Year 8, Day 261: John 13

Theological Commentary: Click Here

John 13 is a great chapter for servant leadership.  In this chapter, we see Jesus get up and wash His disciple’s feet.  Yes, he is washing their feet as a symbol of putting Himself below them in terms of status.  He is also washing their feet as a symbol of the cleansing that Jesus will do for us all.

What’s interesting to note is how this chapter ends.  Jesus says that God has been glorified in Him.  Note the return of the theme from yesterday.  God has been glorified in Christ.  In other words, Jesus has placed Himself in a subservient position to God.  In doing so, He worked for the accomplishment of God’s will.  In this, God has been glorified.

However, Jesus then turns to the disciples and continues too teach the disciples.  He tells them to love one another.  He tells them to love one another because that is how the world will know that they are Jesus’ disciples.  When they demonstrate God’s love, the world will recognize them as the followers of Christ.

Furthermore, in the world recognizing Jesus’ disciples, the Father will continue to be glorified.  That is the ultimate goal of our love.  Yes, we love one another because it is the right thing to do.  We love one another because God first loved us.  We love one another because we are the disciples of Jesus.  Ultimately, though, we love one another because in doing so the Father is glorified.  We love for the glory of the Father.

That’s the shameful part about the story of Judas.  Whatever His motives for handing Jesus over to the religious leaders, it wasn’t about glorifying the Father.  He may have been chasing the money – although I personally doubt it as he returns the money and hangs himself.  He may have been trying to force Jesus to overthrow the religious leaders.  But he wasn’t pursuing the glory of the Father.

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