John Chapter Thirteen
For 21 days we will be looking at the 21 chapters of John as a church while we go through 21 days of prayer and fasting.
Today Bev Gregory (our Lay Delegate member of the Leadership Team) walks us through John chapter 13.
In John 13 we see that this chapter is all about preparation and love. Jesus is fully aware of everything that is to take place, He is aware of His divine origin and His destination.
Jesus was spending His last hours preparing His disciples for what was to come. Jesus sets the disciples an example of servant hood by washing their feet.
Imagine the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who calls God His Father, laying aside His clothes and girding Himself (girding means assuming a servant’s attire) picking up a towel, to wash not only the dust but every piece of detritus that clings to their feet, why? Because it was an example that He wanted His disciples to follow, that they all had to take on the role of a servant. He spent those last hours teaching His disciples and through His actions us, we too are called to be servants, we must humble ourselves in our love for others.
Jesus shows us that love costs. He is preparing to die for us, there is a price to pay when we love others and serve them, it can even be sacrificial, as Jesus’ love for us was when He went to the cross for us.
Jesus wants us all to be servants to serve each other, not valuing ourselves more highly than anyone else. We are to humbly and obediently obey the call to love our brothers and sisters in Christ as well as those in society and those on the fringes of society, the hurting, lonely, broken and the forgotten.
When Judas went off to betray the Lord, Jesus continues to teach His disciples even though He was troubled in His Spirit. He gives His disciples a new commandment to love one another, by this He says everyone will know you are my disciples.
The world will know we follow Jesus when we love and serve each other and give generously of our time to those who need to know of God’s love and forgiveness, God’s love will radiate through us and draw others to Him.
This was the example that Jesus was showing to His disciples, an example of a gospel of love.
