T HE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
1055
Lesson Outline, vs. 1-17. (1) The Soul of Service—Love. Jesus Seen as Prophet. (2) The Sacrifice of Service—Laying Aside of Garments. Jesus Seen as Priest. (3) The Supreme Service—Following the Master’s Example. Jesus Seen as King. The 13th of John is the Servant Chap ter. It is the Holy of Holies. Jesus had given His last message in grace to the world (John 12:23-50). The Father’s voice had testified tcrHifn (John 12:88). “Then came there a voice from heaven saying, I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.” The last cry to the world had been uttered (12:44-50). Now He is to be alone with His disciples for a farewell message. He is to illuminate and illus trate the teaching He has given them concerning the servant’s place in the kingdom. The upper room is prepared, and now their hearts must he prepared. Their Lord is about to give them the sub- limest truth ever made known to men. (1) The Soul of Service. His hour had come. What hour? The hour of His departure. In the Gospel of John Jesus is viewed as a stranger. He had come from the heart of the Father to a lost world. Now He is going back to the Father’s bosom. He had come to His own world and His own people, Israel, had received Him not. Some few had received Him, and He calls them His own (John 1:10-13). His visit is about over. He must say good bye to the men who had associated with Him. His heart was full of sym pathy for them. They had been full of imperfection, and pride was manifest constantly, hut He loved them (Rom. 8 :39). He is going back home in a new dress; going hack as a Man with a glorified human body. There is to be a new thing in heaven. He was a Prophet—a
Prophet like Moses (Deut. 18:15). He knew His hour and all that it meant of sorrow, suffering and death. Before Him was the Garden, Pilate’s Hall and the Cross. All these things had been committed to Him. Life had been committed to Him. (John 5: 26 ); so had judgment (John 5:27) and also the power of resurrection (John 5 :28 ). He knew the hearts of His disciples. He knew the malice of the Jews, and the heart of Judas, and the coming desertion of the diseiples, yet He loved them. We find here the soul of service—to love in spite of all things. (2) The Sacrifice of Service. “He ris- eth from supper.” He is about to preach a great sermon in action. The disciples are disputing as to who is greatest (Luke 22:24), and the Lord will show them and us. He laid aside His gar ments (Phil. 2:6, 8). He girds Him self with an apron, and takes the ser vant’s place. He does not proclaim what He is about to do. He does it. .Silent — majestic — modest—self-forgetful__ the Creator—girds Himself with an apron! We must not fail to study these pic tures in the Bible. Mark the contrast here,— the self-seeking disciples, and the self-forgetting Son of God. The most sacred service in the church is marred by the strife of the leaders. Martha is not satisfied to serve while Mary sits at Jesus’ feet. Angels are ministering servants. Tra dition tells us that Jesus commenced the feet-washing with Judas. What a reach from glory to the feet of a traitor like Judas! Peter’s protest is not an as sumed humility. He is impetuous and ignorant, but sincere. A priest was washed but once (Lev. 8 :6 ), and so here Jesus does not say no part in me,” but “with me.” (1 Cor. 6 :11). He makes it clear that all believers are washed (Heb. 10:22).
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker