The Love of Christ - Part 2

 Temple Baptist Church - 1-17-2024

John 13:1-4

Introduction:

 

A. We looked at verse 1 in the last message preached at the Love of God and Christ in its scope.

 

Ephesians 3:17-19 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, (18) May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; (19) And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

 

1. The People. Every man, woman, and child who has ever lived or ever will live. The limited atonement of Calvinism is a slap in the face of Almighty Giod!

 

2. The Penalty. Every sin ever committed or will be committed paid for in full. God loves sinners while hating sin.

 

3. The Possibility. We can comprehend the incomprehensible; we can know the unknowable.

 

B. Verse 1 tells us that this will be the last week that our Lord lived here on earth. For 3 ½ years, Jehovah God—born in the flesh (John 1:14)—has manifested His person through miracles, words, and the fulfillment of prophecy.

 

C. He came unto His own and His own received Him not. Israel, as a nation, rejected their long-awaited Messiah! But, as many as received Him are the many who believed in Him through the course of these last years. Among those believers were His disciples with whom He had the Last Supper.

 

D. In this chapter, we find several great truths. The key to this passage is found is found in verses 1 which says: “having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.”

 

E. The love of Christ is a limitless love for His children.

 

1. As I say this, we need to understand that Christ love for sinners has a limit. One day, the unsaved will see the wrath of a thrice holy God at the Great White Throne Judgment found in Revelation, chapter 20.

 

2. When I preached on verse 1, I looked at the love of Christ for “his own”. His love for His children is an eternal love as well as a temporal love. He loves us when we are good, and He loves us when we are bad. His love is both consistent and unchanging.

 

F. In verses 2-24, we find the manifestation of that love.

 

G. I want to look at three aspects of the love of Christ found in this passage of Scripture.

 

 

1. Verse 1 – The Essence of Christ’s Love – “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.”

 

a. The Word became Flesh. John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

 

Philippians 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

 

b. The Lion became the Lamb. John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

 

2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

 

c. The Sovereign became the Sacrifice. Genesis 22:8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

 

1 Peter 1:18-20 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; (19) But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: (20) Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

 

d. The Potentate became the Propitiation. 1 John 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

 

1 John 4:8-10 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. (9) In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. (10) Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

 

2. Verse 1 – The Expression of Christ’s Love – “having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.”

 

Some people have trouble with the words “I love you”. I remember the little fabricated story of the woman who, after over 50 years of marriage, indicted her husband with the words: “You have not told me that you love me in 50 years!” The husband answered, “I told you that I loved you on the day that we got married and if anything changes, I will let you know!”

 

God the Father and God the Son have never had a problem with telling both the sinner and the saint that they are loved.

 

Love must never be taken for granted. Love needs to be expressed and the loved one reassured.

 

a. Christ’s love for the Sinner. John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (17) For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

 

1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

 

1 Timothy 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

 

b. Christ’s love for the Saint. Jeremiah 31:3 The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

 

2 Thessalonians 2:16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,

 

3. Verses 3-4 – The Example of Love – “He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.  After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.”

 

a. The Love of Christ Expressed in Humility. Christ, Jehovah God in the flesh, took His place at the feet of His disciples. Proverbs 25:6-7 Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men: (7) For better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up hither; than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen.

 

Galatians 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

 

b. The Love of Christ Expressed in Service. John 13:13-15 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. (14) If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. (15) For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

 

Philippians 2:6-7 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: (7) But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

 

1) We are not “Foot Washing Baptist” as that is not the spiritual meaning of these verses. Foot washing was a custom in the days of old because the feet of travelers became hot, tired, and dusty. How refreshing it is to take off your shoes on a hot, humid day and let them dangle in the cool waters.

 

2) The spiritual message is that we are to take the place of a servant, not the place of one who must be served. We are to live lives of love, compassion, and service to each other.

 

John 13:13-14 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. (14) If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.

 

John 15:12-13 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. (13) Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.