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Source: https://www.sermonindex.net/speakers/aj-higgins/the-gospel-of-john/
Now you can have the liberty of putting your pens and papers away and just listen. Not a sermon or a message, but I trust that something we can enjoy of the person of Christ in keeping with what we have been thinking of this morning.
So John chapter 1 and verse number 1, in the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. Verse number 11. He came unto his own and his own received him not.
Literally, he came unto his own things, came to the nation, came to the throne, came to the city, came to the land, and his own people received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he the power or the right to become, now just bear with me, a more accurate translation from the original, to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name, which were born not of blood, nor the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God.
Verse number 18. No man hath seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. Now down the chapter, verse number 26. John answered them saying, I baptize with water.
But there standeth one among you whom ye know not. Now just as a small aside for young believers, you can go through John's gospel and look at virtually every chapter at what men did not know and then at every chapter of it speaking of Christ knowing.
For example, quickly John chapter 3, art thou a teacher of Israel and knowest not. Chapter 4, if thou knewest the gift of God. The Lord Jesus elsewhere heals a blind man and it says concerning him, he wist not who he was, Jesus having conveyed himself away.
And every chapter virtually highlights the ignorance of men and every chapter highlights the knowledge of Christ. So here, there standeth one among you whom ye know not. He it is who coming after me is preferred before me whose shoes latched, I am not worthy to unloose.
Now down the chapter, verse number 36. And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, behold, the Lamb of God. And the two disciples heard him speak and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following and said unto them, what seek ye?
They say it unto him, Rabbi, which is to say being interpreted, master or teacher, where dwellest thou? And he saith unto them, come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt and abode with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.
John's gospel chapter 13. John chapter 13. Verse number one. Now before the Feast of Passover, when Jesus 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.
That is not so much a point in time, but a measure, an expression of how far his love would go. Supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot Simon's son to betray him, Jesus knowing the Father had given all things into his hands, that he was come from God and went to God, he riseth from supper, laid aside his garments and took a towel and girded himself.
After that he poureth water into a basin, began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. Then of course he comes to Simon and we have Peter's objection to what the Lord Jesus Christ is doing.
Down the chapter, verse number 12, after he had washed their feet and had taken his garments and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me master or teacher and Lord, and ye say well, for so I am.
If I then your Lord and master 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. Down the chapter, verse number 21, and when Jesus had thus said he was troubled in spirit and testified and said, Verily, verily, I say to you that one of you shall betray me.
Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he speak. Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him that he should ask him who it should be whom he speak.
He then, different word here, not lying, he then falling on Jesus' breath said unto him, Lord, who is it? Down the chapter, verse number 33, little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me, and as I said to the Jews, whither I go ye cannot come.
So now I say to 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 love one to another.
Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered, Whither I go thou canst not follow me now, but thou shalt follow me afterwards. Now it is our certainty that God will at least bless the reading of these very precious words to every believer here today.
There are many different ways of dividing the gospel of John. Certainly the easiest is the thought of a prologue in the first 18 verses, an epilogue beginning at the end of chapter 20, stretching through chapter 21, and then the body of the epistle from chapter 1, verse 19, through chapter 20 and about verse number 29.
Also, very profitably, the gospel can be divided by just looking at the times it speaks of the Lord Jesus going up to Jerusalem and leaving Jerusalem. And so you have chapters 2 to 4, the Lord Jesus making his first trip to Jerusalem and then returning.
Then again, chapter 5 and 6, he goes up and comes back. Chapter 7 through chapter 10, and then finally his last journey up, beginning in chapter 11, until the crucifixion. So much that can be learned by just looking at the structure of John's gospel.
But in a very simple way, I just want to divide it into the first 12 chapters and then chapter 13 to chapter 22. And all I would like to do is to show you links between chapter 1 and chapter 13. Not just links, but links that will reveal something of the beauty, the wonder, of the one that we love and worship, the Lord Jesus Christ.
I don't know how much time we'll have to look at them all, but there are quite a number. And if I don't get through all, you can profitably take these two chapters and just look at them in your own meditation and consider something of the significance of both.
What really highlights, what really defines the fact that there is a distinct balance between these two chapters you recall how chapter 1 begins after those first majestic words concerning Christ. He came unto his own and his own received him not.
You come to chapter 13 and what does it say? Having loved his own, which were in the world. So what is happening now is what I would title a narrowing of his focus. He came to his own. He came to the nation.
He came to the city. He came to the people. He came to the throne and his own received him not. No time for Christ. No room for Christ. Interestingly enough in John's gospel, different from all the synoptics, he's rejected from chapter 1.
You would go to Matthew, Mark, and Luke and find there are crises when certainly in Matthew 12, we all know the clearest one, when he comes to chapter 12 and he's rejected, the parables of the kingdom and mystery begin and from chapter 13 on he is the rejected king.
But when you come to John's gospel, chapter 1 tells us he's rejected immediately. He came unto his own. But now when you come to chapter 13, his own is a totally different group. He has narrowed his focus.
Not that he is not interested in Israel. Not that he is not interested in the land. Not that he no longer cares for the throne. But now his deepest interest is his own. This small band of failing, feeble, weak, about to I'm just going to use the word disappoint.
Disappoint. That's a poor word to use. The Lord was never disappointed. Disappointment means you expect something and something else happens. He knew all that would happen. So you'll just allow because I cannot find a better word.
They were going to disappoint him by forsaking him. Yet, that's where his interest is. There are many things which gain headlines in our world today. There are many things which are the interest of the great of earth today.
Do you know what he's interested in today? His own. His own. This isn't a feel good message. This isn't a pat on the back message. But where his interests lie are with his own. Believers who are concerned with his glory and honor here upon earth.
Believers who seek to uphold his name in a world where he has been rejected. His focus has been narrowed now. And in this world with all of its celebrities, with all of its politicians, with all of its entertainment stars, with all of its sports heroes, you mean far more to him than all of that out there.
Loving his own. But we read in John chapter 1 as well, and I think we're reminded of it in worship this morning. Verse number 18. The only begotten son in the bosom of the father, he hath declared him.
So John 1 reminds us of a breast and of one who reclined upon that breast for all eternity. He enjoyed eternally. He enjoyed even when he moved here upon earth. He enjoys now in heaven's glory, a place of intimacy, a place of nearness, a place of enjoyment, a place of satisfaction.
Uniquely his. Eternally. Not by virtue of what he has done, but by virtue of who he is. The only begotten son who is in the bosom of the father, he hath declared him. What do you get in John chapter 13?
John chapter 13, you have one lying upon his breast. One falling upon his breast. Not now at a narrowness, a narrowing of focus. But could I talk to you about the availability of fellowship? The one who dwelt eternally in the bosom of the father, when he moved here on earth, his breast was available for a disciple to rest upon.
I think that's tremendous. I think that's incredible. I think that's wonderful to think that today we have thought about one who eternally has resided in the place of nearness and affection and appreciation to his father.
And yet, and yet, that's available for you and for me today in him. Just think for a moment, if you can, of John 13 and the picture that is there. It was a very dark night, wasn't it? The clouds of Calvary and the clouds of the coming oppressors was somehow looming over that upper room.
The Lord Jesus himself said, now is my soul troubled and what shall I say? Or rather he could say in John chapter 13, concerning the betrayer that was at the table with him, he would speak there about his distress when he said to his disciples, he was troubled in spirit and testified, verily I say unto you, one of you shall betray me.
A night of darkness, a night of distress, a night of danger, so that there was a place of comfort that was available in difficult times. Maybe there's some here. You'll allow a practical application for just a moment in keeping with this.
Maybe there's someone here and for you, I think one of the young believers said to me yesterday, coming to a conference, that's almost like fantasy world. You know, it's everything you could ask for, everyone you love, people who accept you.
You're among the majority, not among the minority at work or at school. It's fantasy. The real world out there is so different. This is so wonderful. Some of you are going to leave this fantasy, and the real world is very different.
You're going to go back to lonely rooms. You're going to go back to face problems at work where you have to deal with problems. Some back to homes where there is less than harmony. Some back to situations that no one else knows anything about in terms of difficulty and distress and burden and care and likely in a crowd this size, there is someone who in the next six months is going to learn of a diagnosis they never expected.
Where do you go? Sometimes even believers fail to give the comfort they should. In a time of distress, there was a place that John could go to. John falling upon his breast. The expression of total dependence.
The expression of absolute helplessness just falling upon his breast. Finding there all he needed of comfort, all he needed of communion. But just allow one more application as you bear with me. If I go back in my memory to Israel, and all of its typology and all of its pictures you will remember won't you that amongst the many things that were seen there was a high priest and he wore a breastplate.
Place of affection. That's what John learned, the place of affection. But inside that breastplate was something very mysterious that no one could ever quite define. It was called the Urim and the Thummim.
Now whether they were two stones, whether it was a casting of lots, we don't know. But it resided in the breastplate and whenever someone wanted counsel, and we see it especially with King David, they called for the Urim and the Thummim to find out what was the mind of God.
So who is it that Peter asks? Who is it that Peter asks to find out an answer? It's the one who's closest to the Urim and the Thummim. Peter beckoning to John says, who is it? Who's the betrayer? So I find it not only as a place for communion, not only is it a place for comfort, but I find it's a place for counsel.
Resting upon the heart of Christ is where you and I can find counsel for the darkness, for the difficulties, for the distress, for all that we are called upon to face Monday morning, for some it might even be Sunday night.
You hardly can leave here before all begins again. You may leave a location, but you and I have the privilege of never leaving the place of communion upon his breast. The availability of fellowship. Let me just point out again, we read in chapter 1, as many as received him to them gave he the right to be called children of God.
Now I mentioned that although our authorized version says sons, the accurate translation is children. Now that's not just a minor thing. The reason is because you will search in vain in any of John's writings for his addressing you and me as sons.
The reason is there's really only one son. In all of John's writings, there is only one son that fills his mind. We are children. He is the son. We are children in the family. Matthew, Mark, Luke, Peter, Paul, all call us and refer to us as sons and we are.
But in John's mind, he only has eyes for one son in solitary, unique, eternal dignity. The rest are children. But in John chapter 1, we are children. But did you notice what we are in John chapter 13?
He says, for the first time, dear children, dear children, not now the narrowing of his focus, not now the availability of fellowship, but could I underline for you something of the intensity of his feeling for you and for me?
Dear children, there is a heart that could not love each believer here more than it currently does. Please never, never think that his love for you is dependent upon your faithfulness, your obedience, your devotion, your consecration.
His love doesn't change. At our coldest moments, his love is just as intense. Now you will have to understand that the amount of pleasure you bring him, the amount of honor you reflect, the amount of glory that you bring is dependent upon your obedience, your faithfulness, your devotion, your consecration.
But always remember, his love is independent of all that you do because you are a child in the family. You are a dear child. I have to confess something of my weaknesses. I have enough miles from flying so much that occasionally I'm able to upgrade.
And I must confess I have never seen a first class seat I didn't like. They're tremendous. When you have to fly four, five, six hours, it's wonderful to be up there in first class. The only difficulty with being in first class is it makes you hate going back to cattle class.
You just find it so irksome to sit there and they don't know your name and they kind of half-heartedly offer you a can of soda maybe. But first class is great. Listen, God has no second class children.
We're all going to heaven in first class seats. Every one of us is a dear child. Dear children. The first time he uses that word is in John 13. He's about to go out to die. He's about to go out to suffer.
And what he does is he reinforces. He intensifies, if I can use that expression, his feelings. Not just children now, but dear children. The intensity of his feelings. Could I tell you something about an insight into his, I know of no better word, the fullness of his glory.
We read in John chapter 1. John says, There standeth one among you whom ye know not. He it is who coming after me is preferred before me, for he was before me. Now I'm sure you all understand that. He is ahead of me in rank.
He was before me in time and so on. But he says, concerning the worth of Christ, he says, whose shoes latch it, I am not worthy to unloose. Now again, just allow me an aside for just a moment for the sake of young believers.
Always compare your Gospels. Always compare your Gospels. Because John says, I am not worthy to unloose one of his shoes latch it. Luke says, I'm not worthy to unloose the latch it of both of his shoes.
Mark says, I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose his shoes. Matthew says, I'm not worthy to bear his shoes. So each one of them is stressing. John says, I'm not even worthy to deal with one of his shoes.
Luke says, I'm not worthy to deal with both of his shoes. Mark says, I'm not really even worthy to be a slave and kneel down and unloose his shoes. And Matthew says, even if others took his shoes off, I'm not even worthy to bear them.
So you will understand that in that expression, we are seeing something of his glory and greatness. That each disciple, each writer of the gospel, but here especially, John records for us John the Baptist's expression of how worthy Christ is.
Anything about feet in John chapter 13? He laid aside his garment, took a towel, girded himself, washed their feet. Now I don't know, I have not been able to find any authority on Eastern customs. So maybe I've got to be careful here with imagination.
Unless they used Canadian customs of removing their sandals before they moved in the room, it would mean the Lord Jesus Christ went from disciple to disciple unloosing their shoes, washing their feet.
Please don't be hard on Peter. I don't know what order Peter was in of the twelve. I wonder if he was the last. I wonder if Judas was the first. But however many there were before Peter, they all silently allowed the Lord to unloose their shoes and wash their feet until he comes to Peter.
Give Peter credit, at least Peter recognized this is so out of keeping. So don't be hard on dear Peter. He actually unloosed their shoes, washed their feet. Not now the glory of his greatness, the glory of his grace.
Imagine your Lord and mine stooping to wash the feet. On top of that, did you read what it said? Jesus knowing the Father had put all things into his hands. You know the next thing you see in his hands?
You see the feet of disciples in his hands. If you look at how that chapter begins, supper being ended, the devil already having put into the heart of Judas Iscariot Simon's son to betray him. Jesus knowing his hour was come.
Jesus knowing the Father had put all things into his hands. Now you just take those four statements. Just think of the background of the action. He's conscious of the hour with all of its suffering. He's conscious of the hatred of a Judas burning at the table right there with him.
He's conscious as well of the honor that belonged to him that would be his eternally. And he's conscious as well of the humility which was lacking in eleven apostles. And yet he rises to perform a ministry of grace.
To give an example. Another instance here where they knew not. What I do thou knowest not. Now but thou shall know hereafter. All to express this. He so avidly wanted their fellowship and communion that nothing else at that moment, whether it was satanic hatred, whether it was the pride of disciples, whether it was the sorrows that awaited him or the honor that was his, nothing else at that point was paramount except this.
To express to disciples his desire to enjoy fellowship with him. He hasn't changed. He hasn't changed. Every believer here from the podium, the dais, whatever you call it, all the way through. Objects of love, of interest, of desire on the part of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We read in chapter 1 as well of his call and we read about how that they followed him so that in John chapter 1 we have disciples who are being called. John chapter 13 we have, By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one for another.
So while in chapter 1 we have the call of disciples, chapter 13 we have the character of disciples. Not now just a matter of being called and following, but now called upon to display discipleship through love one for another.
John chapter 13, you could remember it very easily. It's the chapter of the basin and the bathing and the betrayer and the bosom and the badge of discipleship. It's all there. You can look at it for yourself.
Here he comes finally to the badge. What is the badge of discipleship? Love one for another. Let me just ask a practical question. When was the last time you prayed that God would help you love your fellow Christians more?
Paul prayed for the believers at Thessalonica, that their love may abound more and more. God sent persecution to make it happen, so we're not telling God how to do it. But ever pray about it. Pray that God would increase your love for the other believers in your assembly, other believers with whom you have contact.
Praying about it. Do you plan for it? How can I express my love for that believer? Now, if you're thinking about praying for me, don't bring me a box of chocolates. Okay? That's not how you express your love.
Love means to put another's welfare ahead of your own. Love means to plan for the very best for that person rather than what is so instinctive planning for the very best for self. So do you ever think about picking out one believer for the month?
How can I display love for that believer in the month to come? Praying for it. Planning for it. Practicing it as well. And then the writer of Hebrews says that we are to provoke to love and to good works.
So there should be a provoking of one another to love and to good works. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one for another. Discipleship really is a very broad, abrasive subject, one that perhaps we shy away from.
And maybe some might say theologically with good reason because really there's no mention of disciples after you leave the old disciple in the book of the Acts. That's the end of the references to disciples that we have in our New Testament.
But nevertheless, I think the principles still hold true. A disciple, first of all, is a learner. That's obvious. Disciples are learners. Learning from a master. But disciples also are led by another, aren't they?
So discipleship means being led by another. Discipleship means being loyal to another. Isn't that what the Pharisee said to the man that had been healed of his blindness in chapter 9? We'd be Moses' disciples.
As for Christ, as for this man, we are loyal to Moses. That's where our loyalty lies, not to some new pretender who's come on the block. So it involves loyalty. It involves love. We should be marked by love as well.
Love for Christ, love for others. But above all, discipleship, above everything else, discipleship conveys likeness. Likeness to the Master. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love.
So is that in the abstract, or is that because that's what he was like? Because that's what he is like. Therefore, we should be like him, displaying love one for another. My time is gone. Just one more, if you'll bear with.
Well, let me just mention this as well, relative to that. In chapter 1, you remember that they were following, weren't they? Follow me. Chapter 13, the Lord Jesus says to Peter, Peter, you can't follow me.
Where I'm going right now to a cross, to shame, to suffering, Peter, can't follow me. Now the Lord may have more as he does in John's Gospel. He is always looking beyond the cross to the Father's house.
So he may have more involved than just the cross. But this great contrast, chapter 1, you can follow me in discipleship, but I am going somewhere. You can't follow me there. That is uniquely mine. That is my cup.
That is mine alone to drink. I'm going to Calvary. One more quickly, chapter 1, introduced as teacher. When they were following him, they said, Master, or teacher, where dwellest thou? Chapter 13, ye call me teacher and Lord, and ye say, well, for so I am.
If I then your Lord and teacher have washed your feet, ye ought to wash one another's feet. You'll notice, first of all, a reversal, won't you? A reversal. Ye call me teacher and Lord. If I then your Lord and teacher.
Can you see the difference? Lordship before teacher. Because if he is not your Lord, all of his teaching will be in vain. If he is not Lord, and you and I are willing to bow to his teaching, then we can all stand up here for hours in vain, and disseminate the truth of God, and it will be like those that sing a pleasant song.
Won't mean anything. So there is a reversal of order. There is a relationship that is forged. If I then your Lord and teacher. Is he your Lord and teacher? Willing to own absolute allegiance to this Lord.
But then it brings a responsibility with it, doesn't it? To obey what he has given us. To obey. If I then your Lord and teacher have washed your feet, ye ought also to wash one another's feet. Willing then to be like the master.
May the Lord help us, as we appreciate more and more the beauty, the loveliness of our Lord Jesus Christ, as revealed to us in the Word of God. Shall we pray?