Many years ago a dear friend of mine shared with me how their young child was watching Billy Graham on the TV with the family. Billy was preaching on how God knows everything. Later the child got up on the coffee table to imitate the famous evangelist. Thrusting a hand in the air the child shouted “He KNOWS about it!”
“He KNOWS about it” has been a favorite phrase of mine ever since, especially when I face a difficulty. I have been slowly reading through the Gospel of John and Chapter 13 has touched me more deeply now than any other time in my life. Perhaps it is because I minister to broken people every week, sometimes every day. And I too am broken, but He KNOWS about it and He loves and accepts me anyway.
We are heading into Holy week, the week in the Church calendar between Palm Sunday and Easter. Let’s pick up the story at John 13:1. “Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end.” Think about that for a while. He loves you to the end of all time….
How did He show His love in this circumstance? He washed the feet of His disciples. Jesus did the job of a slave, and he did it with one of his closest friends, arguing with Him. He loves us all like he loved His disciples. “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he had come from God and that he was going back to God.” v3 He continued to love and serve, because He knew we needed more.
God knows about all our sorrows and what causes them. He knows about every unkind word or action against us and every trauma at any level in our lives. Whether we made bad choices or we are victims of others choices, He knows about it. The reason Jesus came in the flesh is to free us and show us how to live victoriously over our “issues.”
We who follow Jesus are forgiven of all our sins, all that separates us from God. But we are still living in between the Cross and Heaven. The washing feet idea fits for us too. We are not dirty all over because of the Cross, but we do well to confess quickly when the Holy Spirit shows us some dirt in our lives. Jesus knows everything and nothing surprises Him. So, let’s cooperate with God’s work to allow us to receive the abundant lives he offers.
Jesus wants us to understand and believe that He is the Messiah, the Savior. He said it plainly. “I tell you this beforehand, so that when it happens you will believe that I am the Messiah.” v19. We can trust Jesus and Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth. Agreeing with them about our problems and letting Jesus spiritually wash our feet is important. Serving others in our here and now is a natural result of right relationship with God.
I thank our Creator often because Jesus knew ahead of time that Judas, one of his original 12 disciples, was going to betray him. He knew He was going to the Cross and He went through with all of it anyway. He loves us to the end, even and especially because He knows about all of it.
How will you respond?
