Jesus Predicts His BetrayalMy Understanding: Jesus knew it was time for him to leave this world. What this means is that he also knew that one of his close companions was about to betray him, another was going to deny him three times, all would abandon him initially, he would be hated, spat upon, scourged, beaten, a crown of thorns placed on his head, mocked, put on trial and ultimately crucified on a cross, although he had committed no wrong. Not only that, he knew that he must go to the cross to be our sacrificial Lamb to take away the sins of the world. What that means is that he knew he was going to take upon himself all the sins of the world, and not only that, but that His Father would have to look away from him. Oh, what suffering beyond human comprehension awaited him. So, what did he do? He served and loved those whom he knew were going to betray, deny and/or abandon him. What love!
18 “I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture: ‘He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me.’
19 “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He. 20 I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.”
21 After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me.”
22 His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. 23 One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. 24 Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.”
25 Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?”
26 Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon. 27 As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.
“What you are about to do, do quickly,” Jesus told him, 28 but no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. 29 Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the Feast, or to give something to the poor. 30 As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.
Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial
31 When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.
33 “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
36 Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?”
Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.”
37 Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”
38 Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!
The scripture says that Jesus got up from the meal, took off his outer garments, wrapped a towel around his waist, and he began to wash the disciples feet. Some would teach that Jesus’ act of servanthood here was merely a lesson to teach us that we must also be servants to others, even to serve those who hate us and reject us. Yet, there is so much more to this story than just an example to us in servanthood. If we follow Jesus’ words closely, I believe we will get a glimpse into the symbolism of the act, as well.
Peter could not comprehend his Lord stooping to act as a servant to him in washing his feet, and yet Jesus told him that “Unless I wash you, you have no part of me.” Peter not only needed his feet washed, because they were dirty, but he was in need of a spiritual cleansing, as well, and this is what Jesus was referring to. In other words, unless we allow Jesus Christ to cleanse our hearts of sin and to set us free, not only from the ultimate penalty of sin, but free from the power, bondage to and control of sin over our daily lives via us turning from our sin (repentance) and turning to walk in obedience to Jesus Christ, then we have no part in Jesus Christ, i.e. we are not truly his. The New Testament and Jesus’ teachings tell us this over and over again, and yet many still do not get it.
And, Peter didn’t get it, either. He basically said to Jesus, “Ok, then, you can wash my whole body.” He missed the point entirely. Then, Jesus said something rather profound, if understood within its symbolic context. He said that if a person has had a bath, he only needs his feet to be washed. They got their feet dirty when they walked along, because they did not have cement sidewalks and paved streets. They walked in dirt all the time. When we walk our daily lives as believers in Jesus Christ, we don’t need to be saved again (a bath) every time we sin against our Lord, but what we do need is to have our feet washed, i.e. we need daily cleansing of sin in our lives which will take place from time to time as we walk along in this world and we give into temptation to sin, and we get our “walk” dirty with sin.
Then, Jesus told his disciples that he had set the example for them and they were to wash one another’s feet. Yet, he was not speaking merely of a physical washing of feet or even only of the physical act of servanthood he displayed, though they were part of the example. He was speaking of the symbolism, as well. They were to follow their Lord and his example in sharing the gospel message of repentance and faith and obedience to Jesus Christ and what the act of the washing of feet truly symbolized in representing our salvation and daily cleansing from sin.
Four years ago this October I participated in a “foot washing” and distributing of new socks and shoes to people as a ministry project. I don’t like to touch people’s feet, not even people in my own family, except for the babies. So, I knew it would take the grace of God to help me to do what naturally I was opposed to doing. So, I prayed and asked the Lord Jesus for a scripture passage to let me know what approach to take and to assure me that he was with me in this adventure. He gave me this verse:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Co. 5:17-18).
Quote from my journal from October 2007: “He (Jesus) helped me to see that just as people came in there with dirty feet and needed to have their feet cleansed, many of them also came in there with dirty hearts. We are all born with dirty hearts (born into sin) and we need to have our hearts cleansed just like we were washing their feet. Also, just as they removed their old shoes (or we removed them for them) and we put new shoes on them after we washed their feet, the Lord has provided the way that we can have our old dirty hearts removed and we can leave there not only with new shoes, but with new hearts.”So, in following Jesus’ example set for us in servanthood, we must also follow his example in sharing the symbolism of what he did that day by telling people the gospel message and by letting them know how they, too, can be set free from the penalty and the control of sin over their daily lives through Jesus’ saving grace, his shed blood on the cross for our sins, and through the cleansing power of the Holy Spirit to transform us into new creatures in Christ Jesus, no longer conformed to the pattern of this world, but daily being renewed in our minds so that we can live lives pleasing unto our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Jesus not only set the example for us of servanthood and of the sharing of the gospel message, but he also set the example for us of how to respond to people mistreating, hating, rejecting, accusing falsely, mocking, denying, betraying, and abandoning us. He served them. He loved them. He ministered to their needs. He died for them, i.e. he gave of himself and all he had willingly to suffer for us so that we could go free. And, he did this with joy, even though he had anguish of heart, as well.
Hebrews 12:2-3: “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”Leap for Joy / An Original Work / August 2, 2011
Based off of Luke 6:22-23, 27-28
Leap for joy in that day.
Great is your reward in heaven.
Blessed are you who are poor;
Blessed are you who hunger now.
You will be satisfied and
You will laugh if you weep now.
Blessed are you when men hate you
And exclude you because of Christ.
Leap for joy in that day.
Love your enemies who hate you.
Do them good; say kind things;
Pray for those who treat you wrong.
If you love those who love you
What reward is there for you?
Love your enemies and your
Reward will be great in heaven.
Leap for joy in that day.
You will be sons of the Most High.
Be ye kind; merciful
To the ungrateful always.
If you love those who love you
What reward is there for you?
Do to others as you would have
Them do to you every day.
Leap for joy in that day.
Great is your reward in heaven.
Blessed are you who are poor;
Blessed are you who hunger now.
You will be satisfied and
You will laugh if you weep now.
Blessed are you when men hate you
And exclude you because of Christ.
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Luke 6:22-23, 27-28: “Blessed are you when men hate you,
when they exclude you and insult you
and reject your name as evil,
because of the Son of Man.
“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets.”
“But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”
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