A Morsel of Bread

March 31 A Morsel of Bread John 13:21-30

“Those who are unconscious of any evil in themselves are made uneasy by Christ’s saying… And although Christ seems to be unkindly torturing the innocent for a time, this sort of anxiety was profitable to them and Christ did them no harm. It is proper that, when the children of God have heard the judgment on the ungodly, they should also be tortured that they may sift themselves and guard against hypocrisy; for this gives them an opportunity of examining themselves and their life.” John Calvin “Commentary on John” Vol. 5:65

Visibly distressed at the thought of His betrayal, Jesus spoke plainly: “I tell you the truth,” He said, “one of you is going to betray me.” He gave no indication that the act was imminent. Most of the disciples fell silent in thoughtful introspection: were they capable of such a dreadful deed? It is hard for anyone to be certain how he or she will react when faced with extreme circumstances. Like soldiers going into battle, they all wondered whether they would prove to be cowards.

Peter, wearing his heart on his sleeve as usual, broke the silence. The seating arrangements were such that he was able to speak quietly to John, “the beloved disciple.” “Find out who He is talking about,” Peter asked. In response, John leaned back, put his head on Jesus’ breast and whispered his question. This was possible because, for the formal meal that was just beginning, the disciples and Jesus were reclining in the Greek style, leaning on their left elbows, their legs pointing away from the table. When first introduced this manner of eating had been regarded as the height of decadence, but over time it had been accepted into Hebrew culture. By the first century it was common for diners to recline at table, especially for formal occasions.

John was on Jesus’ right. This is the first time in his Gospel that John refers to himself as “the disciple Jesus loved” or “the beloved disciple.” He does this, not to exaggerate his importance as one especially loved, but in order to emphasize the centrality of Jesus. John is only a mouthpiece for the Gospel; he requires no special recognition.

Judas was on Jesus’ left, in a place of honor. That no one questioned this is interesting. Judas’ hypocrisy must have been well-hidden; he was very convincing. As the holder of the common purse, he was in a position of trust. He was clearly respected by the other disciples. No objection was raised against his exalted position. Perhaps this is why John made no effort to stop him.

Jesus answered John’s question by replying that the person to whom He gave the bread, after dipping it in the dish, would be His betrayer. Then, having broken the unleavened bread, Jesus dipped it in the bowl of paschal stew and handed the morsel to Judas. It was a natural act, following established tradition. Jesus honored Judas, who responded by rising, speaking quietly to the Teacher, then leaving. The final chapter was about to begin.

The time for repentance was past for Judas. He had decided to betray his Lord, so he had better go and do quickly what was needed to be done. So Judas left, going about the devil’s business. He may not have realized the extent of the storm he was about to unleash, but Jesus had no such illusions. He knew that the enemy of all that is good would crow his victory before man more hours had passed. Judas went out, leaving behind the Light that had come into the world. He stepped from the warmth of fellowship with Jesus into the coldness of his rebellion – and it was night.

For further reading: Psalm 119:153-176

Lord and Teacher

March 30 Lord and Teacher John 13:12-20

“Now He unfolds the reason for what He had done. He who is the Master and Lord of all gave an example to be followed by all the godly, that none might think it a burden to stoop to a service, however mean and low, to his brethren and fellows. For the reason why love is despised is that everyone puts himself too high and despises almost everybody else. Nor did He intend merely to teach modesty, but also to lay down this rule of love, that they should serve one another.” John Calvin “Commentary on John” Vol. 5:59-60

Having washed and dried His disciples’ feet, and having replaced His outer robe, Jesus proceeded to explain what He had done in terms they could not fail to understand. If He, their Lord and Teacher, could stoop to wash their feet, surely they could do as much for one another? It was an object lesson in humility.

They called Him “Lord and Teacher” but they had not fully grasped the importance of terms they used. They called Him “rabbi” or “teacher” because that was the role He had chosen, but they failed to see the significance of what Jesus taught until much later. They called Him “lord” as a common title of respect, but it would not be until the crucifixion had led them to question His claims, and then the resurrection had confirmed those claims, that they realized He was, indeed, “Lord”. Light came to them gradually, just as sometimes it can come to us. They progressed in their understanding of Jesus’ mission, just as they developed an increased awareness of His nature.

One among them still refused to believe. Judas, in fulfillment of Psalm 41, was still plotting to turn against his Master. He planned to “lift up his heels” against Jesus. The full significance of the phrase is lost to us. Presumably, Jesus was using a contemporary figure of speech to indicate that one among them would walk out on his friends. To do so was to heap insult upon injury. In the custom of the day, to share a meal together was to affirm a common bond. Friendship was sealed in the breaking of bread. So, for Judas to sit and eat with those he was about to betray indicates a level of callousness that it is hard for us to imagine. Judas was not simply betraying a friend, he was breaking social convention. This was more than disappointment with the direction of Jesus’ ministry. This was close to contempt. Beneath the surface Judas’ scheming heart was boiling with anger against the One who had promised so much, but whose life would soon end in shame. Jesus understood, but did nothing. He knew that His hour had come.

There is acute irony in the scene. The Word incarnate came to earth to reconcile sinful humanity and a holy God. Over the months and years Jesus revealed His identity to His disciples. His teaching and His miracles demonstrated that identity. As they discovered who He was the disciples ought to have fallen in worship at His feet. Instead, He knelt at their feet and performed the menial task that would normally have been undertaken by a slave. At the same time, seeing His humanity, one of the disciples was so overcome with anger that he decided to sell what he knew for thirty pieces of silver. Would Judas have acted this way if Jesus had fulfilled his expectations? If He had entered Jerusalem on a warhorse, gathered an army, and taken a stand against the hated Roman oppressors, would Judas have been satisfied? Maybe so, but then the Carpenter from Nazareth would have been a footnote in history, not the Savior before whom millions bow.

For further reading: Psalm 119: 129-152

A Towel and a Bowl

March 29 A Towel and a Bowl John 13:1-11

“(Peter’s) modesty would be laudable, were not obedience of greater value in God’s sight than any kind of service or honoring; or rather, if it were not the true and only rule of humility to submit in obedience to God and have all our senses devoted to His good pleasure, so that everything He declares to be agreeable to Him shall also be approved by us, without any argument. We should therefore, above all, keep this rule of serving God aright that we may be always ready to agree without delay, whenever and whatever He commands.” John Calvin “Commentary on John” Vol. 5:56-57

The hour had come. Jesus knew that, before long, He would be separated from the disciples, so He took the opportunity to reinforce the lessons they had learned. But, just as they did not fully grasp the necessity of His death, so they failed to understand the pre-eminence of love. Some of the disciples, it seemed, had been arguing about who among them was the greatest. Jesus demonstrated that, in terms of the Kingdom of God, the greatest is the One who serves.

They had gathered, in an upper room, to celebrate the Passover meal together. Perhaps the gathering was private, and there were no servants present, or perhaps the excitement of the coming storm caused them to forget social convention. Either way, no one had performed the foot-washing that would have been expected. Their feet were dirty and dusty. A servant should have been on hand with a bowl of water and a towel; but for whatever reason the courtesy was not done. So Jesus did it.

He took the bowl, and a towel, and proceeded to wash the disciples’ feet. As He washed and dried, Jesus recounted the values of the Kingdom and exhorted them to humility and love. There is no place for one-upmanship in the Kingdom of God. There is neither a hierarchy nor a meritocracy. We are all sinners saved by grace alone. Only Jesus escapes from the condemnation caused by sin. He alone, among those gathered in the upper room, truly deserved to be served. So, for the highest and best to take the lowest place was an object lesson they would not forget.

It seems that the disciples were stunned into silence. One can only imagine the turmoil that consumed them, especially Judas, who had already made arrangements for betraying his Lord. Did he justify his betrayal by blaming Jesus? No self-respecting Messiah would ever stoop to wash His disciples’ feet. The same concern may have moved impetuous Peter to cry out, not to blame Jesus but to protest His actions. It was not right, thought Peter, that the Christ, the Son of the living God, should wash his feet.

Jesus’ answer to Peter teaches us an important distinction. Peter must have his feet washed, but the rest of him is fine, for he is already clean. If we are to be made clean, spiritually, we must experience both forensic cleansing and familial washing. We are cleansed, forensically, when we undergo the full bath of salvation, when we accept the sacrifice of Christ for our sins. By this action our sins, past, present, and future, are atoned for. They are wiped out and forgiven. But we also need the familial washing of regular acts of confession. When we come to God, either in worship or alone, seeking forgiveness, we do not do so as those who need to have our feet washed. We are clean, if we have repented and turned to Christ in faith. We don’t need the same level of cleansing ever again. But we can become sullied by our association with the world, so we need to confess our sins to God, and seek and receive our Father’s forgiveness. This time, we come not as enemies, but as friends.

For further reading: Psalm 119: 105-128

Believe

March 28 Believe John 12:37-50

“We must remember that the prophet is speaking to unbelievers, who had already rejected the grace of God. It is certain that all would continue to be so by nature, did not the Lord form to obedience to Himself those whom He has elected. At first, then, the state of men is equal and the same. But when reprobate men have of their own accord and by their own malice rebelled against God, they make room for this vengeance that they may be given over to a reprobate mind and rush ever more and more to their own destruction.” John Calvin “Commentary on John” Vol. 5:47

Despite having witnessed Jesus’ miracles, having heard the testimony of the man born blind, and having seen Lazarus, now raised from the dead, some of the Jews continued to reject Jesus. They stubbornly refused to believe. In this, they fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy in their rejection of the Servant of the Lord. Although the passages quoted had originally referred to the role of Israel among the nations, they had also come to be understood as prophesying the treatment that would be meted out to Israel’s Messiah. Just as the Gentiles refused to acknowledge Israel, so Israel herself would refuse to acknowledge the Messiah. God would harden their hearts.

This is not an easy passage for us. It seems to imply that God is responsible for the behavior of the Jews. They are condemned for their response to Christ, and yet that very response is to be understood as initiated by God. How can a person be condemned when their actions have been determined by God? We need to be careful not to read too much into a literary form that is very different to ours. Hebrew and Semitic expressions often seem strange to us, just as ours will seem odd to those who attempt to understand our vernacular phrases after two thousand years. John cannot simply mean that the Jews had no part to play, whatsoever, in whether or not they believed. That interpretation is contradicted by verse 43, in which human agency is assumed. God is not a tyrant. John merely quotes Isaiah to point out that the prophets had already predicted that many would reject the Messiah, when He came.

Nevertheless, some Jews did follow Jesus. Among them were probably Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, both of whom played important parts in the Gospel narrative. Nicodemus came to Jesus at the dead of night; Joseph took Jesus’ body when supernatural night had descended upon the land. Both had to learn the necessity of making a public confession in order to bear witness to Christ. It may be easier, sometimes, to keep quiet about our faith, but it is not right.

Seven times, in this brief passage, John uses the word “believe.” Clearly, he wanted his readers to put their trust in Jesus. To do so, was to discover that Jesus was far more than a human leader. To believe in Jesus was to believe in the One who had sent Him. To see Jesus was to see God. This is another clear indication of the deity of Christ. He had come as a light to dispel the darkness, not to deepen it. His purpose was not to condemn, but to save.

One day we shall all stand before the throne of judgment. In as much as we have turned from the deceptions of this world, repented of our sins, and chosen to live by faith in Christ, we shall know the joy of eternal life. If, on the other hand, we have rejected Jesus and refused to accept His words, we shall have condemned ourselves. This is Jesus’ last public appeal, presumably made as He taught in the Temple courts. From this point on, He would concentrate His teaching upon those to whom the mantle of leadership would soon be passed.

For further reading: Psalm 119: 89-104

Paradox

March 27 Paradox John 12:20-36

“That death may be less bitter and disagreeable to us, Christ invites us by His example to submit to it cheerfully. And certainly this makes us ashamed of refusing the honor of being His disciples. But He only admits us into that number on condition we follow the path that He points out. He leads the way before us to encounter death.” John Calvin “Commentary on John” Vol. 5:38

Some Greeks asked to see Jesus. This is significant. Even though they were probably Gentiles who had converted to Judaism, who were coming to Jerusalem for the Passover, but they were not, strictly-speaking, Jews. If Jesus had rejected them outright, it would have signaled to His disciples that His ministry was to be restricted to the people of Israel. Some early Christians did believe that, in order to follow Jesus, one had first to become a Jew, by circumcision. But before long a much more expansive interpretation prevailed. Within a few years, many people who had no connection to Israel at all were clamoring to know more of this Jesus. Anticipating them, Philip and Andrew did what all true disciples must do: they brought them to Jesus.

The Man they sought was becoming increasingly conscious of the lateness of the hour. His earthly ministry was drawing to a close. So Jesus chose this moment to remind His disciples of a recurring theme throughout His ministry – the paradox of life and death. Just as a kernel must be thrust into the ground if it is to bear fruit, we too must die if we are to generate new life. Reading His words, we see the obvious implications with regard to His own death, but Jesus’ teaching has a wider application. Those who concern themselves only with themselves are destined to waste away and to bear no fruit. But those who give themselves in the service of others, to serve a greater goal, will experience the fullness of life. It is those who give away their lives who really gain them. Those who hoard their lives end up holding only a handful of dust. This is the principle of sacrifice. It goes far beyond the need to do good deeds for others. It contains no element of self-justification. For those who follow Jesus Christ it means being prepared to put Him first. As we give ourselves in His service, we lay aside the culture of greed and death and take up life everlasting.

Jesus knew that He would have to give His life in obedience to His Father’s will. Even though He knew that the gate of death opened into resurrection life, it was not a prospect that He, or anyone, could relish. He struggled. This is John’s equivalent of the story of Gethsemane. Jesus prayed, and the Father spoke, and His voice came like thunder from heaven. Jesus heard confirmation that, by His obedience, He would give glory to God. This was the confirmation His anguished heart required. He knew that the “Son of Man” would have to die in order that the ruler of this world (satan) could be cast out. Jesus would have to be lifted up. A wooden Cross would raise Him.

When they engineered Jesus’ arrest, trial, and execution, His enemies believed that they were ridding themselves of a dangerous opponent. What they did not understand was that, in condemning Him, they condemned themselves. Because of the Cross, Jesus would draw people, without distinction, to Himself. More than the Greeks who asked to see Him, Jesus would draw millions to Himself, from every tribe and tongue. He was, and is, the Light of the World.

For further reading: Psalm 119:73-88

Ride On

March 26 Ride On John 12:12-19

“The nearer the time of Christ’s death approached, the more necessary was it that His name should be known everywhere, as a preparation for a fuller faith after His death. In particular, the Evangelist relates that the recent miracle of the resurrection of Lazarus became very widely known. Since Christ had shown in it a striking proof of His divinity, God wanted it to have many witnesses.” John Calvin “Commentary on John” Vol. 5:28

For the first time in His ministry, Jesus consented to be part of a parade. He, and His disciples, had agreed to celebrate Passover in Jerusalem, as tradition required. So they set off to cover the short distance from Bethany to Jerusalem, accompanied by many of those who had witnessed the raising of Lazarus. This event had caused significant numbers to recognize Jesus as the Messiah. They saw His entry into Jerusalem as an opportunity to proclaim Him as God’s anointed One. Branches were pulled from palm trees and placed before Him. This was more than a decorative motif; palm branches had come to represent the nation of Israel. Within a generation, the Jewish rebels would place an image of a palm branch upon their coins. As they threw them before Jesus, the crowds claimed Him as the Savior of the nation. He was the promised Messiah; under His rule, David’s kingdom would be restored and the people would finally be free.

At some point a young donkey, a colt or a foal, was found for Jesus to ride. It wasn’t very fitting for a warrior, but they seemed not to notice. Even the disciples seem to have joined in the celebration. It was not until well after the event, looking back, that they were able to grasp the symbolism. Jesus came, not as a conquering hero, but as a suffering servant, not in arrogant power, but in meek humility. But at the time, the people could not see beyond their excitement. They quoted from the prophets. They sang Psalm 118, the “Hallal,” the great triumph song of the worshippers arriving at the Temple of the Lord.

As they neared Jerusalem, those who praised Jesus were joined by some of the thousands of pilgrims who had come to the city for Passover. Among these must surely have been some from Galilee, where Jesus had many sympathizers. Whether or not they were convinced that He was the Messiah, they must have enjoyed the spectacle. Others did not enjoy it.

The Romans must have looked on and smirked. This was a very provincial affair. To them, a triumphal entry needed a General with his army, bearing with them captured enemy soldiers, soon to die in the amphitheater or to be sold as slaves. There would also be the spoils of war: gold and silver captured from enemy cities, treasures plundered from the conquered. But the Carpenter from Nazareth rode into Jerusalem on a borrowed donkey.

Others were not quite so dispassionate, or dismissive, in their assessment. Those who feared Jesus could make no move as He entered Jerusalem in triumph; the size of the crowd would not allow it. But they heard the references in the words that were being shouted and sung. They knew religious and nationalistic passion when they heard it. And they understood that their position would become untenable if a popular uprising anointed Jesus as King. So they plotted against Him. And they waited for an opportunity. He could not be allowed to succeed. If they did not kill Him, soon “the whole world” would follow Him. Little did they know.

For further reading: Psalm 119:57-72

Anointed with Oil

March 25 Anointed with Oil John 12:1-11

“The anointing which Judas blames is defended on the ground that it is for His burial. Christ therefore does not approve of it as an ordinary service one which should be commonly used in the Church… God certainly does not care for external display… He excuses Mary on the grounds that she had rendered Him an extra-ordinary office…” John Calvin “Commentary on John” Vol. 5:26

On the Saturday before the Passover a meal was held at which Jesus was the guest of honor. For it, Jesus and the disciples returned to Bethany, the scene of the raising of Lazarus. They, therefore, put themselves back within the circle of authority of the Pharisees. Jesus realized that the hour of His death was almost upon Him, so He came. Lazarus, also, put in an appearance, thereby bearing witness to Jesus. We hear little of Lazarus after the startling events in which he played such a major, if passive, role. Perhaps he was still recovering, or perhaps he simply shunned the limelight. He did not want to be made into a curiosity or a celebrity; Jesus was the one who deserved to be center stage. And so Lazarus came, to the house of Simon, the leper whom Jesus had healed. The meal was an opportunity for Lazarus to express his gratitude formally.

Martha served the meal as her guests reclined at a low table. She demonstrated her servant heart by using her gifts to supply their needs. In contrast, Mary’s gift was not at all practical. She took an alabaster jar, containing a liter of spikenard, an expensive, imported perfume. Gently breaking the neck of the flask she poured the contents over Jesus’ feet. The other Gospel writers say that she anointed His head. She could easily have done both. Soon the pungent perfume filled the house. As she knelt, Mary wiped off the excess oil with her hair. It was a simple expression of utter devotion. This man had saved her brother’s life; He had probably also saved them from financial ruin. More importantly, He had stirred something deep within her soul. It is not an exaggeration to say that Mary had discovered that she loved Jesus. But this was not mere human infatuation. Her heart responded not only to Jesus the man but also to Christ her Savior. Her devotion represents that of those, throughout the ages, the response of those who have found in Jesus Christ something “altogether lovely.”

Not everyone was enamored by the scene. Judas, and others, may have been disturbed by the fact that Mary had loosed her hair. At that time, a woman with loose hair was usually a woman with loose morals. It probably scarcely occurred to Mary. What occurred to Judas was that she had used an inordinate amount of money to perform her act of devotion. Three hundred denarii, the cost of the oil, was a year’s wages for a laborer. Surely, the money could have been put to better use? Hindsight made John suspect that Judas wanted the money to line his own pocket. But Jesus rebuked Judas: he may have had a pronounced understanding of financial values, but Judas clearly did not understand human values.

In anointing Jesus, Mary unwittingly prepared her Lord for His death. In the same passage we see both the heights of her love and the depths of jealousy. There could be no going back, not for Jesus, nor for those who wished to be rid of Him.

For further reading: Psalm 119:41-56