Romans--Fellowship With The Father and His Son

The Lord Jesus spent the last night of His earthly mission weaning His disciples from earthly things and pointing them to heavenly things. The Lord revealed His death (John 12), His intercessory work (John 13), and His second advent (John 14). In view of those three themes, fruitbearing was discussed in John 15. Since Jesus Christ died for His own, intercedes for them, and is coming again for them, believers should be fruitful. The Lord warned His disciples about the world’s hatred for them and encouraged them to be cheerful because He had overcome the world (John 16). He prayed for the disciples in His high priestly prayer (John 17). These chapters record a summary of the last moments the Lord spent with His disciples.

The Lord Jesus spoke of the nearness of His death in John 13:1—“Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.” Heretofore, He had said His time was not yet come. Since the hour had come for His departure from the disciples, He assured them of continued fellowship after His death.

The nature of His death was to depart from this world by way of the cross. That would bring about the fellowship He would have with His own and they would have with Him. His death is the basis for fellowship. Surely the Lord did not dread leaving this world of wicked men who were His enemies and despised His absolute sovereignty. Every step He took on earth anticipated His finished work on the cross which would bring about the fellowship of which He spoke. The Lord’s motive for leaving this world and going to the Father was His love for His own. His knowledge of the time of His departure out of the world to the Father attested His Deity.

Although Christ’s death actually occurred at a given period of time, from the Father’s standpoint, it was already accomplished. Jesus Christ is the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world. Therefore, the atonement cannot be dated from the standpoint of God’s purpose, but it can from the standpoint of accomplishment.

When Christ came into this world, He came from the Father; but He did not leave the Father. Moreover, when He departed from the world, He did not leave His own. His promise to them is found in Hebrews 13:5—“…I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.”

Christ’s love does not ignore the weakness of His children’s flesh or their liability to defilement. Therefore, He assures them that He loves them to the end. His love is without beginning or ending. God’s love is everlasting in the counsels and consequences of it. Therefore, it is unto the end—consummation or perfection.

Love has no end in essence but it does in achievement. The Lord Jesus was about to achieve His purpose for coming into the world. He would become Surety for His chosen ones. His love does not ignore the fact that Christians are prone to backslide. Defilement of their feet is possible every day they live on earth. Hence, He made provision for them in His intercessory work.

Fellowship provided by the Lord is the greatest thing in the world. It is greater than all fleshly ties because it is based on the impartation of new life by the sovereign God. The new life is concerned with the mind of Christ or the will of God.

In John 13:1, which we have already read, the words “His own” do not mean the same as they do in John 1:11—“He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.” Verse 11 refers to Christ’s own people according to the flesh—the Jews. John 13:1 indicates those who have been made His own by Christ’s sacrifice for them. They are His, and He is theirs. His own are in the world, denoting their position. Here they are tried and meet with conflict and danger. They are in the world but not of it. In John 17, the Lord Jesus prays for them that they might be kept.

Christ’s omniscience was again revealed in John 13:3—“…He had come forth from God and was going back to God.” He came from God. The preposition “from” is important. It speaks of the point from which He departed. He left the presence of the Father. He came from God and went to God.

In John 13:4 and 5, the Lord taught a valuable lesson by precept. Humility was expressed in His example. Humility does not seek its own but another’s good. That is what Christ manifested to His disciples when He humbled Himself, laid aside His garments, girded Himself with a towel, and washed the disciples’ feet. Peter never recovered from the impression this made on him.

The heart of the Lord’s lesson on fellowship is seen in His washing the disciples’ feet. The Greek word used here means to wash a part of the body. It does not refer to a bath—washing all over. The Lord washed the feet of the disciples. Their feet had become defiled with dust on their way to the feast. Walking is a symbol of a Christian’s manner of life. In Ephesians 4:1-2, Paul exhorts us to “walk worthy”—“I…implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love.” As the Christian walks, he becomes defiled and needs cleansing.

A contrast between Christ and His disciples appears in that the impeccable Christ was absolutely clean. The disciples were bathed, but their feet were defiled, making them partially clean. Judas, who was also present, was absolutely unclean. The eleven disciples were regenerated by the Spirit of God, and they had been converted by means of the gospel. However, their manner of life brought them in contact with sin, and they became defiled. They were everlastingly forgiven, but they needed forgiveness for their daily contact with sin.

The first Greek word used for “wash” means to wash part of the body. This refers to the state, not the standing, of believers. The eleven had been regenerated. Their standing in the Lord could not be improved. Christians are eternally justified, eternally forgiven. That standing cannot be improved. Nevertheless, the state of every Christian is far below his exalted standing in the Lord Jesus Christ. Anyone who says his life is on the level with his standing classifies himself with the hypocrites.

The second Greek word used for “wash” means to bathe—wash the entire body. The believer’s standing in Christ’s blood is completed. His union with Christ is unbreakable. His communion or fellowship is so fragile that it is easily broken. Once-for-all washing is described in I Corinthians 6:11—“Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” Continual washing is described in I John 1:7 and 9—“But if we walk in the Light, as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin…If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” The renewal which began in regeneration will continue in sanctification.

The Lord was demonstrating practical, not positional, cleansing. He was speaking to disciples who were already positionally sanctified and needing practical sanctification. Positional sanctification is without means. Practical sanctification is with means.

In John 13:4, the Lord rising from supper and laying aside His garments signified His resurrection. They were observing the feast of the Passover which speaks of the Lord’s death. Christ girded Himself, reflecting His priestly service in heaven. He is now fulfilling His Priestly work.

Disciples cannot wash their own nor one another’s feet. They can only point a person to Jesus Christ, who can cleanse from daily contact with sin. When the bride in Song of Solomon 5:2-3 washed her own feet, she continued suffering from backsliding.

The key to the interpretation of John 13:1-17 is found in verse 7 in the words of Christ, “What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter.” Peter, the spokesman for the disciples manifested his ignorance. This verse portrays existing ignorance and approaching knowledge. The disciples did not at that time understand the significance of foot washing. Christ told Peter that if He did not cleanse him from his contact with sin, Peter could have no fellowship with the Lord (v. 8). Unconfessed sins result in loss of fellowship with the Lord and with fellow members in the local assembly who are in fellowship. Separate from the continual cleansing of sanctification, there is no fellowship with Christ.

The words in verse 8, “…no part with me,” mean nothing in common with Christ. The Lord did not say no part “in” me, but no part “with” me. They were already “in” Christ, and that relationship could not be severed. However, fellowship “with” Christ can be broken.

Twelve disciples were present. They were clean, “…but not all of you” (v. 10). He was not here speaking of the disciples’ feet. He referred to Judas—“For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, not all of you are clean” (v. 11). Judas’ feet appeared as clean as Peter’s, but he was not bathed. He had not been positionally sanctified. He was absolutely unclean, not knowing Jesus Christ whom to know is life eternal. Consequently, the Lord contrasted him with the eleven. Judas apostatized, turning from the teaching he had heard from the Savior.

In verse 13, Christ commended the disciples. He said, “You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am.” The Lord Jesus Christ is more than human; therefore, He deserves proper respect. He is the anointed One of God. Persons should never us His name loosely.

In verse 14, the Lord portrayed an object lesson in humility. As He humbled Himself, thinking of others, so should His disciples. Many are willing to do for others for praise. However, service to others must be motivated by humility.

In verse 15, the Lord said He gave an example. He is the Christian’s example, not his model—“…Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps” (I Peter 2:21). The outline of a model may be copied, but an example is imitated. Christians are exhorted to imitate Christ. The disciples must constantly practice what He had done, but not literally as an ordinance. They should practice “the moral lesson” taught here, not the “act” of footwashing.

Christian responsibilities are not merely for objective consideration. They must be subjectively experienced to bring blessing. Knowledge alone is insufficient. Knowledge must be clear and certain. Knowledge without obedience is aggravated transgression. The standard of right must not be lowered for fashion, affection, or persecution.

Blessings result from understood and discharged duty—“If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them” (John 13:17). Knowledge is given to sanctify. Knowledge alone will not bless. A person has no blessing separate from obedience to learned truth. The Lord illustrated practical cleansing to the disciples to show how fellowship with the Father and His Son might be maintained in this life.

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The NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE—UPDATED EDITION is the source of all Scripture quotations in this message, unless otherwise noted.