Yes, in verse 19 (of John chapter 13) Jesus uses Bible Prophecy (in adjunct to His Omniscience) to foster belief (faith) in His Disciples! Let’s study Bible Prophecy (eschatology) to further our faith as well!

“Now I tell you before it (Judas’ betrayal of the Lord) come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.”

Wow!

The basic lesson, the spiritual principle, that Judas teaches us …

“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” 2 Corinthians 13:5

The Grace of God not only saves, it also teaches …

“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, TEACHING US that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.” Quoting Titus 2:11-12.

Psalm 41:9 was originally written to describe how Ahithophel (David’s trusted counsellor) back-stabbed King David, betrayed the great Monarch. “Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.” But Jesus uses the verse to apply to His situation with Judas! That’s called “applying Scripture” personally!

Turning “history” into “theology!”

Jesus washing feet …

Serving others, that’s where true “joy” is to be found! “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” John 13:17

I’m sure you’ve heard the acrostic … “Jesus first, Others next, Yourself last!” The first letters of which spell JOY!

Amen!

Those of you who can, might now want to watch the entire Class …

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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Our video Bible Study posted today while we were driving to this week’s Revival Meeting in Newaygo, Michigan. Actually, I posted it from the car as we traveled!

But I forgot to say …

In John chapter 12 Jesus’ feet were reverently anointed. In John chapter 13 Jesus is washing 24 dirty feet!

Yes, Jesus would have His Disciples with clean feet! (A picture of purity and sanctification in their lives.) Jesus did this for them … even knowing they would deny Him (at His arrest), flee from Him (at His Crucifixion), go to sleep on Him (at Gethsemane), and fail Him in many other ways too. Yes, He loves them “to the end!”

The water that cleansed those feet … the Word of God!

“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.” Psalm 119:9, God’s Word indeed cleanses our feet, our daily activities!

Here’s a good foot-washing prayer …

“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23-24

John chapters 1-12 concentrated mainly on making Believers, getting souls saved. John chapters 13-21 concentrate mainly on maintaining Believers!

Judas did not need clean feet, but a new heart! He was not a sheep of the Lord’s pasture, but a dog returning to his vomit!

The “high cost” of dirty feet …

No “fellowship” with the Lord!

A very high cost indeed!

Did you watch the full lesson yet?

If not, here it is …

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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And at this supper Judas is tempted (and yields to that allurement) to betray our Lord. (The non-Biblical “Gospel of Judas” makes this man a hero instead of a villain!) The sad verb the Gospel writers use for “betray” is “paradidomi.” Literally, it means “to hand over.”

In John 18:5 Judas handed over Jesus to the Pharisees!

In John 18:35 the Pharisees handed over Jesus to Pilate!

In John 19:16 Pilate handed over Jesus to the executioners!

And in John 19:30 Jesus handed over His Spirit to the Father!

A key word in John!

I did not know … not once in John’s Gospel does Jesus exorcise a demon! (No evil spirits cast out of a man or woman!)

But one great miraculous “casting out” of evil does occur! Jesus in John 12:31 tells us … “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.” The devil himself … “cast out!”

When Jesus was dead, freshly dead, a soldier responded … “But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.” The Blood bringing eternal salvation to the lost! The water bringing daily cleansing to the saved soul, the child of God!

Jesus’ deed of footwashing … GRACE!

Jesus’ great Upper Room Sermon to follow … GRACE AND TRUTH!

Lots more to be studied …

If you will take the time and ingest the Lesson.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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In this Lesson we have come to the end of Jesus’ PUBLIC ministry. This Paragraph is, in fact, Jesus’ “whosoever” Sermon in which all the world is addressed.

Someone summed the book of John like this …

In the Gospel’s first half … Jesus lived in perfect obedience to His Father!

In the last half, Jesus died in perfect obedience to His Father!

Wow!

I called God the Father “invisible” in this Class! Why?

“God’s dear Son (Jesus) Who is the image of the INVISIBLE God, the firstborn of every creature.” Colossians 1:5

“Now unto the King eternal, immortal, INVISIBLE, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” 1 Timothy 1:17

Notice this …

While on earth Jesus was wooing lost souls unto Himself!

At the great White Throne judgment. Jesus will be judging lost souls who refused Him!

One more thing …

In our Text (John 12:44-50) Jesus introduces no new teaching! No new words appear either! Making this the most unusual Text in John’s whole Gospel!

Actually, John here may have collected a group of Jesus’ Sayings and formed them into an invitation to salvation!

Much like Matthew (in his 8th and 9th chapters) collected ten of Jesus miracles to show God’s Power, Love and Grace!

Well now, one more thing for sure!

The Line about someone seeing Jesus being the equivalent of one seeing the Father (verse 45) is particularly pertinent to John 10:38 …

“Though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.”

Reciprocal indwelling!

Just some thoughts I forgot to include in Class today …

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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Let’s face it. There are some Bible Passages whose meanings will only be fully revealed in Heaven, in eternity!

I choose to confront these Paragraphs via “faith” rather than doubt or skepticism.

The aforementioned verse is Deuteronomy 29:29 … “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.”

Amen! Leave those unanswered questions in God’s Hands! Major on the Bible Truth that has been revealed to us!

Good advice.

Furthermore … I have learned from Romans chapter 1 that if a man (or women or family or society or nation) persists in sinning, willfully and stubbornly resisting the restraining Holy Spirit of God … God will “give them up” to their wicked passions! See Romans 1:24 and 26 and 28! Their hearts become progressively harder and harder!

Sobering verses …

“Seek ye the Lord WHILE HE MAY BE FOUND, call ye upon him WHILE HE IS NEAR.” Isaiah 55:6, seriously implying He may not always be accessible!

Luke 12:48 thunders … “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required.”

These Pharisees had been given so much Light (“so many miracles done before them”) … that their responsibility before God had also grown, had multiplied!

The sum of this … reject Light, expect Darkness!

I sure did enjoy studying for this video Bible Class. May I invite you to watch it?

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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