THE LORD'S SERVICE TO HIS OWN
THE LORD’S SERVICE TO HIS OWN
What is written in this chapter took place when the Lord first introduced the Supper. It shows us what a glorious scene it was. It stands in the same relation to the Lord’s supper as 2 Corinthians 3 stands in relation to 1 Corinthians 11. 2 Corinthians 3 shows us the Spirit who would fill the assembly in connection with the Lord’s supper. The cup which we drink sets out the love which was revealed in the Lord in His service here.
In 2 Corinthians 3 we read that the Lord is the Spirit and this truth comes forward plainly in John 13. There we have before us a realm where He is Lord and yet He performs His service of love in humility. I believe that the apostle Paul was moved by the same spirit when he wrote the two epistles to the Corinthians. The first epistle can be linked with the water with which the Lord washed the disciples’ feet and the second epistle can be linked with the linen cloth with which He wiped their feet.
It says that the Lord laid aside His garments. His garments have an allusion to His outward dignity. When Paul wrote to the Corinthians he maintained his apostolic authority because it was necessary; nevertheless, he took the position of a servant of the saints in humility. So when we consider John 13 in relation to 2 Corinthians we shall get an understanding of the ministry which is in agreement with the new covenant. Whatever the position in any assembly might be, the Lord’s love never fails. It never failed in the apostle Paul. We see in John 13 the object of the Lord’s service to the disciples. His aim was that the disciples should have love among themselves. “By this shall all know that ye are disciples of mine, if ye have love amongst yourselves”, John 13: 35. When this is a reality among us we shall behold the glory of the Lord as the apostle says in 2 Corinthians 3. The love will then shine out from us, not only on the Lord’s day when we are [p. 407] assembled to break bread, but in our daily pathway. We can understand that the Corinthians came short in this, for the apostle had to describe love for them in 1 Corinthians 13. If love had been a reality among them it would not have been necessary for the apostle to describe it so accurately.
In 2 Corinthians 3 we read of the surpassing glory. The path which the Lord trod in love here upon earth where He never considered for Himself, led to the surpassing glory. He Himself went to glory, yea He is the Lord of glory.
“Jesus, knowing that the Father had given him all things into his hands, and that he came out from God and was going to God, rises from supper and lays aside his garments, and having taken a linen towel he girded himself: then he pours water into the washhand basin, and began to wash the feet of the disciples, and to wipe them with the linen towel with which he was girded”, John 13: 3 - 5. He was fully conscious of His great position. The glory was there in His own person. In John’s gospel what is in heaven is brought down to us. We can understand how necessary it was for the disciples to be liberated by the Lord to have part with Him.
It is of great importance to see that the Lord laid aside His garments. Our tendency is to want to carry out our service in a public way. It lies so near to us to want a prominent place, like the official clergy who stand out in clothes which mark them out from laymen. The Lord on the other hand laid aside His garments and thus displayed His loving service to His disciples. But He was fully conscious of His personal dignity. The fact that He laid aside His garments took nothing away from Him personally. The sorrow with many who are now active is that their dignity depends on the service. The Lord was Himself far greater than the service He carried out. It is a poor thing if we have to be dependent on our clothes to uphold our dignity. The apostles had a high position but they carried out their service in humility, as Paul writes, “For I think that God has set us the apostles for the last, as appointed to death. For we have become a spectacle to the world, both [p. 408] to angels and men. We are fools for Christ’s sake”, 1 Corinthians 4: 9, 10. It was not that Paul was complaining about it, but he shows us God’s way of acting.
What a wonderful and great position Jesus had as One who stood as Mediator between God and men. He carried out His wonderful work as Mediator in humility; but His moral glory shone out for those who had spiritual sight. Moses, who was a type of Christ, was very meek, more than all men on earth.
“When therefore he had washed their feet, and taken his garments, having sat down again, he said to them, Do ye know what I have done to you? Ye call me the Teacher and the Lord, and ye say well, for I am so. If I therefore, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another’s feet; for I have given you an example that, as I have done to you, ye should do also”, John 13: 12 - 15. The scripture we read in 1 Corinthians 4: 9 shows that the apostle followed in His steps. Judas could not bear to be in this glorious scene. He went out into the darkness. “When therefore he was gone out Jesus says, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God be glorified in him, God also shall glorify him in himself, and shall glorify him immediately”, John 13: 31, 32. The Lord looked on to the glory but death lay directly before Him. All that shows us the spirit in which He went into death. What humility!
It says in the beginning of chapter 12 that it was six days before the passover, and here in chapter 13, “Now before the feast of the passover”, verse 1. That this feast is named is a reference to the fact that He must die. It was thus just before the feast of the passover that He carried out this service of love. In chapter 12 they made a supper for Him but in chapter 13 we see God’s side. God’s claim was that the passover lamb should be slain and the Lord knew that fully when He laid aside His garments. How His moral glory shines out in this! It is by taking up everything in humility and following the Lord that we get a sight of His glory. “Now the Lord is the Spirit, but where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, looking [p. 409] on the glory of the Lord, with unveiled face, are transformed according to the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Lord the Spirit”, 2 Corinthians 3: 17, 18. It is only by following in the Lord’s footsteps that it will become a reality to us, as we sang:
Thou wouldest that we should rejoice, And walk by faith below;
Enough, that we have heard Thy voice, And learned Thy love’s deep woe
Thy glory, Lord: this living waste To us no rest can give;
Our path is on with earnest haste, Lord, in Thy rest to live.
The Lord used a linen towel to wipe the disciples’ feet and from that we understand His tender care for His own. Linen naturally attracts water to itself very easily. It has been said that when we wipe one another’s feet we are inclined to leave them wet. When therefore it is a question of carrying out this service — and this service is a necessity — it is of the greatest importance that the person concerned should have a feeling of grace; otherwise bitterness can arise. The ministry of the new covenant introduced the love of God. When therefore it speaks of removing pollution, let it be done in love. Such a soul should be brought into reconciliation and made conscious of God’s favour. So we do not only use water but also the linen towel. I believe that that which the linen towel alludes to is something which we should have on our hearts. For we must remember that the use of the water is the first part of this service. If this is not paid attention to we may damage the brother who has failed. When a person has judged himself he can be comforted. We see from 2 Corinthians that Paul laboured that mutual relations of the assembly in love should be restored so that the apostle and the assembly in Corinth together with the person who had sinned could be together again in mutual holy relations. How easily the [p. 410] working of the flesh can disturb the mutuality of love. When there are some who must be corrected things often come up which have been concealed amongst us.
The apostle had the Lord before him as his model, as he wrote 2 Corinthians. He had before him the Lord’s wonderful pathway in humility to the death of the cross. It is in the death of Christ and His resurrection that we have the power for restoration.