Contemplating Passion Week

Day 3 of our Week of Prayer & Fasting

READING

John 13:1-35

THOUGHTS

After moving on from the discussion with the crowds and religious leaders, we see Jesus’ next focus in Passion week is for His own disciples.  In fact, in John’s gospel, the ‘Upper Room Discourse’ becomes the main focus of Passion week and consumes chapters 13 to 17.   Why did John consider this part so important?  Let’s have a look.

John begins by setting the tone.

John 13:1  Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. 

I have to admit, reading this verse, specifically the words “He loved them to the end” made me emotional and caused me to stop and ponder its significance.  For me it beautifully summarises what comes next. Not just with His disciples in the Upper Room, not just on Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, but for all eternity, which includes you and me. God’s love reaches beyond our limited human version of love.

In the case of the disciples, Jesus saw past their inadequacies, their jostling for position, even their denials.  He truly loved them to the end and His love did not fail at any point.

The Apostle Paul identified this love from His Saviour and wrote the inspiring words:

Romans 8:38-39 NKJV

(38)  For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,

(39)  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.

This focus on love and reassurance becomes the main theme of His time with the disciples in the Upper Room.  He sets the attitudes right of those who said, “I want to have the best seat” to an attitude of washing each others feet.

It was God’s desire all along that this would be the character of His people and what they are known for, representing the same love that He has shown to us.

Joh 13:34  A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 

Joh 13:35  By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." 

Let’s remember one of our core values in Church, and that is to ‘Pursue His Love’.

Eph 5:2  And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. 

PRAYER

Please pray for our fellowship today. Pray for our members.

That we would truly come to know the love of Christ for us and be transformed by that love.

That we would have strength to endure hardships, to resist temptations.

To have joy in our service. To will-fully put others interests before our own, to take the attitude of a humble servant.

Pray for like-mindedness and unity.