Pre - ramble

So this mini teaching is going to be a little different than the others I have done simply because I want to show you a few things that the Father revealed to me in my recent morning read through of the Gospel of John. 

Chapter 13 was one of those chapters where I had very little underlined, highlighted or circled. I just read it, knew I was missing something deeper but could only see the surface level stuff and just would move on to read the incredibly rich and deep content that follows in chapters 14-17. Now before you all get up at me here ALL of scripture is deep and rich and wonderful, but as you all no doubt know, Father chooses when we see the depth in his word, and where.

Anyway, John Chapter 13.

So a brief synopsis and then we will get into it.

This is the chapter in which we see Yahusha wash the disciples feet, and we see Judas decide to betray him. He washes their feet, explains what he is doing to Peter, then expains he knows who he chose, and tells them one of the disciples will betray him, before ending by revealing his betrayer and telling Judas to do it quickly. 

Now when I usually would read this chapter I focused my attention on the washing part, and the lesson to Peter which we will cover here too, but in the second part I just saw the betrayal and him telling John who it would be. But Father opened my eyes to two important lines and it gave me goose bumps, if you haven't connected this dot yet, you are in for a treat.

Lets get started.

John ch13 v1"Now before the feast of the Pecach (passover) when Yahusha knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Yahudah Iyshqiryot, Shim'on's son, to betray him..."

Okay a quick stop on our read through, notice two quick things that will be important later on, firstly Yahusha knows it is time to go, his hour has come, and second notice that it is the devil that puts it into the heart of Yahudah to betray him. Okay, lets continue

v3 Yahusha knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from Elohiym, and went to Elohiym; he arose from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded."

So normally I would stop here and go into the depths of this moment. How he is cleaning the sin from their walk in the world, he is removing the dirt that they pick up on their walk with him, and so on. It's all symbolic as well as the obvious and beaten to death by now servant king message. But let's continue because tonight I am going elsewhere.

v6- 11Then came he to Shim'on Kepha (Peter): and Kepha said unto him, Adonaido you wash my feet? Yahusha answered and said unto him, What I do you know not now; but you shall know hereafter. Kepha said unto him, you shall never wash my feet. Yahusha asnwered him, If I wash you not, you have no part with me. Shim'on Kepha said unto him, Adonai, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Yahusha said unto him, He that is washed needs not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean , but not all. For he knew one would betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.

Now. Peter respects and loves Yahusha too much to see his master washing his feet like the lowliest servant and at first rejects it, but soon asks instead to be washed all over. But it is Ha Mashiach's response that tonight I want to focus on. "He that is washed needs not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean , but not all." I believe that the washed he refers to is two fold, it is Baptism and repentance of sins. And it is the washing of the Ruach as we remove the filth of our past transgressions from our lives. Hence he said, "If I wash you not, you have no part with me." and also "What I do you know not now; but you shall know hereafter"

I think he is telling them aout the washing in the spirit he will give them, making them pure and clean as only the Ruach Ha'Qodesh can, by leading us in his cleanness and righteousness. In his baptism with fire. 

Also note that Yahudah will leave at the end of chapter 13, before he begins to talk of the Ruach and his high priestly prayer in chapters 14-17. So again this is missed on Yahudah.

Back to the text.

v12-18 So after he had washed theri feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, know y what I have done to you? You call me Rabbi, and Adonai: and ye say well; for so I am. If then I, your Adonai and Rabbi, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Amein, Amein, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his adoniy; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. I speak not of you all; I know whom I have chosen; but that the scripture might be fulfilled , 'he that eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me'.

As I mentioned above, the foot washing is for us to follow, after he cleans us, except for our feet, which are connected to the world, and walk in the way, we will get the dirt and corruption of the worlds sin on us, but we must wash each other clean and keep the body of the bride of Mashiach clean and ready for the bridegroom. We keep each other in the way, purge put the old leaven, and rebuke the sin.

v19-20 Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he. Amein, Amein, whomsoever receives him whom I send receives me; and he that receives me, receives him that sent me. 

Okay this is again two fold, on the one hand it is receiving a brother and it is receiving the Ruach Ha'Qodesh the comforter. Because we come in his name, and the Ruach is Yahuah, is Yahusha. There is always a deeper level to his words, and that is the key that I found that is coming up.

v21 When Yahusha had said thus, he was greived in his ruach, and testified, and said Amein, Amein, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me."

I want you to see two things here again, one is that he is grieved at what is about to happen, even though he is to be betrayed and it is all clearly prior known, as we said earlier, he knew his hour was come, yet the betrayal is still hurtful to Yahusha, and second that he tells them all openly and Yahudah still does it, and no one stops him. 

I am going to write out this whole next section, see if you notice anything deeper in it.

v22-30 Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spoke. Now there was leaning on Yahusha's bosom, one of his disciples, whom Yahusha loved. Shim'on Kepha therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spoke. He then lying on Yahusha's breast said unto him, Adonai, who is it? Yahusha answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a morsel, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Yahudah Iyshqiryot, the son of Shim'on. And after the morsel Satan entered into him. Then said Yahusha unto him, That you do, do quickly. Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spoke this unto him. For some of them thought, because Yahudah had the bag, that Yahusha had said unto him, buy those things that we have need of against the feast, or, that he should give something to the poor: He then having received the morsel went immediately out: and it was night.

Did you notice it?

Adonai who is it? He it is, to whom I shall give this morsel, when I have dipped it. So yes of course it is Yahudah Iyshqiryot, but look a layer deeper. Firslty we know Satan has already put it into his heart to betray Yahusha, we read that in v2. But look again in v27, "And after the morsel Satan entered into him." I am suggesting, that just as Yahusha has seen Satan and rebuked him before, think temptation in the wilderness and the rebuke of satan in Peter, (Get behind me Satan, Mark ch8v33) that he can clearly see him at play again. And just as he has spoken on two levels all chapter, he is again speaking deeper here. Yahusha is telling them that he is handing Yahudah to Satan, Yahudah is the morsel, the baptised, dipped morsel and Satan is the betrayer. For it says, right after this, "And after the morsel Satan entered into him. Then said Yahusha unto him, That you do, do quickly."

Again speaking to both Satan and Yahudah. Now we know he says they are not all clean, and this is because Yahudha is unclean in his heart, he is polluted by Satan and is not obeying Yahuah to "love Yahuah Elohayka with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might." Deuteronomy ch6 v5. 

Think about this because this blew me away when I saw it. Satan betrayed Yahuah in the beginning, he is betraying him again through Yahudah on a spiritual level, Satan v Ruach Ha'Qodesh, and of course Yahudah is betraying Yahusha on a physical level. Also note that it is the tribe of Yahudah, (the Yahudiym that he is interacting with mostly in the gospels) and it is the Yahudiym that betray him and have Yahusha killed... The level of singificance you can see when you use the Hebrew names and not English is amazing. 

Consider also this. The father cannot exist in the presence of sin. Sin has entered Yahudah's heart, and Yahusha hands him over to Satan. Or add the verses in John ch 10 26-30 "But ye believe not, because ye are not my sheep, as I said uto you. My sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them to me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand."

No one can take us from Yahusha, and Yahuah's hand is even stronger. But Yahudah is not his sheep, he is not obeying his voice, he is plotting to betray him, we saw this in verse 2. He is walking out of the way and is handed over to Satan, Satan does not take him, he is given to him by Yahusha. 

Matthew ch7 v23 "And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye workers of iniquity."

There is so much going on there.

Lets continue on, 

v31 Therefore, when he was gone out, Yahusha said, Now is the son of A'dam glorified, and Elohiym is gorified in him. If Elohiym be glorified in him, Elohiym shall also glorify in himself, and shall straightway glorify him. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me; and as I said unto the Yahudiym, Whither I go, ye cannotcome; so now I say unto you. A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have loe one to another.

Okay lets stop here again. Firstly he calls them Little children, which John will later echo in his epistles. But it also means he considers them, his apostles, children, they are infants in the faith and need so much more learning, as we could read later in John, the Ruach Ha'Qodesh will teach them and bring all things into their rememberance. But what does he say next, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." Now this is not a new commandment, not by the Torah, but it is new to his written teachings, he tells us it is the second greatest commandment in the Torah in Matthew ch22 v39, to love you neighbour as yourself. But he, just like he did in his sermon on the mount in Matthew ch5-ch7, is adding a deeper and more spiritual level to this. Just like he said, do not even be angry with a brother without cause, when talking of murder, now he is saying love one another, not as yourself, but as I have loved you.

What does this love look like?

Here are four simple things, I would point out;

1. Mercy and Grace - he is merciful, he forgives a repentant heart and constantly reminds us of the Prohets words like Hosea who wrote, "I would have mercy and not sacrifice." So we should be merciful to each other. 

2. Rebuke and Chasten - we can read in revealtions ch3 v19, "As many as I love I rebuke and chasten." He rebukes us and demands improvement and repentance. He loves us and wants to perfect us in his Truth. So we should rebuke others when we love them, to keep them in the Way. 

3. Wash feet - he just showed us this in John ch13, that he wasnts us to do likewise, to love one another by washing wach other, helping keep each other clean for him, clean in his Torah, clean in his word. Wash the sin and worldliness from each other, sharpen each other and guard the tribe. 

4. Call sinners to repentance - This is crucial too. He called us all to repent, call others with him. 

This and so much more we could say on this, but he is trying to point to a deeper love that we must have for our brothers and sisters, he prays in ch17 that we be Yachad, one, even as he and Father are Yachad. So apply that love and how he loves us and loves the Father to what he just said. Love Yahuah, guard the commandments and love one another as Mashiach loved us. Full of grace, and Truth. Judge by Torah, but be gracious to every brother and sister who is truely repentant of sin and turns to his righteousness. 

Finally lets finish this chapter off

v36-38 Shim'on Kepha said unto him, Adonai, whither do you go? Yahusha answered him, Whither I go, you cannot follow me now; but you shall follow me afterwards. Kepha said unto him, Adonai, why cannot I follow you now? I will lay down my life for your sake. Yahusha answered him, WIll you lay down your life for my sake? Amein, Amein, I say unto you, The cock shall not crow, till you have denied me thrice."

Wow. We all know that this indeed comes to pass. But imagine for a moment being Kepha. You know someone is going to betray Yahusha and now he tells you in front of everyone that you will deny him thrice before sunrise... 

But lets look deeper here for a moment. He says to Kepha clearly, "you cannot follow me now; but you shall follow me afterwards." He is not ready, now is this because he knows Kepha needs this final test, this rebuke and chasten, this repentance to truely follow him and humble himself? Yes. But also he cannot follow him because he does not have the Ruach yet. The spirit of Truth. 

This will not come to Kepha and the others for another 50 days at Shavuot (pentecost). And also Yahusha has not died and paid the price for their past sin yet, so they cannot come into glory with him. 

Truely they are all little children as Yahusha said before, and so are we.

We are all little children, desperately trying to follow the paths that Yahuah has set before us and walk in his ways. How often have you thought you had it all figured out and then Yahuah has humbled you, tested you or rebuked you? It happens, but be happy, as I said in Revelations, ch3 v19 "As many as I love I rebuke and chasten." This is quoting Proverbs ch3 v11-12 "My son, despise nt the chastening of Yahuah; neither be weary of his correction; For whom Yahuah loves he corrects, even as a Father the son in whom he delights."

We all have a lot of work to do in our walk with him, so be humble, learn the lesson from Kepha. Learn to fear Yahuah and love him in humility and fullness of spirit. Draw near to Adonai and he will draw near to you. As Proverbs ch3 v7 says, "Be not wise in your own eyes: fear Yahuah, and depart from evil."

So what have we learned from John ch13?

We must love one another even as Yahusha loved us, in the fullness of his grace, mercy and truth. We must remain totaly obedient and loyal to Father and guard the commandments, and rebuke those who fall short, guiding and correcting each other in love to build up the body. We must help wash each others feet, and be servants of the kingdom, not rulers, for there is only one king and one Lord Yahuah. And we must humble ourselves, obey the Mashiach's voice and be ready for every test that comes our way, for he is testing us now, sorting the sheep and goats and wheat from the chaff. Overcome Brothers and Sisters. Overcome.

Finally we saw that when satan is in your heart, you are not clean, and we must rebuke him. Cleave to Yahuah and fear him, obey his voice. For all else is vanity and deception. Do not fall away but be zealous and repent.

Look for the deeper meanings and patterns in scripture yourself, and you will see so much amazing and humbling teachings in every word.

Yahuah bless you, Shalom