The Foundation of the Church

Course: The Cross

Lesson 5

Lesson Title: The Last Supper and Gethsemane,

Text: John 13:34-35 ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.’

Introduction: Setting the example of love.

a) Love motivating at all times.

Serving one another; united with one another; and steadfast faith that will never fail.

• Last Supper (John 13) – Serving one another the way of discipleship. Like Jesus in His ministry -the example of washing His disciples feet. John 13:14.
• The High Priestly prayer (John 17) – Unity the goal of discipleship. Like Jesus in His relationship with the Father – ‘that they also may be one in us’ John 17:21
• Gethsemane – Trials the test of discipleship. Like Jesus in His steadfast faith – ‘not my will but yours be done’ Luke 22:42.

True discipleship is seen by love that is expressed by service, unity and an unshakeable faith.

b) Love that is radical. ‘Love one another; as I have loved you’

This love is sacrificial.

This love is costly

It is love that will give itself without regard to the consequences.

Example of radical love:

His love brought Him to the cross. John 13:1 ‘having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.’

Love will bring us to the cross. The cross of self denial.

Self interest will be crucified when love leads us on.

The cost of love can be very high.

But ‘agape’ love does not count the cost.

The standard of discipleship is to serve with humility and love even to the point of laying down our lives.

This is radical and in many ways extreme.

Nominal Christianity knows nothing of this.

Christians we can put themselves into difficult positions if we become too involved with the needs of others.

It is much easier not to get involved.

Whenever Christians have a problem it is an opportunity for the love of Christ to be seen expressed through the body of Christ.

Introductory Story: Example of radical Christianity

Voicu from Romania – Voicu had a stroke when he was working in the US. He had no insurance. Part of his brain had to be taken out and was put in a freezer for 2 months. It was thought he would die. His brother went to the US to be with him. But the Lord was with him and with the skill of the surgeons brought him through the surgery. The love of Christians was expressed through giving and praying for him. The love of his family was seen in all they did and continue to do for him. His progress has been ‘miraculous’ and he is progressing all the time. What was a tragedy has become the means of bringing glory to the Lord because of the love that has been shown to him.

Love for one another is the evidence of discipleship.

Lesson Outline:

1. Serving one another
2. The prayer of Jesus for His disciples – unity in Him
3. The need for sifting – who we are will be seen in the trials.

Main Points

1. Serving one another John 13

a) Washing the disciples feet (John 13:3-17) – example of humility to serve one another. (John 13:15)

Joyfully serving one another – a servant ‘washing feet’ meant to joyfully take the lowest position and serve others.

The greatest in God’s kingdom must become the least.

b) Serving others without concern for our own glory.

People will be won to Christ when we serve others with love and humility without any self interest.

When Jesus washed His disciples feet He taught them about who was great in God’s kingdom. Often the disciples argued about who was the greatest. Even at the Last Supper the disciples argued about who was the greatest.

After the resurrection of Jesus, the disciples never argued over who was the greatest. They did not seek to build big ministries but sought only to preach and teach and build up the body of Christ in love.

Applying the words of Jesus to ministry

When people pay little attention to what we are doing and have little respect for us – be glad for it and minister joyfully and give 100% to everything you do.

· Don’t strive to be big.

· Rejoice when others are bigger than us.

· Seek the approval of God not the honour of people.

· Have no concern about being unnoticed.

· Always serve joyfully.

Jesus did not associate leadership with numbers.

He associated leadership with love and humility.

Illustration: Not seeking a successful ministry but serving joyfully with love and humility.

When I first became involved in ministry I had the desire to build up a successful ministry. I knew the Lord was with me and I was daring, and willing to step out in faith when others would not. My ambitions had a good intention – to win people for Christ. But even though I did not realise it at the time, self was at the centre of everything I was trying to do. The Lord brought me down to nothing in order to turn me around. I needed to learn that to serve the Lord joyfully means being dead to my own ambitions in ministry.

Many churches talk about having a vision. But many of the visions that churches seek to achieve have self written all over them.

The greatest vision is to serve the Lord joyfully with love and humility. This should be the vision within the local church and then this vision should be taken out into the local community, and wherever the Lord leads.

The goal of ministry is the manifestation of the life of Christ in the church, which is the body of Christ.

The love of God (agape) is more important than big congregations and successful ministries.

Humility is more important than being important and highly respected.

2. The prayer of Jesus for His disciples – unity in Him

High Priestly intercessory prayer, John 17.

Jesus prayed that His disciples would be one.

This is not a unity that can be produced through negotiation. It is a unity that is produced by life.

It is a unity that must be kept, but it cannot be formed by human endeavour. Ephesians 4:3

a) Unity through the cross. Eternal life is to know Him. John 17:3

Knowing Him is only possible through reconciliation – the cross.

The basis of unity is the blood of Christ.

There can be no unity without reconciliation

b) Unity through the resurrection. Unity – joined to Christ, united with one another.

It is a unity that is only possible when we have been raised to new life – resurrection.

One body united by the life of Christ.

It is a supernatural unity.

It is the unity of God in the believers.

It is a unity the defies all understanding.

c) Unity of the mind of Christ. Unity that is more than a decision not to argue.

It is the unity of the body.

Many members united by life and joined together to fulfil the needs of the body. 1 Corinthians 12

Unity means being of one mind and one heart.

When Christians are totally united in heart and mind then the power of God will be seen.

Illustration: The unity of believers.

When believers are in unity there will be a great awareness of the presence of the Lord.

Revival happens when God’s people draw near to Him in unity. James 4:8

3. The night of sifting – who we are will be seen in the trials.

a) Peter was to be sifted as wheat, Luke 22:31-34 ‘And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that you shall thrice deny that you know me.’

Satan sifts to destroy.

God allows the sifting to separate the chaff from the wheat.

Weakness in Peter – self confidence.

Cross – puts an end to self confidence.

After the resurrection the Lord says to Peter do you love me… feed my sheep.

What must be our motivation? – Love of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:14).

Peter in the garden.

Peter is ready to die, but he is not motivated by love. He will go down fighting.

He uses the sword to defend the Lord and chops off the ear of the High Priest’s servant.

Peter was being sifted. Christ’s kingdom was not protected by a sword. Matthew 26:52 ‘Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.’

The sword is the way empires are spread but God’s kingdom is spread by the foolishness of preaching.

Those who will be His disciples go out to fight as fools ‘preaching the gospel’.

b) Judas.

The devil was able to destroy Judas because he had no love for Christ.

Why then had he become a disciple? For self advancement .

People will suffer hardship and endure opposition to gain eventual honour and wealth.

Judas had followed Jesus for three years.

Judas had seen the miracles – he was there when Lazarus was raised from the dead.

Judas wanted the miracles to bring wealth and honour.

Final straw.

The anointing of Mary.

Waste of so much wealth.

Judas then goes and betrays Jesus. In the book of Matthew the story of the anointing by Mar

c) Trial of faith – more precious than gold. 1 Peter 1:7

The fire removes the dross and the rubbish from the gold.

The trial of faith will bring forth the pure gold of faith.

The trial is painful and we think much more about the trial.

The Lord looks for the pure gold of faith.

Summary:

1) The Last Supper the Lord demonstrated the way of discipleship with a new commandment to be led by sacrificial love. Disciples are to serve one another with love and humility.

2) The High Priestly prayer of Jesus was for the unity of His disciples. This unity produced by the resurrected life of Christ in His people.

3) Gethsemane reveals the glory of Jesus in His submission to the Father. The trial of faith will bring forth the pure gold of the life of faith. Peter had to be sifted by Satan to bring forth the gold of faith in his life, but Satan was destroyed because the test revealed his true character.

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