 The title of our sermon this morning is he loved them to the end He loved them to the end. We're in John chapter 13 verses 1 through 17 As we come to this text of scripture in John chapter 13 We're entering a passage. We're entering a section of the gospel of John that many have referred to as the book of glory The book of glory Considered by many to be the holy of holies in the Bible these chapters that we'll be studying together The very heart of the Lord Jesus Christ and as the heart of the Lord Jesus Christ such as the heart and mind of God himself You've known me Jesus said you've known the father It's a farewell discourse if you will From the Lord Jesus Christ as we come to John 13 the Lord's public ministry has ended You'll spend much of his time now away from the crowds and teaching his disciple Now as he approaches death Just a short time from now What's on the Lord's mind? What's on his heart? Concerned less with what he himself is facing than what his disciples will now face He wants to remind them of that which they must cling to in the days that follow his love for them So that the love of Christ for his own Becomes a primary theme of the next several chapters having loved his own who are in the world. He loved them to the end So there are a a few indications given here to us in the opening verses of this account That provide the setting for us in John chapter 13 verses 1 through 17 The Lord Jesus Christ in John 13 With his disciples are in a large upper room in a house in the city of jerusalem Verse one tells us that it's just before the feast of the Passover And by the time we get to verse two the disciples are having supper together Now we know from mark and luke right the synoptic gospels We know from mark and luke that the supper they're having together is the Passover meal in which the Lord instituted The supper that you and I shared together this morning in worship It's the Passover meal and it's the night before the Lord's crucifixion and it's the last supper That jesus christ will have with the disciples before his suffering and his death now for more about How the Lord and his disciples have arrived here and more about the significance of this meal turn with me to luke's account in luke chapter 22 I want to give you the setting for this And explain how we got here luke chapter 22 And look with me beginning at verse seven This is the meal that is described in luke chapter 22. It's also the same meal that we see In john 13 that we're about to discuss together as we work through that passage In luke chapter 22 verse 7 the bible reads then came the day of unleavened bread When the Passover must be killed and he sent peter and john saying go and prepare the Passover for us that we may eat And so they said to him Where do you want us to prepare? And he said to them behold When you have entered the city a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water Follow him into the house which he enters Then you shall say to the master of the house the teacher says to you Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples? And then he will show you a large furnished upper room there make ready So they went and they found it just as he had said to them And they prepared the Passover When the hour had come he sat down with the twelve apostles with them Then he said to them with fervent desire literally with desire. I have desired I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer For I say to you I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of god Now notice what the lord says again in verse 15 with fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer The hour of his exaltation Has come but it is a sober and a solemn hour however Despite the fact that it is a sober and solemn hour the lord jesus christ has looked forward to this time with his disciples with a fervent Desire much is going to take place during this dinner We'll spend the next couple of months at this dinner Learning from the lord jesus christ Now we have with him the great joy of sharing this dinner with christ and his disciples over the next several months As we studied these passages together in the gospel of john But now for the sake of context I want to put this together so that we can understand the chronology that we see here between Luke 22 mark 14 where this account is also Stated for us and here in john chapter 13 There's much debate related to the timing events of these events But the debate really is unnecessary the timing is clear and I want you to see the context The meal that they're preparing to eat here in luke chapter 22 and in mark 14 Is also our supper that we're going to study in john chapter 13 Jesus says in verse 11 luke 22 verse 11 That it's the Passover meal that he's going to eat with his disciples. Do you see that? In verse 14 that same evening he came with the 12 to the upper room and he sat down to eat on verse seven The first day of unleavened bread. This is the Passover feast the first day of unleavened bread or Passover is the same day They were required To kill or to slaughter the Passover lamb in preparation for Passover That day fell on what is called the 14th day of the hebrew month of nissen The 14th day of the hebrew month of nissen now in leviticus chapter 23 verse 4 I want you to listen to this the lord establishes Passover and he gives the date leviticus chapter 23 verse 4 says these are the feasts of the lord Holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at their appointed times On the 14th day of the first month nissen at twilight Is the lord's Passover at twilight is significant there. We'll talk about that And on the 15th day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread to the lord the notice from leviticus 23 That unlike our days that begin in the morning their days began at twilight or began at dusk at sundown In the year that christ died The first day of the feast of unleavened bread of the first day of Passover The 14th day of the hebrew month nissen fell on a thursday Fell on a thursday that thursday the Passover lambs were normally slaughtered And prepared the very same day in the temple in the afternoon between three o'clock and five o'clock late in the afternoon, all right Then the first day of unleavened bread would have come to an end that thursday evening at sundown And the Passover meal would have begun at sundown the meal that they're eating together here in luke chapter 22 And back in john chapter 13 So let's put it all together all right. I want you to put together the chronology We go back to john chapter 13 It's wednesday evening. It's wednesday evening during the last week of the lord jesus christ life It's wednesday evening. The lord knows that his hour has come when he will be departing from this world To the father and there are just hours left Before he will suffer and bear the wrath of god for his own As the sun sets on that wednesday evening the feast of unleavened bread or Passover has begun And it's begun in accord with god's law in leviticus chapter 23 in exodus 12 and others The disciples that evening wednesday evening likely spend the night in bethany Just to the east of the city of drussel and near the mount of olives On thursday morning again thursday morning that week the lord sends peter and john into the packed city Among the masses of people the masses of pilgrims that have come to the feast to meet a man carrying a picture of water Now they follow him They ask for the room as the lord had commanded and in the sovereignty of god right in the omniscience of the lord jesus christ The city They find him in the city the upper room there is reserved and they prepare for the Passover meal As they are preparing the room think about the day that it is during Passover as they're preparing the room Certainly they would have heard the incessant bleeding Of thousands of sheep Being led to the slaughter Thousands and thousands of sheep some estimates as many as 250 thousand sheep that year at Passover were slaughtered The lord himself Is perfectly aware Of the significance of Passover perfectly aware Of every bleeding sheep in his hearing And for that matter perfectly aware of the millions and millions of sheep that have been slaughtered over their history all representing blood shed in sacrifice to teach a substitutionary atonement for sin blood upon blood Everything in that sacrifice pointing to christ Everything in the meal everything in the sacrifice everything in this memorial at Passover Points to and is fulfilled in and finds its ultimate culminating effect In him the lord jesus christ perfectly aware of it all As daylight turns the dusk on that thursday We come to the Passover satyr the Passover meal and among them the masses of pilgrims That have packed into the city of Jerusalem Jesus is alone with the 12 and it's their last meal together the lord will Teach them much over the next few hours They'll sing a hymn together They'll have a sweet fellowship And then they'll leave the table and head toward the garden of Gethsemane where the lord is betrayed by Judas and arrested as the sun Comes up on friday morning The lord's already being questioned That morning as his trial has begun He is then crucified he dies and he's buried before the end of the day We're hours before his death. Do you see? Now of particular interest for us This lord's day and next Is something extraordinary that the lord does during supper on thursday evening back in john chapter 13 In john chapter 13 as verse 2 explains This account is after supper or supper being ended. However, I want you to see that this hit in john 13 verse 2 So what is called a textual Variant in the many manuscripts that we have as you look at verse 2 In the many manuscripts that we have there's one letter that separates the greek words Translated either after supper or during supper The majority reading the better reading is going to be to translate it during supper You'll see that in the esv. You'll see that in the nasb The niv translated translates that the evening meal was in progress Now you can also see this in the context. Look at verse 26 In verse 26, they've continued to eat bread Right, they've continued to eat bread the meal is still going on in verse 28 They're still reclined at the table the meal is still going on. Okay So now what does the lord then do here during supper? Look at verse 3 Jesus Knowing that the father had given all things into his hands And that he had come from god and was going to god He rose from supper laid aside his garments Took a towel And he girded himself and after that He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples feet And to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded They take that action for a moment a staggering Act of supreme and unfettered love from the lord jesus christ that we're going to unpack over the next couple of weeks Now notice That's why it's important to translate the variant correctly This wasn't done at a traditionally accepted time It wasn't done before Supper had started you can imagine the disciples have come to the supper They're reclined at the table. They've got dirty dusty Judean feet The lord wanted this symbol of love in john chapter 13 to have a significant Impact and so we did it during supper He wanted to draw attention to it. He wanted to emphasize a point We're going to see that point over the next couple of sermons It was certainly not done by the traditional person who would ordinarily have done the foot washing The fact that the lord jesus christ did this was unheard of His hour is upon him The devil having already put it into the heart of judas to betray him Standing on the precipice of a of a barbarous death Facing the shameful brutality of the cross Who was the lord thinking of at this moment? He was thinking of his own He has looked forward to this moment with fervent desire And having loved his own who were in the world. He loved them to the end You know with all the love that the lord was facing In his final hours, we would have certainly excused him wouldn't we if he tended to be consumed with his own problems We couldn't have we could have excused him if he was consumed With what he was about to face But spurgeon commented if you and I had to bear all that christ had to suffer It would engross our thoughts. We should not be able to think of anything else but that But it did not engross our lord's thoughts. He still thought of his own Richard Phillips writes What is closest to one's heart is usually made apparent in the hour of his death I want you to think about that for a moment and just let it sink in We're hours from the death of the lord jesus christ Facing the shame and the humility and the agony of the cross And the lord's thoughts on his own As the cross approaches We certainly see in the lord jesus christ what is closest to the lord's heart and mind And it's the lord's heart and mind here in john 13 in these opening verses that are beautifully revealed to us by john We see what is close to his heart in verses one three five. I want you to see three key facets Of this gem that we have before us Considering the heart and mind of the lord revealed to us here. I want you to see three key facets one the determination of his will The determination of his will two I want you to see the disposition of his heart And three the dedication of himself The determination of his will the disposition of his heart and the dedication of himself all this Compelled impelled Motivated by love for his own having loved his own who were in the world. He loved them to the end Let's look first at the determination of his will if you look in verses one through three Motivated by a love for his own. We see the determination of the lord's will revealed in what he knew Revealed in what he knew Having known that Motivated and compelled by a love for his own the lord jesus christ goes through with the cross He is obedient to god the father to the point of death even the death of the cross look at verse one He knew His hour had come the word is oida. It's a knowledge based on thinking based on reflection based on meditation He knew his hour had come look at verse one the end of verse one. He knew By what means he would depart from this world to the father In verse three He knew That the father had given all things into his hands And later in verse three he knew that he had come from god And was going to god. Let's take a look first in verse one. Jesus knew that his hour had come In no way whatsoever Does the lord jesus christ enter into this time blindly the lord jesus christ is omniscient He knew perfectly well What was before him as they gathered together For this Passover meal the lord knew That he himself would suffer as the Passover lamb who would take away the sin of the world He would take the bread in this account in luke chapter 22 Give thanks to god the father and break it saying This is my body which is given for you do this in remembrance of me He would take the cup cup also after supper saying this cup Is my blood this cup is the new covenant in my blood which is shed for you And then he would say and behold the hand of my betrayer is with me on the table the lord jesus christ knew what he faced He knew the difficulty that he's facing he knew the adversity that would come upon him in the encroaching hours ahead He had always known right? We think about it. He had always known In revelation chapter 13. He is the lamb of god who was slain From before the foundation of the world in genesis chapter 3 verse 15 At the curse of satan when god said to that serpent He said i will put enmity between you and the woman between your seed and her seed He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel the lord jesus christ the lamb of god knew That his hour was coming in genesis chapter 22 When abraham raised the dagger To slay the son of promise his son isaac and god stayed his hand Providing a substitute abraham named the place the lord will provide And the lord jesus christ knew in that that his hour was coming an hour in which no one would stay god's hand Most clearly in exodus chapter 12 before the coming of the angel of death When each israelite household took a male lamb Without blemish and slit its throat to shed its blood The salvation of israel only possible in the death of a substitute He knew the lord knew that his hour was another day closer With every bull with every goat slaughtered in the sacrificial system With every promise of redemption proclaimed by the prophets of god With every passing Passover remembrance With the inexorable marching of the redemptive history toward its ultimate Climax toward its ultimate glory the lord knew that his hour was coming jesus knew that his hour had come Secondly in verse one though jesus knew That his hour had come it says there that he should depart from this world to the father And the lord knew by what means he would be departing The lord knew what that meant certainly The thought of departing to the father was sweet joy to him Like looking past the cross for a moment and looking to the resurrection And looking to the ascension and looking back to the fellowship that he would have with the father Looking past the horror of the cross Looking past being forsaken by god He meditates here if you will on the resurrection and the ascension fellowship With the father fellowship with the father like that which they enjoyed before even the mountains were brought forth or ever He had created the worlds But now That his hour had come compelled by love for his own He knew that he should depart from this world and he stared down his date with calvary He knew one that he would depart at the hands of a betrayer. Look at verse two Supper being ended The devil having already put it into the heart of judice is scary at simon's son to betray him Lord jesus christ knew Clear in his mind. He would be sold out for 30 pieces of silver Held in such contempt by someone so close to him Right the betrayal Betrayed by one whose feet He washed at this supper the devil Infiltrating the lord's inner circle reeking havoc on one there who was not truly the lord's own Judas was predisposed to satan's inclinations and satan Planted it in his heart to betray the lord jesus christ and the lord jesus christ knew exactly what was taking place Look at verse 10 The lord knew exactly what was taking place first 10 jesus said to him He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but it's completely clean and you are clean But not all of you the lord knew look at verse 11 For he knew who would betray him therefore. He said you're not all clean Drop down to verse 18 I do not speak concerning all of you I know whom I have chosen and not all are chosen He knows whom he has not chosen But that the scripture may be fulfilled he who eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me The lord knew look at verse 21 When jesus had said these things verse 21 He was troubled in spirit and he testified and said most Assuredly I say to you one of you will betray me the lord knew His betrayer was at the table with him Of course, he would also know in this By what means he would depart to go to the father It was by means of the cross As he faced the agony of the cross look at john chapter 12 and look down at verse 27 He said there now my soul is troubled my soul's trouble. We've looked at that text As he faced the undiluted wrath of god Poured out in full strength into the cup of his indignation He sweat great drops of blood in the garden as he prayed He faced abandonment by god on the cross tremendous Agony tremendous agony, but he lays down his life for the sheep Knowing all that he would face he loved his own who were in the world and he loved them to the end But in verse three He knew something else. He got verse three Jesus again knowing right knowing that the father had given all things into his hands and that he'd come from god and was going to god This is a tremendous statement of his deity. He had come from god He knew that he'd come from god and he knew that he was going to god Again for anyone to say this would be blasphemy But for the lord jesus christ to say this it is truth It is a tremendous statement of his deity He has all knowledge and knows all things. He's omniscient He knows the father has given all things into his hand if you look over just a couple of pages to john chapter 17 john chapter 17 And look there at verse two John chapter 17 verse two In verse one he says this up glorify your son that your son also may glorify you Verse two as you have given him authority over all flesh That he should give eternal life to as many as you have given him Right, the lord knew his position The lord knew that he was the messiah the sent one of god The lord knows In his mind that the father has given all things into his hands that he has all things All authority given to him that he'd come from god and that he was going to god jesus knows Even in anticipation of the finished work on the cross that he's been given all authority in heaven and on earth And he knows that his return to divine glory is at hand Despite what he's facing Despite what so many would look like an apparent defeat the lord is aware that he has come forth from god He is god Incarnate the lord is born of the virgin mary the word of god who was in the beginning was with god and is god And he's about to return to god the father to be glorified with the glory He had with him before the world was In other words taking verse three back in john chapter 13 He didn't count equality with god as something to be grasped Or something to be ambitious toward He was equal with god Now this makes it Again knowing this knowing that the father had given all things into his hands Knowing that he had come from god and was going forth to god It makes it even more astounding that he takes off his outer garment He takes the towel and pours water into a basin He humbles himself And with sovereign Hands he washes the feet of these men astounding still That in this he takes on the form of a slave being found in appearance as a man He humbles himself taking the form of a bond servant a slave To wash the the feet of these men He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death even the death of the cross his deity His omniscience his authority His incarnation his redemptive work his return to glory All in view in verse three Now it's with this understanding right having known this having known these things That jesus christ verse four rose from supper laid aside his garments Took a towel and he girded himself After that he poured water into a basin And began to wash the disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded He fully knew that his time his hour was imminent at hand He fully knew what he would face He fully knew who he was Right never has one so high stooped so low right Fully conscious of his high position. He humbled himself and this is a it's a boundless humility He crawled through broken glass as it were In humility For his disciples for his own His perfect submission to the father's will and his exaltation as the son of god All of this all of this was in his heart and mind All of this was the context of his heart and his mind as he washed the disciples feet It was the determination of his will. Do you see he determined In light of the context he determined In light of what he was facing he determined Despite who he was to humble himself He was compelled He was driven. He was resolved Beyond his own personal preferences, right? Beyond personal comfort Why? Why did he do this? Behind it all is the glory of god, right? Behind it all is the glory of god to see god the father glorified in him In his perfect obedience But we have another insight Into why he did this And we see it in verse one with the disposition of his heart We see the determination of his will why why it was the disposition of his heart look at verse one Now before the feast of the Passover When jesus knew that it our head that his hour had come that he should depart from this world of the father Here it is having loved his own who were in the world He loved them to the end But this statement In verse one Is a preamble if you will to everything that's going to follow to all that will follow to the washing of the disciples feet It's a preamble to the upper room discourse with these men It's a preamble to his betrayal in the garden It's a preamble to his arrest and the mock trials that follow And it's a preamble to his eventual scourging and his crucifixion In summary of it all John gives this beautiful statement in verse one He loved his own who were in the world and he loved them to the end Now there are two aspects that I wanted you to see here Fairly obvious two aspects one is the preamble to his arrest One he loved his own who were in the world and two he loved them to the end He loved his own Who were in the world? This is not referring specifically to the jews of john 111 who rejected him He came to his own his own did not receive him He's not specifically referring here to the jews of john chapter one verse 11. He's referring to his elect He's referring to those whom he had chosen Out of the world. He loved his own Not the world. He loved his own who were in the world. These are his disciples These are in the present the disciples in the upper room with him and future Concerning all of those who had come to faith in him through the word preached again Go with me a few pages to the right to john chapter 17 john chapter 17 He loved his own who were in the world John chapter 17 looked down at verse 6 The lord prays in verse 6 He says I have manifested your name to the men who you have given me Out of the world those in john chapter 13 gathered with him around the table or men whom god has given him from out of the world He says in verse 6 they were yours You gave them to me and they have kept your word Now they have known that all things which you have given me are from you For I have given to them the words which you have given me and they have received them and have known Surely that I came forth from you and they have believed that you sent me Look at verse 9 Jesus says I pray for them listen. I do not pray for the world But for those whom you have given me for they are yours. They are distinctive, right? They are distinguishable from the world. They're loved in a distinctive Distinguishable way. This is a particular love for a particular people chosen from out of the world Look at verse 10 All are mine all mine are yours and yours are mine and I am glorified in them Now I am no longer in the world But these are in the world and I come to you holy father Keep through your name those whom you have given me that they may be one as we are not the world Not the world but those whom you have given me out of the world now back in john chapter 13 listen Notice the distinct difference. Okay notice the distinct difference the qualitative difference here Between the love that god has for the world and the love that he has for his own It's important to understand that the love that god has for his own Doesn't displace The love that he shows toward the world right the rain falls on the just and on the unjust alike God puts breath in every man's nostrils Just and unjust alike. There is a way in which god loves those in the world However here there's a distinct difference right a qualitative difference between the love that god has for the world And the love that he has for his own his love for his own is our particular love. It's a distinctive love It's a distinguishing love The love for his own doesn't displace the love that he shows toward the world right The bible reads in john chapter 3 for god so loved the world and he loved the world Having given his only begotten son that whoever believes in him shouldn't perish But here now he demonstrates a distinctive kind of love reserved Only and particularly for those who are his own. It's not a love that he has for the whole world It's a love that is particular to his own His love then I want you to think about this Begin to put this together with me. His love is a distinguishing love His love for his own His love for those who he has chosen out of the world is a distinguishing And a particular And a definite Love If you're called by christ out of the world if god has called you to himself Granted you life right called you to himself caused you to be born again Then god has shown to you a particular A definite A distinctive a distinguishing love meant for you in particular It is a distinguishing love and I notice next Consider that this love expressed in verse one Not just a distinguishing love But an eternal love an eternal love. When did this love begin? This love For those whom god has given him from out of the world This love for his own Where did this love when did this love begin? What began from before the foundation of the world turn with me to Romans chapter 8 Romans chapter 8 Let's look at this together. We're going to build if you will a theology of god's love to his own Romans chapter 8 It is a distinguishing love a distinctive of a particular love But it's also I want you to see here an eternal love romans chapter 8 And look beginning at verse 28 and the bible reads we know That all things work together for good to those who love god to those who are the called according to his purpose For whom he foreknew for whom he foreloved right? We've looked at this text before For whom he foreknew he also Predestined them to be conformed to the image of his son that he might be the firstborn among many brethren Moreover Whom he predestined these he also called Whom he called these he also justified and whom he justified these he also glorified it could be said These he also loved right verse 31 What then shall we say to these things? What's our response to this if god is a God's love for his own is a particular love a distinguishing love a distinctive love And if god's love for his own is an eternal love, what are we to say to these things? How should we respond verse 31? If god is for us who can be against us He who did not spare his own son But delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things Who shall bring a charge against god's elect? It's god who justifies Who is he? Who condemns? It is christ who died and furthermore is also risen who is even at the right hand of god even now, right? Who also makes intercession for us? Who shall separate us then from the love of christ? If his love is a distinguishing love If it is a particular love if it is an eternal love then who's going to separate us from that love in christ? Who will separate us from the love of christ shall tribulation? or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril Or the sword as it is written verse 36 for your sake. We are killed all day long. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter Yet in all these things being beneficiaries Of the distinguishing in particular and eternal love of god We are more than conquerors through him who loved us for I am persuaded that neither death nor life Nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come Nor height nor depth nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of god Which is in christ jesus our lord Amen Flip the page to roman's chapter nine Flip the page to roman's chapter nine and look at verse 10 His is a particular love. It's a distinguishing love. It's a distinctive love. It is an eternal love verse 10 And not only this But when rebecca had also conceived by one man even by our father isaac for the children Not yet being born Nor having done any good or evil That the purpose of god According to election might stand not of works But of him who calls It was said to her the older shall serve the younger as it is written Jacob I have loved That isaw I have hated Think about this for a moment, right His love Is a distinguishing love His love is a particular love the love that he has for his own is for if you're in christ his love is for you particularly for you Distinctively for you eternally For you do you see I just meditate on it for a moment as we work through some through some of these passages His love Is an eternal love When were our names written in the lambs book of life? From before the foundation of the world amen his love A distinguishing love a particular love a definite love, but an eternal love A consider with me That fact That then the love of god now for his own is a free love Is an electing Love it is a distinguishing love. It's a particular love. It's an eternal love But in light of that god's love for his own is a free love. It's not dependent Upon anything lovely in its object It's free. It's not a reactionary love It's not a reactionary love. It's a decided determined resolved love of his will It is an elective love. It's a choosing love. It's a predestining love Before as romans 9 says we had done anything good or evil now think about it Before we had done anything good or evil go back with me to deuteronomy chapter 7 There's a text that just illustrates this for us so well Deuteronomy chapter 7 His love a distinguishing a distinctive a particular a definite love. His love is an eternal love Because it's particular because it's distinctive because it's eternal. It is also free. It's an electing love. It's Not dependent upon anything lovely in its object. It is free not reactionary It is elective Before as the bible says we had done anything good or evil look at deuteronomy chapter 7 And look down beginning at verse 6 An example of this In god's free electing love of the people of israel verse 6 god says For you are a holy people to the lord your god The lord your god has what? Chosen you the lord your god has chosen you to be a people for himself A special Treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. Why? Why now listen Before you get prideful verse 7 the lord did not set his love on you Nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people For you were the least of all peoples verse 8 but Because the lord loves you Now listen the lord did not set his love on you But it's because the lord set his love on you Not because you were more in number But because the lord loves you not because you were greater than other nations, but because the lord loves you Not because you were prettier, but because the lord loves you not because you were smarter But because the lord loves you in other words, he doesn't love you because you're valuable you're valuable because he loves you It's not based on anything lovely in its object. It's based on the soul-free, electing decision of God, based entirely in the will of God towards you. Now begin to put it together. It's a particular love. It's a definite love. It's a distinguishing love for you, specifically. It is an eternal love from before the foundation of the world, when God in the eternal decrees and will of God in his own mind from eternity past chose to love you. It is an electing love, a free love, not dependent on anything in its object, but simply verse 8, because the Lord loves you. If you're in Christ, it's simply and entirely because the Lord loves you. And that love is particular. It is definite. It is distinguishing. It is eternal. It is free. It is electing, says in verse 8, but because the Lord loves you and because he would keep the oath which he swore to your fathers, do you see how this love also and the eternality of it is rooted and grounded in the nature and oath-keeping fidelity of God the Father himself. Do you see? Because of that, because he would keep the oath which he swore to your fathers, the Lord has then brought you out with a mighty hand. You see how God then in this love acts toward them. It's because of his love, his particular love, his definite love, his electing love, his free love, his eternal love that then God acts in love toward his people, toward his own, and he brings them out from bondage with a mighty hand from the hand of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Put it together now. His love is particular. His love is eternal. His love is free. His love isn't dependent upon, a reactionary to, anything lovely in its object. It is therefore produced, this love for his own, therefore produced in God alone. His love for his own produced in the heart and mind and will of God alone by a manifestation of his grace in Christ. And because it is produced in God alone, this love toward his own then is unchangeable just like God is. It is immutable in the same way that God is unchangeable. It's not reactionary. It's eternal. It's settled. It's an act of his resolve. Therefore his love toward his own is immutable. It is unchangeable. Think about this for a moment, right? The staggering implications of this love, this joy, the peace, this love in the Christian life. Think on the implications of this love in your Christian life. Consider for a moment what Israel has done over the course of their history. Consider what the nation of Israel has done over the course of their history. And yet God says in Jeremiah 31, they all shall know me from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord, for I will forgive their iniquity, their sin, I will remember no more. Thus says the Lord. Look at the Lord's love for his own. Thus says the Lord who gives the sun for a light by day, the ordinances of the moon, the stars for a light by night, who disturbs the sea and its waves roar. The Lord of hosts is his name. If those ordinances depart from before me, says the Lord, then the seed of Israel shall also cease from being a nation before me forever. In other words, he will never cast off his people. They will forever be eternal objects of the Lord's love. Why? Because God's love is immutable. God's love is unchangeable. It's a decided resolve of his free, electing choice in and of his own will according to his own good pleasure that he chooses to have set his love upon them. And then fulfilling his oath in his covenant to them says, I will love you forever. Thus says the Lord, verse 37, if heaven above can be measured and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, says the Lord. In John 13, think about these men around the table that the Lord loves. Think about even now as he is humbling himself to show great love to them at the table. Think about it for a moment. These men gathered around the table, have they shown themselves to be sinlessly perfect? No. We see many examples of their failures. This night on the eve of his death, they will shamefully forsake him. The sheep will be scattered because of him. At this supper, at this supper recorded for us in Luke 22, the Lord is showing such humility. What do they do after supper? But they argue amongst themselves about who will be the greatest. They were constantly and consistently faithless. Were they not? Sinning, running, immature. But Christ not only loves them, He loves them to the end. What about you? What about you? If you're in Christ, Paul says, I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor death, nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. It's an amazing thought, isn't it? His love for you is particular. His love for you is eternal. His love for you is free. His love for you is immutable. It is unchangeable. It is settled in His own will and His own covenant promises, settled in His nature as God. Who can then separate you, Christian, from the love of God? What can cause it toward you to change? What can cause God's love toward you to wane, or to weaken, or to go away? This is not a license to sin, mind you. No Christian would ever say, well then I can sin it up. That would simply prove that you're not in His love. Would prove that you are not His own. On the contrary, right? So we live our Christian lives as we think and ponder on these things and we see this express love of God demonstrated in John chapter 13 at the table here and we think about the love of God, how it is particular to me. How that particular love to me is eternal from before the foundation of the world, before I was yet born, before I had done anything good or evil. That love, God loved me. That love is distinguishing, it is eternal, that love is free. It's not dependent upon anything lovely in me, praise God for that. But it continues with me to be not dependent upon anything lovely in me in that sense it is unchangeable. It is immutable. So as you live your Christian life, turn from sin, trust Christ, embrace that love, believe that you are loved in that way. That should be a tremendous motivation to holy living. But as you believe it then Christian, as you fight, as you wage war against your sin and as you stumble and as you fail, you have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous who has not only loved you as his own but has loved you to the end. And you go to God the Father in repentance and in faith embracing that love. Is that not, man if you can't get fired up about that I don't know what will fire you up. This is not a license to sin on the contrary. It is the greatest motivation, the greatest compelling fact, reality for holy living in the Christian life. For God having loved you and me in that way after all that I've done to love me in that way genuine saving faith is embracing and believing and trusting that love. I would say in many cases and I can say this to my shame and for my own Christian life that we don't believe all the time that kind of love from God the Father, from the Lord Jesus Christ. We have trouble believing it in most cases because we don't love in that way. But the key component of genuine saving faith is embracing the love of God the Father, the love of the Lord Jesus Christ for you. If you're in Christ you say I don't want that life anymore. I want to turn from my sin. I want to be a beneficiary of that kind of love where I can have that kind of fellowship, that kind of communion with God the Father. I don't want my life anymore. Mercy. How absurd. I want Christ. I want to live for Him. I want to be found in Him loved by Him. The evidence of that genuine saving faith is then walking in it. If that love for you is such a motivating factor you're going to be found walking in it. A holiness pursuing godliness compelled by the love of God in Christ to you to walk just as He walked fully pleasing Him, right? Being fruitful in every good work strengthened with all might according to His glorious power. You'll walk as He walked walking in it, desiring to walk in that love. Maybe you're sitting here this morning and you're thinking, you know, I'm considering this Christianity thing, and maybe you're thinking to yourself that despite your rebellion, despite your sin, despite that up until this point you've lived entirely for yourself in your sin, despite that God has put air in your lungs and food on your table and clothes on your back. You have lived selfishly, lived entirely for yourself. Maybe you say considering all these things well that's just not enough. Well He adds to that in verse one that not only did He love us in this way, He loved His own who were in the world with that kind of love, but in verse one He loved them and He loved us to the end, to the end. Now certainly He loved us to the very end of His life, but He also certainly loved His own to the uttermost. He loved His own to the ultimate limit. He loved His own completely. He loved His own thoroughly. In other words, He loved His own not holding anything back. His love is a definite love, a distinguishing of a particular love. His love is an eternal love, right? His love is a free, electing love. His love is immutable, unchangeable, unwavering love, and it is complete, full, and to the uttermost. He loved us to the end, holding nothing back. With holding nothing, God gave His Son. With holding nothing, Christ gave His life. His death, the greatest, most exemplary and preeminent apex, mountaintop climactic display of divine love for His own. The love with which He had loved them, what you're going to notice from the text in verse 1, word is agapao, is communicated here in the heiress tense for you Greek students. The love with which He loved them, heiress. It's speaking of a definite act with continuing implications. A definite act, it's an event, it's an action. When the Bible says that He loved us here in this way, what's the definite act it's referring to? It's the cross. The cross. The apex, mountaintop climactic, ultimate, supreme, preeminent display of His love is the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. One act for God so loved, heiress, act. The cross, God so loved the world that He gave His Son. In Galatians chapter 2, verse 20, I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. In the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved, act, event. The cross, who loved me and gave Himself for me. It's a point. Ephesians chapter 5, verse 2, walk in love, brothers and sisters, as Christ also has loved, heiress, an act, definite point in time, an event, a climactic, supreme, preeminent display of God's love, the cross. He loved us and has given Himself for us. 1 John 4-10, in this is love. Not that we loved God, but that He loved heiress. He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. I want to affirm for you that Christ having loved you loves you to the end. Christ having loved you at that time, at that moment, in that act, hanging there on the tree, cursed for our sin. Having loved you in that way, He loves you to the end. I want to affirm the love of God for His own in this. What manner of love is this, right? And behold, the love of God for His own, this is the disposition of the Lord's heart there in the upper room in John 13, before He washed the disciples' feet. All that He knew, all that He faced, all that He was circling around, swarming around in His head and His mind and His heart, He loved His own who are in the world in this way and He loved them to the end. Consider the disposition of the world in stark contrast to this. You know, a brother and I were at the abortion clinic yesterday preaching at the abortion clinic. Having loved themselves in this world, they loved themselves to the end of someone else. That's the love of the world. Consider here, as Judas is reclined at the table with them, consider the disposition of Judas, the same as the disposition of a murderer because his father was a murderer. John 13, verse 2, supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas is scary as Simon's son to betray him. Judas' heart was disposed toward his own selfish love. And so the devil had fertile soil in which to plant that wicked seed. What's your disposition this morning? What's the disposition of your heart? Won't you acknowledge for a moment, right? Won't you acknowledge? There is absolutely nothing lovely in you. There's nothing lovable in you. When you consider your ways, you consider your sin. Consider how you rebel. Consider from the moment of your birth, born in Adam, how you've been an offense to God, living in rebellion against God, sinning repeatedly and without remorse. And won't you consider that despite that in the face of that, while you are yet that sinner, God holds out in grace in the Lord Jesus Christ in the gospel, holds out a free offer of love toward you. But if you'll turn from your sin, you'll put your faith in Christ that you would be the object, the beneficiary of that kind of love. It's staggering. You can be forgiven, washed clean, made alive, adopted into the family of God, seated in the heavenly places with Christ, receive an inheritance being joint heirs with Him? It's amazing. You know, this love, in all its splendid and glorious and majestic beauty, this love is what compelled the Lord Jesus Christ that evening at the supper. It's what motivated him, compelled him, a determination of his will, a determination of his resolve to march inexorably to the cross. And it's what caused the dedication of himself in verses four and five. We saw the determination of his will. We saw the disposition of his heart. In verses four and five, we see the dedication of himself. We'll get into more this next week, these verses. This act, normal for a slave, but astonishing for the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse four, humble self-sacrifice, right? The Lord rose from supper, laid aside his garments, took a towel, he girded himself. After that, he poured water into a basin, and the Lord of glory began to wash the disciples' feet to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded. John Owen, in his work, I've been reading this book, and it's just wonderful. It's called Communion with the Triune God. And John Owen makes the point that God's communion with the Christian is primarily and principally in this kind of love. His communion with the Christian is primarily and principally in this kind of love, mediated in his son, producing holiness and for his glory. And if you think about that, we're going to have communion with God the Father. Then the Christian's communion with the Triune God is primarily and principally in returns of that love in faith to God, mediated in Christ. To have communion with God the Father, we make returns of love to him. How do we do that? How do we do that? So our brother pointed out this morning through obedience to his commands, his gracious, loving commands, his law that is wholly just and good. The Bible says, he who loves me, what? Keeps my commandments, keeps my commandments. In other words, as we return, if we understand that love of God the Father toward us, then the heart of every genuine Christian is returned that love to God the Father. I want to love the Lord and walk worthy of him, fully pleasing him. So we demonstrate our love to him by availing ourselves then of the means of our communion with him, namely keeping his commandments, obeying him, living for him. We demonstrate our love to him. We make returns of our love to God the Father by availing ourselves of the means of our communion with him, which is seeking to know him in his word, pursuing God the Father, pursuing the Lord Jesus Christ, pursuing sanctification by his spirit in his word, pursuing him in his word. The one who does not love the Lord does not pursue him in his word, has no concern for the things of God, no concern for his word, no concern for God. So the fruit of that, that lack of love, is that he will not pursue God in his word, he won't do it. He can't do it, he's unable to do it. He doesn't have the spirit of God in him. We demonstrate our love to him, availing ourselves of the means of our communion with God the Father, our means of communion with Jesus Christ, our Lord, by seeking to be sanctified by his spirit through the word, pursuing sanctification, pursuing godliness, exercising ourselves toward godliness, pursuing holiness without which no one will see the Lord. We demonstrate our love to him through prayer, pursuing communion in love with God the Father in prayer, returning love to God the Father in prayer, making returns to him. We demonstrate our love to him by forsaking all to follow Christ, by forsaking your preferences, by forsaking your leisure, by forsaking yourself, by denying yourself, taking up your cross and following him. You love God by denying yourself, do you see? By making returns to God the Father of that kind of love. You make returns of that kind of love to God the Father by denying yourself, by separating yourself from the world unto him. That's why the heart and mind of the Christian never is, well, how much can I get away with and still be a Christian, right? How close can I get to the world and still be okay? That's absurd, that's not the heart and mind of a Christian. How far away can I get because I love God and I wanna please God and I wanna walk worthy of him. So that thing is of the world and I want nothing to do with it. You Christian want nothing to do with it. Love the Lord your God by separating yourself from the world. Look for opportunities to do it and show return love to God in that, do you see? Christians look for ways to love God, don't they? You know what? I don't wanna participate in that because I wanna love God. I wanna demonstrate my love to him by denying myself that thing. We demonstrate our love to him, we return love to God the Father, to the Lord Jesus Christ, to the Holy Spirit by taking opportunity in these means of our communion with him to demonstrate our love to him, to demonstrate our love to him. You demonstrate your love to him in evangelism, right? I'm going to deny myself. I'm not going to fear their faces, I'm gonna fear him who made me. I'm not gonna fear them. I'm not gonna prefer my conveniences. I'm not gonna prefer the applause of men, the approval of men. I will prefer the applause and approval of God and I will return love, the love that God has shown me. I will return that in my obedience to him to proclaim that love to a lost world because he is worthy of that proclamation, right? He's worthy of that. We demonstrate our love to him, returns of that love to God the Father by how we love one another, don't we? By how we love one another. I'm gonna love my brother because I love the Lord. I'm gonna be here when the word of God is preached because I love God. I'm gonna be with my brothers at group because I love God. Not because it's some checklist, ritualistic, heartless, mindless act, but because I love God. There is a sense in what you can say. If you're not faithful, it's because you don't love God. Enough, we demonstrate our love. We make returns of love to God the Father in these things. It's how God in his wisdom, his infinite wisdom has ordained that we should have communion together. We commune with God in this way. And is it not a fitting return considering how God has loved us in Christ? It's an amazing thing, isn't it, this Christian life? God shows such tremendous love toward his own. He loves them to the end. And yet we his people then in turning from our sin, turning from living life for ourselves, turning from the world, putting our faith and trust in Christ, embracing that love, then return love to him and communion with him. In these ways that he's ordained. It's a beautiful thing. And we can't do that in and of ourselves. We need God loving us in Christ to do that, giving us of his spirit, changing our heart. Will you cry out to him today to do that? Cry out to the Lord, turn from your sin and cry out to the Lord to help you. Cry out that you would be a beneficiary of that love and then your greatest glory is to be able to make returns of that love to God in Christ and the power of his spirit. It's a beautiful gospel. It's a beautiful salvation, amen? Let's pray. Father in heaven, God, we love you. We praise you, we worship you. We desire from the heart to see you high and lifted up, exalted in glory. And we thank you, Lord, that you, being omniscient, omnipotent, majestic in glory, have made provision for our sin in the giving of your own son and the Lord Jesus Christ and humbling himself to the point of death, even death on the cross, dies as a substitute for sinners. And we might have these matchless blessings in him and worship you, the Lamb who was slain for all eternity. We praise you and we thank you for this great salvation. I pray, God, that we would not neglect it but strengthen us by your spirit to make returns of love to you for all the ways in which you have loved us, your own, to the end. Thank you, Lord, in Jesus' name. Amen.