“You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”—John 13:7
John 13:1-9 tells us that Jesus fully understood Who He was and what God had placed within His rights and abilities, yet He came to His disciples and began to wash their feet.
When Jesus came to Peter, he rejected the Lord’s actions. And when Jesus responded with “if I do not wash you, you can have no part of me” , Peter’s response was decisive.“Not just my feet, Lord, but my hands and head as well.”
Peter did not understand why the Master was taking such a lowly position. Jesus took a position of servitude instead of the place he perceived Jesus should be. But Peter knew that he could not be without Jesus, and if refusing to see Jesus as a servant would cost him so great a price, then he wanted to be bathed by Him! (Peter was always a pretty extreme guy!)
Luke 21:7-9 gives us another example of how we don’t always realize what the Lord is doing. It was the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover Lamb had to be sacrificed.
Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.” “Where do you want us to prepare for it?” they asked.
He replied, “As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, and say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ He will show you a large room upstairs, all furnished. Make preparations there.” They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So, they prepared the Passover.
This story continues in verses 31-34:
After Jesus had served them the Passover and explained what was to take place he told Peter that “Satan had asked to have Peter to sift him as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”
Jesus knew that in just a few hours, Peter would deny Him. He would deny even knowing the man who, up to this point, he could not even imagine life without. We may (and do) at times find it very difficult to see how Jesus would want to pay such a high price for us, knowing all our faults and failures. But there are five important things each of us must try to remember:
1. We cannot even begin to know the depths of God’s love for us
His love is infinite and uncontainable! It reaches to depths we can never imagine within our finite limitations. But that has NEVER changed Gods purpose and desire for each one of us.
2. Since the beginning of time of Satan has been out to destroy our relationship with God
But just like in the case of Job, Satan has limited access to us. He can try to gain access and will use all his resources to accomplish our destruction … but he can only be successful if we give him control!
3. Even after we have failed, we can ALWAYS turn our focus back to God
That’s when we realize that, just as Satan’s plans have never changed for us — neither has Gods!
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” —Jeremiah 29:11-13
4. Jesus himself intercedes on our behalf
He stands before God the Father claiming our lives as His own. He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).
Jesus also told Peter, “and when you have turned back, do not forget your brothers.”
What we have been freely given, we must freely give!
5.There is nothing that we have or could even offer to God that would be enough to pay our own ransom
Anything we would offer is filthy rags … yet that is exactly what God wants us to give.
God is calling us to lay our sin down at His feet, ask for forgiveness, and turn from our selfish desires. It seems all too simple, but that is exactly what Jesus spoke to Peter about.
We may not be able to fully understand what Jesus did (and continues to do) for us. But, we can trust Him—just like Peter and John did when they followed the Lord’s instructions for the Passover feast. He told them a specific task to do with specific things to look for and inquire about. They moved without hesitation at His request.
We need to develop our trust in God and in His word to us. The only way we will ever be able to do that is through spending time in His word, finding out who He is, and realizing His character. Then we must spend quality time with Him. Share your most intimate thoughts with Him. Ask Him for guidance and then rest in His Presence. That is the only way to clearly hear what it is He is saying! And please don’t get caught in the misconception that praying to God is talking only. There must be more listening than talking! When we don’t take time to listen, we run the risk of doing what we think we should be doing! And that could result in “wandering in the desert” instead of “living in the Spirit”!