“My times are in your hands…. “(Psalm 31:15)

These certainly are unusual times, and we are learning how to live a new normal. But what if everything we have ever learned or experienced in life has been leading us to this time in our lives. Without realizing it, we have been preparing for just this moment so we can demonstrate our faith, our willingness to serve, our mandate to love God and others in the most difficult and unusual of circumstances.

Bringing us to the crucifixion which happened on Friday of Holy Week which we are now celebrating, we can reflect on the fact that Jesus had all along been preparing for just this time because he knew even at age twelve that he was about his Father’s business. Jesus had a purpose for how he spent his thirty-three years on earth.

• Early in his ministry, he told his mother: “Woman, why do you involve me?” He went on to say, “My hour has not yet come” (John 2:4).
• Later in his ministry he told his brothers, “You go to the festival. I am not going up to this festival, because my time has not yet fully come.”  (John 7:8).
• However, Jesus did go to the festival privately, and then went to the temple to teach. Although the authorities were seeking to arrest him, no one laid a hand on him. He was spared, he said, because “his hour had not yet come” (John 7:30).
• Immediately following the festival, Jesus again taught in the temple, and no one arrested him despite the threats. John explains that “his hour had not yet come” (John 8:20).

It was not until the week before His crucifixion that he acknowledged that his time had finally come.

• Then when Jesus had made his triumphant entry into Jerusalem… “there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival.  They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘we would like to see Jesus.’  Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus. Jesus replied, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified’” (John 12:20-23).
• And when Jesus was praying with his disciples at Gethsemane during His last week before the crucifixion, “After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you” (John 17:1).

Some Bible scholars say that the Gentiles seeking Jesus in John 12:21 were the triggering event for Jesus to declare that his time had now come, that this request by the Gentiles triggered the plan that God had designed all along to reconcile his people back to himself—Jesus’ arrest, trials, humiliation, condemnation, beatings, crucifixion, burial, resurrection, and ascension. 

This is a solemn reminder that God has a plan, and it will come to pass in his own timing. There will be a triggering event and then all the elements of Christ’s Second Coming will fall into place as described in the Bible. There is some disagreement about all the events and the exact timing, but there is no disagreement among believers that the Second Coming will happen. That is what we long for with hope. 

The Jewish people knew that the Messiah would come; they had the writings of the Prophets to tell them many of the signs they could expect to see to confirm His first coming. But they were still taken by surprise when He did.

We should not be surprised when trials and tribulations come. Jesus told us in John 16:33“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

We celebrate Christmas and Jesus’ first coming, and we celebrate Easter and His resurrection. We know the Jesus will come again. In John 14:3, Jesus states, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”  We know what many of the signs will be. We just don’t know when. However, we should not be surprised when the time comes. We have been informed. Be ready.

In Christ,

Judy

“If I do not wash you, you have no part with me” (John 13:8).

We are in the middle of a crisis, and my daily communications to fellow staff have been directed toward prayers and encouragement. We are encouraged by the fact that this crisis will end at some point and we will return to some sort of normal (at least that’s what we are counting on). However, we are also approaching the remembrance of another momentous occasion, one which seemed to be a crisis at the time, but which changed us forever for the good. In just eleven days we will celebrate Easter. Whether or not we can attend a worship service, Easter will be Easter and we are forever blessed to be able to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So, my devotion today is directing us to think on the days leading up to that holy event.

This coming Sunday is Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. It starts with Jesus entering Jerusalem to the adulation of the crowds. It ends with him in the grave following his humiliation and crucifixion. Immediately before being arrested, he gathers his disciples together for their last supper. He surprises them by washing their feet.  It is, in fact, shocking that he would do this. As their teacher, the culture told them as the disciples that they did not have to wash his feet. But here is the teacher washing the feet of his disciples!

 As a long-time believer, I have heard this story about Jesus countless times, but recently during an in-depth study of the book of John, a different perspective was presented to me and it took me aback, as conviction often does.

As Jesus begins the process of preparing himself and the water, Peter exclaims that Jesus will never wash his feet. It’s not that Peter didn’t want Jesus to touch him; he was acknowledging that Jesus was too good to wash his feet. It comes across as a humble statement on Peter’s part, but is it really? How often do we reject the simple acts of kindness and assistance offered by others around us? Is it really because we are humble and truly believe we don’t deserve it? Or is it because we are too prideful and think we don’t need it? Maybe we don’t want to be beholden to anyone or we don’t want to feel that we will be obligated to repay the favor.

What do you think Peter’s motivation was for not being willing to accept Jesus washing his feet? How would I have responded to Jesus? Probably the same way. We who serve often take pride in not needing to be served. (Can you sense my conviction?)

Jesus answered him in John 13:8, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with me.” David Guzik writes that “This foot washing was a powerful lesson in humility, but it was more than that. It also shows that Jesus has no fellowship, no deep connection with those who have not been cleansed by Him … We should be grateful that Jesus did not say, ‘If you do not have great holiness, you have no part with me.’ We are happy he did not say, ‘if you are not a Bible expert, you have no part with me.’ Having a part with Jesus begins simply with receiving something from Him, not achieving something ourself.”

A clue to Peter’s pride can be found when Peter replies, then don’t just wash my feet, wash me all over. Now he’s telling Jesus what to do and how to do it! Who does he think he is? This was a loving act by Jesus. Are we too proud to accept his loving acts of service? We can see how Peter matures over time by his statement in 1 Peter 5:5 which shows Peter’s change of heart “Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility.”

Food for thought: According to Guzik: “Sometimes we show a servant’s heart by accepting the service of others for us. If we only serve, and refuse to be served, it can be a sign of deeply rooted and well-hidden pride. “According to Temple: “Man’s humility does not begin with the giving of service; it begins with the readiness to receive it. For there can be much pride and condescension in our giving of service.” *

What did Jesus tell us to do? (Clue: It was not to wash his feet.)

• John 13:12-14 “you also ought to wash one another’s feet.” Jesus tells us to show the same humble, sacrificial love to one another. Charles Spurgeon writes: “If there be any deed of kindness or love that we can do for the very meanest and most obscure of God’s people, we ought to be willing to do it—to be servants to God’s servants.” *
• John 13:34-35: “I’m giving you a new commandment: ‘Love each other in the same way that I have loved you.’ Everyone will know that you are my disciples because of your love for each other.”

We are also called to receive the blessing of salvation from Jesus and service from others. We are called to love one another, serve one another, encourage one another, give to one another. We are called to do these things cheerfully and generously and sacrificially. Let us seek to fellowship with each other in mutual love, service, and encouragement. Let’s also seek to do these things without a speck of pride as our motivation, with only gratitude and praise to our Holy Father who is the source of all the resources we have at our disposal. In this way, we can prepare our hearts to worship our Lord and Savior during this upcoming Holiest of Weeks.

In Christ,

Judy

*David Guzik Text Commentary from Blue Letter Bible