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Gospel chapter 13 and verse 12. Was it so? After he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord, and you say, Well, for so I am.
If I then your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye ought also to wash one another's feet.
For I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, the servant is not greater than his Lord, neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If you know these things, happy are ye if you do them. I speak not of you all. I know whom I have chosen.
But that the scripture may be fulfilled. He that eateth bread with me and lifted up his heel against me.
And now I tell you before it is before it come, that when it is come to pass, he may believe that I am he.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, either receiveth whomsoever I send, receiveth me.
And neither receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me, when Jesus had thus said.
He was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, and verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.
Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake.
Now there was leaning on Jesus bosom, one of his disciples in Jesus love. Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him. They should ask who it should be and who may speak.
He then, lying on Jesus breath, says unto him, Lord, who is it?
Jesus answered he it is to whom I should give a stop when I adapted. And when he adipped this up, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.
And after the stop, Satan entered into him, then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest you quickly.
Now no man at the table knew for what intent is greatness unto him. For some of that thought, because Judas had the bag that Jesus had said unto him, Why those things that we have need of against the feast, or that he should give something to the poor?
He then having received the stop when immediately out and it was lightning.
Therefore, when he was going out, Jesus said, now you're the Son of man. Glorifying God is glorified in him.
If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him.
Little children.
Yet a little while I am with you.
Ye shall seek me. And as I said unto the Jews, whether I go, he cannot come. So now I say to you.
The new commandment I give unto you that ye love one another, as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
By then till all men know that ye are my disciples, if you have loved one to another.
Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go? Thou cast not follow me now, but thou shalt follow me afterward.
Peter said on the Empire, Why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake.
Jesus answered him. Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake?
Verily, barely, I say unto thee, the ***** shall not grow till thou hast denied me thrice.
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I thought you could say that the manner in which the Lord Jesus had done this, washing the disciples feet, laying aside his garments, taking the towel, and all that is brought before us in the way He did it is now brought before us as an example. The way we should seem to wash one another's feet. And then too when He speaks into Himself as being their Lord and Master or Teacher.
It shows that.
Although in that position had taken the humble place. And so it's for us to go about anything of this nature in a very humble way, because just as we have in Philippians chapter 2, when the Lord had set before us as the example of humility, it tells us that he was equal with God and is equal with God, but he made himself of no reputation.
So the one who had the right to the highest place took the lowest place.
Here again, when he speaks of himself as Lord and Master, he had a right to be above them, but in marvelous grace he took the lower place. We're so prone to think of our own rights, think, well, I don't have to take the humble place before that, brother or sister, but when we think of the Lord of glory taking this place.
What an example for us in grace.
Learn something from the fact that they were looking up for the Lord and Peter did not want that one like the Lord was down the wall and performed his service.
While none of us could ever compare itself or we looked at others whether they tried in that same way.
Put it'll be an important point if it is necessary that we receive the other higher than ourselves, and not only looking on our own things, but also on that which the Lord has given to others.
As a necessary requirement for us to receive the service that others rendered to us, let me look up to them.
While students perform, the service ought to take a low place yet.
We should look up the door to serve us in that way we can more readily accept and appreciate even the service that others seek to render to us.
The example, would it not be in connection with the?
Spirit manner in which this service is carried out was not those thinking that.
In verse three we have something of the dignity of the Lord Jesus and that all things have been put into his hands and he came from God and went to God. What a what a real position of dignity occupied, But when he washes their feet.
He takes an entirely different position and he hurts himself with a towel. And I thought we have in the New Testament.
Those who watch for your soul we read in Hebrews 13 and we read about those who take the lead among you as well, and and Thessalonians, and we read of those men who were chief men among the brethren.
But it seems to me that Vault the example would be that while one might be esteemed among his brethren, it wouldn't be from that standpoint that he would seek to serve his brotherhood.
In other words, he would take from the standpoint of a serpent a girding himself with a towel, I think would indicate the spirit and attitude in which one seeks to undertake this service of washing one another's meat. So you don't one doesn't take it up from the standpoint of any place he might occupy among the Saints.
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But from the standpoint of being a servant.
My brother John remarked what was I think, important for us, that we have instruction and the example about how we're to go about something like this, taking that humble place and being willing to take our place at the feet of our brother whom we seek to help. But then on the other hand, he mentioned how no matter what the attitude of the brother is.
We are to receive what is said is from the Lord.
And that's a good point for us to remember because of a brother or sister might come to us in the wrong attitude, it wouldn't justify them.
But the Lord might use it. We know that when David was cursed, or rather yes, David was cursed by Shimmy Eye, it was certainly an entirely wrong attitude that Shimmy I took. And it was very sad that he spoke that way of the Lord's anointed. But on David's part, he didn't look upon the instrument he saw it is from the Lord.
And he said to his man that wanted to rise up and do harm to shimmy eye, he said the Lord hath bit him curse.
So he received it as from the Lord, even though Shemiah's attitude was wrong.
And the Lord afterwards had to deal with Shemiah for this, as we know, But nevertheless David received a profit from that.
Correction. So I think it is good, those two sides, that on our part we receive it as from the Lord, no matter who the person is or how he does it or she does it. But as on the other hand, when we receive it as the one who is doing this work of trying to wash another's feet, it is important that we should do it in the right attitude.
Or the Lord might have to speak to us afterwards because of the manner in which we did it.
Even in the case of Job, I've been struck that.
It was the Serbians and the wind from the wilderness and the devil who was the instrument behind a lot of those things that happened to Joe. But Job never mentioned anything about the civilians or the enemy. He said The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord, he said again.
Shall we receive good from the hand of the Lord, and shall we not receive evil? He accepted everything as from the Lord, and looked beyond the instrument.
So did Paul in prison, the prisoner of Jesus Christ. It's often hard for us to do this, but I think we often miss a blessing that God could give to us if we don't look beyond the instrument whom he uses.
There's a parallel solicitor.
Gain humility by seeking after it is in itself such a dangerous thing. It is not any of these things. If I set out to try to earn a reputation for humility, and I would never do just what you suggest, Father Norman, and the same thing. If we seek after a reputation for love or faithfulness or whatever, we're in very grave danger. We're entirely in a wrong premise.
But I suppose that occupation with the Lord Jesus, and that's exactly what we have here, would produce in us that perfect blend of humility, love, faithfulness, without any of these things being sought after as a goal or an object. I was thinking too, in connection with having our eye upon the instrument that might, in the sovereign ways of God, be used for our blessing.
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To make it very practical, suppose the neighbor banged into my car. I might have something to say about my careless neighbor.
Suppose my brethren were to speak very unkindly against me or my loved ones. I might have something to think or say about their attitude or their comments. But you know, it's lightning struck my home. I can't blame my neighbor. I can't blame my brethren. Now I will probably have to say, I wonder what the Lord is trying to tell me.
Because it's very, very evidently came from some other source than my neighbors for my brethren.
But the other two occasions were just as truly allowed of the Lord.
To teach me Anita's last. And perhaps the voice would not be quite so severe if we would listen to it the first time.
Why and how is it wrong to look for love or to have a reputation of community or something? Maybe an example would help.
Well, if I were thinking after humility, it would really just be a very deceitful and subtle form of pride. It's a reputation I'm seeking after for something, and the desire to be recognized as a very humble brother would certainly.
Hinder me in a service that would perhaps put me before the eyes of my brethren. To seek a reputation for love, I would hold back in faithfulness because it would damage my reputation as a loving brother. To seek a reputation as a faithful brother, I'm afraid, would hinder the outflow of gentle love where it ought to be seen.
And so I believe in the various situations that we encounter.
If our occupation has been with the Lord Leader, if, as we have been reminded, we have been close to Him.
The the right and proper display will be seen without any reputation of any kind. He is the one who made himself of know everything. He was the only one entitled to one that we might dare to say that.
Perhaps an example would be in the 12Th chapter of Hebrews where it says about.
The 10th verse. For they verily, that is fathers of our flesh. They verily for a few days chastened us after their pleasure, their own pleasure. But He for our prophet, that we might be partakers of His Holiness. So we find that while as fathers we might do things for our own good, correct our children for our own good.
The Lord never corrects us. Except it's for our prophet. Isn't that lovely?
That we might be partakers of His Holiness, We might say something to another, rebuke him, or something to justify ourselves.
Because they have said something that hurt us or a friend. But if we thought of it in this way, and perhaps that's why it comes in at the end. If you know these things, happy are ye, if ye do them. Do we always say the things and do the things that we do with first, the Lord's glory and secondly, the prophet of another, Not just for ourselves that we might correct some situation for our own interests, but anything.
Like that aloud spoils both that which is due to the Lord and the blessing of His people. And so it's always that desire that should be before us. Those two things should always be the motivation, the Lord's glory and the blessing of others.
By our mother's Ellen, waiting for the village.
On Joel and he thinks of the friends of Joel being part of this circumstances which is what has been mentioned, but he also on the other hand, as far as.
Our attitude toward one whom the Lord may be dealing with is not to be like Joe's friends and add to the burden, but rather when we know that the Lord is stealing or if we sense what the Lord is dealing with the person to be. Soothing, I think, was the word. He used to be a soothing.
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Well, the circumstances of Joe were made worse by his friends, but that was all part of the God's plans for him and God's working with him.
Around the hardest part of God's dealings with us, he noticed how when he had lost all his possessions, he took it very wonderfully, saying, the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away.
Blessed be the name of the Lord. And then when he lost his health, it was a little harder, and he said, shall we receive good at the hand of the Lord, and shall we not receive evil?
But when his friends said those unkind things to him, why it riled up the flesh within, didn't it? And don't we often find that ourselves some accident happens or some trial comes in sickness and we have grace to take it from the Lord. But no doubt the hardest thing to take is something that we feel is unfair. But what is often commented this and it's very soul searching for us.
We learn more about ourselves by false accusations.
But who wants? Because if the thing that is said about us is true, we only have to be honest to say, well, I'm sorry, I have to admit that that's true. But if the accusation is false, the feeling that rises in our natural hearts, imagine him saying a thing like that about me. I wouldn't do that. Oh, that's the pride that God was trying to expose to us and show to us, which we wouldn't have learned.
Wasn't for that false accusation because that brought out the fact that we were like Peter. We thought we wouldn't do that thing and the Lord was helping us to judge it. If we really received it from the Lord, the answer would be, well, I could have done it. I would have done it, but for the grace of God. It was no better than than that thing that he accused me of. And so the Lord often teaches us in these things and if we have the grace to receive them.
From him it can really be for our prophet much better than that. The accusation should be true, because then we dishonored the Lord and we have brought something upon ourselves, perhaps in the governmental ways of God. Well, it's often difficult to receive these things, but he for our prophet, that we might be partakers of His Holiness.
That eleventh verse of the 12Th of Hebrews, it says now no chastening for the time seem like joyous, but grievous nevertheless. Afterward it yielded the peaceable fruit of righteousness to them that are exercised their by the exercise is the key, isn't it? If we are exercised by a circumstance, well then we're going to get that after you the blessing. But the exercise is so important.
Whether it's the individual or in a family or in the assembly, if there is the exercise, then we can count on the Lord to help us. But without that exercise, we're just liable to be using our own thoughts and and taking offense and so on. But that exercise is a key, isn't it, to the after yield of blessing.
We have that very chapter before us in the 12 and Fredericton at their meetings, and we were noticing there that there are three different ways that such things can be received. It speaks about despising the chastening of the Lord, and I believe despising the chasing of the Lord is practically saying, well, I guess everyone has trouble sometimes.
And so we just accept it as being a sort of a common course of things and we.
We don't see the Lord's hand in it, in other words. And then we can say we can become discouraged, feel that the Lord is bringing on us almost more than we can bear, send me more than we can possibly handle, and then we are discouraged by it. But the way of blessing, as you said, is the third way and to be exercised thereby.
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Notice it doesn't say that we always can pinpoint some particular thing why the Lord allowed it, but we can.
Get a blessing by being partakers of His Holiness. And if the trial has drawn us nearer to the Lord, even though we may not say some particular thing, it can become a blessing. It wasn't some particular thing in Job's life. It was rather something entirely hidden. It was that pride of his heart which only the eye of God saw.
Job searched his life and he couldn't find anything that he could say I I don't think I did this, it was wrong or that.
So he ended up justifying himself, and what God was really trying to show to Job was that he thought he was better than others and he wanted him to take the humble place and the poor himself. He'd abhorred his friends, but he hadn't abhorred himself. And that was a difficult thing for Joe. So sometimes just because we can't find some particular thing.
That we think is wrong.
There may be some hidden things, some attitude in our heart that the Lord is trying to bring before us, and this can be for blessing. Well, all these things come out through the washing of water by the Word, and it may be through an instrument, it may be through meetings, and there are various means that God uses, but it's all with this purpose for our good.
And if we prophecy them, it's a blessing not only to ourselves, but to others as well.
Have wondered if there is something of an illustration of those 3 attitudes in the reaction of Naomi.
And of Job and of Paul to the adversities that they met. When adversity befell Naomi, she said, The Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. What a sad response to the hand of the Lord when adversity befell Job, he said, Shall we receive good from the hand of the Lord, and shall we not also receive evil?
It sounds like a bit of a stoical attitude. In other words, I'm just going to square my shoulder that bear with it.
He's given me good things now he's given me evil things, and I'll not complain. But when adversity befell the apostle Paul, recognizing the hand of the Lord and being exercised by it, he says most gladly. Therefore will I rather glory in my infirmity. So there is a danger that we react like Naomi and really.
Blame God and get down under it, or else we just square our shoulders and try to make the most of it, or else we realize the hand of God was in it.
And.
Think the less intended and then we can do what Paul did. I remember seeing a calendar lease but I guess it wasn't entirely accurate but it said that there were three foul that reacted in quite a different way to a a downpour. A hen was the most dejected and miserable looking creature when it was caught in the rain. The duck was completely indifferent. The water just rolled off.
But a Robin sang its sweetest songs in time of race well.
I feel there's something about that when you meet with a believer who has met with adversity and has recognized the hand of the Lord and you really concede a song in their heart and on their lips. Not after the problem has been removed and while it's still there. It's a wonderful and humbling experience.
Years ago, I remember our brother McMillan pointing out two verses in Psalm 106.
The one says, then believe they his word, they sang his prey, and in the very same Psalm, a few verses further down, they believed not his word, but murmured in their tent. No evidence of a change of circumstances, but in the one instance singing his praise, in the other murmuring in their temps, and one was a matter of belief.
Faith, the other, was a matter of unbelief. And really?
Do I speak the truth every time I murmur? It's really unbelievable every time I murmur that I would be afraid to put it in these words in the ears of God. I'm really looking up and saying I could have chosen better than that. Now imagine saying that to God. But when I murmured about health or weather or circumstances or anything else, I'm really telling God I could have those patterns.
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Well, in the case of Judith's, no change of circumstances one way or the other did anything as regards Judas, because there was no response within to anything that happened. We, as it says this 18th verse. I speak not of you all. I know whom I have chosen, but that the Scripture may be fulfilled. He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.
We can't see God's hand in all the things that take place.
We can by his grace, prophet, by them abide. All these things only bring out the wretchedness of what man's heart is. And so we see this when trials come into the life of an unbeliever, what does it bring out? Total alienation from God. Maybe as long as things are going well, he's sort of happy because there's no upheaval in his life. When things go wrong, he.
Return to start and blame God. And so we find here with Judas that after all that he had seen and everything, his heart comes out in the end. He was thinking only of his own game. He was going to get some money for betraying the Lord Jesus. What an awful picture of what the natural heart is.
Just thinking as we this was read the end of that.
12Th verse. Know ye what I have done unto you? It is so much what he said to them. It was what he did. I was thinking of of this verse in the in the Acts of the Apostles, the 1St chapter there where it speaks about of all that Jesus began fortunate to do and to teach.
We we put that in reverse, don't we? We, we seek to teach and and we don't do always. We our example isn't too good, but the Lord Jesus, he always did that. He he did first and in it he taught them something with me. I thought how, how, how this is brought out here. She says, she called me master and Lord, and you say, well, or so I am.
Well then in the 15th, first he says I have given you.
An example that you should do as I have done unto you thinking of the in the 6th of March we find the the disciples there it's Mark 6 and after the John's body there they took up the courts and put it and laid it in a tool and.
Then their remark to the Lord in the Mark chapter 6 and verse 30.
And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus and told him all things, both what they had done and what they had thought. Well, they this was right here. But there was something, there was something of pride came in here. So he brings them now apart to himself, doesn't he? He takes them apart, He says, He said to them.
Call me your birth and yourself apart into a desert place last while all it was necessary for them to get it back into his presence again and not be occupied with what they had done, but to be occupied with Christ. Adapters and lovely example there. But the Lord Jesus always did first, did he? And then he thought of something by what he had done, because he says if he knows these things.
Happy are ye, if he to them.
There are four times there aren't good words done in connection business versus a very interesting comparison for this grief of seeing one of their number do this awful act in the thought of that in the 6th chapter of John and notice here in the 6th chapter of John in the 66th verse.
It says that from that time back, from that time, many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him then said Jesus under the 12.
Would he also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? And thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe in our assure that thou art not Christ the Son of the living God. Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you? 12 And one of you is a devil. He spake of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.
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For he it was that should betray him being one of the 12.
Now here we find that the disciples had seen quite a number go back, and the Lord asked them, will he also go away? And the answer that Peter gives is so lovely. He said, Lord, to whom shall we go? In other words, his heart was attracted to a person. And then he asked, Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe in our sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
All this was indeed very lovely, but we might wonder why the Lord replied to him as he did in the 16th of Matthew, when he made a similar comment. The Lord said, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed unto me, but my Father, which is in heaven. But here there was no blessing pronounced. Instead the Lord's answer is.
Have not I chosen you 12 and one of you as a devil? I thought about this quite a little bit as to why the Lord's answer was so different on this occasion.
But I believe it was to test the heart of Peter. We might say, any of us might say, well, I'm here because I believe the Lord is here. I'm here because I believe that we are gathered to his precious name and He is in the midst. But rather the Lord can attest us about that. He's going to test us. He already let them see some turn back. And what the Lord to me was really saying to Peter.
Well, Peter, if you're here because I'm here.
Don't get your eyes on the people. You're going to be disappointed. One of the numbers going to be a big disappointment to you. And so this is a real test for every one of us. We might be able to say just like Peter, Well, I believe I'm here because the Lord is here. What? We're going to be tested. And if we have our eyes upon men, we're sure to be very disappointed. But we'll never be disappointed if our eyes are upon Him.
He is the chiefest among 10,000, the altogether lovely one.
So here we find the Lord warns them again. He said, I tell you before it comes to pass, and when it is come to pass, He may what, get discouraged and turn the side because one of the numbers did this? No, He said that he may believe that I am He, in other words, that you'll have your eyes on me and not upon the feet. Goes on to show us that we don't go through these things without feeling.
And we think of how the Lord felt. He was troubled in spirit.
Now He knew all this before, and yet when this actually came, the point came that Judas was about to display what was in his heart and to do that awful act of betraying him. The Lord Jesus felt it. And let us never take anything just sort of as a matter of course. Well, I knew that was going to come. The Lord knew it was going to come. But the deep feeling and compassion of His blessed heart.
He he ever he took no joy.
It says He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, and he felt it fully. We have it expressed in the Psalms. If it had been an enemy, I could have borne it. But my friend, and whom I trusted, that lifted up his heel against me. So let us never treat any of these things without feeling. The Lord felt it, even though He knew it.
This is part of the connection with a man wasn't that Jerry's troubles and conspirators find that in a earlier an earlier chapter.
His soul was troubled and he had a body that could go through pain suffering. Well, how blessed it be true that is that here was was truly men and as you say, he really felt this though he knew all about it. He knew what was ahead. Yes, he felt seems to be different Recently I felt somewhat distant ejected as I I saw a mere Christian going through a big trials and.
Praying about it because.
In my eyes, I don't see any particular need for for a trial in this to your brother, but the Lord gave me a few scriptures that were reading precious to my soul and one of them is in John just before is this chapter in John Chapter 11 and.
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In reference to Lazarus, who thou lovest is sick, and then?
The fourth verse of John 11.
Jesus heard that he says this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God. That seemed to be the first reason that this trial was allowed, that it was for God's glory, and then the Son of God might be glorified thereby. And in John Chapter 9.
Cycles asked the question Master in the second verse, who did sin this manner as parents, that he was born blind.
Jesus answered neither of this man sinned nor his parents, but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. And the fourth reason that came to my heart was in reference to the Apollo Paul, that those other Christians could be strengthened by his body and his trial. And the fifth reason that I that I thought of went to the 16th of Acts where Paul and Salas were going through.
And it missed the salvation of an unbeliever and.
The the last thing that I was thinking of who was that it strengthened us to go through a trial and and often it's necessary to fix things to strengthen us. I just mentioned that because quite often my own heart had been so I'm sad to say looking at a trial is why is the Lord allowing that for for chasing when I found these other beautiful reasons.
For the Lord will allow us to actually be worried when He speaks about the word for chastening. There really is discipline, isn't it? Which is not?
Confined to the fault of correction entirely.
Because discipline is has a positive side as well as a negative side, does it not? So no doubt their brother's saying it would be an entirely negative attitude to look upon trials and afflictions always from the standpoint.
Of it being corrected. Indeed, there is no doubt that the the as was already pointed out how the apostle gained through his infirmities, he gained something that he would not have had had not the Lord sent that messenger. Satan devoted him. So that discipline is is training as well as it's not always correction, it's training.
Leading his own into a a greater appreciation.
Of that relationship that we have with God as our father and I'm sure that the more we enter into all of the.
Enter into the fact that God is the architect of all of our circumstances as our Father. The more we appreciate that relationship, we learn to to take everything in the light of that relationship as Father.
Not merely God in a sovereign way, but it's the Father dealing with his children.
Paul could say there that this passage that you're referring to, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Now this was very evident that it wasn't only as in any way of punishment, but that there was a positive purpose in it, that the power of Christ may rest from me.
The psalmist says many are the afflictions of the righteous.
Not necessarily be ungodly as depictions of the righteous.
One loser we would be, if we've had the choosing of our own circumstances, we would really be the losers because we would choose sunshine and roses all the rest of the way home. I think, and I'm sure we've all enjoyed the 23rd Psalm. It starts out so smoothly, pleasantly, beautifully, and we think Ish is that delightful. And the Lord could easily order that that condition could continue until we're safely home.
And then we come to the Valley of the Shadow.
And it's very, very beautiful how the psalmist seems to enjoy the company of the Lord in a much nearer way from that point onwards. The early part of the Psalm, the Lord in my shepherd I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green passage. He leadeth me beside the filled waters, and so on. He's thinking about the shepherd.
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And the conditions are very blessed. But then comes the valley of the shadow, and he changes.
And he says, thou art with not he. Now he is speaking directly to the shepherds, and he never says he for the rest of that song. It's thou the rest of the way. And in fact it, it just turns into such beauty after the valley of the shadow. Then there's the table spread, the overflowing cups, and the pattern becomes so much more beautiful after the valley than before it. And yet.
Again, if we were choosing our own circumstances, there would be no such valley. But he chooses, and he chooses so wisely. And if we just realize that it's his choice, that his presence is there, it can result in that which will make even eternity itself sweeter. I'm sure that in the glory, Paul will be eternally thankful for the experience of the prisoner of Philippines and for many other.
We compare what we have here about the announcement of what betraying the Lord and what we have in Matthew.
In Matthew, when the Lord says that one would betray him, they began to see each one of the Lord is and I, each one of us said Lord is it. I I think that is very instructive. The Lord could have at the very outset announced who it was.
But he put it in such a way as to.
Cause each one to search his own heart. Or is it I and I thought that in regard to our our circumstances, not only physical afflictions or anything of this art, but our circumstances too, in regard to.
What might be?
The attitude of.
Various ones in the gathering toward us and so forth that in all of these things it would cause us to search our own hearts in ways too. As our brother Gordon mentioned about Shemi cursing David. David says that the Lord had sent him and he allowed it. And we know that when Solomon when things came in and Solomon's Kingdom. Why we read that God raised up an adversary.
And the diverse of the proverbs, I don't know what I quoted exactly, but into this thought that if a man's weighed please the Lord, he causes even his enemies to be at peace with him. So if there are circumstances that are adverse.
It is well for us to search out our hearts in the Lord's presence, and it may be our fault or it may not be. I was thinking in the case now with David. He felt that Gemma's cursing was the hand of the Lord and called it his own failure. But then there were those who opposed Paul, like Alexander in The Coppersmith. But it wasn't because of Paul's failure. It wasn't that.
Had raised up an adversary there because of Paul's failure there it was a case of one withstanding the truth so it isn't always but it's well to be exercised. It seems to be before the Lord and to be able to say like the disciples. Lord is in eyes. Does the fault lie with me and I believe the Lord will give us an answer to you know we could think brother Johnson.
The reaction John took place before when we read other Matthew.
And as they look one on another here, I was just thinking that if we could have an authoritative announcement that someone in this company here will fail very grievously very shortly, wouldn't we start looking around and seeing somebody maybe that we thought wasn't walking well? And we would be expecting that maybe someone else might be the one to fail. But when we get to examine our own hearts, we would have to say.
I wonder if I'm going to be the one that will fail. So they would say, Lord, is it I? But it always seemed to me that this reaction here in John was the first one. They looked one upon another, not realizing their own heart. They just had their feet washed, but they still were looking one upon another.
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That's when the Lord cases in that 21St verse when Jesus had thus said in a struggle with spirit.
And testified and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall pray, one of you, what a sad no history to have the Lord of glory, and to look upon his company, and say, Why don't you present with me all this time, one of you, not someone else, not someone out in the world.
But one of you shall be scared thinking about it. In the song, Mr. McGurk says it wasn't an animal.
What company was it? It is an available system. I think it is, but it's a it's certainly shows us the heart of this. What's a savior how he felt it one of the feel itself near enough to the Lord to pass city, so he beckoned to John who was leaning on Jesus lose him that John would ask.
Well, sometimes there is with us the consciousness in these trying situations that were not near enough to the Lord.
It's a good thing when we realize it. Better still, when we judge it, we can see that Lopeter apparently realized that this point. He let the matter pass. And if he had really judged at this point, there might have been that boasting that we have in the end of the chapter.
And so if we miss these little things that the Lord allows her brother mentioned in the talk to the young people because many red light they're often warnings along the way would pay no attention to them.
And so it seems that he realized here at this point, he had made a bad mistake when he had said not my feet only, but now also my hands and my head. Now he's conscious that he's not near enough to ask the Lord who it was. And still at the end of the chapter, he's boasting that he's better than the rest of the disciples. How it shows us that we're not aware of our own hearts, and yet the Lord is showing us very.
Things have come up and we don't take notice of them, and they could be for our blessing if we did. Well, we've been talking about looking beyond the instrument, and so I think it's just that thought that we have here. He that receiveth whomsoever I sent receiveth me. He that receiveth me receiveth Him that sent me. Here was the Lord Jesus in lowly grace.
Laying aside his garments and taking a towel. And yet that blessed One, as we learned in the third chapter, is the one who came from the Father and went to the Father.
So they saw Him in the position of a servant, but they must never forget who he really was. And so we've been speaking about instruments whom God may use. We have to look beyond the instrument and see the Lord using the instrument. And that, I believe, is what He is really bringing before us. He, he that receiveth whomsoever I send, receiveth me.
So whoever the Lord uses to speak to us, receiving us from the Lord, he's the one that uses that instrument for positive.
The service rather than.
Chastisement.
We have been hearing about accepting things from the law and circumstances that He allows here seems to be more still connected with the responsibility of doing the service as He had instructed the disciples thinking to imitate the Lord and the Lord.
Anticipates that.
That there might be some hesitance or people might be hesitant to accept what they would be doing and the blessed that is pronounced if they receive the service.
And the question is to.
Trials and difficulties that come up we have with the Apostle Paul.
Saying that the Lord had given him an open door and there are many adversaries. I believe we have to see too, that whenever God is doing the work, the enemy will try to discourage and oppose and ruin the work.
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We certainly have to exercise. We exercise as to whether opposition or difficulties arise.
And because of our imperfect way of carrying on the things of God. But on the other hand, we must not.
Get too much occupied with self. Also perhaps seeing the enemy sticking to ruin the work of the Lord.
My house, who That is when we first were getting out to Henderson.
The first letter that he wrote to the assembly, he commented in that, and it was just as if the Lord was preparing us.
He said. I've seen it again and again. When the Lord raises up a testimony the enemy will seek to destroy, testing will come and how important it is that we need these testings, but at the same time we must not.
Just get overly occupied with self. There might also be clearly an attack of the enemy trying to discredit and ruin the testimony of the Lord without question on verse 20.
Is it possible that we find in the Gospel of John we see the presentation of the of the Lord Jesus as the great I am? I believe that we find the expression I am 49 times in the Gospel.
And so if we connect the 20th verse with the 19th verse, it's really the one who is supreme. I believe that he is an italics. And so we have the I am presented that is in deliberation of all things that are taking place within this chapter. We see that he has warned them that is as the great I am. He knows all things that are taking place. And so as that one, he is able to control all things. And so he brings.
The view here coming from that 19th verse into the 20th verse, showing his control in these things as to the receiving.
He that received, he that received whomsoever I send receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. The fullness of the of the Council as to his control, even though all the things that are going to take place here are in the life of the of the Lord Jesus.
Would seem as though the enemy for a season was going to be victorious and it would appear to be in line with.
That which we've had all the way through this chapter that the Lord was preparing them now for that which was going to come later. For instance, he said that the earlier in the chapter, in the seventh verse. What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know.
Hereafter though, he was looking on to the time when he wouldn't be here, then in the.
14th verse If I, then your Lord and Master washing your feet, He also ought to wash one another's feet, Then the 15th For I have given you an example, that he should do as I have done unto you. 17 If you know these things, happy are ye if you do them. And then that 20th verse seems.
That to me, that it is.
Preparing them for the time when he wouldn't be here and that they would be carrying on as the Father had sent him. So he was going to send them and they were going to take this place now that he had taken as a defendant man. Also, there has been some sweetness to John's position on the bosom of the Lord Jesus.
And what a blessed position it was for him and yet has been made comment of.
We see that Peter seemingly was at a distance, and yet we would believe that the Lord Jesus.
Had two sides, that is, there was one person on one side and there was a person on the other side. The one person was so close Peter could say unto him, speak unto the Master, and see he was leaning upon the bosom of the Lord Jesus. Well, who was it that was on the other side? Well, if we carefully examine the Gospels and as we see here, we see that there was another that was close enough to speak directly.
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Lord Jesus, we believe, brethren, it is none other than Judas Iscariot.
We find there was John nor love of the one beloved One on the one side, and we see the traitor on the other, near enough that he might see every movement, every action of the blessed Savior, and that he might be there in a place of nearness, and yet his heart to be far from him. He might be so near that he could receive the *** and yet we find that his heart had been turned over to the enemy of his soul.
We find the Lord Jesus has to committee then to go out what thou doest do quickly.
And he went out immediately. Well, one just makes mention of this. Why isn't it? Not that Peter should have coveted that place of nearness.
Or one of the others that knew him as their own blessed Savior. They were real. There was only one that was not real.
But what do we find? We find evidently there was other things that had come in. And so that place, that place of privilege had been given to one that did not honor the Blessed Son. For what? A lesson for our own heart.
Tell us about the Mark. Getting the stop was to show that the nudist could never say he was driven away through the Lord's unkindness. The very last act that the Lord Jesus did to Judas was an act of special favor and kindness.
And I think this shows a wonderful grace of his heart. And those in the lost eternity will never be able to say that they weren't there because God didn't love them, because he didn't plead with them. My spirit shall not always strive with man. God's Spirit strives. He's being watched white so that they'll have to realize in a lost eternity that it was their own choice in the face of all God's goodness, even in creation.
Makes up he left not himself without witness that he did good, attending reigns from heaven and fruitful season, filling men's hearts with food and gladness. Even we who are parents, if we have a wayward child, we're very anxious that that child wouldn't leave home because it has been roughly treated. But we want to show all the kindness we can so that if the child leaves, he'll always have the memory of that kindness.
And I think it's marvelous to see the Lord Jesus doing this last act to Judas.
And yet it only shows what we remarked before that nothing.
External nothing. He saw this perfect life. He witnessed it. He was even partaker because he went out and preached. He received his last act of kindness of what he had sold himself over to the power of Satan, and he goes out to accomplish that awful act.
Ed. In the in the vinegar.
And gave it to Judas, showing that that which we've had before us this morning, the the bread and the wine separated, showing the death of the Lord Jesus. This was Judas's part. He had the bread and the vinegar together and he took it together, not experiencing that which is a symbol for us of the death.
Of the body and the blood. Isn't it a sign of the deity year of the Lord Jesus and the authority with which he speaks even to Judas when he says to him after he gives him? The sub then said Jesus answered him, Let thou do it so quickly.
It's characteristic of the Gospel here, is it not? And we find it also in John's Gospel.
When it comes to.
Him being before his judges, we get the feeling he is the judge. The judges are being judged by the Lord Jesus. He does not take that place of not opening his mouth. He does open his mouth. We are here and John's gospel. He speaks with authority and even gives the order to Judas to go and carry out.
Its really remarkable to see that.
Authority shine out, even when it comes to his own betrayal.
Successful pilots show that the upstairs have no power since they were given them above nothing to go on with that act. He says that thou doest, He gave him, as it were an opportunity, if one can speak in that way, to change his mind even at the last minute, that thou doest He could have done something entirely different. So he couldn't say, the Lord told me to go and do this. He didn't tell him to do anything, but that's how do us.
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But it will and said he was under the power of Satan and he carries out this awful act. But how perfect the Lord Jesus was, even in the way he worded this, saw that while there was the authority, there still was even to the last moment the opportunity for Judas.
If you would only repath, but he sold himself, he goes on. And Satan himself entered into Judas were told so that he didn't believe this awful lack. In other places we read a demon centering into people, but here it tells us about Judas after the Satan entered into him. Satan, so to speak, didn't leave this awful act to any of the fallen demons.
He leads the Judas on himself to Detroit, the Lord.
The kindness of the Lord Jesus to him at the very end, and his old wicked heart. The thinking of Simon when Peter had to mark out and say thy heart is not right before cause our victims bonds of bitterness.
His heart wasn't right. I was thinking here and went to having received this stop that says.
He went out and went immediately out and it was a night. This was a night of his own soul. Wasn't it darkness when he was in it all the time? But the Blessed Saviors, as you pointed out, this marked the Southeast act raised for him. But I was thinking too about our brother's ill. I remember asking him about this, you know, concerned that couldn't do this. I don't think it's a place where he is.
Let's say personal, brother, Hill said. I'll make this comment. Judas made himself a candidate for that position. That was his heart. This is what he wanted. This is what he was and the Lord finally his children. Well, it's a solemn thing is to think that one was so near.
To the Lord Jesus and His heart was never right.
Well, there's an exercise course business that our hearts do right and present is wrong.
With the Lord's attention to the what God doeth quickly.
It might appear in this used to sound that way to me. The Lord might say let us have it over with, but over love it. I don't believe that is it at all.
So back to our first verse this.
The object for the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his power was coming.
It was said that he set his face as a flick. The Lord's path was exactly laid on before the hour was cold wasn't about to come. But it hadn't. It was cold. The Lord Jesus justice becoming slave here as it were intended and quick enough. The Lord there was no drawing time. There was an obedience to his Father's will.
Now having come down to sleep on with us.
A little later we read accomplished my father had given me shall I not drink. The Lord Jesus was prepared prepared for. It was just a comment about the 13th and 1St and 32nd verse In this connection, Brother John in this lovely. Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said now is the Son of man glorified and God is glorified in him.
If God be glorified in him, God will also glorify him and himself, and shall straightway glorify him.
He could have spoken about what Judas was going to do, but instead he looks at that, at that aspect of the cross which is so precious to our hearts. Not the awful display of what man's heart was, but what God was going to do. He was going to bring glory to His name. He was going to bring blessing to us through it. Judas has gone out, but the Lord Jesus now saw that.
That accomplishment of the purpose of God Judas might be the instrument to betray him.
But the cross was that which was displayed, all that within the heart of God, and blessing. And now we see that blessing one glorified, and God has been glorified in the work that He has done, for there He is at the right hand of God now.
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Thinks in every circumstance.
It would surely put it in a different light with every circumstances allowed for our own for our own good blessings if we just see that. Rather let's see the negative side and start to be blaming and finding bones. Besides, what you say there that the Lord just rose above that and saw that God was going to be glorified even as Judas went out the door.