The Ministry of Love (John 13)

WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.600 --> 00:00:05.839 Remain standing if you're able, and let's turn our attention to John Chapter Thirteen. 2 00:00:20.550 --> 00:00:24.420 was returned to John Chapter Thirteen, you'll notice that we're still roughly in 3 00:00:24.460 --> 00:00:30.339 the middle of the Gospel, but don't let this confuse you. Regarding timeline 4 00:00:31.460 --> 00:00:37.929 in terms of the account of Jesus's life, we are very close to the 5 00:00:38.049 --> 00:00:43.649 end. In fact, here, as we begin this this is the last 6 00:00:43.689 --> 00:00:53.200 day of Jesus's life and his ministry here on Earth before his death. So 7 00:00:53.320 --> 00:01:00.600 let's give our attention to it now. John Chapter Thirteen. Now before the 8 00:01:00.719 --> 00:01:04.109 feast of Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out 9 00:01:04.150 --> 00:01:08.030 of this world to the father. Having loved his own who were in the 10 00:01:08.189 --> 00:01:15.549 world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil 11 00:01:15.750 --> 00:01:19.900 had already put it into the heart of Judas a scariot, Simons son, 12 00:01:19.659 --> 00:01:25.900 to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the father had given all things into 13 00:01:25.939 --> 00:01:29.099 his hands and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 14 00:01:29.819 --> 00:01:34.450 rose from the supper. He laid aside his outer garments and, taking 15 00:01:34.489 --> 00:01:41.170 a towel towel, he tied it around his waist. Then he poured water 16 00:01:41.329 --> 00:01:46.329 into a basin and began to wash the disciple's feet and to wipe them with 17 00:01:46.450 --> 00:01:49.920 the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who 18 00:01:49.959 --> 00:01:56.560 said to him, Lord, do you wash my feet? Jesus answered him. 19 00:01:57.000 --> 00:02:00.400 What I am doing. You do not understand now, but afterward you 20 00:02:00.510 --> 00:02:06.909 will understand. Peter said to him, you shall never wash my feet. 21 00:02:07.989 --> 00:02:12.590 Jesus answered him. If I do not wash you, you have no share 22 00:02:12.750 --> 00:02:16.419 with me. Simon Peter said to him, Lord, not my feet only, 23 00:02:16.860 --> 00:02:22.460 but also my hands and my head. Jesus said to him, the 24 00:02:22.620 --> 00:02:25.500 one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, 25 00:02:25.860 --> 00:02:31.810 but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of 26 00:02:31.889 --> 00:02:37.650 you, for he knew who was to betray him. That was why he 27 00:02:37.770 --> 00:02:43.090 said not all of you are clean. When he had washed their feet and 28 00:02:43.210 --> 00:02:46.280 put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, 29 00:02:46.719 --> 00:02:50.680 do you understand what I have done to you? You call me teacher and 30 00:02:50.879 --> 00:02:53.840 Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I, 31 00:02:54.159 --> 00:02:59.270 then your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet. You all so ought 32 00:02:59.310 --> 00:03:04.069 to wash one another's feet, for I have given you an example that you 33 00:03:04.270 --> 00:03:07.629 should do just as I have done to you. Truly truly, I say 34 00:03:07.669 --> 00:03:10.909 to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a 35 00:03:10.990 --> 00:03:15.939 messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, 36 00:03:15.020 --> 00:03:20.340 blessed are you if you do them. I am not speaking to all of 37 00:03:20.500 --> 00:03:25.300 you. I know whom I have chosen, but the scripture will be fulfilled. 38 00:03:27.020 --> 00:03:30.729 He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me. I am 39 00:03:30.810 --> 00:03:35.490 telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does, 40 00:03:35.650 --> 00:03:40.370 plague take take place, you may believe that I am he. Truly truly, 41 00:03:40.409 --> 00:03:45.400 I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me. 42 00:03:45.759 --> 00:03:51.280 Whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. After saying these things, 43 00:03:51.599 --> 00:03:55.270 Jesus was troubled in his spirit and testified truly truly, I say to you, 44 00:03:55.509 --> 00:04:00.270 one of you will betray me. The disciples looked at one another, 45 00:04:00.310 --> 00:04:03.030 uncertain of whom he spoke. One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, 46 00:04:03.469 --> 00:04:09.509 was reclining at table at Jesus's side. So Simon Peter Motion to him to 47 00:04:09.629 --> 00:04:14.460 ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So that disciple, leaning back against 48 00:04:14.460 --> 00:04:18.060 Jesus, said to him. Lord, who is it? Jesus answered, 49 00:04:18.660 --> 00:04:21.899 it is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have 50 00:04:23.060 --> 00:04:26.129 dipped it. So, when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it 51 00:04:26.250 --> 00:04:29.689 to Judas, the son of Simon. Is Scary it. Then, after 52 00:04:29.730 --> 00:04:34.290 he had taken the Morsel, Saint Satan entered into him. Jesus said to 53 00:04:34.370 --> 00:04:40.560 him, what you are going to do, do quickly now. No one 54 00:04:40.600 --> 00:04:44.480 at the table knew why he said this to him. Some thought that because 55 00:04:44.519 --> 00:04:47.000 Judas had the money bag, Jesus was telling him by what we need for 56 00:04:47.079 --> 00:04:50.879 the feast, or that he should give something to the poor. So, 57 00:04:51.000 --> 00:04:56.709 after receiving the Morsel of bread, he immediately went out, and it was 58 00:04:56.750 --> 00:05:00.829 night when he had gone out. Jesus said, now is the son of 59 00:05:00.910 --> 00:05:04.589 Man Glorified, and God is glorified in Him. If God is glorified in 60 00:05:04.670 --> 00:05:10.660 Him, God will also glorify him in himself and glorify him at once. 61 00:05:11.699 --> 00:05:15.980 Little children, yet a little while I am with you, you will seek 62 00:05:15.019 --> 00:05:17.939 me and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say 63 00:05:17.980 --> 00:05:23.569 to you where I am going, you cannot come. A new commandment I 64 00:05:23.689 --> 00:05:28.529 give to you that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, 65 00:05:28.610 --> 00:05:33.649 you also are to love one another. By this, all people will 66 00:05:33.730 --> 00:05:39.879 know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another. Simon, 67 00:05:39.959 --> 00:05:43.040 Peter said to him, Lord, where are you going? Jesus answered 68 00:05:43.079 --> 00:05:46.040 him. where I am going. You cannot follow me now, but you 69 00:05:46.120 --> 00:05:49.110 will follow afterward. Peter said to him, Lord, why can I not 70 00:05:49.230 --> 00:05:54.829 follow you now? I will lay down my life for you, Jesus answered. 71 00:05:55.509 --> 00:05:59.149 Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I 72 00:05:59.350 --> 00:06:03.269 say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three 73 00:06:03.620 --> 00:06:33.959 times. He may be seated. So, as I mentioned before, I 74 00:06:34.160 --> 00:06:42.160 read this chapter, in less than twenty four hours, Jesus will be dead 75 00:06:45.160 --> 00:06:50.550 and to help us understand why, he puts a towel around his waist and 76 00:06:50.790 --> 00:06:58.509 washes the feet of his disciples. And he does this unusual thing, the 77 00:06:58.670 --> 00:07:04.180 striking thing that is upsetting to Simon, to make an impression on them, 78 00:07:05.540 --> 00:07:13.180 to make an impression on you and me, to help us to understand exactly 79 00:07:13.339 --> 00:07:18.529 what it is he's about to do in his death, what that means for 80 00:07:18.689 --> 00:07:28.970 us. It's Friday evening and by Saturday afternoon Jesus will be crucified and dead 81 00:07:29.290 --> 00:07:32.759 on the Cross. Right now he's eating with his disciples, where he will 82 00:07:32.759 --> 00:07:36.639 teach them many important things. He will deliver to them the Lord's supper and 83 00:07:36.720 --> 00:07:42.560 give them a new sacrament. After dinner, he will travel with them on 84 00:07:42.759 --> 00:07:46.350 to the garden of Theusemite, where he will betray or he will pray and 85 00:07:46.670 --> 00:07:54.310 be betrayed by Judas. He will be arrested and questioned on this same night 86 00:07:54.509 --> 00:08:00.100 in which we've read these words by a high priest. That night he will 87 00:08:00.139 --> 00:08:05.620 be beaten and abandoned even by those like Peter, who have made the strongest 88 00:08:05.740 --> 00:08:13.649 promises to follow him. Remember what Peter said. He says that he will 89 00:08:13.689 --> 00:08:18.850 go to him, even unto death. and Jesus says, will you lay 90 00:08:18.889 --> 00:08:22.129 down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, 91 00:08:22.290 --> 00:08:28.560 the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times. The night 92 00:08:28.040 --> 00:08:37.399 has begun, a night of great darkness. And then, early next morning, 93 00:08:37.440 --> 00:08:43.750 Jesus will be taken early to governor pilots home, who will also question 94 00:08:43.870 --> 00:08:50.309 him, flog him and then eventually have him crucified. Why does all of 95 00:08:50.470 --> 00:08:58.580 this happen? Why does this righteous man, this holy man, this great 96 00:08:58.820 --> 00:09:05.299 teacher, this one who is calling people to love and to service and care 97 00:09:05.500 --> 00:09:13.929 for the poor, why does he get crucified as a criminal? How does 98 00:09:13.009 --> 00:09:18.289 it come to pass that, after teaching so much love, he receives so 99 00:09:18.409 --> 00:09:22.049 much hate? How does it come to be that the one who has power 100 00:09:22.169 --> 00:09:28.799 over life has caused paralyzed people to walk again, dead people to live again, 101 00:09:28.919 --> 00:09:33.159 that he himself would be put to death and even would be would allow 102 00:09:33.399 --> 00:09:39.269 himself to be put to death as the one who has power over life? 103 00:09:39.350 --> 00:09:48.549 The answer to these questions are explained in this in this chapter and in the 104 00:09:48.629 --> 00:09:52.860 chapters to come. They're explained in this thing that Jesus does, as he 105 00:09:54.899 --> 00:10:03.220 is with his disciples. Why does this happen? Well, the first thing, 106 00:10:03.299 --> 00:10:07.889 or one of the things, that Jesus says, is that this does 107 00:10:07.009 --> 00:10:13.409 not happen by accident. It happens because God is sovereign over all of these 108 00:10:13.490 --> 00:10:18.769 events. How does Jesus make that point and why is it important? Well, 109 00:10:18.809 --> 00:10:24.799 he makes that point by proclaiming that it is his hour, right at 110 00:10:24.840 --> 00:10:28.320 the right time, Paul says in Romans. We read it earlier, at 111 00:10:28.360 --> 00:10:33.799 the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. Well, who knows? 112 00:10:33.879 --> 00:10:37.509 What the right time is. God knows, the one who is sovereign over 113 00:10:37.629 --> 00:10:45.190 time, who institutes and declares each and every moment. Jesus knows that his 114 00:10:45.669 --> 00:10:50.179 hour had come. This is verse one to depart out of this world to 115 00:10:50.220 --> 00:10:56.100 the father. He had done his mission, he had completed that which God 116 00:10:56.259 --> 00:11:00.100 had sent him. A God, the father had sent him into the world 117 00:11:00.500 --> 00:11:03.490 to do all that the father had given him. He had brought to a 118 00:11:03.610 --> 00:11:13.370 finish and now was going to be completed on the cross. We also know 119 00:11:13.610 --> 00:11:18.360 that Jesus knows this because he says things like this. I'm telling you this 120 00:11:18.639 --> 00:11:24.440 now and I'm showing you this. You Now, knowing that you don't understand. 121 00:11:26.200 --> 00:11:30.279 Why, like why would a teacher say something that he knows the students 122 00:11:30.360 --> 00:11:35.629 can't understand? Well, he tells us the reason, because afterward you will 123 00:11:35.830 --> 00:11:41.870 understand, so that you will believe that I am. He, in other 124 00:11:41.870 --> 00:11:46.110 words, is even in the details of what Jesus even as he's talking, 125 00:11:46.190 --> 00:11:52.259 he's demonstrating yet more of his awesome power as our God. He knows the 126 00:11:52.340 --> 00:11:56.820 beginning from the end. He says what will happen, he knows who is 127 00:11:56.899 --> 00:12:00.940 going to betray him, he knows how he will be crucified. He knows 128 00:12:01.019 --> 00:12:05.529 what is happening and he's telling them these things so that when they do happen, 129 00:12:07.409 --> 00:12:13.970 they will say he was God. Hopefully, the application here is obvious 130 00:12:13.090 --> 00:12:18.759 to us. We should say and declare and confess that he is God, 131 00:12:18.919 --> 00:12:22.320 God of God, light of light, very, God of Very, God 132 00:12:22.679 --> 00:12:28.840 begotten, not made being of one substance with the father. We worship him, 133 00:12:30.750 --> 00:12:33.429 we glorify him, we celebrate him, we've rest in him because he 134 00:12:33.549 --> 00:12:41.549 is God. Why is this important? To know that all of this, 135 00:12:41.789 --> 00:12:45.580 all of these events that are happening and are about to happen, have been 136 00:12:45.740 --> 00:12:52.659 planned from the very beginning and are sovereignly controlled by our triune God. Well, 137 00:12:52.740 --> 00:12:58.139 one reason it's important to know is that it reminds us that the all 138 00:12:58.299 --> 00:13:01.970 these things are going to happen to Jesus. According to his humanity, he's 139 00:13:03.250 --> 00:13:07.370 helpless in a lot of ways. As God, who has received all things 140 00:13:07.409 --> 00:13:15.200 from the father, these events are also directed by him. It is the 141 00:13:15.440 --> 00:13:20.480 will of Judas to betray the Lord. That's what Judas wants to do. 142 00:13:22.200 --> 00:13:28.070 That's what Judas will do. It is the will of the devil to use 143 00:13:28.110 --> 00:13:33.629 Judas to further his plans. That is what the devil wants to do. 144 00:13:33.950 --> 00:13:39.710 That is what the devil will do, but it does also the will of 145 00:13:39.870 --> 00:13:46.460 God to use both the devil and a traitor to save the world. And 146 00:13:46.620 --> 00:13:50.659 that is what God will do. It is what God wants to do. 147 00:13:52.019 --> 00:13:58.289 He is sovereign over all, even over those, even the devil himself, 148 00:13:58.330 --> 00:14:03.370 who would seek to conspire against him, who would seek, as psalm too 149 00:14:03.570 --> 00:14:09.409 says, to break apart the bonds between the Lord and his anointed one. 150 00:14:09.450 --> 00:14:13.399 It's just not going to happen. In fact, he will use their own 151 00:14:13.639 --> 00:14:18.639 plans, their own devices, their own evil ways to bring about his glorious 152 00:14:18.639 --> 00:14:28.429 salvation, to demonstrate his love and goodness. This also teaches us that God, 153 00:14:28.590 --> 00:14:33.269 who gave himself up, gave himself up, willingly. Think about this 154 00:14:33.549 --> 00:14:37.940 in relation to love, which is what Jesus is calling us to commanding us 155 00:14:37.940 --> 00:14:45.620 to hear. How do you feel when you are forced to give someone a 156 00:14:45.860 --> 00:14:52.009 present right? Does that feel very loving? Do you feel love when you 157 00:14:52.090 --> 00:14:56.370 are forced to give someone something that you don't want to give to them? 158 00:14:58.370 --> 00:15:05.409 Kids, perhaps a parent has forced you to share a toy? When you 159 00:15:05.450 --> 00:15:09.080 do that, do you feel all kinds of love? For your brother and 160 00:15:09.200 --> 00:15:13.879 sister? My guess is not. If you're anything like me, you feel 161 00:15:13.960 --> 00:15:20.399 like I'm being forced to share my toy. Right. That's not what God 162 00:15:20.639 --> 00:15:24.830 is. That's not what has happening to God. God is not being forced 163 00:15:24.870 --> 00:15:33.230 to love us. He is choosing to love us. He is freely giving 164 00:15:33.350 --> 00:15:46.340 himself out of a loving heart. Jesus's love is powerful, in control, 165 00:15:46.779 --> 00:15:52.929 and it's demonstrated in this example that he gives us in washing the disciple's feet. 166 00:15:54.809 --> 00:16:03.409 The ancient world, slaves were the ones who washed the feet of their 167 00:16:03.570 --> 00:16:11.240 masters. Dirty feet, stinky feet, feet with poop on them, because 168 00:16:11.279 --> 00:16:19.070 they walked in the streets where animals went, people through their garbage, and 169 00:16:19.269 --> 00:16:25.509 so it was not the important person's job to wash the feet. You'd leave 170 00:16:25.590 --> 00:16:30.990 that for the low people, the slave people, and so when guests and 171 00:16:32.149 --> 00:16:34.860 people came into the PM, that would be the slaves job to get down 172 00:16:34.899 --> 00:16:44.620 on their hands and knees, unstrapped the sandals and wash the feet. And 173 00:16:44.779 --> 00:16:52.129 yet here is Jesus doing it. Here is Jesus doing the dirty, stinky, 174 00:16:53.250 --> 00:17:02.559 self sacrificial, dishonorable work of a slave. And Peter says this is 175 00:17:02.879 --> 00:17:06.440 not right. You should can't wash my feet. and Jesus even says, 176 00:17:06.559 --> 00:17:11.880 you're right, I am the master, I am the Lord. Jesus doesn't 177 00:17:11.960 --> 00:17:17.230 deny the fact that he is sovereign over them, that he is powerful, 178 00:17:17.349 --> 00:17:21.309 that he is their authority. He doesn't say no, no, no, 179 00:17:21.470 --> 00:17:23.710 you've got it all wrong. He says, no, that's right, but 180 00:17:23.910 --> 00:17:30.140 you're wrong, that it's not my job. Is the one who has been 181 00:17:30.220 --> 00:17:36.700 sent by the father to serve you. And this is amazing. This he 182 00:17:36.900 --> 00:17:41.019 is, because he's of course not just their teacher whom they respect an honor. 183 00:17:42.700 --> 00:17:49.089 He is there and our God, and yet he descends down to put 184 00:17:49.250 --> 00:17:55.450 on a towel, to go on his knees, all the way down to 185 00:17:55.490 --> 00:18:03.000 their feet, we who worship at his feet, to serve them. One 186 00:18:03.160 --> 00:18:10.559 ancient commentator puts it this way. He who wraps the heavens in clouds wrapped 187 00:18:10.599 --> 00:18:15.470 round himself a towel, he who pours the water into the rivers and pools 188 00:18:17.029 --> 00:18:22.509 tipped water into a basin, and he before whom every knee bends in heaven 189 00:18:22.549 --> 00:18:26.980 and on earth and under the earth, went to wash the feet of his 190 00:18:27.380 --> 00:18:37.940 disciples. Why does Jesus do this? Why does God do this? Well, 191 00:18:37.259 --> 00:18:45.690 he's very clear about that answer. He loves them. He really really 192 00:18:45.930 --> 00:18:52.490 loves them. As I mentioned before, we sometimes give to people for nonlove 193 00:18:52.609 --> 00:18:59.680 reasons, unloving reasons or just reasons that don't have anything to do with love. 194 00:18:59.759 --> 00:19:02.599 We give to people, for example, because we alle them something. 195 00:19:02.640 --> 00:19:06.960 Right, they gave us gasps, we give them money. They give us 196 00:19:07.000 --> 00:19:10.869 food, we give them money. It's just an exchange, a fair exchange. 197 00:19:11.869 --> 00:19:15.349 We owe it to them. Sometimes we're forced, sometimes we do. 198 00:19:15.589 --> 00:19:19.470 We give things to other people because we want them to be impressed. Wow, 199 00:19:21.430 --> 00:19:25.339 amazing person, or we want other people to be impressed. Look at 200 00:19:25.380 --> 00:19:30.339 this gift I just gave. Isn't that amazing? But Jesus gives to them 201 00:19:32.539 --> 00:19:37.980 not because he wants to get something out of us, not because he owes 202 00:19:37.059 --> 00:19:41.890 us anything, just the opposite. We owe him something. He doesn't have 203 00:19:41.970 --> 00:19:48.250 anyone to impress. He's the Lord of Heaven and earth. He does it 204 00:19:48.690 --> 00:19:52.880 because of love. He gives true love, the kind of love that is 205 00:19:52.920 --> 00:20:02.319 given freely when we simply want to bless someone else. Jesus is on the 206 00:20:02.519 --> 00:20:10.190 ground, clothed not only in a towel but also in human flesh, at 207 00:20:10.269 --> 00:20:12.869 the feet of a bunch of men who are about to abandon him, and 208 00:20:14.630 --> 00:20:19.230 he knows it. Would you do that? Would you go get it? 209 00:20:19.349 --> 00:20:23.779 Would you go serve a bunch of people that you knew were about to betray 210 00:20:23.940 --> 00:20:32.980 you? That's what Jesus did before the Rooster Crows. You'll deny me three 211 00:20:33.180 --> 00:20:42.650 times. Now let me wash your feet. You might say that they're very 212 00:20:42.730 --> 00:20:47.730 unworthy of this, that we are all very unworthy of this kind of loving. 213 00:20:47.769 --> 00:20:52.720 You would be exactly right. Remember what John the Baptist said at the 214 00:20:52.759 --> 00:20:56.039 very beginning of the Gospel. He says, I'm not even worthy to untie 215 00:20:56.279 --> 00:21:03.710 the Sandal of the Slam of God, possibly a reference to footwashing. John 216 00:21:03.829 --> 00:21:10.829 Maybe saying that he's so unworthy of Jesus that he's not even worthy to enter 217 00:21:10.910 --> 00:21:15.029 into a slave position in relation to Jesus, not even in we're not even 218 00:21:15.069 --> 00:21:21.740 worthy to unstrap his sandals or wash his feet. And yet Jesus does this 219 00:21:21.859 --> 00:21:27.099 for his disciples. Why? Because he loved them. And here's the connection. 220 00:21:29.779 --> 00:21:36.650 It's for this same reason that he goes to the cross. Why did 221 00:21:36.690 --> 00:21:44.930 Jesus not only wash their feet but actually die for these men and for all 222 00:21:45.049 --> 00:21:55.039 who belong to him? Because God came in this world to wash away our 223 00:21:55.200 --> 00:22:07.829 sins, to clean us, to clean unworthy people. Praise God. Now 224 00:22:07.990 --> 00:22:17.579 Note Peter's reaction. Before we finish Peter's reaction, Peter says, no way, 225 00:22:18.059 --> 00:22:25.859 you are not washing my feet. You are too great to serve me. 226 00:22:26.180 --> 00:22:32.609 I should be serving you now. Every time I hear this, part 227 00:22:32.650 --> 00:22:37.809 of me goes that makes sense, and it does make sense right, and 228 00:22:37.930 --> 00:22:42.529 Jesus even says that makes sense. Right. I am your teacher, I 229 00:22:42.730 --> 00:22:48.200 am your Lord, I am your master. Peter Definitely has something right about 230 00:22:48.200 --> 00:22:53.799 it. And yet why does the Lord Rebuke Him in this way? Why 231 00:22:53.880 --> 00:22:57.950 does the Lord say, unless I wash your feet, you can have no 232 00:22:59.309 --> 00:23:03.549 part of me. Well, of course it's true that Peter should serve God, 233 00:23:03.670 --> 00:23:10.309 and we all must, but unless God serves us, what happens? 234 00:23:11.630 --> 00:23:21.859 We stay dirty. Why? Because these dirty feet are ultimately pointing to our 235 00:23:21.980 --> 00:23:29.529 dirty souls. Some of you came into Church today with very clean feet but 236 00:23:29.690 --> 00:23:38.049 with very dirty hearts, sins clinging here and there, stains and soiled spots 237 00:23:38.609 --> 00:23:45.519 from a lifetime, a lifetime of wicked things, and you know it, 238 00:23:47.759 --> 00:23:53.720 things and hearts that have been polluted for decades and you carry around these things, 239 00:23:53.839 --> 00:24:02.910 these marks of sin, a sinful hearts, day after day after day, 240 00:24:03.230 --> 00:24:11.220 and you will continue to do so unless your hearts are cleaned. Now 241 00:24:11.339 --> 00:24:15.539 you might say, well, I'm trying, I'm trying to do well, 242 00:24:15.700 --> 00:24:18.900 but let me just ask you a kind of common sense question. How's it 243 00:24:19.019 --> 00:24:27.769 going? How are you doing? The last selfhelp book that you read finally 244 00:24:27.890 --> 00:24:33.329 fix your dirty heart? Did you finally level up enough that you are now 245 00:24:34.569 --> 00:24:41.680 free of your sins? Of course not sure. You might have shaved off 246 00:24:41.839 --> 00:24:47.599 some rough edges or found a better way to help and serve or be kind 247 00:24:47.680 --> 00:24:55.150 or something like that, but our sins stay there until they're forgiven, and 248 00:24:55.309 --> 00:25:00.990 then would they just keep piling up more and more and more. And that's 249 00:25:00.230 --> 00:25:07.579 for two reasons. One, you can't clean a filthy counter with a dirty 250 00:25:07.619 --> 00:25:15.299 rag. Right. You can't clean a filthy heart with the filthy heart. 251 00:25:18.339 --> 00:25:22.170 We need something clean to clean, something holy to clean us, someone who 252 00:25:22.210 --> 00:25:29.849 is good to expunge our sins, to wipe them away. And the second 253 00:25:29.970 --> 00:25:34.609 problem is that our sins are not just bad things in us, although they 254 00:25:34.650 --> 00:25:41.440 are that, but they are sins against God. He is the one who 255 00:25:41.440 --> 00:25:44.640 has commanded us to love. He is the one who has commanded us to 256 00:25:44.759 --> 00:25:48.200 do righteous things, to live good, moral, holy lives. So when 257 00:25:48.240 --> 00:25:52.549 we don't do that, our sins are against him. He needs to be 258 00:25:52.589 --> 00:26:00.589 the one who forgives us, and of course only he can. So no 259 00:26:00.670 --> 00:26:03.700 matter how good you are, you can never wipe away these bad things. 260 00:26:07.180 --> 00:26:11.660 And so do you understand Peter's problem and why Jesus says what he says? 261 00:26:12.819 --> 00:26:17.420 Because he's pointing to the Cross. He's pointing to not just his feet, 262 00:26:17.579 --> 00:26:21.250 but this ultimate thing that God is doing in this world, the thing that 263 00:26:21.329 --> 00:26:26.329 he is about to complete even this very a day is in this over this 264 00:26:26.490 --> 00:26:33.319 twenty four hours. They need to be cleansed. We need to be cleansed. 265 00:26:33.359 --> 00:26:37.440 And so if we refuse that from God, if we push our selves 266 00:26:37.480 --> 00:26:41.000 away from him and say it shall never be I will serve you, it 267 00:26:41.160 --> 00:26:47.349 assumes that we can do that without him for serving us. In a way, 268 00:26:47.470 --> 00:26:51.589 Peter Sort of stakes his ground and maintain a little more of his autonomy, 269 00:26:51.670 --> 00:26:55.029 a little more of his control. He says, I've got this Lord, 270 00:26:56.549 --> 00:27:02.220 but he doesn't have it and none of us ever will until God first 271 00:27:02.420 --> 00:27:07.660 loves us. Remember what first John says. We love because he first loved 272 00:27:07.859 --> 00:27:15.220 us. That's the only way it works, that's the only way into the 273 00:27:15.299 --> 00:27:18.049 Kingdom of God, that's the only way to benefit from the cross, that's 274 00:27:18.049 --> 00:27:23.529 the only way to be cleansed of your sins. It's to humble yourself before 275 00:27:23.569 --> 00:27:29.890 the Lord so much that you can say I can't even serve you, I 276 00:27:30.000 --> 00:27:37.759 can't even be a slave to you until you first help me, and I 277 00:27:37.880 --> 00:27:44.279 know how hard that is. You'd think it would be easy to be loved, 278 00:27:45.190 --> 00:27:51.150 but it's not, because to be loved, especially in our sins, 279 00:27:51.190 --> 00:27:56.910 it means to admit that you need something from someone else, from God in 280 00:27:57.109 --> 00:28:03.380 particular, to receive the self sacrificial love for something you need is to say 281 00:28:03.859 --> 00:28:11.380 I'm not sufficient, I have problems, I can't even serve I can't even 282 00:28:11.420 --> 00:28:18.650 serve God without his help, without his salvation, and that is very, 283 00:28:18.690 --> 00:28:25.930 very hard to do for proud people, for confident people like Peter, who's 284 00:28:25.930 --> 00:28:29.119 got it all together, who will serve the Lord to the bitter end, 285 00:28:30.319 --> 00:28:37.680 except of course he won't. You can't. He needs the Lord. It 286 00:28:37.920 --> 00:28:41.630 is very, very hard to do. But let me tell you this, 287 00:28:44.029 --> 00:28:48.710 by the Lord's love he enables us to do the very, very hard thing. 288 00:28:51.230 --> 00:28:56.099 By the grace of his love, he actually empowers us to do the 289 00:28:56.140 --> 00:29:03.660 things that are impossible for us to do. And when he does this, 290 00:29:04.859 --> 00:29:11.769 when we accept God's love for us, when we let go and simply let 291 00:29:11.809 --> 00:29:18.569 him love us and serve US and change US and heal us, it's the 292 00:29:18.690 --> 00:29:26.599 most freeing thing to walk around in this world knowing that God loves you and 293 00:29:26.799 --> 00:29:32.319 that your sins are forgiven, that you don't walk around with this dirty, 294 00:29:32.519 --> 00:29:37.880 heavy heart, but you walk around as one who has been justified, this 295 00:29:37.079 --> 00:29:41.829 one whose sins have been washed away and forgiven, as one who's been given 296 00:29:41.869 --> 00:29:47.789 the Holy Spirit, who is currently in you, working in you, empowering 297 00:29:47.990 --> 00:29:52.059 you, helping you to grow so that you can then love other people. 298 00:29:55.700 --> 00:30:04.900 These are things of inexpressible joy, freedom and life, and these are the 299 00:30:04.900 --> 00:30:11.930 kinds of things that Jesus does in this Ministry of love. He dies on 300 00:30:11.009 --> 00:30:17.450 a cross, he humbles himself, even to the point of death, so 301 00:30:17.569 --> 00:30:21.960 that we can have our sins forgiven, so that we can then walk in 302 00:30:22.000 --> 00:30:26.519 the newness of life, serving God and serving our neighbors in love. And 303 00:30:26.759 --> 00:30:32.920 that's why he says they'll know you, they'll know you are my disciples, 304 00:30:33.039 --> 00:30:37.470 because you live in this way and nobody lives in this way except through me, 305 00:30:38.710 --> 00:30:45.869 not truly, not finally, and so that is what Christians are marked 306 00:30:45.910 --> 00:30:52.019 by. Praise God, not under compulsion, not being forced, not paying 307 00:30:52.180 --> 00:30:56.019 back, not trying to earn their way into heaven or anything else. We 308 00:30:56.299 --> 00:31:02.299 love freely because we have been loved freely and we are being loved freely. 309 00:31:03.539 --> 00:31:07.089 We humble ourselves and give us give ourselves away, our time, are out 310 00:31:07.130 --> 00:31:12.130 of our our our attitudes, are money, our energy, because we have 311 00:31:12.250 --> 00:31:19.279 been set free and empowered by God to do so. So if you look 312 00:31:19.279 --> 00:31:26.240 at your heart and you think and you say I am not a loving person, 313 00:31:26.359 --> 00:31:34.390 I am a hard hearted person, a cold and self centered person, 314 00:31:34.549 --> 00:31:42.750 and you say how can I change how can I live a life of love 315 00:31:42.869 --> 00:31:51.019 and giving and freeness in this way, then here's what you need to know. 316 00:31:52.740 --> 00:31:59.460 You cannot change yourself, but God can change you. If you do 317 00:31:59.700 --> 00:32:02.009 try to change yourself, it's just one more thing you are doing for yourself. 318 00:32:02.890 --> 00:32:08.329 It's one more self centered thing. But if you humble yourself and trust 319 00:32:08.609 --> 00:32:15.329 in the serving love of Jesus Christ that he gives to us on the cross, 320 00:32:15.279 --> 00:32:21.240 if you believe in him and trust him, to serve you, for 321 00:32:21.359 --> 00:32:24.519 the forgiveness of your sins, for the sanctification of your souls, for the 322 00:32:24.599 --> 00:32:32.069 eventual glory or eventual glorification of your life in this world. Then God's love 323 00:32:32.230 --> 00:32:37.910 will be sufficient for all things, to wash away your sins, to make 324 00:32:37.990 --> 00:32:45.259 you clean, to empower you to love others and all the rest. So 325 00:32:45.460 --> 00:32:46.819 trust him and live for him.