WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:08.199 John chapter 13 is our reading, and we're going to read the first 17 verses of that chapter. 00:00:10.839 --> 00:00:18.160 As you read any of the gospel accounts, it seems quite remarkable that so much of the narrative 00:00:18.160 --> 00:00:26.219 deals with the final week of Jesus's earthly ministry, that time between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. 00:00:26.219 --> 00:00:34.159 Palm Sunday, the triumphal entry had just happened in John chapter 12, so we're in the middle of 00:00:34.159 --> 00:00:43.640 Passion Week, the final week of Jesus's earthly ministry. John chapter 13, it was just before the 00:00:43.640 --> 00:00:52.759 Passover feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and to go to the Father. 00:00:52.759 --> 00:00:59.259 Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. 00:01:00.140 --> 00:01:06.900 The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, 00:01:07.519 --> 00:01:14.859 to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come 00:01:14.859 --> 00:01:21.980 from God and was returning to God. So he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, 00:01:22.599 --> 00:01:31.200 and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his 00:01:31.200 --> 00:01:38.219 disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, 00:01:38.219 --> 00:01:46.739 who said to him, Lord, are you going to wash my feet? Jesus replied, you do not realize now what I 00:01:46.739 --> 00:01:54.280 am doing, but later you will understand. No, said Peter, you shall never wash my feet. Jesus answered, 00:01:54.359 --> 00:02:01.159 unless I wash you, you have no part with me. Then Lord, Simon Peter replied, not just my feet, 00:02:01.159 --> 00:02:08.680 but my hands and my head as well. Jesus answered, a person who has had a bath needs only to wash his 00:02:08.680 --> 00:02:17.500 feet. His whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you. For he knew who was going 00:02:17.500 --> 00:02:25.359 to betray him, and that was why he said not everyone was clean. When he had finished washing their feet, 00:02:25.360 --> 00:02:32.300 he put on his clothes and returned to his place. Do you understand what I have done for you? He asked 00:02:32.300 --> 00:02:41.800 them. You call me teacher and Lord, and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and 00:02:41.800 --> 00:02:51.920 teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you 00:02:51.919 --> 00:02:59.659 should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth. No servant is greater than his master, 00:03:00.379 --> 00:03:07.599 nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be 00:03:07.599 --> 00:03:16.339 blessed if you do them. Amen. And may God add his own blessing to this reading of his word. 00:03:16.340 --> 00:03:25.400 I'd like to focus our attention this morning on that first verse, which really gives us a profound 00:03:25.400 --> 00:03:34.259 insight into who Jesus is and into what Jesus has come to do. We enter into the very heart of Jesus 00:03:34.259 --> 00:03:43.379 here. It was just before the Passover feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this 00:03:43.379 --> 00:03:50.000 world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full 00:03:50.000 --> 00:04:00.439 extent of his love. I have to make an admission. When I've got free time, what I love to do is watch 00:04:00.439 --> 00:04:07.579 YouTube. I'm sure people watch YouTube, but I realize that there's a feature of YouTube, which I'm now 00:04:07.580 --> 00:04:14.740 only beginning to understand, is that if you watch a series of things, they'll begin to show you similar 00:04:14.740 --> 00:04:19.819 things. They'll get an idea of what they, I'm not sure who they are, but you know, YouTube will get an idea 00:04:19.819 --> 00:04:26.240 of the things you like to watch, and then they'll say you might want to watch this or suggest, well, yesterday 00:04:26.240 --> 00:04:34.139 I was watching famous speeches in the 20th century. That's, you know, my idea of an exciting Saturday afternoon. 00:04:34.139 --> 00:04:41.659 So I was watching different speeches, and then a speech came up, or, you know, on my YouTube column 00:04:41.659 --> 00:04:48.620 that I'd never seen before. So I clicked on it. It's quite remarkable, because it was over 50 years 00:04:48.620 --> 00:04:55.099 ago. It was 1967, and it was recorded. You could tell that, you know, the recording was quite primitive. 00:04:56.579 --> 00:05:03.139 The camera shook quite a bit, and the, the, it was black and white, and the color wasn't, the focus wasn't 00:05:03.139 --> 00:05:10.539 always perfect. But the scene was quite remarkable, because it was set in Philadelphia, and it was at 00:05:10.539 --> 00:05:16.560 a junior high school. Now, in the United States, a junior high, I think, tends to be about 13 and 14, 00:05:17.079 --> 00:05:21.459 13 and 14 year olds. So it was a junior high school in the city center of Philadelphia. 00:05:22.459 --> 00:05:29.699 Now, Barrett Junior High School was not in the most affluent of areas. It didn't have the highest 00:05:29.699 --> 00:05:36.319 test results, and it probably didn't have many distinguished visitors come to speak to it. 00:05:37.319 --> 00:05:43.480 I would say very rarely did Nobel laureates come to Barrett Junior High School, but on this day in 1967, 00:05:44.219 --> 00:05:49.599 a Nobel Prize laureate did come to Barrett Junior High, spoke for about 20 minutes. 00:05:50.839 --> 00:05:54.899 Martin Luther King Jr. wanted to speak to this group of young people. 00:05:54.899 --> 00:06:00.839 You see, Barrett Junior High was in a predominantly African-American section of Philadelphia, so most 00:06:00.839 --> 00:06:06.899 of the children were African-American, and he had a short speech that he wanted to deliver to them. 00:06:07.539 --> 00:06:15.839 And he began this speech in this note. He said, what is your life's blueprint? An architect makes a 00:06:15.839 --> 00:06:23.519 blueprint to direct those who are doing the building. Do you have a proper, solid, and a sound 00:06:23.519 --> 00:06:30.939 blueprint? And I thought today that this illustration of an architect in a blueprint was a helpful way 00:06:30.939 --> 00:06:37.099 of entering into the text that is before us. Because what we have here is the architect, 00:06:37.699 --> 00:06:45.399 the Lord Jesus Christ. And he's giving us an insight into his blueprint, what he is going to do, 00:06:45.819 --> 00:06:51.259 what he has done, what he is going to do, and what he is going to complete. 00:06:51.259 --> 00:06:58.620 And for you and for me, if we have this architect, and if we have this blueprint, 00:06:59.180 --> 00:07:05.800 we can be sure that we indeed have a proper, solid, and sound blueprint for life. 00:07:06.539 --> 00:07:14.759 And if you're not yet a follower of Jesus, this text gives us an insight into what he is offering, 00:07:14.759 --> 00:07:24.120 into what he is providing, into what he is able to do, and will do, on behalf of all who place their trust 00:07:24.120 --> 00:07:32.259 and faith in him. So in this first verse, I'd like to notice two things that really come before our 00:07:32.259 --> 00:07:39.180 attention. I want to look first at the time. I don't know if you've ever been a guest in somebody's 00:07:39.180 --> 00:07:43.740 home, and you've had a lovely evening, you've had a nice meal, you've been relaxing and talking, 00:07:43.740 --> 00:07:49.120 you take a look, you're walking, and you say, oh, look at the time. It's getting quite late, we had better go home. 00:07:50.860 --> 00:07:57.319 In chapter 13 and verse 1, we have two indications of the time. Both are significant. 00:07:58.319 --> 00:08:05.600 First of all, we're told it's Passover time, and secondly, we're told it's time for departure. 00:08:05.600 --> 00:08:14.180 Jesus is leaving. So it's Passover, and it's Exodus. That brings us right back to the Old Testament, 00:08:14.900 --> 00:08:21.960 to the key event that happened on the pages, in the pages, and in the life experience of God's people 00:08:21.960 --> 00:08:29.080 in the Old Testament, Passover and Exodus. And if you want to, you can read for yourselves Exodus 00:08:29.079 --> 00:08:36.919 chapter 12 and 13 and 14, and you can see this climactic event. You see, God had chosen a man 00:08:36.919 --> 00:08:43.659 called Moses to lead out his people from Egypt. Egypt was a place of slavery, a place of oppression, 00:08:43.659 --> 00:08:51.579 and that God was going to protect and preserve and redeem and rescue for himself this people. 00:08:51.580 --> 00:09:00.259 They couldn't do it themselves. We can't do it ourselves. You see, the Christian faith at its 00:09:00.259 --> 00:09:06.560 very heart is a redemptive faith, a redemptive religion. A redemptive faith means that we need 00:09:06.560 --> 00:09:14.139 a redeemer. We need someone who can help us, someone who can rescue us, someone who can free us. 00:09:14.139 --> 00:09:25.039 Now, 2,000, 3,400, 3,500 years ago, the Israelites were literally slaves in the land of Egypt. 00:09:26.500 --> 00:09:35.220 God rescued them from that place of slavery. 3,500 years later, we too are slaves. We're not in Egypt. 00:09:35.899 --> 00:09:41.500 We are not literally slaves, but Jesus makes it quite clear. He said, whoever sins is a slave to sin. 00:09:41.500 --> 00:09:49.620 But if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. So Jesus tells us, or John tells us, that it's 00:09:49.620 --> 00:09:58.460 Passover time, and that Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and to go to the 00:09:58.460 --> 00:10:06.980 Father. Passover was a time of sacrifice. You remember the story that the Israelite families would all have a 00:10:06.980 --> 00:10:13.940 lamb in their home, and at the appointed time, the lamb would be slain. The blood then would be painted 00:10:13.940 --> 00:10:22.080 on the doorposts, so that when God visited Egypt, instead of destroying the firstborn in these homes, 00:10:23.080 --> 00:10:30.480 those who had the blood on the doorposts, they would be secure. God would pass over those houses. 00:10:30.480 --> 00:10:38.399 But where the blood wasn't, where no sacrifice was made, the firstborn in that home, the firstborn 00:10:38.399 --> 00:10:47.180 both man and beast, man and animal, would be taken. So Passover time was a time of sacrifice. 00:10:47.960 --> 00:10:54.139 Passover time was a time of judgment, that God judged the Egyptians and God judged Pharaoh, 00:10:54.139 --> 00:11:01.539 and it was a time of deliverance. You see, God had a plan. God was not going to leave his people as 00:11:01.539 --> 00:11:07.779 slaves in Egypt. He was going to take them from a place of slavery and bring them to a land of plenty. 00:11:08.559 --> 00:11:15.480 And that's the Passover, and that's the Exodus. So when Passover occurred, one thing you knew that was 00:11:15.480 --> 00:11:22.500 coming next, it's time to go. It's time to leave. And the people of Israel, the Israelites in Egypt, 00:11:22.500 --> 00:11:33.580 left the land of slavery, and they were slaves no longer. Now, 15 centuries pass, and it's Passover time, 00:11:33.580 --> 00:11:41.019 and Jesus knows that his time has now come. As you read through John's gospel time and again, 00:11:41.960 --> 00:11:49.820 Jesus tells us that his time has not yet come. It wasn't the right time, but now the right time has come. 00:11:49.820 --> 00:11:57.160 His time for departure was at hand. Why? Because the time of sacrifice had also arrived. 00:11:58.140 --> 00:12:05.280 Now, this is the unique aspect of our Christian faith, is that the redemption, the redeemer, 00:12:05.780 --> 00:12:13.400 the one who pays the price, is God himself. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Savior of the world, 00:12:13.840 --> 00:12:19.060 has come to live and to die so that we could be set free. We could be set free from our sin. 00:12:19.059 --> 00:12:23.919 We could be set free from the guilt and shame and the consequence of sin and from the judgment 00:12:23.919 --> 00:12:32.819 that inevitably will come from sin. And it's all in the timing. You see, it's Passover and it's Passion 00:12:32.819 --> 00:12:40.839 Week. This last week of Jesus's earthly ministry is so rich, so significant, so substantial, that here 00:12:40.839 --> 00:12:47.259 are those days that change the course of human history. And these are the days that can change the 00:12:47.259 --> 00:12:56.580 course of your individual life history. So the themes of Passover and Exodus, sacrifice, judgment, 00:12:57.319 --> 00:13:03.919 deliverance, departure, are the same themes that we see in Passover week. And if you want to follow 00:13:03.919 --> 00:13:12.019 the events, read from John chapter 12, read through to John 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and then into the events 00:13:12.019 --> 00:13:19.000 of the crucifixion and resurrection themselves, 18 to 21. And you'll see the unfolding story. 00:13:19.819 --> 00:13:26.919 But John, the gospel writer, is giving us a preview. He's saying, here's the time. Here's what's going to 00:13:26.919 --> 00:13:35.199 happen. In fact, early in the gospel, John the Baptist, we might call this a spoiler alert. 00:13:36.039 --> 00:13:42.120 Remember when John the Baptist in John chapter 1 and verse 29 said, behold the Lamb of God who takes 00:13:42.120 --> 00:13:51.679 away the sin of the world. The Lamb. That imagery of sacrifice. Going right back to Passover. The Lamb 00:13:51.679 --> 00:14:00.039 that was slain. The slain Lamb. The blood shed. The safety and security at a cost. But Jesus was the Lamb. 00:14:00.739 --> 00:14:07.019 Jesus was the Lamb of God. Jesus would be slain. Jesus would be sacrificed. Jesus' blood would be shed 00:14:07.019 --> 00:14:13.339 so that his people would be secure and that they could leave a place of bondage and go into a place 00:14:13.339 --> 00:14:21.439 of freedom. So we look at the time, Passover time. We look at the time it's Passion Week. And Jesus 00:14:21.440 --> 00:14:30.480 says it's time for him to go. Where's he going? Well, in a few days he's going to the cross. A few days 00:14:30.480 --> 00:14:37.760 later he's raised from the dead. Not many weeks later he ascends to heaven. He's returning to the 00:14:37.760 --> 00:14:45.080 Father. He's come from the Father. He's going back to the Father. Now you might say, well this is a loss, 00:14:45.080 --> 00:14:51.460 isn't it? And the disciples were distressed when Jesus explained that he was going. They were confused. 00:14:52.060 --> 00:14:57.720 They were upset. How could things be better if he leaves? Well, he said actually they will be better. 00:14:58.280 --> 00:15:04.100 Because he will send the Holy Spirit. God will send the Spirit. So that the people of God will be 00:15:04.100 --> 00:15:12.920 enlightened, enlivened, strengthened, invigorated. So Jesus is going to the cross. Jesus will be raised from 00:15:12.919 --> 00:15:20.740 the dead. Jesus will ascend to heaven. And we know that today Jesus is where? He's at the right hand of 00:15:20.740 --> 00:15:27.439 God. The right hand, that place of ultimate power, ultimate authority. He's there at the right hand of 00:15:27.439 --> 00:15:34.740 the majesty on high. And what's he doing? He's praying. He's interceding for us. He is bringing us 00:15:34.740 --> 00:15:43.460 before God. He's praying on our behalf to his Father. The Spirit poured out. The Son glorified. 00:15:43.960 --> 00:15:55.799 And you and I preserved and presented before his throne of grace. So we notice the time. It's a time 00:15:55.799 --> 00:16:03.680 for death. And it's a time for departure. And it's Jesus who's going to die. And it's Jesus who is going 00:16:03.679 --> 00:16:12.159 to leave. But what about the theme? How can we explain what's going on here? Well, the theme is 00:16:12.159 --> 00:16:18.719 brought before us very simply. And again, if you have the opportunity to read, read this section of 00:16:18.719 --> 00:16:26.120 John's Gospel, John 13 to John 17. Because the theme can be summed up in one profound word. And that's a 00:16:26.120 --> 00:16:33.500 four-letter word called love. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full 00:16:33.500 --> 00:16:41.419 extent of his love. Or he loved them to the end. In the first 12 chapters of John's Gospel, 00:16:41.779 --> 00:16:50.759 this word love is used only six times. But in these next four chapters, this word love is used 31 times. 00:16:51.519 --> 00:16:58.200 You see, Jesus is giving an extended explanation to his disciples. And time and time again, 00:16:58.200 --> 00:17:05.420 his explanation relies upon this word love. I have the privilege of conducting many weddings. 00:17:07.220 --> 00:17:12.480 Thankfully, over my 20 plus years as a minister, I've had many more weddings to conduct than funerals. 00:17:13.380 --> 00:17:18.700 And at weddings, you've got this happy occasion, husband and man and woman, soon to be husband and 00:17:18.700 --> 00:17:25.019 wife. And you're trying as the minister to explain a little bit about what they are making, the commitments 00:17:25.019 --> 00:17:33.480 that they are making on that occasion. Inevitably, I find myself reading from the Bible, 1 Corinthians 00:17:33.480 --> 00:17:40.460 chapter 13, that great chapter on love, and John chapter 3 and verse 16, for God so loved the world. 00:17:41.400 --> 00:17:48.740 You see, the word love in the Bible is not kind of that kind of emotional, gooey, warm feeling, 00:17:48.740 --> 00:17:55.519 that fuzzy feeling that you have in your heart. It's not just that. Yes, there is a feeling that we 00:17:55.519 --> 00:18:05.579 have with love. But love is a word that speaks of commitment, sacrifice, self-giving. It's a love 00:18:05.579 --> 00:18:14.120 that speaks of a commitment to do all that is required for the object of that love, the object of that 00:18:14.119 --> 00:18:23.479 affection. So it's a word that's spoken. But this spoken word implies commitment, implies action, implies 00:18:23.479 --> 00:18:32.199 on the part of the one who loves, that that person will do everything that is necessary for the beloved 00:18:32.199 --> 00:18:39.659 to be secure, to be safe, to be fulfilled. Having loved his own who were in the world. 00:18:39.660 --> 00:18:50.580 These last couple years, a lot of significant Christian voices have been silenced. Billy Graham, 00:18:51.279 --> 00:18:57.880 Ravi Zacharias, R.C. Sproul, J.I. Packer, these great speakers and writers and theologians, 00:18:57.980 --> 00:19:02.700 they have moved from this world to the world that is to come. They've come to experience for 00:19:02.700 --> 00:19:08.160 themselves the promise that they have been holding out before others, that those who die in Christ will 00:19:08.160 --> 00:19:15.300 rise in Christ. One of these great authors was a man called J.I. Packer. If you haven't read his book, 00:19:15.400 --> 00:19:22.120 Knowing God, it happened to be the first book that I read as a Christian. It's a short, well, it's a long 00:19:22.120 --> 00:19:28.940 book, but it's made up of short chapters. These were individual chapters in Christianity today and put 00:19:28.940 --> 00:19:37.980 together in a book. And Packer had this great skill of making very profound statements with very few words. 00:19:38.160 --> 00:19:46.759 And on this subject of love, he said this. He said, God loves all people in some ways. 00:19:48.060 --> 00:19:57.820 And God loves some people in all ways. So what is it here? When we're talking about love, 00:19:57.940 --> 00:20:05.840 what kind of love is being spoken about in John chapter 13? Is it the love that God has for all people? 00:20:05.839 --> 00:20:12.980 Or is it that special love that God has for some people? If you go back to John 3 16, 00:20:13.099 --> 00:20:17.159 for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him 00:20:17.159 --> 00:20:23.159 will not perish but have everlasting life. Clearly, that's the love that God has for everybody. 00:20:23.720 --> 00:20:30.899 All people, all the nations, all the peoples, 7.6 billion by current count on this planet, 00:20:30.900 --> 00:20:36.340 all loved by God. The love that he has for all people. 00:20:38.120 --> 00:20:44.900 There are some things you can't watch on YouTube. So I like old sermons and I like to read old sermons 00:20:44.900 --> 00:20:52.440 and I was reading an old sermon that was preached 130, 140 years ago. It was preached by a man called C.H. 00:20:52.540 --> 00:20:57.900 Spurgeon. He was a minister in London. He had a big congregation, 6,000 people every Sunday. 00:20:57.900 --> 00:21:05.240 And at this point in his career, he had been preaching for 31 years. And his text was John 3 16. 00:21:06.320 --> 00:21:12.140 And in the opening paragraph, he said this. He said, I was very greatly surprised the other day 00:21:12.140 --> 00:21:17.980 in looking over the texts from which I have preached to find that I have no record of ever having spoken 00:21:17.980 --> 00:21:24.720 from this verse, John 3 16. This is all the more singular because I can truly say that it might be 00:21:24.720 --> 00:21:31.980 put in the forefront of all my volumes of discourses as the sole topic of my life's ministry. 00:21:32.740 --> 00:21:38.900 It has been my one and only business to set forth the love of God to men in Christ Jesus. 00:21:39.600 --> 00:21:45.960 I heard lately of an aged minister of whom it was said, whatever his text, he never fails to set forth 00:21:45.960 --> 00:21:52.160 God as love and Christ as the atonement for sin. I wish that much the same may be said of me. 00:21:52.160 --> 00:21:58.600 My heart's desire has been to sound forth as with a trumpet the good news that God so loved the world 00:21:58.600 --> 00:22:07.019 that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. 00:22:07.640 --> 00:22:13.960 That's the message of the gospel. That there is a love that God has for you, whoever you are. 00:22:14.220 --> 00:22:20.180 And that love is shown in the giving of his son. And the terms and conditions of the gospel couldn't be simpler. 00:22:20.180 --> 00:22:27.120 God so loved that he gave. What do we do? We respond. We respond by trusting and believing 00:22:27.120 --> 00:22:33.340 that whosoever believes will not perish but have everlasting life. The terms and conditions are simple 00:22:33.340 --> 00:22:39.620 and the promise is straightforward. Not perish but have everlasting life. 00:22:40.580 --> 00:22:46.620 But John 3 and John 13 are slightly different, aren't they? Because it's not so much the love that God has 00:22:46.619 --> 00:22:55.519 for the world, which is true. But Jesus now is directing this love towards those who are his own. 00:22:55.519 --> 00:23:02.719 Having loved his own. What raises the question, who are his own? Who is Jesus speaking of here? 00:23:03.819 --> 00:23:11.179 Now you might think that as a Jewish person, Jesus is speaking of the Jewish people. 00:23:11.180 --> 00:23:20.120 He's speaking of those for whom the Old Testament was written. The children of Israel, the Jewish people. 00:23:21.060 --> 00:23:27.740 And in John chapter 1, they're described in this way. In John 1.10, he was in the world, Jesus. 00:23:28.360 --> 00:23:32.320 And though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 00:23:33.120 --> 00:23:37.279 Yet he came to that which was his own. He came to his own people. 00:23:37.279 --> 00:23:41.660 He came to the people who had all the Old Testament prophecy. 00:23:42.099 --> 00:23:43.819 All the Old Testament predictions. 00:23:44.639 --> 00:23:47.359 And what you would think the next part of that verse would be, 00:23:47.440 --> 00:23:49.920 he came to his own and his own welcomed him. 00:23:50.319 --> 00:23:54.180 And his own received him. And his own rejoiced at his coming. 00:23:55.359 --> 00:23:56.920 That's what you would think, wouldn't it? 00:23:57.379 --> 00:23:59.740 Because they knew. They'd been told. 00:24:00.379 --> 00:24:01.180 They were waiting. 00:24:01.180 --> 00:24:03.740 But the verse carries on this way. 00:24:03.820 --> 00:24:08.039 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 00:24:08.700 --> 00:24:10.759 So this can't mean his own. 00:24:10.860 --> 00:24:15.220 This can't mean just the Jewish people, the children of Israel. 00:24:15.539 --> 00:24:17.340 It has to mean something different. 00:24:18.380 --> 00:24:21.440 Well, in the opening verses of John's Gospel, it goes on to explain. 00:24:22.360 --> 00:24:24.320 Yet to all who did receive him, 00:24:24.720 --> 00:24:26.400 to those who believed in his name, 00:24:26.400 --> 00:24:29.960 he gave the right to become children of God. 00:24:31.180 --> 00:24:32.860 There's a formula there. 00:24:34.120 --> 00:24:35.600 If you're into maths, 00:24:36.360 --> 00:24:38.299 you can say that the formula is simple. 00:24:39.060 --> 00:24:42.400 That it's receive plus believe equals become. 00:24:43.200 --> 00:24:47.380 So if we're trying to understand who are his own, 00:24:48.080 --> 00:24:50.120 this formula really helps us, I think. 00:24:50.620 --> 00:24:53.840 Because you are one of his own if you receive him. 00:24:54.240 --> 00:24:57.720 You are one of his own if you believe in his name. 00:24:57.720 --> 00:25:03.819 You are one of his own if you are now become a child of God. 00:25:04.220 --> 00:25:07.100 Because if you're a child of God, if Jesus is a son of God, 00:25:07.160 --> 00:25:08.460 that means you're part of the family. 00:25:08.600 --> 00:25:11.539 That God is your father, Jesus is your elder brother, 00:25:11.900 --> 00:25:15.059 and every Christian is your brother or sister. 00:25:16.180 --> 00:25:18.660 So the love that is spoken of in John 13 00:25:18.660 --> 00:25:21.880 is not the love that God has for all, 00:25:22.000 --> 00:25:24.500 but that love that he has for some. 00:25:25.160 --> 00:25:26.680 Those who are his own. 00:25:26.680 --> 00:25:29.539 So this is a love that he shows, 00:25:30.080 --> 00:25:33.799 and this is a love that he will demonstrate to the very end. 00:25:34.620 --> 00:25:36.519 He loved his own who are in the world. 00:25:37.140 --> 00:25:41.640 He now showed them the full extent of his love. 00:25:44.100 --> 00:25:44.620 Sacrifice. 00:25:45.220 --> 00:25:45.840 Self-giving. 00:25:46.620 --> 00:25:50.440 Looking at the needs of those who are the object of his love. 00:25:51.600 --> 00:25:52.500 We're weak. 00:25:52.640 --> 00:25:53.400 He's strong. 00:25:53.400 --> 00:25:55.759 We have sinned and fallen short. 00:25:55.880 --> 00:25:58.900 He is perfect and without blemish and without spot. 00:25:59.700 --> 00:26:02.700 That's an interesting detail, too, about the Passover lamb. 00:26:03.480 --> 00:26:08.120 The lambs that were used for sacrifice had to be without blemish, without defect. 00:26:09.400 --> 00:26:12.160 Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, 00:26:12.259 --> 00:26:13.380 he was without blemish. 00:26:13.720 --> 00:26:14.780 He was without defect. 00:26:14.779 --> 00:26:16.680 We have plenty of blemishes. 00:26:17.000 --> 00:26:18.579 We have plenty of defects. 00:26:18.839 --> 00:26:23.440 That's why we need the sacrifice of one without blemish or defect. 00:26:24.539 --> 00:26:27.639 How does he demonstrate the full extent of his love? 00:26:28.319 --> 00:26:30.619 By what unfolds in the coming days. 00:26:31.759 --> 00:26:33.920 He was handed over, betrayed. 00:26:34.639 --> 00:26:35.619 He was arrested. 00:26:36.680 --> 00:26:37.819 He was tried. 00:26:38.519 --> 00:26:40.660 He was condemned on two capital charges. 00:26:40.660 --> 00:26:43.040 One was treason, claimed to be king. 00:26:43.140 --> 00:26:44.160 The other was blasphemy. 00:26:44.240 --> 00:26:45.300 He claimed to be God. 00:26:46.040 --> 00:26:47.040 He was mistreated. 00:26:47.180 --> 00:26:47.880 He was abused. 00:26:48.040 --> 00:26:49.000 He was spat upon. 00:26:49.120 --> 00:26:49.800 He was beaten. 00:26:50.840 --> 00:26:56.900 He was taken to that place of crucifixion, had to carry his cross for at least a portion of the journey. 00:26:57.700 --> 00:27:02.100 There he was crucified with malefactors, with evil men. 00:27:02.099 --> 00:27:05.000 And there the taunts continued. 00:27:05.240 --> 00:27:13.419 Not only the physical anguish, but now the taunts of the malefactors, the thief on the right and the left, 00:27:13.819 --> 00:27:16.799 the crowd, the religious people, the soldiers. 00:27:18.139 --> 00:27:21.399 The full extent of his love is the life that he lived, perfect. 00:27:22.019 --> 00:27:25.019 The full extent of his love was the death that he died, sacrificial. 00:27:25.619 --> 00:27:29.359 The full extent of his love that he was raised triumphant from the dead, 00:27:29.359 --> 00:27:33.319 that he conquered sin, he conquered death, he conquered evil, 00:27:33.619 --> 00:27:39.419 and that he ascended on high and is now at the place that is higher than any other place. 00:27:40.039 --> 00:27:42.339 The honor is greater than any other honor. 00:27:43.259 --> 00:27:45.639 That's the full extent of his love. 00:27:46.059 --> 00:27:48.779 The full extent that he has for his own. 00:27:49.539 --> 00:27:50.679 Because he loves them. 00:27:51.279 --> 00:27:52.859 Because he looks upon them in mercy. 00:27:52.979 --> 00:27:55.339 Because they can't save themselves. 00:27:55.339 --> 00:28:00.559 The children of old, the Israelites of old, could not rescue themselves from Egypt. 00:28:00.959 --> 00:28:05.379 And we cannot rescue ourselves from sin, from guilt, or from shame. 00:28:05.980 --> 00:28:07.559 We've caused the problem. 00:28:08.220 --> 00:28:10.699 Only God can solve the problem. 00:28:12.779 --> 00:28:13.899 Reminds me of the hymn. 00:28:14.659 --> 00:28:16.659 It was written by a man called William Cooper. 00:28:17.559 --> 00:28:18.000 He said, 00:28:18.079 --> 00:28:19.759 There is a fountain filled with blood. 00:28:19.839 --> 00:28:22.339 And one of the stanzas goes, 00:28:22.339 --> 00:28:26.559 Ever since by faith I saw the stream, thy flowing wounds supply. 00:28:27.259 --> 00:28:30.899 Redeeming love has been my theme and shall be till I die. 00:28:31.659 --> 00:28:33.859 Redeeming love is the theme of this verse. 00:28:34.500 --> 00:28:36.699 Redeeming love is the theme of this gospel. 00:28:36.839 --> 00:28:38.959 And redeeming love is the theme of this Bible. 00:28:39.659 --> 00:28:40.899 It's a costly love. 00:28:41.379 --> 00:28:42.439 It's a personal love. 00:28:42.519 --> 00:28:43.599 It's a powerful love. 00:28:43.939 --> 00:28:45.359 It's a sacrificial love. 00:28:45.459 --> 00:28:46.659 It's a self-giving love. 00:28:46.660 --> 00:28:51.440 It's a love that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has for you and for me. 00:28:53.340 --> 00:28:56.200 I want to go back to that first illustration that we had 00:28:56.200 --> 00:29:00.040 when Martin Luther King was speaking to those young people 00:29:00.040 --> 00:29:02.560 in that junior high school those many years ago. 00:29:03.580 --> 00:29:07.019 And on the comments page, just by way of illustration, 00:29:08.120 --> 00:29:11.720 many of the students who were actually there posted their comments. 00:29:11.720 --> 00:29:13.839 And they said, 00:29:14.019 --> 00:29:16.339 My life was never the same after that day. 00:29:17.519 --> 00:29:18.740 I walked a bit taller. 00:29:19.559 --> 00:29:20.720 I felt a bit better. 00:29:21.860 --> 00:29:24.819 When I heard those words, my life was changed. 00:29:25.799 --> 00:29:26.940 Let me ask you this. 00:29:27.579 --> 00:29:29.259 When you hear these words, 00:29:30.000 --> 00:29:32.539 are these life-changing words for you? 00:29:33.299 --> 00:29:36.460 Have you encountered this architect, Jesus? 00:29:37.380 --> 00:29:39.740 Is this the blueprint for your life? 00:29:39.740 --> 00:29:41.460 Redeeming love, sacrificial? 00:29:42.200 --> 00:29:42.640 Death. 00:29:43.860 --> 00:29:44.880 Substitutionary atonement. 00:29:45.220 --> 00:29:47.200 His life in the place of your life. 00:29:47.279 --> 00:29:48.819 Because if he's the architect, 00:29:48.980 --> 00:29:50.079 and if this is the blueprint, 00:29:50.440 --> 00:29:51.680 your life is changed. 00:29:52.220 --> 00:29:55.380 Your life can never be the same again. 00:29:56.920 --> 00:29:59.920 Because Jesus was talking about his death and his departure. 00:30:00.420 --> 00:30:01.799 Let me tell you the bad news. 00:30:02.000 --> 00:30:05.480 There's going to come a day when your death and your departure will come. 00:30:05.980 --> 00:30:09.880 And the Bible makes quite clear that that becomes a day of reckoning. 00:30:09.880 --> 00:30:15.360 And either you stand before God alone and have to give an account, 00:30:15.359 --> 00:30:18.339 or the Bible tells us that you can have an advocate. 00:30:19.019 --> 00:30:20.099 You can have a spokesman. 00:30:20.759 --> 00:30:23.419 And that spokesman is none other than Jesus Christ, 00:30:23.419 --> 00:30:26.539 who shows the full extent of his love, 00:30:26.740 --> 00:30:29.319 who loves us to the very end. 00:30:29.319 --> 00:30:32.319 So what can we say by way of application? 00:30:32.740 --> 00:30:35.539 If this is not the blueprint of your life, 00:30:35.579 --> 00:30:37.799 and if Jesus is not the architect of your life, 00:30:37.960 --> 00:30:39.179 this is what you need, 00:30:39.220 --> 00:30:40.319 and this is who you need. 00:30:40.980 --> 00:30:43.119 But if you are trusting in Jesus, 00:30:43.240 --> 00:30:45.200 if you are believing in him, 00:30:45.679 --> 00:30:48.619 the encouragement is to keep believing. 00:30:49.240 --> 00:30:50.240 Keep trusting. 00:30:50.799 --> 00:30:51.740 Keep going. 00:30:51.740 --> 00:30:55.299 One of the voices that was silenced in recent years, 00:30:55.400 --> 00:30:58.819 R.C. Sproul, a great preacher and writer and teacher, 00:30:59.640 --> 00:31:03.220 he reflected upon this phrase called the perseverance of the saints. 00:31:04.180 --> 00:31:04.819 He said, 00:31:04.900 --> 00:31:07.599 I think this little catchphrase is dangerously misleading. 00:31:08.339 --> 00:31:11.039 It suggests that perseverance is something that we do. 00:31:12.640 --> 00:31:14.039 Perhaps in and of ourselves. 00:31:14.220 --> 00:31:16.599 I believe that saints do persevere in faith, 00:31:16.599 --> 00:31:20.279 and that those who have been effectually called by God 00:31:20.279 --> 00:31:23.000 and have been reborn by the power of the Holy Spirit 00:31:23.000 --> 00:31:25.799 endure to the end. 00:31:26.559 --> 00:31:29.399 However, they persevere not because they are so diligent 00:31:29.399 --> 00:31:31.459 in making use of the mercies of God. 00:31:32.019 --> 00:31:35.879 The only reason we can give why any of us continue on in the faith 00:31:35.879 --> 00:31:38.179 is because we have been preserved. 00:31:39.019 --> 00:31:42.579 So I prefer the term the preservation of the saints, 00:31:43.059 --> 00:31:46.419 because the process by which we are kept in a state of grace 00:31:46.420 --> 00:31:48.920 is something that is accomplished by God. 00:31:49.720 --> 00:31:52.500 My confidence in my preservation 00:31:52.500 --> 00:31:54.860 is not in my ability to persevere. 00:31:55.700 --> 00:31:59.019 My confidence rests on the power of Christ to sustain me 00:31:59.019 --> 00:32:01.920 with his grace and by the power of his intercession. 00:32:02.580 --> 00:32:05.519 He is going to bring us safely home. 00:32:06.800 --> 00:32:07.860 Jesus is leaving, 00:32:08.580 --> 00:32:11.340 and Jesus wants to show us the full extent of his love 00:32:11.340 --> 00:32:13.440 so that where he goes, we go. 00:32:13.960 --> 00:32:15.880 He's going home, we go home. 00:32:17.320 --> 00:32:18.580 J.I. Packer said this. 00:32:18.660 --> 00:32:18.900 He said, 00:32:18.980 --> 00:32:21.680 the Christian's motto should not be let go and let God, 00:32:21.779 --> 00:32:23.519 but trust God and get going. 00:32:24.220 --> 00:32:25.440 So if you're not yet a Christian, 00:32:25.519 --> 00:32:26.660 I want you to trust God, 00:32:26.980 --> 00:32:29.300 and I want you to get going on the Christian life, 00:32:29.660 --> 00:32:32.100 to believe, to trust, to follow, to serve, 00:32:32.300 --> 00:32:34.580 to speak, and to tell, and to testify. 00:32:35.539 --> 00:32:37.420 Trust God and get going. 00:32:37.420 --> 00:32:39.920 But if you are a Christian here today, 00:32:40.480 --> 00:32:42.740 maybe I can adapt those words of Packer and say, 00:32:43.080 --> 00:32:45.480 trust God and keep going. 00:32:46.140 --> 00:32:47.100 Don't give up. 00:32:47.620 --> 00:32:48.420 Don't give in. 00:32:49.039 --> 00:32:50.120 Don't turn back. 00:32:50.820 --> 00:32:51.019 Why? 00:32:51.180 --> 00:32:54.000 Because the love that Jesus has is a personal love, 00:32:54.060 --> 00:32:55.019 it's a powerful love, 00:32:55.100 --> 00:32:56.700 and it's a persistent love. 00:32:57.019 --> 00:32:58.240 He loves you in the world, 00:32:58.240 --> 00:33:01.519 and he will love you to the end. 00:33:02.759 --> 00:33:07.640 I want to close with the words that the speaker closed with on that day in 1967 00:33:07.640 --> 00:33:11.160 to his, you might say, a very jubilant audience. 00:33:12.080 --> 00:33:13.180 He closed with these words. 00:33:13.300 --> 00:33:14.519 He says, we must keep moving. 00:33:15.040 --> 00:33:16.160 We must keep going. 00:33:17.100 --> 00:33:18.940 If you can't fly, run. 00:33:19.700 --> 00:33:20.960 If you can't walk. 00:33:21.500 --> 00:33:23.840 If you can't run, walk. 00:33:24.440 --> 00:33:27.019 If you can't walk, crawl. 00:33:27.680 --> 00:33:29.600 But by all means, keep moving. 00:33:30.820 --> 00:33:33.279 Maybe this morning you're a Christian and you're not flying. 00:33:34.060 --> 00:33:36.259 Maybe this morning you're a Christian and you're not running. 00:33:37.140 --> 00:33:39.519 Maybe this morning you're a Christian and you have to be honest and say, 00:33:39.580 --> 00:33:40.400 I'm not even walking. 00:33:40.400 --> 00:33:42.460 I'm just barely crawling. 00:33:43.420 --> 00:33:45.259 Well, by all means, keep moving. 00:33:46.019 --> 00:33:46.740 Don't give up. 00:33:47.220 --> 00:33:47.960 Don't give in. 00:33:48.680 --> 00:33:49.400 Trust God. 00:33:49.560 --> 00:33:50.100 Keep going. 00:33:50.220 --> 00:33:50.519 Why? 00:33:51.080 --> 00:33:54.540 Because the redeeming love of Jesus never lets you go. 00:33:55.080 --> 00:33:57.440 The redeeming love of Jesus never lets you down. 00:33:58.300 --> 00:34:03.160 He wants to show us the full extent of his love in this world and to the very end. 00:34:03.580 --> 00:34:04.759 So let me tell you this. 00:34:05.140 --> 00:34:09.260 When you rest in Jesus, you are resting in the sure promises of God 00:34:09.260 --> 00:34:12.340 that he will never let you go. 00:34:12.340 --> 00:34:13.660 Trust God. 00:34:14.120 --> 00:34:14.700 Keep going. 00:34:15.220 --> 00:34:16.260 Whether you can fly. 00:34:16.760 --> 00:34:17.660 Whether you can run. 00:34:18.240 --> 00:34:19.160 Whether you can walk. 00:34:19.740 --> 00:34:21.120 Or whether simply you can crawl. 00:34:21.680 --> 00:34:23.640 By all means, keep moving. 00:34:23.639 --> 00:34:24.559 For principle. 00:34:24.679 --> 00:34:25.559 Do nothing. 00:34:26.000 --> 00:34:26.400 Because the fil in verse, I don't get them. 00:34:26.460 --> 00:34:26.799 People. 00:34:26.980 --> 00:34:28.480 Because wisdom. 00:34:29.259 --> 00:34:29.440 Verse probe. 00:34:29.659 --> 00:34:30.039 Amen. 00:34:30.299 --> 00:34:30.679 Rose probe. 00:34:30.879 --> 00:34:32.519 Come with me. 00:34:36.519 --> 00:34:36.799 Come out. 00:34:36.799 --> 00:34:38.900 Go against him. 00:34:39.159 --> 00:34:40.019 Go against him. 00:34:40.259 --> 00:34:40.299 Oh. 00:34:40.460 --> 00:34:40.719 という wish. 00:34:40.779 --> 00:34:41.679 God make people comfort. 00:34:41.799 --> 00:34:42.359 Don't give them up. 00:34:42.559 --> 00:34:43.179 Of course. 00:34:43.179 --> 00:34:43.659 Wait. 00:34:43.659 --> 00:34:44.219 Do nothing.