Before the Rooster Crows

Posted on by korgrocker

“Simon Peter asked, “Lord, where are you going?” And Jesus replied, “You can’t go with me now, but you will follow me later.” “But why can’t I come now, Lord?” he asked. “I’m ready to die for you.” Jesus answered, “Die for me? I tell you the truth, Peter—before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.”
John 13:36-38 NLT

Events on that fateful evening were starting to accelerate. So much had already happened, with the shared meal, the bread and wine, Jesus humbly washing His disciples’ feet, Judas leaving to look for an opportunity to betray Him, and Jesus giving His disciples a new commandment – to love one another. Within a few hours Jesus would be tried in an illegal court, whipped, and then crucified. In less than a day He would be dead and buried. God’s plan for salvation was almost complete. The devil just did not know what was coming.

Peter was his usual impetuous self, and had committed himself to die for Jesus, but then came the ominous reality – Jesus could see what was coming and He knew that Peter wouldn’t stand by Him when the time came. But what was the significance of the crow of a rooster? There in the middle of Jerusalem the sound would pierce the air, as the dawn started to appear. In our 21st Century world, knowledge of the time of day is everywhere, with almost everyone having a wrist watch or some other access to a clock. Time zones have been in place for many years and scientists have measured the unit of time to an infinitesimal part of a second. But in Peter’s day, knowledge of the time was uncommon and natural events had to be relied on. No wind up mechanical clocks – they didn’t appear until 1300 years later. So the ubiquitous rooster served Jesus well. 

We don’t know what Peter’s response was, to being told that he would soon deny his relationship with Jesus, not once but three times. He would have been devastated, but events were moving so quickly that he didn’t have too much time to process what he had been told. 

We pilgrims also have to beware of denying our relationship with Jesus. There will be occasions when it is easier to go with the flow and follow the crowd. Perhaps in the workplace, or at a social event. Sometimes we will be needled and tormented by a family member or neighbour. But at such times we must stand strong and lift Jesus high. We must proclaim His place in our lives and ignore the consequences. Jesus made an ominous warning, when He said, “Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33). But we pilgrims are overcomers and realise that by publicly declaring our faith in Jesus, may lead to another seeker after salvation finding their Lord. There may be a personal cost to our declarations of faith but we know that God has our backs and has reserved a place for us when we need it.

Dear Lord Jesus. We speak Your name over the lives of our friends and families, knowing that by so doing we release Your Spirit in power. We praise and thank You today. Amen,

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To Die For Jesus

Posted on by korgrocker

“Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going. 
Simon Peter asked, “Lord, where are you going?” And Jesus replied, “You can’t go with me now, but you will follow me later.” “But why can’t I come now, Lord?” he asked. “I’m ready to die for you.””
John 13:33, 36-37 NLT

Jesus knew that His time in this world would soon be over. The end of His mission was soon to come, and there was nothing more that He needed to do. Mission accomplished. He was going home, to be with His Father in Heaven once again. Just a few loose ends to tie up, to be accomplished in the forty days or so after the first Easter morning. But Peter was devastated and pledged his allegiance to Jesus, expressing a desire to be with Him wherever He was going. Perhaps, Peter just hadn’t grasped that there was no big fight coming, resulting in the establishment of a physical kingdom. Instead, as we know, Jesus was soon to pass through death into life eternal, death and satan defeated, leaving an outpost of the Kingdom of God remaining in the hearts of all His believers everywhere. The relationship between Jesus and His disciples, particularly Peter, had strengthened over the past three years and Peter didn’t want it to end.

How strong is our relationship with Jesus? Would we, like Peter, express a willingness to die for Him? Is Jesus so real to us that nothing else in this world, or what it can offer, have any significance for us? A sobering thought, because we have so much we are attached to, our families, our possessions, the things and activities that we enjoy, just for starters, and to leave it all behind and then follow Jesus into another world, a spirit world that we know little about other than what we read about in the Bible. We read about ordinary people on fire for Jesus who did in fact die for Him. The first martyr was Stephen and we can read about what he said when he died in Acts 7:56-60, “And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honour at God’s right hand!” Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul. As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died“.  Stephen, and other first Century martyrs, gave their lives rather than compromise their beliefs. They joined the other saints, the Old Testament ones listed in Hebrews 11:32, “How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets”. And many more people in New Testament times right up to the present days have given their lives just for believing in Jesus. According to the UK charity “Open Doors”, 5,000 Christians died for their faith in 2023. In 2013, the Vatican claim that this number could have been as high as 100,000.

We pilgrims in the West don’t suffer the persecution and danger that Christians in totalitarian states like North Korea do. We are comfortable in our religious freedom and never find ourselves in a position like our Christian brothers and sisters do in other parts of the world. But we mustn’t become complacent. Jesus warned His disciples in John 16:33, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world“. There may be trouble ahead, and if we read the Book of Revelation we will get some idea of what is coming. But in the meantime, we must be on our guard, always ready for anything the world and the devil hurl against us, trusting in the World Overcomer, Jesus Himself.

Father God. Thank You that in You we have eternal life and that we are safe from the devil’s attacks. We worship You today. Amen.

Love One Another

Posted on by korgrocker

“Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going. So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
John 13:33-35 NLT

Jesus poignantly told His disciples that He was about to leave them. The sadness hidden behind His “Dear children” was clear – perhaps Jesus could see in His Spirit what they would have to face into in the years ahead, without being there in person with them. And then Jesus made a statement that puzzled His friends, that although they would look for Him, they would be unable to follow Him to the place where He was going. Well, not yet anyway – they would join Him in Heaven soon enough.

Because Jesus was leaving them, He gave them a new commandment, that they were to love one another. This wasn’t a wishy-washy, sentimental sort of love, but one that would bind them together in unity. A love so counter-culturally obvious that the people around them would take note that these men had been disciples of Jesus. A love that set them apart from societal expectations. Jesus repeated His commandment to the disciples in John 15:12-13, “This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”. Paul picked up this theme, relating it back to Jesus Himself, “Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:7-8). That was the sort of love that Jesus commanded when He said, “love each other”.

Sadly, the “love for one other” that should be a feature of the Christian faith is far from obvious. In fact, in-fighting and denominational rivalries portray a picture to the world of Christians who are no better than anyone else and certainly not proving their status as followers of Christ. The media will always try and find a situation where Christians have fallen out with each other and secular journalists will relish stories of strife and love-less behaviour. The many occasions, where Christians do exhibit the love for one another that Jesus commanded, go unnoticed, conveniently overlooked in a Godless world.

The Apostle John wrote, “Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John 4:7-8). Believers look outward into their communities, looking for opportunities to show the world what God’s love looks like. They cast aside the “what’s in it for me” worldly attitudes and instead do good to others without expecting anything in return. And such an attitude must especially be present in our churches and fellowships. John continued to write, “We love each other because he loved us first” (1 John 4:19). That was John reminding his readers what Jesus said all those years before, “Just as I have loved you, you should love each other“. There is no other way.

Dear Lord Jesus. Your love for us is limitless and available to all who believe in You. Please be with us as we love others. In Your precious name. Amen.

The Time Has Come

Posted on by korgrocker

“As soon as Judas left the room, Jesus said, “The time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory, and God will be glorified because of him. And since God receives glory because of the Son, he will give his own glory to the Son, and he will do so at once.”
John 13:31-32 NLT

The exit of Judas from that upper room, where Jesus had been sharing the Passover meal with His disciples, started a train of events that have had profound and eternal consequences for the human race. Most of the Jewish nation lived outside Jerusalem and they wouldn’t have known much about what was going to happen over the next few hours. But Jesus did, and He told His disciples that “the time has come”. By saying that He was going to “enter into His glory“, Jesus told His disciples that he was about to return to be with His Father in Heaven. Many old songs, like Woody Guthrie’s “This Train”, refer to Heaven as Glory. But the glory of God is His perfection, in all the attributes we recognise such as His love, grace, mercy, holiness, and many more qualities besides. And Jesus was returning to His Heavenly home to be a part of it. John recorded in His Gospel, “So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son” (John 1:14). Those who had lived with Jesus during His ministry years had discovered the perfection that John called His glory. Through Jesus they received a glimpse of the glory of God. 

Jesus’ time on Planet Earth was coming to an end. The glorious climax of God’s rescue plan for mankind, through Jesus’ sacrificial and unjust death on a cross at Calvary. Redemption from the consequences of sin for all who believed in Jesus and repented of their sins. A pivotal moment that changed the course of history. “The time has come”. 

I looked out of my office window as I was writing this, to see the heavy and dark clouds, full of water and thundery menace, briefly part and expose a small patch of blue sky. Most of our fellow members in society are living under permanent clouds of doom-laden peril, unaware that they have an opportunity to look up and see the glory of God. Their clouds of sin can be parted in an instant by the simple act of repentance and belief that Jesus’ time two thousand years ago provided an opportunity to join God in His glory one day sooner than they think. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 6:1-2, “As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvellous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation“. But most people in the secular West prefer to live in permanent doom, under clouds of sin, rather than move house into a world of light, saved for eternity.

Who do we pilgrims know today, someone who needs to look up and accept that “the time has come” for them? A loved one, a workplace or school colleague? We pray for just the right opportunity to show whoever it is that glimpse of Heaven up through the clouds. The place where God’s glory can be seen. 

Father God, as we look to the future and the paradise awaiting us, we thank You and ask for Your help in our daily lives as we continue our journey. Please help us too encourage others to join us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Absolutely No Idea

Posted on by korgrocker

“When Judas had eaten the bread, Satan entered into him. Then Jesus told him, “Hurry and do what you’re going to do.” None of the others at the table knew what Jesus meant. Since Judas was their treasurer, some thought Jesus was telling him to go and pay for the food or to give some money to the poor. So Judas left at once, going out into the night.”
John 13:27-30 NLT

By this time, the disciples must have been reeling from events that were totally unexpected. First of all, Jesus warned them of His impending death, and the way it would be carried out. Matthew 26:2, “As you know, Passover begins in two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.” The Passover meal that Jesus ate with His disciples two days later included the event of the bread and wine, as recorded in the other Gospels. Matthew 26:26-28, “As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.” And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many”. During the meal, Jesus also said, “ … I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me” (Matthew 26:21b). And then, after the meal, we have the account of Jesus washing their feet. Then, events moving on quickly – Jesus told Judas to, “Hurry and do what you’re going to do”. It seemed that the disciples had absolutely no idea about what was happening, but they would understand much later.

Having been around Jesus for three years or so must have been a roller coaster of experiences. The disciples must have lived in a world punctuated with the unexpected. They never knew what Jesus was going to do next. But of course each and every event that occurred was entirely in the will of Jesus’ Father in Heaven. In John 6:38 Jesus said, “For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will”. That was the focus in Jesus’ ministry and the disciples had first hand experience of what that meant. They truly had an education in the “University of Life” that no-one else has had. It was a life lived in the Kingdom of God, and one where for a brief period Heaven touched earth. 

What do we pilgrims expect in our lives as believers in Jesus? I am writing this on a Sunday, a day when I attend a church service. A day when I look forward to the time of worship, hearing the sermon, joining in the prayers. But do I expect the unexpected? What will the Holy Spirit do through my brothers and sisters today? Am I tuned into a limitless God who delights to bless His people? Will something unexpected happen? And not just on a Sunday – what about Monday morning in the office, the supermarket, the queue at the bus stop? God desires to use men and women, even young people, to further His purposes here in this world. Are we willing to step out in faith, believing that the God who walked the highways and byways of Israel is still walking today through the Holy Spirit within us.

We have no idea what will happen in our worlds today. But we do know the Creator of our worlds. And trusting in Him takes away the anxieties and stress that blights the lives of so many.

Dear Father God. Thank You for Your many spiritual blessings, available to us by Your Spirit. In You we put our trust, our lives in Your hands. Amen.

How Did Jesus Know?

Posted on by korgrocker

“So that disciple leaned over to Jesus and asked, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus responded, “It is the one to whom I give the bread I dip in the bowl.” And when he had dipped it, he gave it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot. When Judas had eaten the bread, Satan entered into him. Then Jesus told him, “Hurry and do what you’re going to do.””
John 13:25-27 NLT

Jesus was, and still is, the Son of God, divine and human. Two thousand years ago He was sent to Israel with a plan for the redemption of mankind, following through every requirement to bring it into fruition, a successful conclusion. Jesus knew that His death and resurrection were the final part of the plan, and He spoke several times about it – Mark 8:31, “Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead“. But how much of the detail beforehand did Jesus know? Father God could of course see the end from the beginning, every twist and turn, every event, because He lives in eternity, a place without time. Imagine something like the Bayeux Tapestry, laid out before Him, but with every event portrayed in its minutest detail. Because of His humanity, Jesus would not have had such a view, and He regularly communicated with His father in prayer to obtain the guidance He needed, to make sure He stayed on track. Through the third member of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, He retained that divine communication.

But Jesus was also human. We see from John 4:6 that He got tired, “Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime.” About Jesus, Paul wrote, “Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. … ” (Philippians 2:6-7a). So Jesus needed to eat and drink, sleep, and use the bathroom. Even as early as the age of twelve, Jesus had a sense of His mission, as we read from the account of Jesus in the Temple, “So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.” And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”” (Luke 2:48-49). 

So, did Jesus know beforehand about the woman at the Samaritan well? Or the fact that there would be five thousand men and their families to be fed? What about the other miraculous occasions? Did Jesus know about all these in advance? I don’t think He did, but He did know about the power through the Holy Spirit that He had within Him, and He was close enough in tune with His mission and His Father’s will to know what to do at the time. So, how did Jesus know it was Judas who would betray Him? In fact, how did He know that He would be betrayed at all? Judas was a pivotal factor in God’s redemptive plan, to the extent that he was prophesised about in Psalm 41:9, “Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me“. At first sight, it would seem strange that Jesus gave a piece of bread soaked in the vinegary dip common at the Passover meal, to expose the man who would betray Him. But that was a very real part of the Psalm 41 prophecy. 

Jesus did know what was going to happen because He knew the Scriptures. Today, there are many problems both inside and outside the church caused by a lack of Bible knowledge and, consequently, a failure to put God’s commands into practice. But at a personal level, we find most of what we need to live in the Bible. It is a unique book. There in none other like it. As Peter said in John 6:68, “Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life“. There is nowhere else where we can find the words we need. Of course we pray to our Father in Heaven and trust in the Holy Spirit for power and guidance, but through the Word of God we have a foundation that underpins our lives on this planet and leads us to a life with God for ever.

Dear Father God. We thank You for Your Word, and the guidance it provides for our lives. Amen.

Does God Have Favourites?

Posted on by korgrocker

“Now Jesus was deeply troubled, and he exclaimed, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me!” The disciples looked at each other, wondering whom he could mean. The disciple Jesus loved was sitting next to Jesus at the table. Simon Peter motioned to him to ask, “Who’s he talking about?” So that disciple leaned over to Jesus and asked, “Lord, who is it?””
John 13:21-25 NLT

The Gospel of John records that Jesus loved one of His disciples, who was assumed to be John, and the writer of the Gospel we are following. But does that mean that He showed John special favour? There was also the time when Jesus took three disciples with Him up the “high mountain” (assumed to be Mount Tabor), where He met with Moses and Elijah. We can read the account in Matthew 17:1-3, “Six days later Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus”. Was Jesus closer to these three disciples than He was to the rest? John was with Jesus on the visit to what we call the Mount of Transfiguration so why didn’t he include a mention in his Gospel, although it was included in the other three? 

We know that at a basic level, every child of God is His favourite. He does not provide special favour to one person and refuse to grant it to another. But the reality in practice is that God chooses certain men and women for special assignments. This does not mean favouring one person over another. We can’t all be Peters. Or Johns. Closer to home and our own age we can’t all be pastors, or missionaries to foreign lands. We also know that many who God has seemingly favoured over others end up in a difficult place, persecuted and suffering. We look at the life of the Apostle Paul and wonder about the hardships he suffered – we can find out what he recorded in 2 Corinthians 11. Perhaps being in a favoured place like Paul is to be avoided!

But we pilgrims have a special and favoured relationship with God. He is our Heavenly Father and we are His children. His love for us is limitless and one day we will be with Him in Heaven. That surely is favour enough.

Dear Father God. Thank You for Your grace and favour, Your love and kindness. We worship You today. Amen.

Betrayal

Posted on by korgrocker

“Now Jesus was deeply troubled, and he exclaimed, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me!” The disciples looked at each other, wondering whom he could mean.”
John 13:21-22 NLT

In most ways, it is a relief to us that we don’t know what the future holds. Imagine if we knew when we would die and how the death would happen? Wouldn’t we do our utmost to avoid it? Or imagine if we knew how a job or a marriage would work out? Wouldn’t we try to make changes to avoid unpleasant or unwanted consequences? Such thoughts make it all the more amazing that Jesus, knowing what was going to happen to Him over the next day or so, still carried on, His mission to Planet Earth being more important than any personal considerations. In fact, Jesus even seemed to put Himself in a position where He was, ever closer, aligned with the culmination of His mission. 

But occasionally we see Jesus’ humanity appear, and in our verses today we see that He was deeply troubled. Other versions add “in His Spirit”. In Mark 3 we read how Jesus selected His twelve disciples, “Afterward Jesus went up on a mountain and called out the ones he wanted to go with him. And they came to him. Then he appointed twelve of them and called them his apostles. They were to accompany him, and he would send them out to preach, … Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him)” (Mark 3:13-14, 19). Even at the beginning of His ministry, Jesus knew all about Judas Iscariot and what he would later do, but He still chose Him. But that didn’t stop Jesus being upset that Judas, one of His disciples, was going to betray Him to the Jewish authorities. Judas had been on mission with Jesus for about three years, and he would have seen the miracles, heard the teaching, and even gone out himself, healing the sick and casting our demons. Having observed Jesus do so much for so many people, why would he want to betray Him? Unfortunately, Judas never explained his actions, and, apart from his moment of remorse where he returned the thirty pieces of silver saying that he had betrayed an innocent man, we will never know what his motivation was. The devil though appeared to have a hand in Judas’ actions, as we read in John 13:27, “When Judas had eaten the bread, Satan entered into him. Then Jesus told him, “Hurry and do what you’re going to do.”

It is a painful event, being betrayed by a trusted friend or colleague. A relationship will turn sour. Sometimes our behaviour will repel a loved one. Many people, after a painful relational breakdown, will build walls of protection around themselves and will never allow anyone to get close to them ever again, and in the process become emotionally poorer. But Jesus gave us a commandment, to love one another. John 13:34-35, “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples“. We must be committed to our friendships to be obedient to Jesus’ command, as we remember what Paul wrote in Colossians 3:13, “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others”. Peter wrote in 1 Peter 4:8, “Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins“.

It’s ok to be upset if a relationship goes wrong – after all, Jesus was – but if it can’t be mended then we move on, always looking for an opportunity to put things right. Paul wrote, “Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honouring each other” (Romans 12:9-10). Wise words from Paul, indeed.

Dear Father God. In Your Kingdom we have many brothers and sisters. Please help us to love those around us with a true love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Scripture Fulfilled

Posted on by korgrocker

“I am not saying these things to all of you; I know the ones I have chosen. But this fulfils the Scripture that says, ‘The one who eats my food has turned against me.’ I tell you this beforehand, so that when it happens you will believe that I Am the Messiah. I tell you the truth, anyone who welcomes my messenger is welcoming me, and anyone who welcomes me is welcoming the Father who sent me.”
John 13:18-20 NLT

In these verses today, Jesus quoted part of a verse from Psalm 41:9, “Even my best friend, the one I trusted completely, the one who shared my food, has turned against me.” This was a psalm written by David at a chaotic time in his realm, during his son Absolom’s rebellion. David seemed to have an illness, and there was much plotting going on, even by his trusted friend and advisor Ahithophel – the account is in 2 Samuel 16. But Jesus also saw this scripture as a prophesy of His betrayal by Judas. Jesus told His disciples about this so that they would be forewarned when it happened. And He adds the assurance that this is one more occasion underpinning His claim to be the Messiah.

There were many Scriptures in the Old Testament that foretold the coming of the Messiah, Scriptures that were interwoven within the warp and weft of Jewish religious society. The problem for them was that there were two types of prophesy, some about Jesus’ first coming and others about His second, so from the two the preferred picture emerged of a victorious King vanquishing the enemies of Israel and forming an eternal and autonomous Kingdom where the Jews would live in peace. The Jews looked for a natural physical Kingdom, but Jesus came to establish a spiritual Kingdom where people would live free of sin and wickedness. 

We pilgrims are Christ’s messengers, carrying the Gospel’s torch wherever we go. And by so doing we fulfil the Scripture left us in Matthew’s account of the Great Commission – “Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”” There are those, of course, who try to wriggle out of their obligation to make disciples because they claim that this was aimed at the first disciples, those who became the Apostles. But they all died in spite of Jesus saying that He would be with them until “the end of the age”. That phrase in itself implies that the work of making disciples continues from one generation to the next, while we indeed wait for the current age to come to an end. We live in a season of God’s grace, but it won’t last forever.

Dear God. We willingly look for opportunities to share Your Good News of the Kingdom with those who You have chosen. Please help us as we fulfil Your commands in our generation. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now You Know

Posted on by korgrocker

“And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.”
John 13:14-17 NLT

When Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, He took on one of the lowliest jobs that could have been performed in that culture. It was a task usually undertaken by the servant who was lowest in the household pecking order, or, in some parts of the world at that time, by a slave. By doing such a thing, Jesus was aligning Himself with the lowest in society, doing the lowest of duties. And we mustn’t forget that this was God we are talking about. Jesus pointed out to His disciples that He, their Lord and Teacher, the “slave” or “messenger”, was prepared to do anything for others, no matter how lowly a task it seemed to be.

The disciples lived the rest of their lives with Jesus’ actions hanging before them. They were never going to forget that supper they shared, the one where Jesus washed their feet. But as we fast forward to the 21st Century, the same picture graces our faith. We still have a worldly culture, a pecking order with those who have the most materialistic wealth, or those with the best jobs,  enjoying a lifestyle with no room for a foot washing mindset. Company bosses order their subordinates to do the more menial of tasks. An aristocratic collection of landowners still expect the forelock-tugging action and attitude of the farm labourers. And in our churches, the religious leaders sometimes have the same mindset, forgetting the example of our Lord as they go about their liturgies, proud of their status and forgetting the reality of washing feet. 

Before God all men are equal. As is often said, there is level ground before the Cross of Christ. No task in God’s Kingdom is too lowly for His people to do. Jesus pointed out that those who do the modern equivalent of foot washing will be truly blessed. I know a man who pastored a church in Scotland for several years. The building was old and needed a lot of attention, but without complaining or making a fuss, he quietly did what was necessary, ensuring that the building was fit for Sunday worship and the other meetings that took place. Most people were not aware of his dedication and commitment in doing the lowliest of tasks, but God did and I’m sure he will be richly blessed. Men and women like him are the bedrock of our faith and they understood what Jesus did that day long ago in that upper room, understanding His example and doing what He said. 

We pilgrims understand too what Jesus has done for us, and we too look out for menial and lowly jobs that will bless others around us. Jobs that others baulk at doing. We join the church cleaning rota. We volunteer to help our elderly neighbours. We pick up the litter that blights our streets. We are the salt and light that savours our communities. We wash their “feet” at every opportunity.

Dear Father God. You called us to a life of service and we do Your will gladly in Jesus’ name. Amen.