SERMON OUTLINE:
• A desire to glorify God (vs 31)
• A love for one another (vs 34)
• A submission to Jesus (vs 36-38)
SERMON BODY:
Note:
• The New Testament word used for “disciple” is the Greek word ‘mathetes’;
• And it means ‘learner’.
• In other words, a follower of Jesus (i.e. A Christian);
• Is someone who is always wearing their ‘L’ plates;
• Quote the late great Alan Redpath:
• "The conversion of a soul is the miracle of a moment,
• But the manufacture of a saint is the task of a lifetime."
• Discipleship is ‘the task of a lifetime’ – and is what every Christian is called to;
• Disciples are people who LEARN to be like Jesus in character;
• And learn to behave like Jesus in their conduct.
Ill:
• A little boy constantly fell out of bed.
• No matter what his parents did, the boy couldn’t sleep without rolling out of bed.
• An uncle came to visit and in the middle of the night the usual thump and cry was heard.
• In the morning the uncle teased the boy and asked him why he fell out so often.
• The little fellow thought for a moment and then said,
• “I don’t know, unless it’s because I stay too close to the place where I get in.”
Well, discipleship is moving on from the place we got in:
• It is growing up in our faith and not just growing older;
• It is learning to be like Jesus in our character;
• And learning to behave like Jesus in our conduct.
Quote:
• “It's been said, 'A student learns what his teacher knows,
• But a disciple becomes what his master is.”
Quote:
• One great writer on discipleship put it this way:
• “Discipleship is the process of becoming who Jesus would be if he were you”.
• In John chapter 13 Jesus provides us with the marks of true discipleship,
• He gives to us a measuring stick;
• A practical example to follow to gage how well we are doing spiritually.
Now remember the backdrop to these verses:
• It is the last evening Jesus will have with his disciples before his crucifixion.
• Before he will be brutally and violently killed.
• They are all gathered together in the upper room.
• And before they start to eat,
• Jesus does the unthinkable, he behaves like a servant to them;
• And he begins to wash their feet,
• He gives them a visual, a practical illustration that teaches them humility.
• That was shocking behaviour,
• And Jesus goes on to shock them again – this time verbally.
• As they were eating Jesus drops a bombshell by telling them:
• That one of them – one of the twelve – his very own disciples - will betray him.
• That statement results in questions & turmoil,
• During which Judas the betrayer quietly leaves and slips away.
• And in verse 31 of John chapter 13:
• We read; “When Judas was gone”.
• The previous verse symbolically tells us; “That it was night”.
Ill:
• I am told by those in the know;
• That when sheep are taken off to be killed,
• They know instinctively that the slaughterhouse is a bad place.
• They can smell or sense something which warns them of danger.
• When the lorry carrying the sheep stops and the gangplank is put down;
• The sheep refuse to move.
• Over the years the slaughterhouse operators;
• Have devised a way of getting round the problem.
• They keep a sheep on the premises;
• One who acclimatises to the place and doesn’t mind it anymore.
• They then take this sheep up the plank onto the lorry;
• And then they walk it down again quite happily.
• The other sheep see one of their own leading the way;
• And they being sheep will follow!
• The slaughterhouse workers have a name for their resident sheep;
• It is called ‘The Judas Sheep’.
I wonder if when Judas left it was as if there is a breath of fresh air in that upper room.
• With the counterfeit disciple now gone,
• Jesus begins to talk to his true followers – the eleven disciples;
• About what it means to be his followers, his disciple.
• Ill: Word ‘disciple’ comes from the word ‘discipline’.
• A disciple is someone who means business with God;
• And what Jesus will share with them (recorded in the next three chapters of this gospel);
• Is not for the faint-hearted!
• And in our passage – 8 verses;
• Jesus begins by sharing 3 marks, 3 signs, 3 qualities of what it takes to follow Him.
(1). A DESIRE TO GLORIFY GOD (vs 31)
• First of all, Jesus tells them that a mark of discipleship is a desire to glorify God.
• Listen to verse 31:
When Judas was gone, Jesus said,
"Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him”.
• This is only the second time Jesus has talked about being ‘glorified’.
• The other was in chapter 12 verse 23.
• In verse 31 Jesus says, "I’m going to be glorified,"
• In the context of these verses;
• It is evident that He is talking about His own crucifixion.
Ill:
• We might ask the questions;
• ‘How can any glory come out of that?’
• ‘How can glory come out of the Son of God hanging on an old rugged, bloody cross?’
• ‘How can glory come out of suffering & pain & death?’
Ill:
• Answer has to do with perspective!
• i.e. Picture quiz – seeing part of an object up close (e.g. pencil from the angle of its point)
• It does not make sense – what is it?.
• But when you see the full picture from a distance it makes perfect sense.
• We see one perspective in the question;
• But we see another perspective when the answer is given!
• We see in part - when it is the question;
• But we see in full - when we have the answer.
The perspective of Jesus (is from the ‘full’):
• Although the cross would be exceedingly painful;
• And was to be avoided at all cost;
• ill: His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane:
• “If there was any other way to save humanity…”
• The limited perspective says failure;
• The fuller perspective says victory!
• The fuller perspective says that the cross was not a tragedy but a triumph:
• It was not a mistake but part of a perfect rescue plan!
Ill:
• Note: On the cross we are told Jesus defeated Satan.
• Note: On the cross He became the ONLY sacrifice that could redeem mankind.
• Note: On the cross he paid the price of our sins in his own blood;
• Note: On the cross He built a bridge between man & God so that we could be together once again.
But notice:
• There is more: First he said: "I am going to be glorified,"
• Second he then said. "God will also be glorified through Me"
• Question: How could God be glorified through the death of Jesus Christ?
• Answer: Once again the answer is found in the cross.
• On the cross Jesus reveals what God is like.
• On the cross we see the love & mercy of God, we see the grace & justice of God.
• We see the righteousness of God, we see the holiness, & the power of God.
• It is all displayed there on the cross.
• I believe Jesus is telling us,
• Whenever the world sees these ‘godly’ attributes in our lives,
• Then they get see a little bit of what God is like;
• And as a result God is being glorified in us and through us!
Ill:
• The composer J. S. Bach said,
• “All music should have no other end and aim than the glory of God and the soul’s refreshment”
• He headed his compositions: “J. J.” “Jesus Juva”
• Which means “Jesus help me.”
• He ended them “S. D. G.” “Soli Dei gratia”
• Which means “To God alone the praise.”
• Question: Is our daily aim, our purpose to glorify God?
• Every day of his life – Jesus glorified God the Father!
(2). A LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER (vs 34)
The 2nd mark of discipleship is found in vs. 34.
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
God’s Word says that the world will know we are Christians:
• Not by our Church attendance;
• Not by our Bible knowledge;
• Not by our giving;
• Not by our worship!
• Not by our hospitality;
• Not by our praying;
• Not even by our zeal and enthusiasm!
• All those things are important and have their place in the Christian life;
• But says Jesus; there is one quality that overrides them all:
• One quality that marks us out as belonging to him – “Our love”,
• Christ wants His followers to be known for their love;
• By how they inter-act to one another.
• Remember that the disciples (and all Jewish people);
• Had heard words like; “Love another” many times.
• It was written down in their Old Testament e.g. Leviticus chapter 19 verse 18.
• God commanded the Israelites to “Love your neighbours as you love yourselves”.
• These words were read in the synagogue on a regular basis.
What makes the words of Jesus so different, so startling, so astonishing:
• Is the mode of this love, the depth and type of this love;
• Notice what he says; “As I have loved you”
• Remember for three years these disciples have been watching Jesus;
• Now he tells them to fully copy him!
• Remember Jesus is about to literally give up his life – his everything!
Ill:
• Imagine if I said that the Church building had major problems;
• It was unsound and it was being condemned.
• But you and I have the resources to rebuild it;
• But the cost of a superior modern construction is very high.
• What would you say if I said we are not going to have special offerings etc.
• We are all going to empty our bank accounts, our saving accounts;
• We are all going to sell our house so that the new building can go ahead.
• Most of you will probably say – not me;
• Sorry but I can’t give like that – it’s too much.
• And yet;
• Isn’t this what Jesus is demanding when it comes to love?
• He is asking that we give everything we have – because he gave everything!
I would suggest that love is the most important ingredient of the Christians life.
Ill:
• John (author) of this gospel would later write in his first letter that; ‘God is love’.
• We take those words as the norm, most of us have grown up with them;
• ill: Stickers & badges or sang songs with the content ‘God is love’.
• But John is the only person in the Bible to make the statement ‘God is love’.
• We are told many times in the Bible about God’s love;
• But John is the only person in the Bible to make the statement ‘God is love’.
• Note: That is ‘Love’ is his very nature and not just an activity or emotion.
Now because love is part of the very being and nature of God:
• It has to be a quality that is evidenced among God’s people;
• If we are united to God through faith in Christ, we share His nature.
• And since His nature is love,
• Love is the test of the reality of our spiritual life.
Ill:
• A navigator depends on a compass to help him determine his course.
• A compass always gives direction by pointing north.
• It is designed to respond to the magnetic field that is part of the earth's makeup.
• The compass is responsive to the nature of the earth.
So to with the Christian (the follower of Jesus):
• As a compass naturally points north,
• A Christian should naturally practice love because love is the very nature of God.
Ill:
• A large quantity of radioactive material was stolen from a hospital.
• When the hospital administrator notified the police, he said:
"Please warn the thief that he is carrying death with him,
And that the radioactive material cannot be successfully hidden.
As long as he has it in his possession, it is affecting him disastrously!"
• A person who claims he knows God and is in union with Him;
• Will be contaminated by him!
• Only God’s contamination is not poisonous but health-giving, it is love.
• A Christian ought to become what God is, and "God is love."
• In the same way:
• It should be a natural thing for the Christian to love other people;
• And John will show us why in this passage.
(3). A submission TO JESUS (vs 36-38)
• I would suggest that:
• The first mark of our discipleship is a desire to glorify God
• The 2nd one is an unfailing love for one another.
• The 3rd one is an unswerving loyalty to Jesus.
“Simon Peter asked him, "Lord, where are you going?"
Jesus replied, "Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later."
37Peter asked, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you."
38Then Jesus answered, "Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!”
• Question: Do you ever make the same mistakes again and again?
• If you do then you are in good company!
ill:
• Back in the 16th chapter of Matthew, when Jesus began to explain to His disciples;
• That He must go to Jerusalem & suffer many things; “At the hands of the elders,
• Chief priests & teachers of the law,
• And that He must be killed & on the third day be raised to life”.
• Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him;
• “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
• Jesus turned to Peter (and I reckon with a tear in his eye);
• Looked at him and said:
“Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.’"
Once again in this passage Simon Peter’s enthusiasm & love for Jesus:
• Was actually a hindrance to both of them;
• Because he was acting in ignorance and not in knowledge or understanding.
Notice:
• In verses 34-35 Jesus has moved the conversation onto great truths about love;
• But I am not surer Simon Peter heard any of it!
• His words here in verse 36;
• Harks back to what Jesus said in verse 32 about ‘going away’.
Only now Peter’s conversation is about to run into a brick wall:
• Peter shocked by what he has heard, decides to proclaims his loyalty to Jesus:
• "If you’re going to die, Lord, then we’ll die with you."
• I am sure Jesus admired Peter’s sincerity;
• But Jesus has to bring realism to this situation:
• Peter; “You don’t understand…
• You want to die for me – the truth is before the morning comes,
• You will deny me not once, but on three different occasions."
Enthusiasm and loyalty are important but they are not an excuse for disobedience:
• “To obey is always better….”
• And Peter had to learn that lesson the hard way!
Ill:
An F16 fighter jet is an amazing aircraft with incredible capabilities.
• But there is one thing that a jet pilot requires above all else.
• That the aircraft reacts completely to his control.
• If it were to have "a mind of its own" regardless of how remarkable that might sound,
• It would end up doing as much flying as a door stop.
• In the same vein, even if we had all the gifting under the sun,
• God still must be the ultimate "pilot" of our lives,
• Only then can we do amazing and remarkable things with our lives;
• If we are fully under his control.
• If we insist upon taking our lives into our own hands at every opportunity;
• We will find ourselves as effective as a preverbal door stop,
• And a less gifted by more humble man or woman will be used in our stead.
• Obedience is the golden key to a life of joy and excellence – just ask Peter!
Ill:
• I suppose it is very appropriate we are about to break bread (communion);
• Because this incident happened in the context when this sacrament was instituted.
• Each week we seek to obey Jesus by taking bread and wine;
• And each week we get to ‘examine our hearts’ (1 Corinthians chapter 11 verses 23-26);
• And see how well we are doing in these other three areas of our lives:
• First: Do I have a desire to glorify God? (vs 31)
• Second: Do I have a love for other Christians? (vs 34)
• Third: Do I have a longing to submit to Jesus? (vs 33-38)
