In this sermon Graham is preaching from John’s gospel. This is part 1 of a series on chapters 13 to 17.
The sermon is available as a Podcast, downloadable PDF notes and the text of it is pasted in this post below.
The material is made available so that any may use it, preach it or adapt it.
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Sermon John 13:1
It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father.
“Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.” NIV
“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.” AV
Chap 13 to 17 is an intimate record from the pen of John. He was there. He now looks back as an older man, not with memory dimmed, but having pondered, marvelled, wondered and begun to understand.
This is the final period of time before the resurrection when they are all together with their Lord. He (Jesus) knows it, so every word and action is striped of the superfluous.
John too, chooses carefully what he will include in this his account, and what he will leave out. He misses out the details of the Lord’s Supper. His account is in three parts:
1) washing the feet and the accompanying dialogue in 13:2-20.
2) after the departure of the traitor 13:31-16:33.
3) the real Lord’s Prayer 17:1-26.
Before all that… this one sentence introduction. Our subject for today.
If only one sentence, why include it? Why is it worth including if I have just said John leaves out anything not vital to the narrative? Because John is telling us that this is the context for all that will follow in his account of chapters 13-17. This gives us the context for those chapters and this sentence is made more rich and valuable by the context of those chapters.
These wonders that John recorded are not in spite of Jesus knowing, but because Jesus knew “when Jesus knew that his hour was come”. Because he knows he is leaving them all these things followed.
We will look at:
1) Those He loves
2) How He loves
3) How Long He Loves
1) Those He loves
Those he loves are described as ‘his own’.
We know that all things are the creator’s and that Jesus is the Word and the medium of creation.
John 1-3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”
In a special sense though, there are ‘his own’. See John 1:11, 12 for the two categories of people mentioned side by side.
In John 1:11 ‘his own’ is applied to the covenant community which rejected him compared to those who ‘received’ him.
“He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God”
Not only those he loves but those ‘who were in the world’
Jesus had more of his own outside of this life, beyond death - a greater horizon we must never lose sight of in this life!
These however are “in the world” with it special trials and temptations, joys and sorrows.
“In the world.”
The one departing is saying farewell to those who remain. Think of all the fond farewells across the ages, the sadness and longing, hopes and acceptance of lost hopes. Would any ever have been as sad as this one? Certainly none so significant.
See John 17:11 “I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name - the name you gave me - so that they may be one as we are one.”
Hebrews 7:25 “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”
“In the world.”
He wants me in the world until he removes me. I am not mocking the call of God on other people’s lives. Some may have been mistaken when they fled the world for their monasteries of sitting on top of a pole. Perhaps some were simply being obedient to the Master. They and I must answer for their own lives.
Some preach a message of freedom from suffering. But see 1 Peter 1:3-12. What is the this gospel that angels wish to understand, that the prophets spoke about? Look at the context! It is the grace and mercy of God in suffering!
Jesus (in Luke 4:18) quoted Isaiah when he spoke of ‘binding up the broken hearted’. See 2 Corinthians 1, where it speaks of the comforting by the Comforter, the Holy Spirit. There is no binding up needed if their is no broken-hearted, no Comforter is required if there is no hardship.
I don’t preach a message of no troubles, but a better one, of Christ in there with us through it all.
John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Ps 23:5 tells me that in the presence of enemies he sets a feast before me.
Don’t quote me exceptional examples of suffering and claim Christ’s grace is not sufficient. The whole history of the church is filled with demonstrations that “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Ps 23:4.
See Rom 8:28ff.
2) How He loves
“Having loved…”
This sentence reminds us that his whole ministry has been one of love. John is saying that Jesus has always loved them, he did still, (and from the perspective of hindsight) would continue until the end.
“Having loved…”
In choosing the particular ones to love he shows us that love is choice, a decision, and may be directed. He chose. I can choose.
Was he short of friends that he was stuck with with them? He was their constant, continual companion.
Love chooses and is content.
Value the relationships entrusted to you by God and He may entrust you with more. Avoid the error I have seen where friends are abandoned for the expectation of better or more profitable ones like Pip in Great Expectations.
There are people who miss marrying wonderful partners because they are always chasing the better. When I chose Penny I closed the door on all other “might be’s” or “what if’s?” I have decided that door remains shut. Young people, by the grace of God it is possible to lose the key. Not that anyone is above temptation, but we can know what is entrusted to us and God’s grace will always be more than enough.
“Having loved…”
His love was stronger than their doubts.
He spoke to Peter “Get behind me Satan” (Mark 8:33) but he never stopped loving him.
“Having loved…”
If I were to sit down with pen and paper (or do it on Google Docs) and try to list all the many and varied ways Jesus has showed his love to me and showered it upon me, the list would be very, very long. And even then, still impossible to complete as over the years I will have been a recipient of his love in ways I was never aware of.
3) How Long He Loves
“He loved them to the end”
“And as He had loved those who were His own in the world, He loved them to the last and to the highest degree.” Amplified Bible.
“To the end.” Not just to the end of the time period, but to the fullest extent, in all circumstances.
He had loved them and would love them, even the Passion would not interrupt that. This supper is evidence.
As he approaches the “Joy set before him” (Heb 12:2 “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”) he chooses this loving farewell.
That Jesus could remember his own in the Garden of Gethsemane, while carrying the cross and while hanging above the earth, is not going to forget me now.
Isaiah 54:10 “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed, says the LORD, who has compassion on you.”
Isaiah 49:15,16 “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.”
Conclusion
“His own”
I am his. He owns me.
Are you his? Does he own you?
