Service and Betrayal

Service and Betrayal
John 13:6-9

6 Then [oun] cometh he [erchomai] to [pros] Simon [Simon] Peter [Petros] : and [kai] Peter [ekeinos] saith [lego] unto him [autos] , Lord [kurios] , dost [nipto] thou [su] wash [nipto] my [mou] feet [pous] ?
7 Jesus [Iesous] answered [apokrinomai] and [kai] said [epo] unto him [autos] , What [hos] I [ego] do [poieo] thou [su] knowest [eido] not [ou] now [arti] ; but [de] thou shalt know [ginosko] hereafter [meta] [tauta] .
8 Peter [Petros] saith [lego] unto him [autos] , Thou shalt [nipto] never [eis] [aion] [ou me] wash [nipto] my [mou] feet [pous] . Jesus [Iesous] answered [apokrinomai] him [autos] , If [ean me] I wash [nipto] thee [se] not [ean me] , thou hast [echo] no [ou] part [meros] with [meta] me [emou] .
9 Simon [Simon] Peter [Petros] saith [lego] unto him [autos] , Lord [kurios] , not [me] my [mou] feet [pous] only [monon] , but [alla] also [kai] my hands [cheir] and [kai] my head [kephale] . KJV-Interlinear

6 And so He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, 'Lord, do You wash my feet?' 7 Jesus answered and said to him, 'What I do you do not realize now, but you shall understand hereafter.' 8 Peter said to Him, 'Never shall You wash my feet!' Jesus answered him, 'If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.' 9 Simon Peter said to Him, 'Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.' NASB

Here we have a brief exchange between Jesus and Peter, but it points out one of the biggest barriers to mans advancement in the spiritual life - mans human righteousness, or the attempt to do less or more than is required by God.

To be saved we need only believe in Christ. That is a thought that lasts but a second or two, 'Father, I believe in Christ.' And there are those who feel the need to do more for their salvation. Though not expressly stated in their desire to do more, those who try to add to what God has designed are in effect saying that God did not do enough. That God missed something and therefore the person needs to fill in the missing effort in order to be saved.

Jesus bends down in humility to teach us several lessons. First there is none among man who is greater than any other man. One might be a king, and another might be a peasant. One might change diapers and another might design rockets. But regardless of the human abilities God gave to each of us, these abilities do not make any of us better than any one else.

One of the first things we need to realize in life is that we are no better than anyone else. God designed us all. God gave each of us certain physical abilities at birth, just as God gives us certain spiritual gifts when we are saved. Sometimes our spiritual gifts enhance our physical abilities, sometimes they are unrelated, but no matter. Whatever God gave to each of us, was designed perfectly and specifically for each one of us such that if we advance in our spiritual life, then our abilities will work as they are designed to work.

Peter, hesitates to have his feet washed. An example of human arrogance expressed when Gods intentions are not understood. Then Peter, hearing Jesus' response, wants his whole body washed by Him. And the arrogance trap is sprung on the other side of human effort.

First we reject Gods plan, then when we understand it a little, then we want to add to it, to redefine it, to make it better, to tailor it to our own desires.

We cannot take away from Gods plan and design. We cannot add to Gods plan and design. We cannot redefine Gods plan for our convenience or to fit our life style. We either conform to Gods plan or we don't. It is just that simple, and really all of Gods plan with regard to our involvement is simple. It has to be, because all humans need to be able to comply regardless of their physical or mental ability. God is fair.

God removes the human element and God does all of the work. The Father designed the plan and authored it. The Son executes the plan. The Spirit communicates the plan. You'll notice that mans effort is not in the previous sentences. Human righteousness, human definition, human design is rejected

So the first question or reluctance to be cleansed by God is rejected by God. Only God can wash away our human filth. The second reaction of Peter to do more is rejected by God, because God has done all of the work on the Cross. Nothing more is required. God did not forget anything. God did not leave anything out. God does not need to go to the Cross over and over again. One time was enough.

Salvation requires faith only once. You do not have to believe and renew your faith over and over again. When you are born into a family, you are born once. How many of us were born into this world twice or more? None of us of course. Your momma would slap you silly if you even suggested the event again. So we need not be stupid with regard to spiritual birth. Once saved, always saved.

Second, the washing is a picture of the fellowship life, but here we have an ongoing battle with our sin natures. We commit sins throughout our life. Sure sin was judged at the Cross, but it was not forgiven, and there is a distinction here which needs to be understood. Judging of sin pays the price for freeing us from its clutches in death. Even unbelievers sins were judged. All of mankind's sins were judged.

But even after salvation you do not have a free ride through life without some accountability of your behavior. Thus we have the fellowship issue. The principles of fellowship were studied in Leviticus and the mechanics in 1 John.

We do not have a relationship with God unless we are first saved and second in fellowship. Those are the rules. Jesus herein states, if you do not comply then you do not have a relationship with Him. Faith first in order to get into the family, then once under Gods roof it is His rules not ours. We must confess (to Him - the Father) on a regular basis or whenever appropriate in order to get back into fellowship.

We cannot live our own life as we see it. We can not decide that we just have to be good and therefore God will honor our intentions. That is wrong, and that is arrogance and the presumption that your beliefs are better than Gods requirements. Perhaps you were made an exception of, by God. And if so, well, the rest of us never got a copy of that memo!

Subscribe Daily Bible Study Mailing List Receive Daily Bible Studies directly into your inbox.