Have We Been With The Lord Today?

Before I share a devotional below, I want to encourage you to take advantage of the weekly resources we are making available through this website, The ‘short’ nugget of truth on our YouTube channel that my late father shares, the audio message on our podcast, and a sermon outline are all featured regularly week by week. I hope that one or all of these resources are a blessing to you, along with the many other messages and materials that are archived on this website.

Many years ago, friends of our ministry shared an amazing story with us. It was the story of when they first trusted Christ. These friends were living in the United Kingdom at that time. They attended a worship service at a well-known place of worship in the London area. The preacher was W. E. Sangster.

They testified that on a specific occasion, the preacher (Sangster) came to the pulpit to preach. And it is my assumption that he was about to preach on chapter 13 of John's Gospel. In his opening remarks, he said something like this, “I have been with Jesus this week, and he has washed my feet.” (If this was just a personal statement by Sangster and not related to the specific message to follow, what I am sharing below is still true and, I believe, valuable.)

As I recall my friends’ testimony, it was on that day and hearing those words that they claimed to have been born again. Amazing!

We can never underestimate how God will us, even simple comments concerning the Scriptures or a personal gospel-filled testimony to touch people’s lives. This couple went on to live for the Lord throughout their lives. For a period of time, the husband served on the Board of Directors for our ministry.

Then, preachers need to affirm that their own walk with the Lord is very important in relation to their own preaching. Our preaching should come out of our personal regular response to the truth of God for us, not only our knowledge of the text. This aspect of preaching was one my father emphasized greatly. We have to be careful that we keep a tender heart towards the truth of God’s Word in the midst of sermon preparation. In the busyness of ministry, we can begin to prepare sermons without a deep personal response to the truth. That needs to be avoided. Sangster revealed in his statement that he had experienced the Lord’s ministry to himself that week as he stood to minister to others.

Now, just for a few moments, I want to depart from this amazing testimony and comment on John 13 itself. We know that the passage begins what is often referred to an “the upper room discourse.” It was a private time in which Jesus prepared His disciples for His death and departure. It begins with Jesus meaningfully and humbly washing his disciples’ feet. His interaction with Peter is what I want us to think about.

There are various aspects to this interaction between Jesus and Peter, and these verses can be interpreted in many ways (13:6-11). But, one implication is that there is a total cleansing of ourselves through the work of Christ that does not need to be repeated. The one bathed does not need to be bathed again. Jesus said that. But Jesus indicates that Peter’s feet needed to be washed. Peter must receive this washing from Jesus. It was significant to their relationship.  Peter needed to receive his service from the Lord, what might be called a “smaller cleansing” by our Savior. Facing the resistance of Peter, Jesus says,

“If I do not wash you, you have no share with me”……. “ The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean…….” Judas was not clean, but evidently, the other disciples were clean, but Jesus washed their feet.

This act of washing feet was to be a model of humble servanthood and love that the disciples were to practice like their Master. But, there may be another implication that I want to touch on as well.

We may have here a picture of the ongoing cleansing ministry of Jesus in our lives. Through the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross, we are made right with God. Sins are forgiven. As believers, we are called to a life of holiness and obedience. The Holy Spirit is given to us to help us to “put to death” things that are sinful and to “put on” Christlikeness. In his First Epistle, the Apostle John writes to encourage believers not to sin (among other purposes). But, if we do sin, we have an Advocate, Jesus Christ the Righteous. There is a continuing ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ on our behalf. As 1 John 1:9 instructs, “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  

We are already children of God. We have new life through the Son of God. We are justified through the righteousness of Christ and His propitiatory death for us. The full “bathing” that provides eternal salvation has taken place. But, in a sense a daily cleansing takes place as we live in this sinful world, and as we confess our sins. As we walk in the light as He is in the light we can know a continual washing of the blood of Christ.

Any true believer will not want to sin. The Scriptures teach us that we should not sin, and the work of the Holy Spirit is to help us not to sin. But, we do sin. And it is wonderful to know that we have an advocate, Jesus Christ The Righteous. And his sacrificial death for our sins enables the washing and cleansing of our sins as we confess them. We must allow his ministry to continue in our lives daily.

Have we been with Jesus this week? Has he ministered to us? He is our Advocate. He is our Savior who lives to make intercession for us.

If I have taken the imagery of John 13 too far, I apologize. But, we need to walk with the Lord daily and allow Him to minister to us continually, and that includes our need for daily cleansing as we live in a dirty, sinful world.

—David O.