Sunday
Morning Bible Study
October
10, 2010
Introduction
Do people see Jesus? Is the gospel preached? Does it speak to the
broken hearted? Does it build up the church? Milk – Meat – Manna Preach for a
decision
We are on the
Thursday evening before Jesus is crucified, at the event known as “the Last
Supper”.
He has just
washed their feet, giving them an example to learn how to love and serve each
other.
Though He
continually reached out to Judas, Judas rejected Jesus’ love, and has left to
make final arrangements for Jesus’ arrest.
13:31-35 New
Commandment
:31 So, when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified,
and God is glorified in Him.
:31 when he
had gone out – When Judas had left the building.
:32 If God is
glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him
immediately.
:32 glorified
– doxazo – to praise, extol, magnify,
celebrate; to honor
Lesson
The path to glory
It might be tempting to look back at this moment, when Judas has set out to
do his dastardly deed, and think that this is the lowest moment of humanity.
Yet Jesus saw it differently.
He saw it connected with His being “glorified”.
We understand a little bit about what it is to be “glorified”. It’s a little like the now forbidden
touchdown celebration:
We would normally think that a celebration was due to some grand and glorious
feat of skill – like a touchdown.
Jesus connected
it with His being betrayed.
Jesus tells us later a little more about being glorified:
(Jn 17:4 NKJV) I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work
which You have given Me to do.
For Jesus, it was all about doing what He came to do, finishing His race,
even if it got difficult.
Jesus came to
earth for one reason – He came in order to be a sacrifice for our sin. It is our sin that separates us from God.
He came to make a way for mankind to come back to God, by dying in our
place.
He didn’t come to earth in order to be crowned the winner of “Israel has
Talent”.
He came to die. Judas’ betrayal was
what brought that about.
:33 Little children,
I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to
the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ so now I say to you.
:33 little children – teknion
– a little child; a term of affection
:33 as I said to
the Jews
This happened way back in John 8, some four months earlier:
(Jn 8:14 NKJV) —14 Jesus answered and
said to them, “Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know
where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from
and where I am going.
(Jn 8:21–22 NKJV) —21 Then Jesus said to them again, “I am going away, and you will
seek Me, and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come.” 22 So the Jews
said, “Will He kill Himself, because He says, ‘Where I go you cannot come’?”
Where was Jesus going?
Is He talking
about going to heaven?
Is He talking
about dying?
Is He talking
about going on a vacation somewhere?
The disciples are just as clueless as the Jewish leaders were.
:34 A new
commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that
you also love one another.
:34 love
– agapao – to love, love based on
esteem; the spiritual affection which follows the direction of the will.
The word “love” is only used 12 times in John 1-12, but 44 times in
John 13-21. As we move closer to the death
of Jesus, we will be more aware of what love is all about.
:34 new
– kainos – new in experience, fresh,
the opposite of something old and worn out.
Love is nothing new in God’s ways – the greatest commandments are to love
God and our neighbor.
Love would take on a fresh meaning with Jesus. He would set a new standard.
:34 as I have loved
you
Jesus’ command to love was not some cold, sterile order coming from someone
who had never done this before.
They had lived with Jesus for 3 ½ years, seeing how He had loved them.
He’s already been showing them what it means to love each other.
:35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for
one another.”
13:36-38 Peter’s
Denial
:36 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered
him, “Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me
afterward.”
Peter seems to have missed the point about the “new commandment”. He’s
still hung up on the idea that Jesus is going somewhere and he doesn’t know
where He’s going.
:36 afterward – husteron
– later; after this
In a minute, Thomas will ask the
same question:
(Jn 14:5 NKJV) Thomas said to Him, “Lord,
we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”
:37 Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down
my life for Your sake.”
:37 now
– arti – just now, this moment
Jesus tells
Peter that he will be following Him “afterward”. Peter wants to follow Jesus
“now”.
I always find it amazing how much Peter is just like I am.
Jesus tells us about what will happen “afterward”, but all I want to know
is what is going to happen “now”
:37 life – psuche –
breath; life; the soul
Perhaps not just his physical life, but willing to give up his “soul”
for Jesus.
:37 for – huper –
in behalf of, for the sake of
:38 Jesus
answered him, “Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say
to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times.
:38 Most assuredly – the Greek is “amen, amen”, or, “truly, truly”. Jesus uses this phrase before He
says something that’s really, really important.
:38 rooster – alektor
– a cock, or male of any bird, a rooster
:38 crow – phoneo –
to sound, emit a sound, to speak; of a cock: to crow
:38 denied
– aparneomai – to deny; to affirm
that one has no acquaintance or connection with someone
I wonder how Peter felt at this moment.
Jesus has told
them that one of them would betray Him, and most of the disciples don’t have a
clue as to who that would be.
Now Jesus tells
Peter that before the dawn of the next day, Peter will deny Jesus not once, but
three times.
Could this be what Jesus meant by being “betrayed”?
:35 by this all
will know
Lesson
The mark
Have you ever heart the phrase, “That’s gonna leave a mark…”???
You know, something about that just isn’t right. Let’s try it again…
The problem we
have as Christians is that sometimes we leave the wrong “mark”, the wrong
“impression” on people. Like …
Who we “hate”
The Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka Kansas is known in the news by what
they are “against”.
In 2007, they had 71 members, apparently mostly from the large family of
pastor Fred Phelps. Yet this small group
is now well known in America.
Their latest
thing has been a protest against homosexuals while picketing at funerals for
servicemen killed in the line of duty.
Sadly, some people use this group to say that this is what Christianity is
all about.
The world thinks that Christians are those people who hate gays,
pedophiles, murderers, Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, and atheists.
How we vote
Some churches have gotten quite involved in politics. Don’t misunderstand
me – I think God calls us to speak up, to be “salt and light”. As Americans we have the right, privilege,
and duty to vote.
But again, some
people think that Christianity is all about being a Republican.
Doctrinal purity
It’s a good thing to make sure that you are following the truth of God’s
Word as close as possible.
But sometimes we get a little too carried away in our search for truth to
the point that if someone doesn’t believe EXACTLY like I believe, that they
must not be a Christian.
Illustration
I was
walking across a bridge recently. I spied this guy who looked like he
was ready to jump off. So, I thought I’d try to stall him until the authorities
showed up (or at least until I could get my phone out to take a picture).
“Don’t jump!” I said. “Why not?” he said. “Nobody loves
me.” “God loves you,” I said. “You believe in God, don’t you?” “Yes, I believe
in God,” he said.
“Good,” I said. “Are you Christian or Jewish?”
“Christian,” he said.
“Me, too!” I said. “Protestant or Catholic?”
“Protestant,” he said.
“Me, too!” I said. “What kind of Protestant?”
“Baptist,” he said.
“Me, too!” I said. “Independent Baptist or Southern
Baptist?”
“Independent Baptist,” he said.
“Me, too!” I said. “New Evangelical/Moderate Independent
Baptist or Conservative Independent Baptist?”
“Conservative Independent Baptist,” he said.
“Me, too!” I said. “Calvinistic Conservative Independent
Baptist or Lose-Your-Salvation Armenian Conservative Independent Baptist?”
“Calvinistic Conservative Independent Baptist,” he said.
“Me, too!” I said. “Dispensational Premillennial
Calvinistic Conservative Independent Baptist OR Historical Premillennial
Calvinistic Conservative Independent Baptist?”
“Dispensational Premillennial Calvinistic Conservative
Independent Baptist,” he said.
“Me, too!” I said. “Unashamed Fundamentalist
Dispensational Premillennial Calvinistic Conservative Independent Baptist OR
Strict Separation of Church and State Dispensational Premillennial Calvinistic
Conservative Independent Baptist?”
“Unashamed Fundamentalist Dispensational Premillennial
Calvinistic Conservative Independent Baptist,” he said.
“Me, too!” I said. “Pro-Disney Boycott Pro-Life Unashamed
Fundamentalist Dispensational Premillennial Calvinistic Conservative Independent
Baptist OR Anti-Disney Boycott Pro-Choice Unashamed Fundamentalist
Dispensational Premillennial Calvinistic Conservative Independent Baptist?”
“Pro-Disney Boycott Pro-Life Unashamed Fundamentalist
Dispensational Premillennial Calvinistic Conservative Independent Baptist,” he
said.
“Me, too!” I said. “King James Only Pro-Disney Boycott
Pro-Life Unashamed Fundamentalist Dispensational Premillennial Calvinistic
Conservative Independent Baptist OR Modern Versions Pro-Disney Boycott Pro-Life
Unashamed Fundamentalist Dispensational Premillennial Calvinistic Conservative
Independent Baptist?”
“MODERN VERSIONS Pro-Disney Boycott Pro-Life Unashamed
Fundamentalist Dispensational Premillennial Calvinistic Conservative
Independent Baptist” he said.
“Auugghh!!! You heretic!” I said. And I pushed him over.
As Christians, the “mark” we’re supposed to leave on the world is love.
Jesus said that this was what He wanted the world to look at and know that
we belonged to Him.
:34 love one
another; as I have loved you
Lesson
Loving like Jesus
How has Jesus loved His disciples? Look
at what we’ve seen in this chapter.
1. Humility
Jesus’ whole focus that evening was about humility.
He performed the role of a servant and washed their feet.
Sometimes we can lose sight of what humility looks like.
We can think that humility means staring down at your own feet.
We can think that humility means never accepting a
person’s “thanks” because you are not “worthy” of their thanks.
The best picture of humility is serving.
Jesus washed the disciples’ feet.
When Paul wrote to the Philippian church, one of the issues he addressed
was about how to get along with each other.
And though we could probably summarize much of what Paul taught as being
an instruction of loving one another, the key ingredient of love that Paul
brought out was the need for humility.
(Php 2:3–4 NKJV) —3 Let nothing be done through
selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others
better than himself. 4 Let
each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the
interests of others.
One of the chief reasons for strife is when I begin to
focus more on my own needs or desires instead of focusing on the needs of
others.
Illustration
I’ve
heard hell described as being hungry and being seated at a table filled
with all sorts of delicious food. Your hands are tied to long spoons, so long that
you are unable to feed yourself with them.
You are seated with other people who are also tied to long spoons. Because everyone at the table is selfish, all
they can think about is how they cannot feed themselves, and they go hungry.
I’ve heard heaven described as being seated at the very same table, and
everyone has the exact same spoons, except in heaven, no one is selfish. Instead, each person uses their spoon to feed
the person sitting next to them. And
everyone is well fed.
The love we need for each other is based in humility, serving one another.
2. Handling hurt
Last week we saw how Jesus loved Judas right to the end.
Jesus
gave the place of honor at the supper to Judas.
Jesus
performed an act of friendship when He gave Judas a piece of bread.
Jesus “covered” Judas’ sin – He gave Judas chances to turn
around. The other disciples didn’t even know that Judas was the betrayer until
after it was all over. Peter wrote,
(1 Pe 4:8 NKJV) And above all things have
fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”
How do you handle people who have hurt you?
How do you handle people who have let you down?
I tend to see people who have hurt me and I either want to
run away, or I want to tell everyone else what they’ve done to me.
Jesus did neither.
Jesus knew how to
love another person despite the hurt that they’ve caused.
We can do this when we learn how to forgive:
(Eph 4:32 NKJV) And be kind to one
another, tenderhearted, forgiving
one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
3. Sacrifice
Ultimately, Jesus will display the greatest love for His disciples by
laying down His life for them.
Jesus will say later that evening:
(Jn 15:13 NKJV) Greater love has no one
than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
John the apostle got the message. He
would write sixty years later:
(1 Jn 3:16 NKJV) By this we know love,
because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives
for the brethren.
I hope this is the “mark” we leave on others – that we love like Jesus
loved.
Have you found the love that God has for you yet?