East Baptist Church – Denison, TX

The Upper Room Teaches The Necessity of Experiencing God’s Word

John 13:5-10

The Bible is God’s Living Breathing Word. One must not just read it but must Experience Him in order to get the full meaning and thus blessing. Also, as we experience God’s Word in a personal relationship with Christ Jesus we grow as we live in the Light of the Word. That is what our Lord is trying to teach all of us in the Upper Room on this Lord’s Day as we look forward to Easter Sunday. 

The best illustration of this is: 

If I were to send you a letter on what an orange tastes like, I could use all the words in the human language and not communicate what oranges taste like. But if I were to give you an orange and you experienced the taste all I would have say is that something tasted like an orange, and you would know what I was talking about through our shared experience. The Bible (Word) is like that on a million times higher level. 

John 13:6 (NASB77) ⁶And so He •came to Simon Peter. He •said to Him, “Lord, do You wash my feet?”

In the Greek the meaning is much more emphatic; it reads like “you” and “my” are placed together. Literally it reads: “You, my feet to wash?” The idea of the Lord of glory washing his dirty feet simply did not fit with Peter’s way of thinking. It did not compute.

 When we try to read our Lord’s mind or try to box Him into what our expectations are we make a huge mistake. When the Jews desired a Messiah of their own making and expectations, is that not what nailed Him to the cross? 

When we understand that it was Christ and Christ Alone that was the Author of the New Covenant by His death, then all our pride is done away with. You and I did nothing to earn our palace at the Table of Grace. 

 Progressive revelation is part of our growth in Christ. 

However, as the believer walks in this world, it is easy to become defiled. He does not need to be bathed all over again; he simply needs to have that defilement cleansed away. God promises to cleanse us when we confess our sins to Him.

1 John 1:9 (NASB77) ⁹If we confess our sins; He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

This basic truth of Christian living is beautifully illustrated in the Old Testament

Exodus 29:4 (NASB77) ⁴Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the doorway of the tent of meeting, and wash them with water.

When the priest was consecrated, he was bathed all over, and that experience was never repeated. 

 It takes humility and grace to serve others, but it also takes humility and grace to allow others to serve us.