The Personality of Jesus: How to Know and Love Him

Humility: John 13:1-17 

Jesus’ Point of Teaching 

John 13:1-17 narrates the final events that lead us to the cross. In this chapter, Jesus is celebrating the Passover together with his disciples in the upper room and he desires to teach his disciples a lesson of humility. In verse 13, He agrees with the disciples in calling him master and these shows the position that he occupies among them. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul notes the lofty position of Jesus before he took the nature of man. He says “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2: 5-7 KJV). In these verses, we see Jesus living the form of God and taking the form of man and thus making himself of no reputation and became a servant. The humility is manifested in the Passover feast to see Jesus Christ living the glories in heaven to humble himself and wash his disciples’ feet, as it was not a preplanned event. The disciples were always contending on who was great among them; Jesus sought to correct the problem by washing their feet. 

Besides teaching a lesson of humility, Jesus intended to demonstrate His love to the disciples. Peter and Judas were to take up disappointing roles and turning against their master. In fact, all the disciples run to save themselves when the hour of trial came. In spite of all this knowledge, Jesus stoops down to wash their feet (Johnson, 2014). The chapter begins by noting that Jesus had loved his own even to the end. The end can be understood to mean the end of his ministry on earth or his life on earth or the close of earth’s history (Johnson, 2014). 

The Relevance of This Teaching to Other Worldviews 

The global society generally operates on a principle that is wholly at variance with Jesus teaching of love and humility. Reviewing the history of genocides, the slave trade, holocausts, terrorism, the arms race, and dictatorial governments, we see a world that is filled with darkness, which can only result from the free exercise of selfishness and self-exultation. These evil attributes are only the results of views that encourage selfishness, that foster master-slave bondage and the concept of every man for himself. The teaching of Jesus, the lord of lords, who humbles himself and conducts that act of a slave in washing his disciples’ feet is remarkable one that condemns the cruelty and pride of the world. 

The Revelation of Jesus in John 13:1-7 

In these chapters, we obtain remarkable lessons on the person of Christ. John notes that the power had been given in the hands of Christ and the hour of his crucifixion had come. Besides, he knew who would betray him leading to his ignominious death on the cross. He would have used his power to avoid the cross, punish those who were going to deny and betray him, or even do a miracle to change the whole scenario. Instead, Christ humbles himself and courageously with love and humility approaches the cross symbolized by the Passover feast (Bible Gateway). 

John 14:5-11 and the nature of Jesus Christ 

John has spent much of his time in the book of John to narrate the teachings of Christ on his personality, nature, and relation with the father and the Holy Spirit. In fact, he begins the book of John by demonstrating the nature of Christ is the word, with God from the beginning and being God and Him taking the fleshly form and being full of glory (John 1 KJV). In John chapter 14:5-11 Christ is responding to the promptings of Philip and goes on to emphasize that He is the way to the father, He is the express image of the father in terms of character and will, he and the father have one will and that he and the father are one in purpose. In addition, Christ is making a distinction between Him and the Father; they are separate persons acting on the same principles for Christ is not Christ and again the father at the same time. The love that Christ demonstrated to the sick, dying, bereaved, and hungry and many more subjects were a revelation of the character of God, His punishment of the sellers and buyers in the temple demonstrated the justice of the father and his death on the cross were to crown these attributes (Mathew Henry Bible Commentary). 

Mark 8:29 

Understanding whom Christ is important in relating to His mission on earth and places one at a position to benefit from this mission. Therefore, for one to receive the blessing of His sacrifice one must understand who Christ is and through faith in His personality and mission, we receive the blessing. In the book of 1 John 5:7, we read “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one” (KJV). In John 1:1, we read, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (KJV). John goes further to show that this word came into the world and is Christ Jesus. Moreover, the book of Philippians as noted earlier attest to the fact that Christ had the form of God. Through these three witnesses, I believe that Christ is God. 

References  

Authorized King James Bible (KJV) 

Bible Gateway. “Jesus washes his disciples' feet." Retrieved Jun. 20 2018 from https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/IVP-NT/John/Jesus-Washes-Disciples-Feet 

Mathew Henry Bible commentary. John 14 Bible Commentary. Retrieved Jun. 20 2018 from https://www.christianity.com/bible/commentary.php?com=mh&b=43&c=14 

Johnson, E. 2014. Commentary on John 13:1-17 . Retrieved Jun. 20 2018 from https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=1925