“Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him. Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord, do you wash my feet?’ Jesus answered him, ’What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.’ Peter said to him, ‘You shall never wash my feet.’ Jesus answered him, ’If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.’ Simon Peter said to him, ‘Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!’ Jesus said to him, ’The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.’ For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, ’Not all of you are clean.’” ”…’If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them’” (John 13:1-11, 17, ESV).
It’s easy to point out what is wrong or bad in this world. It is displayed in politics, in nature, in society, in relationships, even in religious practices.
Last week, I saw a man walking on the side of the road and he was carrying on his shoulder a wooden cross. In our country (Philippines) this kind of practice during these days around or within holy week can be seen in different places. In some areas, you can even witness a man who will try to copy Jesus by allowing himself to be nailed on the cross. The Catholic church does not endorse this kind of practice. But because penitence is taught, some lay members of their church replace true repentance with various forms of penitence.
Erroneous perception of Jesus will result to erroneous religious practice.
So, this time, let’s explore our topic, GAZING ON THE RADIANCE OF JESUS while we study our text (John 13:1-11 & 17).
When we speak here of “radiance,” we refer to the glowing beauty, goodness or greatness of the qualities of the Biblical Jesus Christ.
So, why do we need to fix our mind’s eyes on His Divine Radiance? Or, what can we experience, if we gaze on the Excellence of His qualities?
We are familiar that the Gospel of John was written by the Apostle John. And the writer addressed himself repeatedly in the book as, “the disciple whom Jesus loved.”
As we proceed on the last few verses (44-50) of chapter 13, we observe the close connection of Jesus Christ to the Father. We note that if we believe Jesus, we believe the Father; if we see Jesus, we see the Father; and if we receive the Word of Jesus, we receive the Word of the Father.
Aside in the close connection of Jesus to the Father, we note also that Jesus as “light.” And as Light, He came to save (v. 47). In other words, He came as Savior.
Anyone who sees Him, as Light, what will be it’s effect? According to Jesus, the person will not remain in darkness (v.46). And how did Jesus define one who is in darkness?
One who remains in darkness is the one who hears His words and does not keep them (v. 47). Also, who rejects Him, who does not receive His words (v. 48). And has no eternal life (v. 50),
Be reminded again that one of the close connection of Jesus to God the Father is that if we see Jesus, we also see the Father. Thus, if we see any glow of goodness or greatness in Christ, we also see the Divine Radiance of God the Father.
In Hebrews 1:3, we read that Jesus Christ “is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature…”
Now, in our text, as we see the Divine qualities that Christ radiates, what happens when we gaze upon them? Or, why do we need to fix our eyes on His Radiance? And our answer is…
-- BE INSPIRED TO ACT ON WHAT WE KNOW (verse 17).
We read verse 17, “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”
Before we consider the action or actions that we can take, let us first direct our attention on the Radiance of Jesus. Let us identify the excellent qualities that He radiates, as portrayed in the text.
Before, when we encounter this account, normally what we always see is the servanthood that Jesus exemplified. Of course, that is a glowing goodness of the Son of God. But that is not just the kind of goodness that glows in the text.
So, this time, let us walk through this text again in a meditative way.
Part of verse 1 states, “…when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.”
The Apostle John pointed out that Jesus has people in the world who belong to Him in a special way. They are His own, not just by virtue of creation. Jesus mentioned them in John 10:14-15, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.” His own people are those sheep-kind of people whom He died for and they believed and followed Him (vv. 26-27). And these people, according to our text, Jesus loved them to the end.
His love for them is special. He loves them “to the end.” That’s a Divine kind of love that glows in this verse. We could understand it that His love is not only up to a certain point; His love extends onward. Or, we could understand the words “to the end” as “to the fullest.”
His love for them is not just the general kind of love He has for all humankind.
And through this extra-ordinary, special kind of Divine love, other excellent qualities of Jesus blossom. What are those?
The next glowing quality that Jesus radiates is in rendering a kind of service that is of a servant.
We read in verses 4-5 that Jesus “rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.” Actually, that demonstration of servanthood by Jesus really glows so bright. Why? Because He did the kind of servant’s work not only to His true followers, but even to Judas whom He knew would betray Him. We see here how common grace is extended even to a traitor.
Another radiance or excellent goodness of Jesus we can have a glimpse is in verse 7. He told Peter, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand." Jesus is more concerned of the things He does to us than our immediate understanding of His action. Jesus is Sovereign and He does not need our permission or human understanding to execute His Will for us, especially for our own benefit.
Next in verse 10, Jesus also told Peter, "The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you." Jesus did not just refer to the physical cleansing caused by taking a bath. He related it to illustrate also the spiritual cleansing He would do to His own people by justifying them through His blood. Not all His apostles experienced such spiritual cleansing, as He stated, “…not every one of you” -- referring to Judas.
So, making His own people spiritually clean is another glowing quality of Jesus Christ.
And we can quickly add one final excellent quality of Jesus that we can see in verse 11. Notice what the Apostle John wrote. He stated that Jesus “knew who was to betray him…” What was displayed here? The Divine Attribute of God which is Omniscience -- knowing all things -- Jesus radiates.
As we arrive to the knowledge of these things about Jesus, as we fix our eyes on His Radiance, what then?
We can now jump to verse 17 and consider His direction: “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them." Jesus did not just make known His qualities to His disciples. He did not just show His radiance to them. He encouraged them to act on what they knew. According to Jesus, if they do so, they will be blessed. They will experience happiness.
But Jesus did not promise happiness for doing just the thing of washing “one another’s feet.” Of course, seeing the goodness of the Saviour to perform such act of servanthood not only toward His true disciples, but even to one who is a traitor ought to prod us to follow His example. For He promised that we would experience happiness, if we do so.
But that is not only the thing in the text that we come to know about the Radiance of Jesus.
His kind of love for His own people is “to the end.” It’s not only up to a certain point. It extends onward. It’s a kind of love that is to the fullest. God’s people need also to exercise loving one another in that special way. And they will experience happiness.
Another excellent quality of Jesus, or radiance that one can gaze upon is His Sovereignty. He will do something in the life of His people that they do not understand the purpose for it. His people, then, ought to be willing and ready to submit or subject themselves to His working whatever it may be. They will be blessed.
Also, gazing on the spiritual cleansing that Jesus did to His people ought to motivate them to seek righteousness, to live a holy life, to repent for every sin that taints what Jesus has cleansed. If they do so, happiness will happen.
Finally, directing one’s consciousness to the radiance of Jesus, which is Omniscience will spur His followers to act accordingly. They will not only act properly, or obey just to comply. But they will act with proper motive, or obey lovingly. For they are aware that Jesus knows not only what they are doing, but also even what they are thinking and feeling.
Believers or lovers of Christ, do we gaze upon the His Radiance? Do we look intently and admiringly on His Divine qualities? Do we search out for them and direct our attention on them?
And as we contemplate on them or fascinated by any one them, are we also inspired to display it in our life? Do the words of Jesus encourage us, “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them"?
Again, “... blessed are you if you do them”! Happy are you, if you act on what you know, especially on what you know about the Radiance of God.
Are you really happy when you practice on what you know about God? Are you energized to put into practice the Divine Truth that you know?
If we focus only on the task, if we just think on what we are about to do, we will tend to see only the difficulty, or to consider the opposition, or even the impossibility of accomplishing it. We cannot easily associate happiness in the task.
Yes, think about the task, study how it can be done properly. But, gaze on the Radiance of Jesus. Focus more on what you know about the beauty, goodness, or greatness of His quality or qualities. And knowing not just in the sense that you are aware about it.
When the word “know” was used in the text, the Greek word does not mean just to know, but also to remember, and to appreciate. So, when we gaze on the Radiance of Jesus, let us not just look on. But let us look on intently and admiringly. Know about His glowing quality. Remember it. And appreciate it. Then, we will be energized to act accordingly.
For we will be able to look over the difficulty, the opposition, or the impossibility of the work. And we will expect and anticipate the happiness of accomplishing the work that God has prepared for us.
So, do you see it hard to continue on loving someone? Do you find it hard to render a servant-kind of service, especially to whom you know will just hurt you? Do you resist or question what God is doing in your life? Do you feel the difficulty of overcoming your sin, or bad habit? Do you consider obedience as a burden?
Instead of fixing your mind on the task, why not direct and fix your thinking on the Radiance of Christ? Let your mind dwell on His wonderful qualities. Believe His radiant promise that if you act on what you know, happy are you!
Consider that no matter how difficult the task or work in front of us, it pales into comparison with the suffering that Jesus did face on the cross. He was aware of the agony that He would undergo. But He was more aware of the Goodness of His Father and His Will. Let us, then, be “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:2).
According to the author, Jesus endured the cross -- the agonizing pain and humiliating shame in it. Why? “for the joy that was set before him…”! In the eyes of Jesus, he was not just seeing the “cross” but the joy of doing the Will of His Father. Jesus felt and suffered the pain and shame, but He was able to disregard them, as He regarded the experience of the cross “the joy that was set before Him” and the joyful result that it could bring.
What is now the task in front of you, or work that God sets before you? Don’t focus on the hardship that goes with it. Look to Jesus. Fix your thinking on His Wonderful Qualities. Gaze on His Radiance. Know intimately and remember and appreciate Who He is and what His Will is. Happy are you if you do it!
CONCLUSION:
In closing, remember Peter? He performed not just a very difficult act, but an impossible one. He was able to walk on the water. He was able to do it not by looking at the impossible task. He looked on the Radiance of Jesus. By fixing his attention, directing his interest, putting more his regard on Jesus, Peter performed what was even impossible.
Let us not remove our eyes on the goodness and greatness of the Biblical Jesus. Let us not allow our thoughts to sink in the burden or the hardship of the task. Or to drown in any erroneous belief or practice.
Gaze on the Radiance of Christ.
