Wilderness Spring｜Unswerving Love, Eternal Faith

    In the record of Jesus before his death, there are two very intriguing stories.

One of them is (John 13:1-11), which records the meal before the Passover, in which Jesus " washed the disciples' feet ." The second is (John 14:1-14), which records that Jesus talked with his disciples about " going to the Father's side ". The disciples mentioned in the former are Judas and Peter, indicating that God’s love for them will not change because of foreknowledge that they will betray in the future; the two disciples mentioned in the latter are Thomas and Philip, indicating that the disciples do not need to Doubting the way Jesus opened, what they should hold on to is an unchanging trust in Jesus.

Jesus foresaw that the time had come to "leave the world unto the Father," and since he loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, Jesus took off his clothes, poured water into a basin, washed the disciples' feet, and wiped them dry with a towel, knowing that the devil had put his betrayal of Jesus in Judas' heart. Because of his unfailing love, He was still waiting for Judas to repent, but Judas missed it. When it was Peter's turn to wash his feet, he had the following conversation with Jesus.

Peter said, "Lord, are you washing my feet?"

Jesus answered, "What I do, you do not know now, but you will understand later."

Peter said, "You will never wash my feet!"

Jesus said, "If I don't wash you, you have no part in me."

Simon Peter said, "Lord, wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head!"

Jesus said, "Whoever has bathed has only to wash his feet, and his whole body will be clean; you are clean

Yes, but not all are clean. "

Jesus knew who was going to betray him, so he said, "You are not all clean" (John 13:6-11).

Why did Jesus say, "If I don't wash you, you have no part in me"? It turns out that foot-washing is a Middle Eastern custom, and the guests at the banquet usually take a bath. So after washing your feet, your whole body is clean. Bathing means rebirth, and foot washing means cleansing in life. If Jesus did not cleanse Peter, Peter would not be saved. Peter did not understand the true meaning of salvation, thinking that it would be better to wash hands and hair. Thirdly, washing the script is the responsibility of a servant. Jesus condescended to be noble and changed his master's status to a servant, and he was also demonstrating to his disciples the importance of "serving one another".

As for [John] 14:1-14, it is also the scene of the Last Supper. Jesus exhorted his disciples not to grieve, but to believe. The purpose of his death was to "prepare a place" for the disciples, and to go and return to take them to the place prepared by God the Father. The place prepared by God the Father, of course, refers to our future eternal dwelling place. The way Jesus was going was known to the disciples because He had told them. Thomas asked again:

" Lord, we don't know where you are going, how do we know the way? "

Jesus said, " I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me. If you knew me, you would also know my Father. From now on you know him and have seen him ” (John 14:5-7)

    Thomas didn't need to ask more, but he still asked this shocking question, which made Jesus say the most basic and important verse of the Bible. When the world cannot find a way out in the fields of politics, religion, ethics, and morality, we can find the ultimate way to God the Father from Jesus. Philip went on to demand that God the Father be shown to them, and Jesus' response was profound:

" I am in the Father, and the Father is in me, don't you believe? What I say to you I do not speak on my own, but the Father who lives in me does his own thing. Believe me, I am In the Father, and the Father in me; even if you do not believe, believe in me because of what I do. ” (John 14:10-11)

Thomas and Philip's questions, and Jesus' response, are revealing that it is up to Jesus to find and realize the truth. No one can see God the Father, but Jesus showed God the Father in his whole life. Because Jesus was "incarnated" and incarnated as a man, only through Jesus can we know God the Father. If we are connected with Jesus, we can "be one" with God the Father, go to God the Father, and gain eternal life. life. Not only that, but Jesus also gave us one of the greatest promises:

" Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in my name, I will do it. " (John 14:13-14)

The death and resurrection of Jesus brought people the hope of eternal life. Do you and I really believe in "resurrection after death and eternal life"? Do you still wash your feet when you know a disciple will betray you? Can you and I be like Jesus, humble and noble, and serve those who are lower than you? The road to eternal life is long and difficult. If you don’t have faith, it will be difficult to reach it. Do you have faith to finish it? Jesus said, "I went to prepare a place for you," and "I will come to pick you up." Can you and I really believe in it? Jesus said that He is "the way, the truth, and the life." He is both God and man. Will our lives be united with Jesus and one with the Father? . The way of Jesus is a narrow one, are you and I really willing to go down? To know Jesus is to know God the Father. Can you and I accept it? Also, do you and I believe in the power of the name of Jesus? These two stories leave a lot of room for reflection: If the answer is yes, Hallelujah! It is not far from the heavenly Father's expectations, even if it is not within reach!