Two Final Gleanings from the Passage

Driving home: And the very essence of saving faith, then, is that soul-humbling, flesh-withering posture of the sinner who is prepared to embrace, Jesus as his Savior, Savior with the towel and the basin, to acknowledge that there is …

The foot-washing incident is presented as an acted-out parable of Christ's saving mercy, where He divests Himself of deity's accoutrements to provide salvation, analogous to a servant washing feet.

namely that it sets before us Jesus, the Savior of the towel and of the basin. And the central thrust of that whole incident is found in the words, of our Lord to Peter, in verse 8, If I wash you not, you have no part with me. Jesus consciously did what he did, that there might be, as it were, an acted-out parable of the very manner in which saving mercy would be brought to his people, namely, by the Lord of glory, divesting himself of all of the accoutrements

3:57 - 4:39 Read in full sermon

Driving home: And the very essence of saving faith, then, is that soul-humbling, flesh-withering posture of the sinner who is prepared to embrace, Jesus as his Savior, Savior with the towel and the basin, to acknowledge that there is …

The foot-washing is used as an example for disciples, illustrating that those redeemed by Christ's humility should likewise serve one another in humility.

on behalf of guilty sinners. And then in our second message we considered what I call the secondary significance of this incident, and that is that our Lord is teaching that, the disciples of Jesus, are a society, society of the towel and of the basin. He procures redemption by the towel and the basin, and all for whom redemption is procured and to whom it is applied become a society of the towel and of the basin.

5:23 - 5:57 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Pastor Martin begins by rereading John 13:1-17 and briefly reviews the four previous 'gleanings' from the passage: the primary significance (Jesus as Savior), the secondary…

God's dealings often seem to contradict His promises, but believers must trust that they will understand 'hereafter,' either in this life or ultimately in eternity.

Often there seems to be no congruity between his promises and his providence. And in such context, we have one of two choices. We have the choice of seeking with our little finite minds and our limited perspectives, to interpret what God is doing, and to demand that he show us how his providence fits his promises, or to become skeptical and cynical and bitter, or to bow our necks and say, Lord, what you do now I do not know, but I have confidence that I shall know hereafter. The hereafter being in the unfolding providence of God in this life,

10:39 - 11:24 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The first new gleaning refutes the teaching that one can have Jesus as Savior while refusing to submit to Him as Lord. Martin describes this teaching as separating Christ's saving…

This phrase describes a superficial, intellectual assent to Christ's work without genuine heart-level faith or submission, which Martin argues is not saving faith.

In this teaching, the fact that when Christ is received, it is a whole Christ, received by the whole man, is totally ignored. Faith becomes an internal mental nodding to the fact that Christ took the rap, to get me off the hook. And then often with this teaching, there is immediately a synergistic form of assurance given to the one who has tipped his mental hat to the fact that Jesus took the rap for sinners. And the person is told, have you now trusted Jesus as your Savior?

15:11 - 15:54 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The first new gleaning refutes the teaching that one can have Jesus as Savior while refusing to submit to Him as Lord. Martin describes this teaching as separating Christ's saving…

The bending of 1 Corinthians 3 to suggest that a 'Savior-only' believer will lose rewards but still be saved, is used as an example of how the false teaching is supported.

You need to go further now and take Jesus as your Lord. And if you don't, you're going to lose some rewards in the last day. And 1 Corinthians chapter 3 is bent into the service of this teaching that when you die, your works, that is, your shoddy life will be burned with fire, but you will be saved. There is no question.

17:42 - 18:07 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin demonstrates from John 13:13 that the disciples genuinely called Jesus 'Teacher and Lord,' indicating a heart relationship of submission, not mere lip service. He further…

The parable of the wise and foolish builder (Luke 6:46) is used to illustrate that true wisdom involves not just hearing but doing Christ's words, contrasting with hypocritical lip service.

You address me and speak of me as teacher and Lord, but as he says in other settings, Luke 6, 46, why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? And then goes on to use the parable of the wise and the foolish builder. And the only wise man is the one who is wise. The one who hearing the word of God does it.

21:45 - 22:06 Read in full sermon

The point: Wisely and graciously seek to help people see that the 'Savior-only' teaching is a soul-destructive error.

The image of a yoke binding two oxen together to plow in the same field, direction, and pace illustrates the submission and obedience required when taking Christ's yoke.

I know what a yoke means. It binds two oxen together to plow in the same field, in the same direction, at the same pace, at the direction of the farmer who stands behind. No, no, Lord. I like the rest.

30:02 - 30:17 Read in full sermon

The point: Go out with a measure of the confidence of faith that the devil hates, knowing he is a big bluff.

The irony of God giving the first gospel promise to the devil in Genesis 3:15 is highlighted, showing God's immediate plan to undo the devil's work.

And in speaking to the devil, God gives the first gospel promise. To me there's a wonderful irony in that. The one who instigates the sin of Eve and of Adam is the one who first hears that God in grace is going to undo what he's done. It's talking to the devil that the gospel is first preached.

33:59 - 34:20 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The final gleaning focuses on Christ's absolute sovereignty over the devil's most insidious purposes and plans. Martin highlights the devil's presence and activity in the upper…

Herod's attempt to kill Jesus as a baby is cited as an early example of the devil's murderous designs against Christ.

You remember? He stirred up the envious, fearful, jealous heart of Herod that someone who might be a threat to my throne is, been born. Let me kill him. And all the babies are slain, two years old and under. The devil

35:44 - 36:02 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The final gleaning focuses on Christ's absolute sovereignty over the devil's most insidious purposes and plans. Martin highlights the devil's presence and activity in the upper…

The devil's temptation of Jesus in the wilderness is used as an example of his attempt to defile Jesus with sin and render Him unfit to save.

later sought to render Jesus unfit to save by defiling him with sin. Think of the brass of the devil coming to the Son of God and in face-to-face encounter seeking to seduce him into sin, even by quoting the Bible to him. The devil, who placed murderous designs throughout the ministry of Jesus in the hearts of the religious leaders, how again and again it says they sought to destroy him, but it was not yet his hour. In the heart of that one who was a liar and a murderer from the beginning, according to John 8 and verse 44,

36:02 - 36:45 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Despite the devil's actions, John 13:3 reveals Jesus' complete control, knowing that 'the Father had given all things into his hands.' Martin emphasizes that Jesus' authority was…

The analogy of Jesus upholding every atom in our being (Colossians 1:17) is used to illustrate His sustaining power over the devil and Judas, preventing them from falling into nothingness.

abyss of nothingness if Jesus did not uphold every atom in our being, Colossians 1 and 1, he upholds all things by the word of His power. The devil would go back into the abyss of nothingness if his very existence were not upheld by Jesus. Same thing with Judas. And that's why we have this wonderful touch, Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands. He came forth from God and goes back unto God. So when Jesus knows

41:51 - 42:27 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Despite the devil's actions, John 13:3 reveals Jesus' complete control, knowing that 'the Father had given all things into his hands.' Martin emphasizes that Jesus' authority was…

The devil is described as being 'at the end of a rope in Jesus' hand,' emphasizing Christ's absolute control over him.

what the devil is doing and what Judas is thinking and is in control and says, all of this is but fulfilling Scripture, verse 18, I know whom I have chosen, but that the Scripture might be fulfilled. And when the devil enters into Judas, Jesus knows it, but he's the devil at the end of a rope in Jesus' hand. Judas and the devil are not independent, creatures, but they are in the hands of Jesus. To accomplish what Jesus purposes for His

42:27 - 43:08 Read in full sermon

Driving home: The devil has his schemes and nefarious plans, a murderous heart. He wants to kill Jesus. But all he's doing under the control of Jesus is killing himself.

The idea that Jesus' declaration of glorification upon Judas's departure should make 'staid, polite, white, Anglo-Saxon, Euro-culturally conditioned people' want to shout, illustrates the profound and unexpected nature of Christ's victory.

Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. Now if that doesn't take some of you very staid, polite, white, Anglo-Saxon, Euro-culturally conditioned, people, and at least make you want to shout, something's wrong.

44:47 - 45:09 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The sermon illustrates Christ's sovereignty by recounting the scene in the Garden of Gethsemane (John 18), where Jesus' simple declaration 'I am he' causes the entire arresting…

The idea that the crowd, including Judas, fell backward when Jesus said 'I am he' is attributed to either the majesty of His words or a 'flash bulb outshining of his glory,' illustrating His inherent power and control.

And with that consent of the will, you opened yourself up to a further dimension of devilish power. The devil is your enemy. himself in some way that I cannot explain scripture says entered into him and all the pieces fit together they're prepared to cooperate with him in handing over Jesus and when he stands with that crowd after Judas kisses him on his cheek we learn that from the other gospel records Jesus says I am he and apparently just the majesty with which he spoke the words or perhaps in a very temporary like a flash bulb out shining of his glory they are all plastered on the ground i...

47:43 - 48:23 Read in full sermon

The point: Resist the devil steadfast in the faith, in the knowledge that you are united to one who is in control and has conquered him.

A stanza from Luther's hymn is quoted to reinforce the comfort and confidence believers should have in Christ's victory over the devil, whose doom is sure.

Luther had it right, and though this world with devils filled should threaten to undo us, we, we will not fear. Why? For God hath willed his truth to triumph through us. The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him, for lo, his doom is what?

51:21 - 51:44 Read in full sermon