NOTES: |
Sabbath, June 07, 2008
1 |
John
13:1-17, "Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his
hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having
loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. And supper being ended, the devil having now
put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him; Jesus knowing that the Father had given all
things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; He riseth from supper, and laid aside his
garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.
After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the
disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter
saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?
Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but
thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith
unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee
not, thou hast no part with me. Simon
Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my
head. Jesus saith to him, He that is
washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are
clean, but not all. For he knew who
should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean. 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 ye say well; for so I am. If I
then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one
another's feet. For I have given you an
example, that ye 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 ye know these things, happy are
ye if ye do them." |
2 |
The service
which Peter refused was the type of a higher cleansing. Christ had come to wash
the heart from the stain of sin. In refusing to allow Christ to wash his feet,
Peter was refusing the higher cleansing included in the lower. He was really
rejecting his Lord. It is not humiliating to the Master to allow Him to work
for our purification. The truest humility is to receive with thankful heart any
provision made in our behalf, and with earnestness do service for Christ. At the words, "If I wash thee not,
thou hast no part with Me," Peter surrendered his pride and self-will. He
could not endure the thought of separation from Christ; that would have been
death to him. "Not my feet only," he said, "but also my hands
and my head. Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his
feet, but is clean every whit." These words mean more than bodily
cleanliness. Christ is still speaking of the higher cleansing as illustrated by
the lower. He who came from the bath was clean, but the sandaled feet soon
became dusty, and again needed to be washed. So Peter and his brethren had been
washed in the great fountain opened for sin and uncleanness. Christ
acknowledged them as His. But temptation had led them into evil, and they still
needed His cleansing grace. When Jesus girded Himself with a towel to wash the
dust from their feet, He desired by that very act to wash the alienation, jealousy,
and pride from their hearts. This was of far more consequence than the washing
of their dusty feet. With the spirit they then had, not one of them was
prepared for communion with Christ. Until brought into a state of humility and
love, they were not prepared to partake of the paschal supper, or to share in
the memorial service which Christ was about to institute. Their hearts must be
cleansed. Pride and self-seeking create dissension and hatred, but all this
Jesus washed away in washing their feet. A change of feeling was brought about.
Looking upon them, Jesus could say, "Ye are clean." Now there was
union of heart, love for one another. They had become humble and teachable.
Except Judas, each was ready to concede to another the highest place. Now with
subdued and grateful hearts they could receive Christ's words. Like Peter and his brethren, we too have
been washed in the blood of Christ, yet often through contact with evil the
heart's purity is soiled. We must come to Christ for His cleansing grace. Peter
shrank from bringing his soiled feet in contact with the hands of his Lord and
Master; but how often we bring our sinful, polluted hearts in contact with the
heart of Christ! How grievous to Him is our evil temper, our vanity and pride!
Yet all our infirmity and defilement we must bring to Him. He alone can wash us
clean. We are not prepared for communion with Him unless cleansed by His
efficacy. …Christ
would have His disciples understand that although He had washed their feet,
this did not in the least detract from His dignity. "Ye call Me Master and
Lord: and ye say well; for so I am." And being so infinitely superior, He
imparted grace and significance to the service. No one was so exalted as
Christ, and yet He stooped to the humblest duty. That His people might not be
misled by the selfishness which dwells in the natural heart, and which
strengthens by self-serving, Christ Himself set the example of humility. … In His
life and lessons, Christ has given a perfect exemplification of the unselfish
ministry which has its origin in God. God does not live for Himself. By
creating the world, and by upholding all things, He is constantly ministering
for others. "He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and
sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." Matt. 5:45. This ideal of
ministry God has committed to His Son. Jesus was given to stand at the head of
humanity, that by His example He might teach what it means to minister. His
whole life was under a law of service. He served all, ministered to all. Thus
He lived the law of God, and by His example showed how we are to obey it. Again and again Jesus had tried to
establish this principle among His disciples. When James and John made their
request for pre-eminence, He had said, "Whosoever will be great among you,
let him be your minister." Matt. 20:26. In My kingdom the principle of
preference and supremacy has no place. The only greatness is the greatness of
humility. The only distinction is found in devotion to the service of others. Now, having washed the disciples' feet, He
said, "I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to
you." …This
ordinance is Christ's appointed preparation for the sacramental service. While
pride, variance, and strife for supremacy are cherished, the heart cannot enter
into fellowship with Christ. We are not prepared to receive the communion of
His body and His blood. Therefore it was that Jesus appointed the memorial of
His humiliation to be first observed. As they come to this ordinance, the
children of God should bring to remembrance the words of the Lord of life and
glory: "Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call Me Master and Lord: and
ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your
feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an
example, that ye 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 ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do
them." There is in man a disposition to esteem himself more highly than
his brother, to work for self, to seek the highest place; and often this
results in evil surmisings and bitterness of spirit. The ordinance preceding
the Lord's Supper is to clear away these misunderstandings, to bring man out of
his selfishness, down from his stilts of self-exaltation, to the humility of
heart that will lead him to serve his brother. The holy Watcher from heaven is present at
this season to make it one of soul searching, of conviction of sin, and of the
blessed assurance of sins forgiven. Christ in the fullness of His grace is
there to change the current of the thoughts that have been running in selfish
channels. The Holy Spirit quickens the sensibilities of those who follow the
example of their Lord. As the Saviour's humiliation for us is remembered,
thought links with thought; a chain of memories is called up, memories of God's
great goodness and of the favor and tenderness of earthly friends. Blessings
forgotten, mercies abused, kindnesses slighted, are called to mind. Roots of
bitterness that have crowded out the precious plant of love are made manifest.
Defects of character, neglect of duties, ingratitude to God, coldness toward our
brethren, are called to remembrance. Sin is seen in the light in which God
views it. Our thoughts are not thoughts of self-complacency, but of severe
self-censure and humiliation. The mind is energized to break down every barrier
that has caused alienation. Evil thinking and evilspeaking are put away. Sins
are confessed, they are forgiven. The subduing grace of Christ comes into the
soul, and the love of Christ draws hearts together in a blessed unity. {DA 646 – 650} |
3 |
Christ was
standing at the point of transition between two economies and their two great
festivals. He, the spotless Lamb of God, was about to present Himself as a sin
offering, that He would thus bring to an end the system of types and ceremonies
that for four thousand years had pointed to His death. {DA 652.2} |
4 |
“The
ordinance of the Lord's Supper was given to commemorate the great deliverance
wrought out as the result of the death of Christ. Till He shall come the second
time in power and glory, this ordinance is to be celebrated. It is the means by
which His great work for us is to be kept fresh in our minds. … As they were seated at the table He
said, looking upon His disciples, "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."
Even
now the disciples did not suspect Judas. But they saw that Christ appeared
greatly troubled. A cloud settled over them all, a premonition of some dreadful
calamity, the nature of which they did not understand. As they ate in silence,
Jesus said, "Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray Me."
At these words amazement and consternation seized them. They could not
comprehend how any one of them could deal treacherously with their divine
Teacher. … The Son of man goeth as it is
written of Him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it
had been good for that man if he had not been born." The disciples had
searched one another's faces closely as they asked, "Lord, is it I?"
And now the silence of Judas drew all eyes to him. Amid the confusion of
questions and expressions of astonishment, Judas had not heard the words of
Jesus in answer to John's question. But now, to escape the scrutiny of the
disciples, he asked as they had done, "Master, is it I?" Jesus
solemnly replied, "Thou hast said." … Wonderful had been the long-suffering
of Jesus in His dealing with this tempted soul. Nothing that could be done to
save Judas had been left undone. After he had twice covenanted to betray his
Lord, Jesus still gave him opportunity for repentance. By reading the secret
purpose of the traitor's heart, Christ gave to Judas the final, convincing
evidence of His divinity. This was to the false disciple the last call to
repentance. No appeal that the divine-human heart of Christ could make had been
spared. The waves of mercy, beaten back by stubborn pride, returned in a
stronger tide of subduing love. But although surprised and alarmed at the
discovery of his guilt, Judas became only the more determined. From the
sacramental supper he went out to complete the work of betrayal. In
pronouncing the woe upon Judas, Christ also had a purpose of mercy toward His
disciples. He thus gave them the crowning evidence of His Messiahship. "I
tell you before it come," He said, "that, when it is come to pass, ye
may believe that I AM." … Though Jesus knew Judas from the
beginning, He washed his feet. And the betrayer was privileged to unite with
Christ in partaking of the sacrament. A long-suffering Saviour held out every
inducement for the sinner to receive Him, to repent, and to be cleansed from
the defilement of sin. This example is for us. When we suppose one to be in
error and sin, we are not to divorce ourselves from him. By no careless
separation are we to leave him a prey to temptation, or drive him upon Satan's
battleground. This is not Christ's method. It was because the disciples were
erring and faulty that He washed their feet, and all but one of the twelve were
thus brought to repentance. … Christ's example forbids
exclusiveness at the Lord's Supper. It is true that open sin excludes the
guilty. This the Holy Spirit plainly teaches. 1 Cor. 5:11. But beyond this none
are to pass judgment. God has not left it with men to say who shall present
themselves on these occasions. For who can read the heart? Who can distinguish
the tares from the wheat? "Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat
of that bread, and drink of that cup." For "whosoever shall eat this
bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body
and blood of the Lord." "He that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth
and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body." 1 Cor.
11:28, 27, 29. … But the Communion service was not to
be a season of sorrowing. This was not its purpose. As the Lord's disciples
gather about His table, they are not to remember and lament their shortcomings.
They are not to dwell upon their past religious experience, whether that
experience has been elevating or depressing. They are not to recall the
differences between them and their brethren. The preparatory service has embraced
all this. The self-examination, the confession of sin, the reconciling of
differences, has all been done. Now they come to meet with Christ. They are not
to stand in the shadow of the cross, but in its saving light. They are to open
the soul to the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness. With hearts cleansed
by Christ's most precious blood, in full consciousness of His presence,
although unseen, they are to hear His words, "Peace I leave with you, My
peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you." John
14:27. Our Lord says, Under conviction of sin,
remember that I died for you. When oppressed and persecuted and afflicted for
My sake and the gospel's, remember My love, so great that for you I gave My
life. When your duties appear stern and severe, and your burdens too heavy to
bear, remember that for your sake I endured the cross, despising the shame.
When your heart shrinks from the trying ordeal, remember that your Redeemer
liveth to make intercession for you. The Communion service points to Christ's
second coming. It was designed to keep this hope vivid in the minds of the
disciples. …These are
the things we are never to forget. The love of Jesus, with its constraining
power, is to be kept fresh in our memory. Christ has instituted this service
that it may speak to our senses of the love of God that has been expressed in
our behalf. There can be no union between our souls and God except through
Christ. The union and love between brother and brother must be cemented and
rendered eternal by the love of Jesus. And nothing less than the death of
Christ could make His love efficacious for us. It is only because of His death
that we can look with joy to His second coming. His sacrifice is the center of
our hope. Upon this we must fix our faith.
{DA 653 - 660} |
5 |
1 Corinthians 11:23-26, "For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me... …After the
same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the
new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of
me. For as often as ye eat this bread,
and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come." |