’s message are only going to make one feel good hear on earth, but the afterlife is different. I have heard a dangerous belief recently with many Christians and that is who are we to determine if we have the only road to salvation.
I could go on forever about this but want to highlight two significant points that make me believe Jesus’ statement in verse 6. The first is God came to this earth as a man to be sacrificed for our sins. No other religion has their “leader” shedding their blood for your sins. Second, Jesus rose again to live no other prophet has done so. We worship a living God where many others “paths” to salvation worship dead or inanimate objects.
Verse 14:26 talks about the Holy Spirit who God will send to “help”:
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
I often wonder if the Holy Spirit has always been with man and is just more easily accessed once we make a connection with Christ. I also wonder if Paul receiving the Holy Spirit in “Pentecost” was the true time when man had full access to Him.
Verse 15:16 is a dangerous verse to take and apply to “everything”:
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
The reason it’s dangerous is we tend to apply this to tons of stuff and assume God is not listening to us when we do not get what we asked in Jesus’ name. We often ask for healing and have that person die. We ask for wealth and prosperity only to die a pauper. We ask for others to find God only to die rejecting the one true savior. Did all these prayers go wrong, did we pray wrong and that’s why they were not answered? Or did we miss the key part “may give”? Jesus did not say “will give” but rather “may give” often times the “purpose” for not “granting” the wish is more important than the desire.
We must realize God is sovereign and has the ultimate say in our lives and prayers. Sure I believe one day we will be out of debt and will be comfortable, but at the same time I realize God will most likely have me work for that position and not give it through a lottery win (I have asked for a win in Jesus’ name more than I care to admit!) So don’t think your prayers are not heard also realize that God may still be in “time dilation” where a day to him is billions of years to us!!