Live to Love Scripture Encouragement

Welcome to today's Live to love scripture encouragement. I would like to revisit John 13:12 So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you?
Do you remember what Jesus knew before He washed their feet? He was conscious of His relationship with His Father. John 13:3 “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God.” What did Jesus do to them? He did what His Father was doing. In a most menial task He was conscious of His Father’s heart, love, and will. This is important! Because in only a few minutes He is going to tell them that He abides in the Father and the Father abides in Him. To see Him is to see the Father. When we live to love with Jesus, that is what we are doing to them. We are showing them the life and love of the resurrected Jesus Christ. How Christ-conscious are we as we serve in His name? I hope today, we will abide in Jesus in the same way Jesus abided in His Father, regardless of how significant or insignificant the tasks are that we have to do for His glory.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 13:12 So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you?
Let’s put ourselves in the disciples shoes—well ok. They don’t have their shoes on. They’ve just had their feet washed by their master who asks this question. Do you know what I’ve done to you? Why did he ask the question? Surely He wanted them to consider what just happened. I think He also wanted them to understand it’s significance. Lastly, He wanted them to remember and replicate it. We probably should ask that question about everything God has done in our lives. He wants us to pay attention to Him. Today, when things happen in our lives, let’s pause and ponder what good thing God is doing to us. He is love. We are His. Abide in His love.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 13:11 For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, "Not all of you are clean."
In this verse we learn what Jesus knew when he said, “not all of you are clean”. Judas was not in Christ from all eternity. He was not cleansed by the washing of regeneration as Paul wrote to Titus. Titus 3:5 “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit”. This reminds us that the reason people are hostile to Christ is that they are not clean—they have not been cleansed by the blood of Jesus. This being said, let’s also remember that we were like them in that we were just as sinful and dirty and we needed to be cleansed by the blood of Jesus. It’s not that the rest of the disciples were better than Judas. They weren’t. What was the difference? They have been cleansed by the grace and mercy of God and Judas has not. Oh to grace, how great a debtor, daily I’m constrained to be.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 13:10 Jesus said to him, "He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you. "
Let’s not miss what Jesus said. He told Peter that he and some of the others were completely clean. He didn’t understand that then, but we do. If anyone is in Christ, then they were perfected by their union with His perfectly clean life and the washing of regeneration. Paul wrote to Timothy about God “who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,” (2 Timothy 1:9). From all eternity Peter and all but Judas of the disciples (and us who believe in Him) have been completely clean before God. This is great news! This is why we live to love with Jesus. He has cleansed us for this purpose.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 13:9 Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head."
You gotta live this response! When Jesus explained what was at stake in His washing Peter’s feet, “If I do not wash you, you can have no part with me,” Peter’s zeal kicks in. "Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head." Peter kind of gets it. His feet represent his walk in this world. So his hands represent his actions and his head represent his thought-life. Cleanse it all! Father, may we have a zeal for personal holiness like Peter did in that moment. May we have a part in living to love with You today.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com