Okay, John chapter 13. John chapter
13. One verse. Verse 1. John 13 verse
1. Now, before the feast of the
Passover, when the Savior knew, the Lord Jesus knew, He knew. He knew why He came. He knew
what He was doing here. He went about, you remember he
said, I must be about my father's business. He knew that his hour
was come. The hour appointed of God. That
special time, special hour. That it was come that he should
depart. Notice that. Depart out of this
world. Depart out of this world unto
the Father. Having loved his own. having loved his own, which were
in the world, he loved them, and he loved them perfectly. That's what that word there means.
He loved them unto the end. He loved them with absolute perfection. So I'm entitling the message
for us today, trying to bring a message about the love of God,
and the title of the message is Christ Loved to His Own. It said, he loved his own, Christ
loved to his own. Now this love, the love of the
Lord Jesus Christ unto his people is not a general, meaningless,
universal love to all men without exception, is it? It doesn't
say that there in the text, does it? Having loved his own. There's no such thing as a universal
love of God. That's just not so. The love
of God is manifested in Christ Jesus. This universal love that
God wants to and tries and Christ tried to and failed and It's
just not according to the scripture. The love of God that we read
of in scripture is sovereign love, saving love, holy love
unto the elect of God alone. Now hold your place there in
John 13 and let's read this over here in Romans 9 one more time. So this love is not a general,
meaningless love. It's not a universal love. The
scriptures know nothing of that. The scriptures teach of a sovereign,
holy, saving, electing love, predestinating love. Sovereign
love, Romans 9 verse 11, for the children being not yet born,
neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of
God, according to election, might stand, not of works, but of him
that calleth. As it is written from Malachi
chapter 1, verse 2 and 3, Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated. What shall we say then? Is there
unrighteousness with God? Well, God forbid, for He said
to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy. I will
have compassion. God said, I'll love whom I will.
That's what the word compassion there is. I will love whom I
will love. Does he have the right? Absolutely. He's Almighty God. So then, salvation
is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but it's
of God that showeth our safety. Now, the Lord here in John chapter
13, We see the end of his public ministry there in John 12 backwards
going that way. But in John 13 going this way
to the end of chapter 17, we see the Lord's private instruction,
his final instruction given to his sheep before he lays down
his life. In John chapter 18, you remember
that starts out with the Lord in the garden, and Judas leading,
the betrayer leading the army to come to the garden and to
arrest Him. But from John 13, 14, 15, 16,
17, it's His private instruction, intimate instruction unto us,
unto His disciples. It's certainly a special, special
place in Scripture. Now this morning, I want us to
take a good look at just that first verse in John 13, verse
1, and consider this subject. Consider this subject, it's a
vast subject. One of which I find myself totally
helpless to tell you anything about. I'll try to this morning,
God is my helper, but it's such an infinite, vast subject. How
can you describe this love of God unto his people? This holy,
sovereign, electing, saving love. So let's look at verse one and
try to consider something of God's love unto His own. It says in verse 1, now before
the feast of the Passover, the feast of the Passover, the Lord
in honoring the law of God gathered with His disciples to observe
the Passover. Look back in chapter 12, verse
1. Then six days before the Passover,
the Lord came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, which had been dead,
whom he raised from the dead. So these Jews, they all came
together to Jerusalem to observe this Passover feast. that was
commanded of God for them to observe. Now, what was that Passover
feast all about? Well, the very word tells us,
doesn't it? You remember back in Egyptian
bondage, when the nation Israel was under that bondage in slavery
for 400 years? And God told them, I'm going
to deliver you. put the blood of a special lamb
over the door in a side post, and God said, when I see the
blood, when I come through that night, smiting all the firstborn,
when I see the blood on that house, I will pass over you. That's a great deliverance. God
delivered that whole nation out of bondage. And through the Scripture,
often we read, God brings that to our mind, to our remembrance,
how God delivered them. through the blood of a sacrificial
lamb, and they were told to observe the Passover. The Lord said in
Luke 22, we read recently, He said, With desire I have desired
to eat this Passover before I suffer with you. The Jews were commanded
to observe this feast in remembering how God had delivered them. God said, When I see the blood,
I will pass over you. Now, Here's something special
about the Lord Jesus Christ and His sacrifice. Our Lord not only
gathered with His disciples to observe the Passover, but by
His death as the Lamb of God, He became our Passover Lamb. He is our sacrificial Lamb. John
said, Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away our sins. The
Lord Jesus Christ is that sacrificial Lamb that God has provided. It
says in 1 Corinthians 5.7 that Christ, our Passover, is sacrifice
for us. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's
Son, cleanses us from all our sin. It is His blood that justifies
and cleanses us from all our sin. God still says, when I see
that blood, that sacrifice, of the Lord Jesus Christ, I will
pass over you." That's the good news of the gospel. The blood
of Christ indeed cleanses us from all our sins. So the Lord
gathered there to observe the Passover. Remember what He did? It's not recorded here. After
He observed the Passover, He instituted the Lord's table.
And he said, take, eat, this is my body broken for you, this
do in remembrance of me. And then that wine, he said,
this is the blood of the new covenant that was shed for you. The second thing we see in verse
1, that the Lord knew that this hour was come that he should
depart out of this world. Now, I like the way he says that
he's to depart. depart back unto the Father."
The Lord knew that His hour was come. The Lord knew, and He's
talking here about the appointed hour of His sacrificial death,
dying for our sin in the place and room instead of His people.
Now many times, we've seen this before, turn back to John chapter
7, Verse 30, when they came to arrest him or came to stone him
and tried to kill him, on other occasion he said, My hour has
not yet come. Notice in John chapter 7 verse
30, Then they sought to take him, but no man laid hands on
him, because his hour was not yet come. It wasn't that appointed
time. that pointed that he should die
now turn to John chapter 8 verse 20 John 8 verse 20 these words
but Jesus in the treasury as he taught in the temple and no
man laid hands on him because his hour was not yet come but
here he says father The hour has come, the time has arrived
for me to accomplish salvation, to depart out of this world back
unto the Father. This is that appointed hour,
that appointed time that the Father had decreed from all eternity
that the Lord Jesus Christ would die for our sin according to
the Scripture. You remember He said to His disciples
before, I must go to Jerusalem. I must be betrayed. I must lay
down my life. I must give my life. for my people. It's a must. There's
no other way for God to be just and to justify but for the Lord
Jesus Christ to die and shed his blood for us. We read in
scripture the Lord being the lamb slain from the foundation
of the world in the purpose and eternal counsel of God. This
is that purpose that He purposed in Christ Jesus before the foundation
of the world that we read about a moment ago in Ephesians chapter
3. But here we see the time had
come. This is the hour. All history,
all human history revolves around this hour, this time, this special
time that God had appointed, God had determined. In the fullness
of time, God sent forth His Son. made under the law, made of a
woman, made under the law to redeem them that were under that
law. This is that special appointed
hour, given of God. Peter said in Acts 2, as he preached
to those Jews who had just crucified the Lord of glory, he said, him
being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God, you have taken and with wicked hands have crucified the
Lord of glory. And notice something special
here. about this word depart, that he should depart out of
this world unto the Father. He, when he by himself purged
our sin, he sat down on the right hand of the throne of God. Notice
down in verse 3 of John 13, knowing that the Father had given all
things into his hands, that he was come from God and went to
God. All things given unto his hands. Turn back to John chapter 3.
John chapter 3 all things were given unto his hand John chapter
3 what said the father loveth the son and hath given all things
into his hand all things in accomplishing our salvation all things and
Obeying the law of God all things when he accomplished all things
when he had purged our sin with his own blood He sat down on
the right hand of the throne of God He departed out of this
world unto the father turn to John 17 John 17 look verse 4
John 17 verse 4 I have glorified thee on the earth and I finished
the work that you gave me to do, and now, O Father, glorify
Thou me with Thine own self, with the glory which I had with
Thee before the world was." He said, I came from God, I'm going
back to God, having accomplished all of salvation for us. He calls his death a departure,
a departure. The Apostle Paul uses the same
language in Philippians chapter 1, where he says, having a desire
to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Paul called
his death a departure from this life into eternal glory. And
that's what death is for a believer. To be absent from this body is
to be present with the Lord. The Apostle Paul, when he writes
in 2nd Timothy chapter 4, when he says, I'm ready to be offered,
the time of my departure is at hand, again he uses the same
language, a departure from this life. And that's what death is
to a believer, it's departing this life and being with the
Lord forever. Now notice back in the text,
now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour
was come, that he should depart according to the Father's will,
according to the Father's purpose, out of this world having loved,"
notice this statement here, "...having loved his own." Now who are these
people to whom He loves? His own. His own. Where did He
get these people? His own. His own. Who's the Lord
talking about here? He's talking about all of His
chosen people. Right? He's talking about His
church, His body, His bride, His jewels, His elect, His sheep,
having loved His own. Let me show you where He got
these people. Turn back to John chapter 6. John chapter 6. having loved his own. Who are
these people? Well, they're his chosen. John
chapter 6 verse 37, all that the father giveth me shall come
to me. All that the father Giveth me
shall come to me him to come to me. I will in no wise cast
out For I came down from heaven verse 38 not to do my own will
but the will of him that sent me and this is the will of him
that sent me that of all which he hath given me having loved
his own That's his sovereign electing choice. His sovereign
electing love. Turn over to John chapter 10.
He calls them over here. He said, My sheep, verse 27,
they hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me, and I give
unto them, having loved his own, he gave unto them eternal life,
all that the Father hath given to him. Now, who are these own? They're his elect. His children.
Turn to John 17. He loved them specially, sovereignly. He died for them especially and
sovereignly. And He prays only for them. In John 17. Look what it says
here. This is his priestly prayer for his church whom he loves. Verse 2, as thou has given him
power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as
many as thou has given to him. having loved his own. Where did
he get these people? Chosen in that eternal covenant
of grace and given unto the Lord Jesus Christ. Look down at verse
6 of John 17. I've manifested thy name unto
the man which thou gavest me out of the world. Thine they
were, thou gavest them me, and they have kept thy word. Look
down in verse 9 of John 17. I pray for them I pray not for
the world, but for them which thou hast given me, for they
are thine. Again in chapter 17 of John,
look at verse 11. And now I'm no more in the world,
but these are in the world. I'm come to thee, Holy Father,
keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that
they may be one as we are one. That's pretty clear, isn't it?
Having loved His own, He chose them. Turn to John chapter 15.
He chose His own. Does He have a right to do that?
Certainly He's God. Look at John 15, 16, he said,
you've not chosen me, but I've chosen you, and ordained you
that you should go and bring forth fruit, that your fruit
should remain, that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in
my name, I'll give it to you. He chose a people in eternity,
and the Father gave them to the Lord Jesus Christ. We call that
the Bible doctrine of election. This is what the Word of God
teaches. Having loved His own, He loved the church and gave
Himself for it. When did He choose these people?
In eternity. We are bound to give thanks to
God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God has,
from the beginning, chosen you unto salvation through sanctification
of the Spirit, belief in the truth, whereunto He called you
by our Gospel to obtaining of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.
So having loved his own, having loved his own, which were in
this world, he loved them, he loved them, having loved them,
he loved them unto the end. Now, three things I want to consider
about this love that he has unto his own. His own people, His
own bride, His own elect, His chosen. Past, present, and future. Past love, present love, and
future love. We see that in this text. Having
loved His own, this speaks of His eternal love unto His people. having loved his own. Now when
did the Lord Jesus Christ start loving his people? It says in
Jeremiah 31, I've loved you with an everlasting love, therefore
with love and kindness I'll draw you unto myself. When did he
start loving his people? He's always loved His people.
He has eternally loved His people. The Lord has always loved His
people. There's never a time when He did not love them, and
there never will be a time when He stops loving them. Nothing can separate us from
the love of God, which is in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is
of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, because His compassion,
His love does not fail. Nothing can separate us from
that love of God which is in the Lord Jesus Christ. What do
we know about this love? This love is infinite love. Infinite
love. Now turn to John 15 verse 9. John 15 verse 9. This love of
the Father toward His Son is the same love that the Lord Jesus
Christ has toward His church. As the Father hath loved me,
you got it? John 15, 9. As the Father hath loved me,
so have I loved you, now continue in my love. How much did the
Father love the Son? That's the same love and the
same way He loves us in Christ. Now turn to John 17. John 17
again, look at verse 22. The glory which thou hast givest
me, I've given them, that they may be one even as we are one.
John 17, look at verse 23 carefully. I in them, thou in me, that they
may be made perfect in one, that the world may know that thou
hast sent me and hast loved them as you have loved me. That's an infinite, boundless,
love of God. Who can tell the heights of it,
the depths of it, the breadth of it, the length of it? This
love of God toward His own is an everlasting love, in love
having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus
Christ to Himself. The Father loves His Son infinitely,
and the Son loves His people with an infinite love, a sovereign
love, a love that cannot be diminished, a love that will never go cold,
a love that is eternal, sovereign, and saving love. The Lord loved
His people with the foreknowledge and foresight of what they would
be in Adam. He loved them knowing that they
would fall in at Him, knowing that they would be sinful in
at Him, yet He loved them still with an everlasting love. His
love is not diminished by our sin. Right? Let's see. Turn to Romans 5. His love is not diminished by
our sin. His love is not diminished toward
us at all. Having loved His own, He's always
loved them. Look what it says in Romans 5.
Verse 6. For when we were yet without
strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely
for a righteous man would one die, yet perventure for a good
man some would even dare to die." Now watch it, verse 8. God commended
his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died
for us. Much more than being now justified
by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if
when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death
of His Son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. He loved us when we were without
strength. He loved us while we were yet
sinners. Turn to Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians chapter 2 look at verse
4 He's always loved his own Nothing diminishes that love. It's an
infinite sovereign and saving love Ephesians chapter 2 tells
us more about it verse 4 but God who is rich in mercy For
his great love were with he loved us even when we were dead in
sin and He died for the ungodly. Dead in sin hath quickened us
together with Christ, by grace are you saved, and raised us
up together and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ
Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches
of his grace and his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus,
for by grace are you saved. See, he's always loved us. He
has always loved his own in Christ Jesus. He loved us and gave Himself
for us. We're going to read that again
in just a moment. Secondly, this love toward His
own covenant people is a present love. He's loved us eternally
and He loves us right now. It's a present love. Look back
at the text again. Having loved His own which were
in this world, He loves us right now. The Lord loves us right
now. The Lord does not love us because
we merit His favor or deserve His mercy. The reason of His
love, the reason of His love, like the reason of His grace,
is found in Himself. He is love. God is love. He loves us because that's His
nature to do so. He loves us sovereignly. He loves
us wholly in Christ. But He loves us. The text does
not say He loves His own who are in glory, although He does.
But it says here that He loves those who are in the world. He loved His own in this world
when He walked among them, Peter, John, and James, and believers. And we can be assured He loves
His own now who are in this world right now. He loves us. He loves us. He has promised
to never leave us, nor forsake us. In the face of our trial,
in the face of our heartache, in the face of sickness, the
Lord has promised He'll never leave us. He loves us always. Always. Now, turn to 1 Corinthians
chapter 13. 1 Corinthians chapter 13 and let
me read you one verse there and then we'll turn to Romans 8 and
read a verse there. He loved us eternally and He
loves us right now presently. Look what it says in this is
1 Corinthians 13 and this whole chapter is about the love of
God. But I want you to look at one verse, look at verse 8. 1
Corinthians 13 verse 8, love never fails. His love never fails,
never fails, never fails. Now let me show you another scripture
about this love, how he loves us presently. Turn to Romans
chapter 8. Whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth
and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. The Lord loves
us and because he loves us, he corrects us. Now look what it
says, but nothing can separate us from the love of God. Romans
8, begin reading at verse 32. He that spared not his own son.
but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also
freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who
is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea,
rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of
God, who also makes intercession for us. Now look at verse 35,
the question is asked, who shall separate us from the love of
Christ? Tribulation? Distress? Persecution, famine,
nakedness, peril, trouble, sword, as it is written, for thy sake
we're killed all the day long. We're candidate sheep for the
slaughter. Nay, in all things we're more than conquerors through
him that loved us. You see that? Verse 38, Romans
8, I'm persuaded that neither death, death won't separate us
from the love of God, will it? Or life? Nor angels, nor principalities,
nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come. That's a
pretty exhaustive list, isn't it? Nor height, nor depth, nor
any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love
of God, which is in thee, Lord Jesus Christ. Nothing, nothing
in heaven, earth, and hell can separate us from this present
love and from his eternal love. Having loved His own, now look
back to the text, having loved His own eternally, which are
in the world, He loves His people right now. And then it says here,
He loved them unto the end. He will forever love us. This
speaks of His future love. His love never fails. He loved
them unto the end. You remember the scriptures talk
about where sin abounded, grace does much more abound. And in
the Lord Jesus Christ, His love, the love of God abounds toward
us. This word here, where it says,
He loved them unto the end, You know that word also can be rendered,
He loves them to the uttermost. He's able to save them to the
uttermost, all that come to God by Him. It also means He loves
them forevermore. And it also means this word end
here means that He loves them in perfection. He loves us perfectly
in Christ. His love has no measure, no bounds,
and no limit. Here's the proof of that love.
Here's the proof of that love. Turn over here to 1 John, 1 John
3. Here's the proof of that love.
1 John 3, verse 16. 1 John now, 1 John 3, 16. Not John 3, 16, 1 John. You got it? But it says the same
thing. This is 1st John 3.16, Hereby
perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life
for us. You see that? We ought to lay
down our lives for the brethren. He loved us. Turn to 1st John
chapter 4. He loves us sacrificially. He laid down His life for us. Look at verse 9, 1 John 4, 9.
In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that
God sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might
live through Him, here in His love, not that we love God, but
that He loved us and sent His Son to be the sacrifice, the
propitiation for our sin. Beloved, if God so loved us,
we ought to love one another. The love of God is sacrificial
love. Sacrificial love. He bought us
with His own blood. It says in Ephesians chapter
5, He loved the church and gave Himself for it. And He gave Himself
out of love. Now I want you to turn and read
this one with me. Turn to the book of Galatians
chapter 2. Galatians chapter 2, verse 20. Galatians 2, 20. I am crucified with Christ Jesus. Nevertheless, I live. You got it? Galatians 2.20. Yet
not I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life which I now live
in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, his faithfulness,
who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the
grace of God, for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ
is dead in vain. He loved me and gave himself
for me out of love for his people. Now in closing, in closing, look
back to the text. What shall we conclude about
this love of God? Well we touched on it a moment
ago, if Christ so loved us, how we ought to love one another,
if Christ so Christ so loves us, how we ought to persevere
in this love toward Him and toward His people. We're to love one
another and to forgive one another even as God for Christ's sake
has forgiven us. Now right here in John chapter
3, look at verse 34. John 13 rather, John 13 verse
34. John 13 verse 34. If Christ so loved us, we have
to persevere in that love, because the love of God is shed abroad
in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Look at verse 34, New Commandment,
I give unto you that you love one another As I have loved you,
see that you also love one another. By this shall all men know that
you are my disciples, if you love one another." Love one another. Secondly, this love of Christ
for us that is manifested and revealed in us for the fruit
of the Spirit is what? Love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
gentleness, meekness, Turn back to 2nd Corinthians this time. 2nd Corinthians chapter 5. 2nd
Corinthians chapter 5. This love of Christ for us and
that is manifested in us and revealed in us, what does that
do for the person? What kind of effect does that
have upon us? Look what it says here. 2nd Corinthians chapter
5. 2nd Corinthians chapter 5, look at verse 14. For the love
of Christ constrains us. It constrains us. Because we
thus judge, if one died, all were dead in trespasses and in
sin. This word here, constrain, is
an interesting word. And this is what the love of
God, this is the effect it has upon us, right now, in this life. It means to hold together, It
means to press together. It means to shut up together.
It means to press, urge, impel, excite, motivate us. The love of Christ motivates
us. The love of Christ holds us together. The love of Christ keeps us together. What could more compel, excite,
and motivate the believer than Christ loved me and gave himself
for me? We don't, we're not motivated
by, believers aren't now. They're not motivated by promise
of reward or fear of punishment. What motivates a believer? He
loved me and gave himself for me. I want you to turn and read
this with me. Turn over to Revelation chapter
1. This is our theme and our song
now, and it will be forever. Revelation chapter 1. Having
loved his own, he loved them unto the end. Revelation 1, look
at verse 5. Jesus Christ is the faithful
witness, the first begotten of the dead. He's the firstfruits,
raised, delivered for our offenses, raised again for our justification.
He's the prince of the kings of the earth. He's lord of lord,
king of kings, and lord of lords unto him that loved us, and washed
us from our sin in his own blood. He did what? He loved us, washed
us from our sin in his own blood, and has made us kings and priests
unto our God, His Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever
and ever. Amen. Amen. So be it. It's true. Now, in closing, let
me read this song to you. This is a portion of a song.
Brother Mike Bartram sings this song quite often. It's about
the love of God. He loved His own with an everlasting
love. Could we with ink the ocean fill? Now that would be a lot of ink,
wouldn't it? Could we with ink the ocean fill? And were the
skies a parchment made? And every stock on earth a quill? Something to write with. And
every man a scribe by trade? would drain the ocean dry, nor
could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from
sky to sky, writing him out the love of God. O love of God, how
rich and pure, how measureless and strong, and shall forever
endure the saint and angel's song. Having loved his own, he
loved them unto the end." Those who are the object of his love,
are they going to perish? Not at all. He said, of all those
that you have given me, I'll raise them up at the last day.
I will not lose one of them. Now, to say that God universally
loves all men everywhere without exception, and fails to save
all men everywhere without exception, what kind of love is that? That's
no love at all, is it? There's nobody in hell through
whom the Lord Jesus Christ loves with an everlasting love. He
saved them by His blood, justifies them by His grace because He
loved them with an everlasting love and they cannot perish.
Now that kind of love gives this sinner hope. He loved me, gave
himself for me, and will not let me go.