The promise…

Of the Spirit (part 11) 

In John 13:1 “Jesus realized that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. He had loved those who were his own in this world and he loved them to the end (or to the uttermost).”

But now he knew his time with them was up. Only twelve hours later he’d be hanging on the cross. But his main concern wasn’t himself, it was his disciples. And the Father had planned it this way, so that the disciples would know how much they were loved by Jesus, because in Jesus’ love for them they’d know the Father’s love too. Everything Jesus said, did and showed in his earthly life was a perfect reflection of his Father (John 12:45). Which is why “the Father had put all things under his power,” verse 3, or “given all things into his hands.” 

It was over to Jesus, therefore, to reflect his Father’s love, so it’s no surprise that Jesus dedicated these last few hours of his life to loving his disciples, by telling and showing them the things they’d need most after he’d gone. 

It’s like a Dad wanting to get as much about the important things of life across to his children before he dies. It’s enlightening, then, what came first on Jesus’ mind, taking into account that it was eternal life he was preparing his disciples for.

It was a simple but crucial point, which Jesus illustrated by washing their feet. The point being that in the eternal world of the Father it’s all about serving others. So if they wanted a real taste of eternity and what the Father is like, then use whatever position of leadership or authority, or whatever influence and skills they’d been given, to love and serve others, because, as Jesus told then, “you’ll be blessed if you do,” verse 17. And Jesus was their living example of that. It’s what “the Father had put all things under his power” for, to show them what people in power do in his world.

And Peter got the point. He wanted every part of what Jesus was illustrating (John 13:8-9). And that opened up to him what Jesus said in John 5:24, that “whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life…he has crossed over from death to life.” Peter was well on the way then, to knowing by experience what the Father and his world were like…(more on this tomorrow)