As I continue in my reading through the book of John, John 13:3 made an impression on me today. It says, “Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God.” I think it’s very significant that in the midst of Jesus facing the cross in a short time, one of the ways he stayed focused is remembering where he came from. It would have been easy for him to just think about his life here on earth, but instead, he kept the big picture in mind that his origin was heaven, not earth.
I think we would all do well to remember that our origins are from God, not this earth. God chose to create each and every one of us. His desire is that we would each accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior so that we could then return to Him in heaven when our time on earth is over. It would change the way we live our lives on earth. In fact, John 13:4-5 says, “So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.” I find it interesting that there is a direct correlation of Jesus remembering his origin and this humble act of service. The word “So” is huge here. He didn’t serve the disciples so he would get to go back to heaven. He served them because of where he came from and where he knew he would return.
I have to admit there are many days that I don’t desire to be a servant. I would rather be served than to serve. It is in those moments when I need to remember the grace of God. He has shown me so much grace that it should drive me to passionately serve others daily. I’m not going to earn my way into heaven by serving. Rather, I need to serve because my salvation is secure through Jesus’ death on the cross for my sins. This should motivate me to be a servant. I need to know where I came from…God’s own hand.
Until next time…
