Sunday School Lesson

November 22

Lesson 12 (KJV)

RESPONSIVE LOVE

 

DEVOTIONAL READING: 2 Corinthians 6:1–10 BACKGROUND SCRIPTURE: Acts 4:32–5:11

ACTS 4:32–37

32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. 33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.

34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,

35 And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.

36 And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus,

37 Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

ACTS 5:1–11

1 But a certain man named Ananias,

2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?

4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.

5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.

6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.

7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.

8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.

9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.

10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.

11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.

 

KEY VERSE

The multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.—Acts 4:32

 

LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER

Unit 3: Godly Love

Among Believers

LESSONS 9–13

LESSON AIMS

After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:

1. List faithful practices of the first-century church.
2. Contrast the actions of the first-century church in general with the actions of Ananias and Sapphira specifically.
3. Examine personal giving practices and create a plan to correct any selfish or dishonest habits that have been formed.

 

HOW TO SAY IT

Ananias An-uh-nye-us.

Barnabas Bar-nuh-bus.

Cyprus Sigh-prus.

Joses Jo-sez.

Salamis Sal-uh-mis.

Sapphira Suh-fye-ruh.

 

Introduction

1. Never a Discouraging Word

Today’s country music reflects many influences. One of these from the past century was the singing cowboy. Cowboy music was not about cheatin’ husbands and loyal wives standin’ by their men. It was about “The Red River Valley” or the “Streets of Laredo.” They sang, “Yippee-kai-yai-ay, get along, little dogies.” It might seem strange now, but many cowboy singers included yodeling in their repertoire.

One classic cowboy song induced nostalgia for when American culture was not urbanized. Written in 1872 by Brewster Higley, “Home on the Range” includes this chorus: Home, home on the range, Where the deer and the antelope play; Where seldom is heard a discouraging word And the skies are not cloudy all day.

Such a romantic picture of the past! Is there a place now “where seldom is heard a discouraging word”? Who wouldn’t want to live there?

Discouragement thrives among us today, but we are not unusual. The history of the Wild West, where the cowboys sang, was full of reasons for discouragement, not the least of which was the violence against the native peoples. The early church also had its share of discouragement. Then, like now, encouragers were needed to be examples.

B. Lesson Context

Luke and Acts comprise a two-volume work written by a single author, assumed to be Luke, the physician and companion of Paul (Colossians 4:14). The first volume, the Gospel of Luke, tells the story of Jesus: His birth, ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection. The second volume, the Acts of the Apostles, tells the story of the first-century church, beginning in Jerusalem and ending with Paul’s arrival in the imperial capital city, Rome.

We look to the book of Acts to understand the nature of the church in its infancy. By so doing, we hope to understand better Christ’s intention for His church, as enacted through His trusted apostles, and thereby understand what the church should be today. From Acts we realize the church’s primary mission: to share the gospel “unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). We learn that this imperative to preach the good news about Jesus must withstand ridicule (example: 2:13), doubters (example: 3:11–12), and even coordinated persecution (example: 4:1–3).

Yet the first-century church in Jerusalem had its share of problems. It faced leadership succession issues (Acts 1:15–26). It had organizational challenges (6:1–6). The beloved fellowship even suffered from dishonesty concerning financial disclosure (Acts 5:1–11; see commentary below).

1. Generosity Exercised

(ACTS 4:32–37)

 

1. Unity in Purpose (vv. 32–35)

 

32. And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

 

The multitude here does not refer to crowd size but to those that believed. This is a unanimous majority, for they are of one heart and of one soul. Heart signifies the determined will of these people​—they had common desires and plans. Soul represents the inner self, the life force. The Old Testament uses this combination of terms, “heart and soul,” as Luke does here, to indicate the entire person (examples: Deuteronomy 13:3; Joshua 22:5). In these examples, the people are called to love God with all of their being; they were to leave no part separate to adore any other god.

 

Just as the church was united in devotion to the Lord, so they were united in showing that love through service to one another. Their purpose was to share wealth so that no one suffered poverty’s devastations (Acts 2:44–45). They held all things common. This does not mean they surrendered all their money, possessions, and property to the church leaders and lived a fully communal life. Instead, everyone gave generously to provide for those in need. This fulfilled the intent of the law to ensure there were “no poor among you” (Deuteronomy 15:4), a longtime goal for the people of God.

 

33–34a. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any among them that lacked.

This loving, unified community allowed the apostles to continue their powerful preaching without undue distractions. With the crucifixion still fresh in the minds of Jerusalem’s residents, the apostles proclaimed the resurrection of … Jesus. Nonbelievers witnessed a community bound by love for one another and heard a life-changing message from their leaders. Grace is a sign of God’s favor (examples: Luke 2:40; Acts 11:23). Although we primarily think of grace as a factor in forgiveness, it is not exclusively linked to forgiveness. It is a gift given by God to strengthen His people. God worked through their willingness to serve and blessed them as they loved one another.

34b–35. For as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.

Pentecost saw 3,000 men respond to Peter’s preaching (Acts 2:41), a number that grew to 5,000 (4:4). Perhaps not all of these were active in the fellowship, for some had likely been short-term pilgrims to Jerusalem (2:5). Even so, many hundreds (at least) were involved on a weekly, even daily, basis. This large group would have naturally included some wealthy folks and some struggling to put food on their tables.

In this situation, God chose to provide for needs not through miraculous multiplication of loaves and fish (Luke 9:16–17) or through manna from Heaven (Psalm 78:24). Instead, the Spirit moved the hearts of the wealthy to sell houses and lands and release the proceeds to the apostles. This was done by bringing the money from such sales and laying the coins at the apostles’ feet, thus giving it to the church’s leaders to be used appropriately.

At least one way the distribution was made was in food for the hungry (see Acts 6:1). The church leaders may also have distributed money to the believers (consider 2 Corinthians 8:19–20), trusting that any funds requested were needed and trusting the Spirit to guide their giving aid. This resulted in a community where needs were met.

 

What Do You Think?

How do you see the progressive modifications to meeting needs from Acts 2:44–45 to 4:32–35 to 6:1–6 to 1 Timothy 5:3–16 applying to your church?

 

Digging Deeper

How should your own role change in that regard?

1. Example of Giving (vv. 36–37)
2. And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus.

Joses (a form of the name Joseph) has a nickname, given to him by the apostles, that reflects his character. He has earned the designation the son of consolation by his talk and actions. This is the only verse in the book of Acts that refers to him as Joses; elsewhere (more than two dozen times) he is always Barnabas.

 

What Do You Think?

What positive and descriptive nickname would you like to have with regard to your service for Christ?

 

Digging Deeper

What do you need to do to move toward such a bestowal or recognition?

Barnabas was from the tribe of Levi, which was the priestly tribe (Deuteronomy 18:1–8). We don’t know whether he lived in Jerusalem or was only visiting there from Cyprus, the third largest island in Mediterranean. That island hosted a considerable Jewish population, as suggested by the multiple synagogues in the city of Salamis (Acts 13:5). It is possible that Barnabas had some duties to attend to that took him to the temple.

Later, Barnabas is reintroduced as an emissary from the Jerusalem church to the congregation in Antioch of Syria (Acts 11:22). Here, Barnabas is described as a “good man” who was “full of the Holy Ghost and of faith” (11:24a). In Antioch, Barnabas lived up to his name, with the result that many were added to the church (11:24b). Barnabas was the first in Jerusalem to put aside suspicion and welcome Paul as a brother in Christ (9:27). The two were missionaries together (Acts 13–14) and close companions (examples: 1 Corinthians 9:6; Galatians 2:1, 9, 13).

37. Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. Barnabas serves as the example of those who owned land and sold it to raise money for the care of the needy in the congregation. He acted in a straightforward manner, already outlined (see commentary on Acts 4:34b–35, above). He gave with no expectation of receiving anything in return (see Luke 6:34).

 

MORE THAN WORDS

“Discouragement is not the absence of adequacy but the absence of courage” (Neal A. Maxwell). People all around us have the ability, but not the courage, to accomplish their full potential. When we encourage them, we are not building them up with platitudes or falsehoods. Instead, we’re helping them see the truth about themselves and the situation they’re facing.

Sometimes our encouragement offers more than words. When we help a struggling college student with his tuition, when we buy a bag of groceries for an underpaid single mother, or when we send a Christmas gift to a missionary far from home, we’re doing more than telling them better days are ahead. We’re actually relieving pressure that is preventing them from doing their best.

Study the life of Barnabas and you’ll see that he always did more than talk. He gave. He helped. He accompanied. Which of those last three is your weakest area? —M. T.

1. Deception Exposed

(ACTS 5:1–11)

1. A Couple’s Plan (vv. 1–2)

1–2. But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, and kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

Ananias and Sapphira serve as the negative counterpoint to Barnabas. Our initial impression may be that the negative part is that in selling a piece of property and, unlike Barnabas, giving less than 100 percent of the proceeds is the problem. But that will prove to be the wrong conclusion as the rest of the story unfolds.

 

1. Satan and Ananias (vv. 3–6)

3–4. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.

The decision by Ananias and Sapphira to sell property was not wrong. Giving less than 100 percent of the proceeds for distribution among the needy was not wrong. What was wrong was the deliberate misrepresentation (lying). The plot to deceive the apostles, by the two making themselves appear to be more generous than they actually were, tainted what otherwise could have been an act that modeled generosity. To lie to unto men is bad enough; to lie to the Holy Ghost is much worse! Ananias knew that the money he had placed at Peter’s feet was only part of the sale price, and, to his surprise, Peter knew it too.

An honest accounting of the sale would have been something like, “We sold land, but because of our financial situation, we can give only half the money.” This could have served as a giving- stimulus to others who felt it necessary to keep part of what was received in a sale of property. But by misrepresenting the proceeds as the whole instead of only the part that it actually was, Ananias committed moral fraud.

Peter’s accusation thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God repeats and emphasizes the accusation of sinning against the deity. This also betrays Ananias’s lack of belief in the ability of God to be aware of such an attempt. The masquerade further betrays that Ananias’s lack of belief in the Holy Spirit’s power to work His will in the church.

Thus we are struck by the absurdity of attempting to lie to God. God always knows the truth and will never be fooled by human deception. Yet Ananias carried out a plan that depended on God’s not knowing and/or not caring! Peter’s condemnation came in stark terms—and Peter himself knew what it was like to be accused of being under the influence of Satan (see Matthew 4:10; compare Luke 22:3).

 

What Do You Think?

How does this lesson cause you to rethink your own giving pattern?

 

Digging Deeper

How important are the additional considerations of Luke 3:11; 18:22 to your answer?

 

5a. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost. Neither God nor Peter gave Ananias a chance to mount a defense. The time for lying was over. The man’s instant death was clear evidence to those watching that God knew Ananias’s heart and was angered by what He saw.

5b. And great fear came on all them that heard these things.

Fear is sometimes an unfaithful reaction, as when it causes a person to act without faith in God. But in this case, the fear seems to be of the type that causes greater respect for God. Though this reaction may have been limited to believers, likely others living in Jerusalem also heard the tale and were afraid. There is no record of anyone having cried “Injustice!” when they heard. That is perhaps a testimony to the reputation of Ananias. The reaction was fear of God’s wrath rather than indignation on behalf of the dead man.

 

What Do You Think?

What deeper role should accountability play in your service to Christ’s church?

 

Digging Deeper

How do texts such as Ezra 8:33–34; Nehemiah 13:13; Daniel 6:1–4; and/or Hebrews 13:17 help shape your conclusion?

 

6. And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.

The burial was hasty and unceremonious. Any funeral was no more than what was minimally necessary (compare and contrast John 19:40).

 

1. The Spirit and Sapphira (vv. 7–11)
2. And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.

News of the death spread quickly, but no one told Ananias’s wife, Sapphira. This emphasizes how quickly events were moving along: she was not even present when they buried her husband. She entered the room assuming that Ananias had delivered his gift and received praise and honor. She likely expected the same thing.

8. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.

Peter confronted Sapphira immediately, asking only if the price quoted by Ananias was true. This gave her a chance to be honest where her husband had been deceitful. Sadly, her story matched Ananias’s, confirming that her husband had acted with her full knowledge and approval.

Acts does not reveal what motivated Ananias and Sapphira to perpetrate this fraud. But we can easily imagine it was tied to esteem in the church. After seeing Barnabas’s standing improve following his generous gifts, this couple was probably envious and wanted to garner such positive recognition too.

9a. Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord?

Peter wasted no time and minced no words telling Sapphira where she had gone wrong. She had tempted the Spirit of the Lord. We can never tempt God with evil and expect Him to fail (see James 1:13). We can, however, try the patience of God with a test. Those who test the patience of God play a dangerous game, a fool’s game (see Deuteronomy 6:16). The sense of testing here is very similar to Jesus’ temptation (Luke 4:1–13). Satan there intended to make Jesus act contrary to His identity as the Son of God; here Ananias and Sapphira unwittingly tested the Spirit, only to learn that He is also powerful in the church to guide it in holiness. Jesus did not fail in the wilderness; the Spirit did not fail in Jerusalem.

 

What Do You Think?

If a similar situation regarding intentional deception in your church came to your attention, what would you do?

 

Digging Deeper Is there a single, step-by-step way to handle such a situation? Why, or why not?

 

FRAUD REPORTS

Forbes magazine quoted the study Status of Global Mission 2013 that reported a staggering amount of embezzlement fraud among churchgoers. One line item, “Ecclesiastical Crime,” projected losses of $37 billion worldwide. Another $8 billion was lost due to mismanagement of funds. The study contrasts these amounts with the $32 billion it says was given to mission work the same year.

Ananias and Sapphira may have been the first believers to commit financial fraud in the church, but clearly they were not the last. These reports do not document the effect on the individuals who commit these crimes. Their dishonesty or desperation has damaged their souls, and that fact leads us to look at our own attitudes toward the money we give to the church.

Are we giving only because others are giving? Are we pretending that we’re giving a sacrificial gift, while actually contributing from our overflow? Although our names may never make it into a fraud report, the “fraud” label might nevertheless apply. —M. T.

9b–10. Behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.

As with her husband, Sapphira had no further opportunity to defend herself. Barely three hours after Ananias was struck dead, the young men finished interring him only to return to more work. Without resting, they buried Sapphira by her husband. The haste suggests that neither the Spirit nor the church would waste any time before rooting out wickedness in the midst of the body of Christ.

This story may trouble some of us. A primary problem is that the penalty of death may seem too severe. These two did something good (gave money for the poor), although in a selfish manner. Didn’t they deserve some credit?

Furthermore, the story puts Peter in an uncomfortable role as the stern judge who does not hesitate to pronounce the fate that befell Sapphira. Couldn’t he at least have given Sapphira a warning when asking about the details? “Don’t lie to me, sister, I’m warning you!”

Both of these objections again find their best answer in the Spirit’s interest in keeping the church holy. Though the world may claim that the ends justify the means, Christian ethics requires the ends and the means to work together virtuously.

When Paul wrote later about spiritual gifts, he made a similar point. No gift on its own is worth anything; only the correct motivation, coming from the heart, can give those gifts any value (1 Corinthians 13; see lesson 8).

11. And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.

The community fear caused by Ananias and Sapphira’s deaths intensified. Surely the people wondered what was going on in this fellowship! No one seemed to question that God had acted in a powerful, judicious way. Barnabas encouraged all who aspired to be generous; Ananias and Sapphira terrified all who believed they could fool God and the church with false piety and lies.

 

Conclusion

1. An Encouraging Word

While we may not understand exactly how the Spirit works in the church or what He is up to all the time, church business is serious business. Faith and fraud cannot coexist. For this reason, when we allow the Spirit to lead us, we will be genuine givers like Barnabas, not sly and deceitful like Ananias and Sapphira.

 

Dishonesty within the church can destroy it entirely and must be dealt with severely. The very thought of doing a good deed to receive kudos and honors violates the spirit of charity. As Jesus taught, when we give for relief of the poor, it should be so private that our left hand doesn’t know about the money our right hand put in the offering basket (Matthew 6:3). This requires a delicate balance of being a witness at the same time (5:16). But when we yield our hearts to the Spirit, we know that he sees our deeds and blesses them (6:4).

 

Prayer

Lord God, forgive us when we attempt to deceive You and Christ’s body. Help us to genuinely seek to encourage. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

 

Thought to Remember

The Spirit works powerfully in the church.

 

 

KID’S CORNER

Assurances for All Who Are His Own

Sunday, November 22, 2020

John 13:1-11

 

 

 

John 13:1-11

(John 13:1) Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.

John did not repeat what the other gospel writers wrote about baptism, the baptism of Jesus, and the Last Supper of Jesus. John revealed a deeper spiritual meaning of baptism and the Last Super in John chapter 13, and elsewhere. To learn about Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist, see Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-15, and Luke 3:21-22. To learn more about Jesus’ Last Supper, see Matthew 26:17-30, Mark 14:22-26, and Luke 22:14-34.

In John 12:27, Jesus spoke about the fact that His hour had come. So, John reminded his readers that before the Passover festival Jesus knew that the end of His public ministry to the crowds and His private ministry to His disciples was at hand. Jesus was not “caught by surprise” at what lay ahead for Him. Jesus knew that when He died on the cross that was not the end of Him. Rather, He knew He would suffer and die, knew He would rise again, and knew He would ascend into heaven and return to be with His Father.
Jesus knew He would depart “this world” where He had been treated so cruelly, and where His followers would also be treated cruelly by those who chose the path of darkness. He also knew that He had loved and would continue to love completely throughout eternity “His own,” the children of light who remained in the world but were not a part of “this world.” Their assurance of Jesus’ continuous love and their experience of Jesus’ never-ending love enabled Jesus’ first disciples and all who have followed Jesus since then to suffer cruelty in Jesus’ Name from those of “this world.” The assurance of Jesus’ continued presence with them through the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, that Jesus will teach about in John chapter 14, enables believers in Jesus to witness for Him with courage and faith as He leads.

(John 13:2) During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him,

In John 12:6, we learned that Judas was a thief who stole from the common purse. Because Judas did not repent and ask Jesus to change his way of life and help him leave the path of darkness and come into the light, Judas went from bad to worse. Remember the man Jesus healed who had been ill for thirty-eight years. In John 5:14, when Jesus saw him later in the temple, He warned him, “Do not sin any more, so that nothing worse happens to you.” Judas knew Jesus’ words and saw His works, so Judas knew about the possibility of going from bad to worse if he continued to disobey God. From continuing to sin, Judas opened his heart to the work and temptations of the devil, and the devil put the betrayal of Jesus for money into Judas’ heart. Notice: Judas was present during the Last Supper, and Jesus also washed Judas’ feet as an act of the deepest humility in loving obedience to His Father and love for His disciples, but Jesus washing Judas’ feet had no spiritual effect on the one committed to betraying Jesus.

(John 13:3) Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God,

Jesus did not engage in this remarkable act of love, grace, and humility to earn acceptance from His Father or to gain privileges and powers that He did not already possess. Jesus knew “all things;” indeed all creation and all that existed, had been given to Him before He washed His disciples’ feet or died on the cross. In Matthew 28:18, prior to His ascension into heaven, we read, “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.’” “All authority” belonged to Jesus and was given to Him by the Father from the beginning, as “the Word” from eternity past, for we read in John 1:3-4, “All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.” Having come from God, Jesus did not minister as He did to earn the right to go to God. Everything Jesus did, He did as an act of pure, unselfish, self-giving love for His own, for His “children of light.” Jesus’ acts of redeeming love show what He will do for all who will believe in Him as recorded in the Bible. Jesus’ suffering and death reveal the most remarkable acts of grace, humility, and love that the Son of God, the Lord and Savior of the world, could perform. Jesus suffered and died for sinners and rebels who by grace through faith in Him would receive eternal life from Him and enter the Kingdom of God because of His sacrificial death and resurrection.

(John 13:4) *got up from supper, and *laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself.

Before a supper or an important feast, those attending would usually bathe. Since Jews walked in sandals or on bare feet, their feet would naturally get dirty. At the table where they ate, they would recline near enough to others so they could easily pass food to one another (for example, Jesus passed food to Judas). So, they washed their feet at the door, or the host provided a slave to wash the feet of his guests, or he washed their feet himself. Remember John 12:1-8, out of love for Jesus and with the deepest humility, Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with a perfumed ointment and dried them with her hair. Out of love and with the deepest humility, Jesus took off His outer garment and took the place of the lowest slave to wash His disciples’ feet.

It seems that before supper none of His disciples had washed their own feet or the feet of the others, so they were eating with unclean feet during supper—something Jesus noticed. In Luke 22:24-28, we learn why they may have been eating with unclean feet. During supper, they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest, and in that context, none of them would wash the feet of anyone else. Each one thought he was better than the others. So, Jesus told them, “I am among you as one who serves.” Notice: Jesus got up from the table and interrupted His eating and teaching to demonstrate some lessons His disciples needed. He prepared himself to wash their feet—something none of them were prepared to do, offered to do, or wanted to do. Thinking themselves important as Jesus’ disciples, they never thought of doing such a menial and degrading task. So, Jesus got up and prepared himself to serve them as the lowest slave in a household.

(John 13:5) Then He *poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.

Beyond the actual physical description and washing of His disciples’ feet, Jesus intended to make a spiritual application and teach by example, as we have seen Him do previously in the Gospel of John and the other gospels.

(John 13:6) So He *came to Simon Peter. He *said to Him, “Lord, do You wash my feet?”

We do not know if Simon Peter was the first disciples to have his feet washed by Jesus, but when Jesus came to Peter, Peter spoke with astonishment and expressed his  intention that Jesus would not wash his feet. Because Peter honored Jesus as his Lord and Master, he did not want Jesus to humble himself and wash his feet—the feet of a sinner.

(John 13:7) Jesus answered and said to him, “What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter.”

In answer to Peter, Jesus made a universal statement that would apply to everything He had said and done in the past and would do in the future. This truth also applies to those who read and study the Bible. Many times, students of the Bible have not been able to understand what they have read until later. We will not understand some truths in the Bible until we learn other or additional truths. Jesus’ disciples would not understand some of what Jesus did and taught until after He died, rose from the dead, and gave them the Holy Spirit to help them. Today, believers in Jesus Christ will not understand some truths in the Bible until the Holy Spirit who indwells them gives them the light of understanding. We will not understand some truths completely until we choose to believe them without needing to be given a full measure of understanding. We must wait for further understanding as we trust that God will teach us what we need to know when the time is right. Other truths will not be understood until believers obey or practice the truths they already know from their study of the Bible. Believing the Bible is true and obeying Jesus according to the truths we already know are essential to learning and understanding more truths.

(John 13:8) 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.”

Knowing Jesus was too good to wash his feet because he was a sinner, Peter objected and told Jesus that He would never let Him wash his feet. Jesus replied that if He did not wash Peter, if Peter would not obey Him and let Him wash his feet, then Peter could not have any relationship with Him. Peter’s refusal to obey Jesus would have meant the end of his discipleship and friendship with Jesus and the other disciples.

We can begin to understand Jesus’ teaching about baptism in the Gospel of John with Jesus’ words, “Unless I wash you.” Believers in Jesus choose to obey Jesus’ command and receive baptism. When being baptized, they show they have totally committed themselves to obeying Jesus in all things and they have set themselves apart from this world to follow Jesus. By grace through faith in Jesus Christ, baptism serves as a sign or symbol that Jesus has cleansed those who believe in Him from all unrighteousness, and He has set them apart as one of His own, as children of light. Baptism does not cleanse believers; baptism shows that believers in Jesus have accepted what Jesus has done for them. John taught more about how the believer is cleansed from sin in 1 John 1:5-10, “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

(John 13:9) Simon Peter *said to Him, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.”

Not yet fully understanding, Peter understood in spirit what Jesus meant, so Peter declared that he wanted to share everything with Jesus. He wanted to remain a disciple of Jesus, a servant of Jesus, and a friend of Jesus. He wanted Jesus to clean his feet so he could follow Jesus wherever Jesus led. He wanted Jesus to clean his hands so he could do whatever Jesus wanted. He wanted Jesus to clean his head so all his thoughts would be pure and all his choices would be according to the will of Jesus.

(John 13:10) Jesus *said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.”

Jesus replied that Peter had bathed or had been baptized. Peter had submitted to baptism, even as all of John’s and Jesus’ followers had repented of their sins and had submitted to baptism. Peter understood Jesus, for later, on the day of Pentecost, as recorded in Acts 2:38-39, Peter told those who believed the good news about Jesus Christ: “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.” Peter did not need to be baptized or washed again. Having been baptized, Peter would soon be cleansed of all sin as Jesus intended after Jesus shed His blood and died on the cross. Looking forward to His death on the cross and its significance for all His true followers, Jesus cleansed Peter and told Peter that He was clean. Peter only needed his feet cleansed, for the shed blood of Jesus cleansed him completely and would also keep his feet clean. As believers in Jesus walk in this world, their feet get dirty; that is, they still commit sins from day to day. Believers in Jesus are not yet perfect in thought, word, and deed. When believers sin, they need to go to Jesus, repent of their sins, ask Jesus to cleanse them from their sins, and accept Jesus’ total cleansing of their sins because He shed His blood and died and rose again for them. Each day believers need to accept Jesus’ offer to cleanse them from their sins of that day and humbly ask Jesus to help them keep clean. Each time we sin, Jesus humbles himself again and again when He cleanses us from all sin—for Jesus loves us, His own, and Jesus will love us completely throughout eternity. Receiving baptism is a public sign of true faith in Jesus; it is not a once and for all cleansing from sin. Only the shed blood and sacrificial death of Jesus (not baptismal water) can cleanse anyone from all sin. Judas had been baptized, but he was not cleansed from sin. Judas never believed in Jesus as his Lord and Savior and Judas never turned from practicing sin.

(John 13:11) For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, “Not all of you are clean.”

After three years of ministry with Jesus and despite all his advantages from being with Jesus personally, Judas continued walking in darkness as he accompanied the Light of the world. Jesus knew Judas, as He knew what was in everyone. Judas never deceived Jesus as to the type of person he was and that he would eventually betray Jesus. For these reasons, Jesus knew and could tell His disciples as they ate together that not all of them were clean. We only understand these things because we know the rest of the story about Jesus and prayerfully look forward to understanding more.

 

Assurances for All Who Are His Own

Sunday, November 22, 2020

John 13:1-11

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 (John 13:1—KJV).

Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end (John 13:1—NASB).

Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end (John 13:1—NRSV).

Jesus knew when the time had come for Him to die and go back to His Father who had sent Him into the world, and He also knew how He would die. But rather than think about himself, Jesus loved and primarily thought about the disciples He would leave behind in the world. He would love them to end, so He did not waste a moment when He could be teaching them more about himself and the future He planned for them and for all who would follow Him because of their preaching and teaching. Even as Jesus hanged dying on the cross, He loved people so much that He kept teaching with every word He spoke. Jesus’ truthful teaching gave His followers a foundation upon which to live until they too departed to go to the Father. But notice how Jesus thinks of those who follow Him and be encouraged. Jesus calls “His own” those who believe in Him as Lord and Savior. Think of all it means to be “His own.” Think about Jesus loving you every moment of the day until the end, and then He keeps on loving you to the end of eternity–which can never end. But there is more! In John 13:3, we learn the Father gave all things to Jesus. Therefore, believers know Jesus has all things available to meet their every need forever, and because Jesus loves us, He will always use all things wisely to do what is best for us.

Thinking Further

Assurances for All Who Are His Own

Sunday, November 22, 2020

John 13:1-11

Name _______________________________

 

 

1. What two things did Jesus look forward to in the hour that had come?

 

 

2. How much does Jesus love His own? What does that mean to you?

 

 

3. What did Jesus know about the Father?

 

 

4. What can we learn about understanding the truths of God?

 

 

5. What did Peter want? What did Jesus say Peter, and everyone needs?

 

 

 

Discussion and Thinking Further

 

1. What two things did Jesus look forward to in the hour that had come? Departing from this world and going to the Father.

 

2. How much does Jesus love His own? What does that mean to you? Jesus loves His own to the end or to the utmost or always. As one of His children, Jesus will always love me, and He will always love me completely.

 

3. What did Jesus know about the Father? Jesus knew that the Father had given all things into His hand. All created things and people are ultimately in the power of Jesus. Jesus knew that He had come from God and He was going to God.

 

4. What can we learn about understanding the truths of God? Some truths we will not understand until later.

 

5. What did Peter want? What did Jesus say Peter, and everyone needs? Peter wanted his head, hands, and feet washed. Jesus said Peter was clean because he had bathed, so he did not need his body washed, only his feet. If we are not a true follower of Jesus, we need Jesus to cleanse us from all sin. If we are a true follower of Jesus, we only need our feet washed because we do still commit sins: we are not yet morally perfect in thought, word, and deed.

 

 

Word Search

Assurances for All Who Are His Own

Sunday, November 22, 2020

John 13:1-11

Name ________________________________

 

D N G R T A O B C R T L P C E

K J Y O Z V R I E M J U D A S

N V W F R E Z T H F E P R X W

X E B A H Y A E W R Z W M N D

L M U T U W A F A L E J R Q E

U T A V L R J S K J T L Z H V

D F E H T G V Y Q O E R X T O

J I L D M R O C U M Q S H C L

P K S A H S A W H W X J U B W

B E R C V N L R P E S Q D S J

Z F T D I I M K S N U Z K E Y

M E B E E P T R D K S P Y V S

X E Y N R V L S T O E L H N B

Y T S W S F I E E H J I E K O

C R U O H J T L S F D K V J P

 

Festival

Jesus

Knew

Hour

Loved

Heart

Devil

Judas

Father

Towel

Water

Wash

Disciples

Peter

Feet

 

 

 

 

True and False Test

Assurances for All Who Are His Own

Sunday, November 22, 2020

John 13:1-11

Name ____________________________________

 

Circle the True or False answers. Correct the False statements by restating them.

1. Before Passover, Jesus worried about how, when, and if He would die. True or False

 

2. Jesus knew that when He departed from the world that He would go to the Father. True or False

 

3. Jesus loved His own in the world. True or False

 

4. After supper, Jesus waited patiently for the devil to put it into Judas heart to betray Him. True or False

 

5. Before He washed the disciples’ feet, Jesus knew that the Father had given all things to Him. True or False

 

6. Jesus used His outer robe to wash and dry His disciples’ feet. True or False

 

7. Jesus told Peter that he would only understand later what He was doing. True or False

 

8. Peter asked Jesus to wash his hands, head, and feet. True or False

 

9. Jesus said not all His disciples were clean. True or False

 

10. Jesus told Peter that if he kept his hands clean, he would never need to wash his feet. True or False

 

 

True and False Test Answers

1. False
2. True
3. True
4. False
5. True
6. False
7. True
8. True
9. True
10. False

 

 

Prayer

Lord God, forgive us when we attempt to deceive You and Christ’s body. Help us to genuinely seek to encourage. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.