Open your Bibles, if you would,
to John chapter 13. John chapter 13. The name of
the message is Loved Unto the End. We'll read the first 20
verses. Loved Unto the End. Our text
will be found in verse 1, but I'd like to read the whole context
of the verse. John chapter 13, starting in
verse 1 and reading to verse 20. Now before the feast of the
Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come, that he should
depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his
own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. And supper being ended, the devil
having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simeon's son,
to betray him. Jesus knowing that the father
had given all things into his hands and that he was come from
God and went to God. He rises from supper and laid
aside his garments and took a towel and girded himself. After that,
he pours water into a basin and began to wash the disciples'
feet and to wipe them with the towel wherein he was girded.
Now note here the condescension of Christ. Here is the son of
God. God incarnate in the flesh, and
he's kneeling down to wash the feet of his disciples. Then cometh
he to Simon Peter, and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou
wash my feet? Peter thought he was being all... He shouldn't even question the
Lord here. He shouldn't even question the Lord. And this is
almost how we are when we become super spiritual and we're trying
to impress people. No, don't do that. Jesus answered
and said unto him, what I do thou knowest not now, but thou
shalt know hereafter. Peter saith unto him, thou shalt
never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, if I wash
thee not, thou hast no part with me. Oh, this picture's being
washed in the precious blood of Christ, beloved. Simon Peter saith unto the Lord,
Not my feet only, but also my hands and head. Oh my, he's being
humbled right there. Jesus saith unto him, He that
is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean of
his wit. And ye are clean, but not all. For he knew who should
betray him, therefore said he, Ye are not all clean. So after
he had washed their feet, and had taken their garments, and
was set down, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord, and
ye say, Well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master,
have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's.
For I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done
to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
the servant is not greater than his Lord, neither he that is
sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things,
happy are ye if ye do them. I speak not of you all. I know whom I have chosen. But
the scripture may be fulfilled, he that eateth bread with me
hath lifted up his heel against me. Now I tell you before it
come, that when it come to pass, you may believe that I am he.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that receiveth whomsoever
I send receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that
sent me. Tonight I would like us to consider
the latter part of verse one. The latter part of verse one.
I'll read the verse again. Now, before the feast of the
Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come, he should
depart out of this world unto the Father. Heaven loved his
own, which were in the world. He loved them unto the end. Here
are some profound words here before us. Some profound words
proclaimed about the love which Christ has for his bride. Look
at this, having loved his own, which were in the world. He loved
them until the end. This was the fourth Passover
that our Lord kept after he entered his public ministry, and it would
be his last. It would be his last. For Christ,
our Passover is sacrificed for us. And every Passover lamb that
had been slain had been a type of Christ pointing to him. He
who is the lamb of God. There's there's no more need
for pictures and types and shadows. No more need and patterns because
they were just shadows. And he is the substance and he
is the substance that Christ knew. Here it says his hour.
His hour. He knew. And He referred to this
often, so frequently that this is mentioned a lot, His hour.
And this is why He came into this world. This is why He came
into this world, to redeem His people through His perfect life
and death. And He would soon accomplish
that death. And He would return to the Father.
And He would be seated as a victorious mediator on God's right hand. And I'd like us to consider these
words again, having loved his own, which were in the world,
he loved them unto the end. And I'd like us to consider what
they mean in relation first to the apostles that they were spoken
to, and then in relation to the church universal to God's elect
through all the ages. Having loved his own, having
loved his own, which were in the world, he loved them unto
the end. having loved his own being his
sheep, his elect, and he's loved them with an everlasting, unchangeable
love. He's loved them continually.
There's never been a time when he's not loved us. He loved us forever. He loved
us even in his death, and he loves us now in his resurrection.
And again, there's never been a time when he hasn't loved us. Hebrews 1, turn there if you
would, we'll read the first three verses. Hebrews 1, verses 1-3,
Scripture declares this, God, who at sundry times and in divers
manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the prophets,
hath in these last days spoken unto us, that's being God's people,
by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also
he made the worlds. who being the brightness of his
glory, of God's glory, and the express image of his person,
and upholding all things by the word of his power, and remember,
his hour, when he had by himself purged our sins, when did he
do that? In his hour, in his hour. Purged our sins, what did
he do afterwards? Sat down on the right hand of
the majesty on high, where he's our mediator, where he's our
mediator. So again, let us never forget
that Christ's love to his own sheep is an everlasting love. Or as the words express, to the
end, which end means eternity. And this love is an unchangeable
love, beloved. It's an unchangeable love. Just
like Christ himself. What does the scripture say about
our Lord? He's the same yesterday, today, and forever, right? That's what scriptures declare.
Therefore, his love is the same yesterday, today and forever. You know what that means? That
means his love is not based upon our actions. Isn't that wonderful? Because we're so fickle, aren't
we? I am. My goodness, we're such sinners. His love for us is unchanging,
and we see that through the things that the apostles did. His love
was never changed. He loved them, and he still loves
them. It's unchanging, and it's wonderful,
beloved. It's absolutely wonderful. So
contemplating this wonderful truth leaves the blood-washed,
born-again believer in wonder and awe. that this love is not
based upon me at all. It's totally based upon Christ.
It's not based upon what I do. It's based upon Christ. And it'll
leave you thankful that it's not based upon anything we do.
Wouldn't it be awful if God's love was changing dependent upon
our sinfulness? Yes, oh my gosh. We'd be in a
heap of trouble. But it's not based upon anything
we do. It is an unchanging love, just like Christ is unchanging.
People say, well, I fell out of love with that person. Christ
never says that to his elect. He never says that to his sheep.
He will never fall out of love with us. Ever. If you've ever
had someone tell you that they fell out of love with you, it's
like someone putting a stake through your heart. Christ will never say that ever.
Ever. And it's wonderful. It's absolutely
wonderful. for the mountains shall depart,
and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart
from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed,
saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. His covenant will never,
covenant of peace will never be moved, never be removed. Just like his love, it'll never
be removed from God's people. The heavens may pass away, And
the church of God shall remain unbroken, unshaken, beloved,
because they are loved in Christ by God for eternity. And they are kept and protected
by He who is God Almighty. And it is God Almighty who has
loved His own and will ever love them. This is wonderful news. This love never changes. Never changes. He loves His people
from the beginning, from eternity. He loves them now and He will
love them forever in eternity. All because this love is unchanging. Unchanging. And let us never
forget that the greatest manifestation of the love of God towards His
people occurred on Calvary's cross. when the Son of God, the
Word incarnate, died as the substitute of those He speaks to as here,
His own. His own. That's who He died for,
beloved. His own. Are you that number? It's wonderful. It's wonderful if you are. And
if you are, it's by the grace of God, and only by the grace
of God. They are His by the Father giving
them to Him. They are His by creation. And
praise God, they're His by purchase, beloved. And it's His blood which has
purchased and redeemed us. So let us consider these words,
having loved His own, which were in the world, He loved them unto
the end. Let's consider these words first in relation to the
apostles. He loved them when He saw them
in their lost estate. Because of his love for them,
he called them out of that estate. And that's true for every one
of God's sheep, isn't it? But here he called these apostles
to be his disciples. And he loved them, and he loves
them still with a tender love. But think of this, when he was
on earth, he trained them and taught them that they might be
good soldiers of his cross. He loved them with an everlasting
love. He walked and talked with them while He was here upon this
earth. And even when He rebuked His apostles, His love for them
never changed. Even when He rebuked Peter here,
His love for him never changed. Never changed. Ever. He loved his own when he was
alone with them, or when he was with them in a crowd. He loved
them in life, and he loved them in death, and he still loves
them in eternity. His love has never changed for
his people, and he is faithful to love them. And think of our Savior's faithfulness
in his love to them. This love and faithfulness of
Christ is remarkable. They prove themselves by man's
standards to sometimes be poor companions. Let's turn to Matthew
chapter 20. Matthew chapter 20. Now the apostles
often argued amongst themselves who was the greatest. We know
that. We know they did that. One time one of the mothers of
two of the apostles came to Jesus and asked if they could sit the
one on the right hand and the other on the left in the kingdom.
Now James and John, the two sons of Zebedee apparently persuaded
their mother to ask the Lord Jesus to give them these places
of highest honor and glory in his kingdom. And historians tell
us that this woman was sister to Joseph, Mary's husband. We
know that she and her sons were true disciples. They were genuine
believers. They loved the Lord. They followed
Christ. And we see here, though, beloved,
that they behaved very foolishly, just like every believer can.
And James and John, as well as their mother, were truly spiritual
people, but they behaved in a very carnal way here. They were unbelievably
presumptuous and they were constantly asserting that they were able
to drink the cup and be baptized with the sufferings of the Lord
Jesus Christ, which he was about to endure when they should have
been overwhelmed with wonder and humbled at what he was going
to accomplish. And they were more concerned
about themselves, beloved, than about Christ and their brethren.
Yet the sons of Zebedee, James and John were in time to become
pillars of the church. They became pillars of the church
and the kingdom of the Lord. And they were loved by Christ.
And remember this, even when they do this, they're loved by
Christ with an unchanging, everlasting love. Look at Matthew 20, we'll
read verses 20 to 24. And we'll see, he was thinking
of the baptism of suffering, which he was about to be baptized
with, but they were disputing which should be the greatest.
Matthew 20 verses 20 to 24, then came to him the mother of Zebedee's
children with her sons, worshiping him and desiring a certain thing
of him. And he said unto her, what wilt
thou? What wilt thou? She saith unto
him, grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy
right hand and the other on thy left in thy kingdom. But you know, We just shake our
heads, don't we? But we're the same way. But Jesus
answered and said, You know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink
of the cup that I shall drink of? No, none of us could. And
be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They
say unto him, We are able. Boy, they're being pretty presumptuous,
aren't they? And he saith unto them, ye shall
drink of my cup and be baptized with the baptism that I'm baptized
with. But to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine
to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared
of my father. And look, look, look how the
other ten acted. And when the ten heard it, they were moved
with indignation against the two brethren. Oh, my. Oh, my. They're all they're all mad at
each other, beloved. And through all the things that
happened in the worldliness of the apostles and them saying
and doing foolish things, the Lord's love for them never changed.
Even through all these situations we read of, the Lord's love for
them never changed. Never changed. And think also
of our Lord's love and faithfulness, which was manifested to them
in the fact that, again, he lifted them out of the lost condition
they were in. They were unable to lift themselves
out of that condition. They were dead in their trespasses
and sins, just as we were. They were bought forth from death
to life. They were given an understanding of the Lord's words. Another
man said of Christ, never a man spake as he spake. Yet, how little
did the apostles know. Even though they were with the
Lord, remember it was said of one of them, have I been so long
time with you, and yet thou hast not known me. And this speaks of how little
they really understood. And no teacher on this earth
could or would have such patience with those they are teaching,
yet our Lord's love remained unchanging towards them. Unchanging. Yet with love and patience, he
taught them. His love no end or measure knows. No change can turn its course.
Eternally the same it flows from one eternal source. It's unchanging. It's an unchanging love, beloved.
Turn if you would to. John chapter 18. Now when we
love a person we expect them to have some sympathy in the
plan and aim of our life and we desire, in what we desire
to do and yet our Lord loved his disciples who sometimes unknowingly
tried to thwart him in his self-sacrificing mission even in those times and
those circumstances. This does not prevent him from
loving them until the end. Remember what happened when they
came to arrest our Lord and he knew, he knew that this was his
hour coming. He knew that he must be crucified.
He knew that. But Peter pulls out a sword,
doesn't he? Cuts off the high priest servant's ear. Look at
this in John 18 verses 10 to 12. Then Simon Peter, having
a sword, drew it and smote the high priest's servant and cut
off his right ear, the servant's name was Malachus. Then said
Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into thy seat. The cup
which my father hath given me shall I not drink it? Then the band and the captain
and the officers of the Jews took Jesus and bound him. Turn if you would to Mark chapter
8 and think upon this. On certain times the apostles
were even guilty of disrespect to our Savior. Peter took him
and began to rebuke him one time. Look at this in Mark chapter
8. Mark chapter 8 verses 31 to 38. He began to teach them that
the Son of Man must suffer many things. and be rejected of the
elders and of the chief priests and scribes and be killed after
the three days rise again. He must do this. This is the
hour. He's teaching them that this
has got to happen. And he spake that saying openly
and Peter took him and began to rebuke him. Peter takes the
Lord aside and begins to rebuke him. when he had heard, but when he
had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter,
saying, Get thee behind me, Satan. For thou, Savior, is not the
things that be of God, but the things that be of man. And when
he had called the people unto him and With his disciples also,
he said unto them, whosoever shall come after me, let him
deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whosoever
will save his life shall lose it. But whosoever shall lose
his life for my sake in the gospels, the same shall save it. For what
shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose
his own soul? What shall a man give in exchange
for his soul? There's nothing we can give in
exchange for our soul, is there? You can have all the riches in
the world and I can't buy, can't pay for your soul. Whosoever therefore shall be
ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful
generation, of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed when
he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
So think upon this, beloved, even at this time and after the
Lord rebuked Peter in a temptation which was evidently satanic,
the Lord's love and affection towards Peter remained unchanged. Isn't that amazing? Somebody does something to us,
we get all offended. Look what the Lord just, he rebuked him
and it was over. And his love for him is unchanging.
It doesn't change. It doesn't change. Remember,
he's loved us from eternity. He's loved us with an everlasting
love. Think upon this love Christ has
for his own, it's unchanging. It's unchanging. The scriptures
proclaim, and think of this, think of this love, it's unchanging,
and the scriptures proclaim that at a later point, they'd all
leave him. They'd all leave him. Listen
to what the scriptures proclaim. All the disciples forsook him
and fled. Yet he still loves them. Anybody
ever forsook you? It's hard to love them when they
do that. We're called to love them though, aren't we? We are. Family may forsake us because
of our belief in the gospel. Friends may forsake us for the
stands that we take for the gospel. Love them. Love them. Show them
the love of Christ. Show them the love of Christ.
Look what our master did. They all fled. They all forsook
him. But our text says, heaven loved
his own which were in the world. He loved them unto the end. Unchanging, unchanging love,
beloved. So consider this text in light
of that. They all left, they all fled.
Heaven loved his own which were in the world. He loved them unto
the end. Consider ourselves in our own
sinfulness, beloved. Consider the wicked things we
do, because we all do them. His love for us remains unchanged. It's amazing. Brother Noel, you and I talked
about how we were before the Lord saved us. He loved us even
then. Even then, he loved us. My, time and time and time again
the Lord proved His love to His apostles. And time and time and
time again He's proved His love to us, hasn't He? He proved these words, having
loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the
end. He proved these words here before us by His continual companionship
with them, despite what we've seen occurring tonight. In the
scriptures, and there's many, many places where you just shake
your head sometimes, but we shake our heads knowing we've done
the same thing. And you'd expect a master to
find joy and rest in the companionship of a society of his scholars,
wouldn't you? And wise men, and yet here is
love manifest in the fact that Jesus passed by angels and kings
and wise men and chose for his companions Unlettered men, the
scriptures say. It's wonderful. It's absolutely
wonderful. And the truth of these words,
heaven loved his own, which were in the world, he loved them unto
the end, are manifested as the Lord was always ready to instruct
the apostles, and his love is shown as clearly in what he kept
back from them as what he revealed to them. His love is shown in
both those things. And these words were manifest
in the fact that he was there rendering every kind of assistance
whenever they were in trouble. When the sea was roaring and
tossed the boat that they were in around like a toy, remember? He calmed the sea. When Peter's
wife's mother was sick, turn there if you would, Matthew 8,
14. When Peter's wife's mother was sick, what did he do? He
healed her. He healed her. Look at this in
Matthew chapter 8 verses 14 and 15. Jesus was coming to Peter's house
and he saw his wife's mother laid and sick of a fever. Verse
15, and he touched her. Oh, a touch from the Lord Jesus
Christ. And he touched her and what happened
in the fever left her and she arose and ministered unto them. These words were manifested in
the things that he did for his people. Having loved his own
that were in the world, he loved them unto the end. Now I'd like
us to consider these words in relation to the blood washed
saints of God. in relation to the blood-washed
saints of God. Now a man may part with his own
things, he may sell his house, he may sell the things that he
owns, but those who are his family, there's no change in that. No
change in that. And now for the blood-washed
saints of God, the family of God can and usually is closer
to them than our own blood family. in our own blood family. Why? Because we have the same Father,
we have the same Spirit, we're born again by the same Spirit
and we have the same Savior. And here in our text it proclaims,
having loved his own, having loved his own, which were in
the world, he loved them unto the end. Think upon this, the
Lord came to the Jews and they despised and rejected him. And
this is so with all men by nature, isn't it? In our natural state,
we despise and we reject Christ. But those spoken of here as His
own. Here are those who love Him and
cherish Him and follow Him. Now by nature, they despised
Him. But they're born again by the
Holy Spirit of God and for them, for his own. What wondrous words
these are. What wondrous words these are.
Consider this, his own. And you who are his blood washed
people. Consider that you're in that
number. His own. It's amazing. His own. This is wondrous words. What a blessed expression. His
own. And scripture says to the blood-washed
believer, you're not your own. You're bought with a price. We are not our own because we
belong to Christ. His own. We're not alone. We're his. What what joy is found in these
two words, what delight. For the blood washed saint is
found here in these two words, his own. Christ. God incarnated in the
flesh, we're His. We're His own. The Holy Spirit is here bringing
forth that we are the Lord's. And this love He has for us is
a great love, an unchanging love. We belong to the Lord Jesus Christ
in a threefold way. Think upon this, beloved. We
belong to the Lord first by the Father's eternal election. We are the Father's love gift
to the Son, beloved. Chosen in Christ, when? Before
the foundation of the world, His own. Second, we're His own by redemptive
rights. By redemptive rights, He paid
the purchase price for us. And that price is the shedding of His precious
blood. Christ brought us for Himself. We're His own. Christ, who is God incarnate
in the flesh, loved the church and what? Gave Himself for it. And third, we're His by effectual
call of the Holy Spirit of God. Anyone be in Christ, He's a new
creation. We're born again, regenerated
by the Holy Spirit of God. The third person of the Holy
Trinity. Beloved, we are born of the Spirit. Christ has loved His people in
the past, He's loved His people of old, eternally, and this is
a special, everlasting love, and He loves His own. And if you're born again, believer,
you're that number. His own. And this love surpasses any earthly
love. Think of how much we love our
kids and how much we love our families and even friends that
we have that are dear to us. This love surpasses any earthly
love. Our love is fickle. And it can
change, but this love does not change. It does not change due
to circumstances. And think of all the ages, beloved,
that have rolled by on this earth. That have passed. And this love
which God has for His people has never changed. Never changed. And think of all eternity, and
this love will never change. This love of God towards his
chosen blood bought people is settled and it is sure beloved
because it's in Christ and Christ alone. And think of how this love has
been proved by the fact that Christ stood surety for us when
the covenant was made and that he fulfilled all the stipulations
of the covenant. on our behalf, and that He would
fulfill the broken law for us, and that He would satisfy the
justice of God in our place for us. And He did this for us because
we're His own. And He's loved us with an everlasting,
unchanging love. And that in the fullness of time,
think upon this, that in the fullness of time, the word of
God, the second person of the Trinity, took upon himself our
nature and lived a blameless life before the law of God. And
died a death unto which all the weight of divine vengeance for
the sin of all his people fell upon him. And he, the sinless, spotless
lamb of God, the sinless one died in our room. For we who are sinners, the just
one dies for the unjust, having loved his own. Greater love hath no man than
this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Do you
see how this love does not even compare to any earthly love?
It's so far above it, beloved. It's so far above it. And now
our dear Lord is risen and exalted in the highest heaven. And He
is for those who are called His own. Here in our text, He is
our mediator between God and us. And He intercedes for His people.
He represents them at the Father's throne. And He is preparing a
place for us in glory. And He, by His Holy Spirit, is
fetching His people out from mankind. And one day, He'll bring
us all to glory, beloved. Everyone will be in glory. Remember right now, He's taken
saints home and He's drawn lost sheep to Him. One day it'll be
all over and we'll be all glory together. And you know what? Not one of those in our text
who are called his own will be lost. Not one. Not one. Not one. Now, before the feast of the
Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come, that he should
depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his
own, which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. And
no, this love is unending. He loved them unto the end. We are great sinners, beloved,
but our our Lord is a great savior. And as Spurgeon brings forth,
our sinfulness cannot travel so far, whereas love will not
travel beyond. That's good news for sinners. And we cry out with the hymn
writer, oh, what wondrous love is this. Oh, my soul. Oh, my soul. This is wondrous
love. And His faithfulness, beloved,
shall be wider and broader than our unfaithfulness. He is all we need. He's able
to save to the uttermost all those that come unto God by him.
And he ever lives to make intercession for them. He loved them unto
the end. Truly, the Lord Jesus Christ
is the good shepherd of the sheep of God. He loves his people to
an infinite degree. And he was about to demonstrate
that. by dying on the cross for them as their substitute. He who the Passover pictured is about to demonstrate that
love that he has for his people. Christ our Passover is sacrificed
for us. Behold the Lamb of God. And let's close with reading
this verse again. Now, before the feast of the
Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come, that he should
depart out of this world unto the Father, heaven loved his
own, which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. Now,
the first part of this verse brings forth two things about
the Lord Jesus at this time. The cross was before him with
all its agony, but also the joy of returning to his Father with
all its bliss. Look at this. When Jesus knew
that his hours come. That's the cross. That he should
depart out of this world onto the father, there's the bliss. And ponder this prospect, the
prospect of the wall of the cross. To the hope of unspeakable rest
and glory with the father. And it never shook his love for his own. He loved them until
the end. Truly, our Lord is the same yesterday,
today and forever. Therefore, his love never varies.
It's unchangeable towards his people. He is eternal, therefore
the love which he has for his own is eternal. He has loved
us with an everlasting love. He is divine, therefore His love
towards His people is divine. It's different from all other
love. And you know what? It passes human understanding.
It passes human knowledge. Praise His mighty name, beloved.
Having loved His own, which were in the world, He loved them unto
the end. And again, that speaks of eternity. His love for us never changes.