It was just before the Passover
Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave 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
As Americans, we enjoy certain
unalienable rights (sic) endowed by our Creator, Our founding fathers in the Declaration of Independence called for the end of
tyranny and for the freedom of all people. As much as we enjoy these rights over
time they had to be defended and protected by diplomacy and often by
force. These aren’t rights that everyone
respects.
Conflicts around the world for
thousands of years have stemmed from people infringing on the divinely endowed
rights of others. If these rights aren’t constantly protected, they can quickly
disappear.
By the time Passover arrived, Jesus’
mission was nearly complete. His “hour” was at hand. This was the very reason
that He came (John 12:27). His mission was to judge the world, to defeat the
devil, and to be lifted up (John 12:31-32). This victory would be won once and
forever. This battle would never need to be fought again. Jesus’ work was
final.
The third sentence of this verse is
worth noticing: “Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to
the end.” Who were “His own”? The immediate context might suggest that these
were only His disciples, yet other references in John point to a much larger
group.
John starts his gospel talking about
“His own”:
“He was in the world, and though the
world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his
own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who
believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- children
born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but
born of God.” (John 1:10-13).
The qualifications for God’s own people
were redefined. Acceptance into God’s family was no longer limited to one race.
Anyone who receives Christ is part of “His own,” including anyone reading these
words.
The promise is that Jesus will love us
to “the end.” The cross pronounced the end of sin and death. God’s love for us
provides the way of salvation. God’s love also provides the ability to live for
Him until the end of this life.
We don’t need to fight for our souls.
Christ fought for us and won. We don’t need to exhaust ourselves trying to
overcome sin and the flesh. Christ is victorious. As we depend on Christ that
victory is ours.
How are you feeling? Maybe a little
defeated today? Maybe it’s time to remind the devil of his bad news: He lost
and Jesus won. Let Jesus win in your life today.
To make
a tax deductible donation to Galatians 4:19 Ministries:
No comments:
Post a Comment