Sight Beyond the Surface

During the monumental event of what many know of as “The Last Supper”, the Son of God shocks His companions by submitting Himself to the service of a common slave… Why?

John 13:2-8 And supper being ended, the devil having already put it 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 had come from God and was going to God, ⁴ rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. ⁵ After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. ⁶ Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?”

⁷ Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.”  ⁸Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!”

In this passage, Peter seemingly cannot fathom receiving such service from the Lord, likely due to some cultural pride complex (as is familiar to many of us), so he openly rebels, refusing to participate in the interactive lesson.

Jesus responds with a concerning statement: “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me”.

If we do not take what Jesus has to offer, we cannot share life with Him as He intends.

What is it that Jesus wants us to receive? He came to seek and save the lost. When the lost are found, a long journey through the wilderness of sanctification and learning by trial and error begins. As we walk in a world devastated by the effects of man’s rebellion towards God, we are bound to kick up and pick up much “dust” along the way. Maintenance is vital for continued clarity and spiritual growth.

Let us remember what sin is and what it does: opposition to God that separates us from Him. The blood of Jesus has paid the price for our reunification – by faith. Now, we must abide in Christ and believe. Remaining consciously unified with Jesus means consistently adjusting our thought process, attitudes, and behaviors in accordance with Scripture. Throughout the Bible, we discover that faith and repentance are two sides of the same coin. One without the other makes no sense.

1 Corinthians 6:11 “But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”

In the process of examining self, one might consider answering the following questions:

If I have been re-born of the Spirit, what part of my former self am I holding onto? What is God compelling me to change about the way I think and live?

We cannot follow Jesus and remain the same, for without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), and whatever is not of faith is sin (Romans 14:23b).

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful, and just to forgive us and cleanse us of all unrighteousness”.

*confess, homologōmen; acknowledge

When we recognize our sin, and acknowledge that sin separates us from God, the only sensible response is to turn away from wrong to abide rightly in Christ.

Romans 6:1-4 “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? ² Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? ³ Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? ⁴ Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

The stains on our soul must be removed, lest they prevent us from carrying out our primary purpose in Christ: Love.  God spot checks us often, due to our obsessions with self: our emotions, preferences and opinions which keep us blind towards God’s heart for people.

1 John 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 cleanses us from all sin”.

Being cleansed by the washing of the word and under submission to the Holy Spirit, increases our capacity to give, love and serve more like Christ, because His personhood has taken greater part in us.

John 13:14-15 “If I then your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. But I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.”

When we hold onto those things about us that are not like Him, we deny His righteousness working within us.

Ephesians 5:25-27 tells us thatChrist gave His life up for the church to make us holy and clean.

Galatians 5:24 “Those who belong to Christ, have crucified the desires of the flesh.”

So then, since we now live by the Spirit, let us adhere to God’s advancement in every area of life. The Spirit of God will always compel our direction towards love. True love is sacrificial. It costs. Jesus went to the cross for us. His disciples are told to take up their cross, deny themselves and follow Him. That was then, and it pertains to now.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness, so the man of God may be complete and thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Landing Point:

John 13:34-35 “A new Commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Proof of who we are is found in our cultivated character, resembling the One who claims us as His own.

Phillippians 2:5-11 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, ⁷ but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. ⁹ Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.