“How to Show That You’re Learning from Jesus”

The sermon slides are available here.

John 13:31-35

 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. ³² If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. ³³ Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ ³⁴ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. ³⁵ By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

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Pastor Thom Rittichier:

I’d like you to take out your Bible, if you would. There is something that I would like us to turn to when we’re multiplying hallelujahs, when we’re facing darkness, when we have opportunity to come before him, it’s Psalm 100. And we’re going to read this Psalm by giving the translation to the word Lord. Let me ask you this, when the Bible uses the word Lord- L O R D, all capital letters, what is that referring to? Yahweh. And in Exodus, chapter three, God Himself gave the interpretation of what this word Yahweh or Lord means. Moses was interacting with the Lord, when He had commissioned him on a challenge, Moses was to go to God’s people and to lead them in a direction. And Moses says, If they asked me your name, this one who is sending me, who shall I say sends me. And from that burning bush, which was the scene, the Lord said, I AM who I am, tell them, I AM has sent you to them. That’s the translation of the name I AM, Yahweh, Lord, as it is used here, always and forever what you need. Now, going in to the presence of the Yahweh, Psalm 100. “Make a joyful noise to Yahweh all the earth! Serve I AM with gladness! Come into His presence with singing! Know that I AM, he is God. It is he who made us and we are his. We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him. Bless his name! For I Am is good, his steadfast love endures forever and his faithfulness to all generations.” Our aim at Heartland is to connect, connecting to God and to other people. This focus is on connecting to God like he is, entering his presence. Our focus is not only to be connecting to God and others, but to be changing into Christ likeness, to have that process ongoing in our lives like the Lord intended. And it is to be carrying on this work of service to the Lord. Connecting, changing, carrying on for connecting. I wanted to use that Psalm this morning.

Also for connecting, if you have this sheet, take a look on the back. Kazakhstan is the name of the country here, it is in Asia. It is right under the Soviet Union. And it is a country that has some natural resources that has increased its wealth quite dramatically, but also has the ongoing persecution for these folks. We’re praying for countries around the world where it is the most difficult to follow Christ, to be his disciples. You can see the prayer notes there. I would definitely like you to keep them prayer. Let’s go to the Lord now. Father in heaven, we come to you, in the name of I AM, it is his name to be remembered, his memorial name to all generations. And as we bow before you, knowing that Jesus claimed to be I AM before Abraham was, he asserted that he was I AM. And we come before you today, looking to enter your presence, with thanksgiving, to come into your courts, with praise. Father, as we have assembled here, in this building, as we have folks who are joining us via technology, we pray that our hearts will be lifted to I AM, that we will be connecting to him. And then we will be connecting to those in our world, changing to be what Christ has in mind, growing in carrying out his work of service here, Father, I pray that today, in Jesus name. And God’s folks said, Amen, so be it.

Well, today is a brighter scene. Today provides us with a with a brighter scene to face. Last week, we were face to face with a dark scene. And that dark scene was very clearly depicted by John as being a dark scene, John chapter 13. So I’m going to ask you to turn there with me again, to John chapter 13. And in that dark scene, which Jesus gave a picture of telling beforehand what was going to happen. We saw a basis for some of the dark scenes that we’ve seen recently, scenes like the economic impact of the pandemic and what’s going on with the Capitol Building being stormed, scenes of senators hiding in our nation’s capitol. Some dark scenes, dark scenes, for sure. And this week, we haven’t lightened up a whole bunch from these dark scenes. Let’s see. Concerning the inauguration, which takes place this Wednesday, there have been arrest, one individual particularly carrying more than 500 rounds of ammunition who had a forge pass, a counterfeit pass to the inauguration site with intentions, dark scene. The one we saw last week was the one that Jesus talked about, Judas and what the impact of that was going to be. Today, like I said however, we come to a brighter scene, a scene that Jesus intended to instill hope, a bright light, into the heart of his followers.

Concerning how he did this, if you’re with me in John 13, let’s zero in on verse 19, where, with the pending darkness, Jesus impresses their heart with this verse 19 of John 13. “I am telling you this now, before it happens, that when it does take place, when it does happen, you may believe that I am. And that’s the end of that sentence. The (he) has been added by the English translators. But Jesus claim here was that you, in your heart would be able to trust I AM. Just like he spoke about to Moses. That’s the bright light that Jesus brings to them here. It’s about trusting I AM. I want you to know, in that dark scene, as we have on these dark scenes, it is the same repeatedly, Jesus has spoken about being the I AM, repeatedly. And in John, he brings that point home to them. Before Abraham was, I AM, Jesus said. And the Jews understood that he was claiming to be the Lord, Yahweh, the one who is to be worshipped for all generations, and they took up stones to kill him, John chapter eight, verse 58, 59. Repeatedly he said, things like, I am the light of the world, I am the good shepherd, I am the door to the sheep, I am the way, the truth, the life, all of this, God providing what is needed. And Jesus was saying, I am that, I am that. This has been so important in the Gospel of John and so important in our time. It is about trusting I AM, whatever the scene, it is about trusting I AM. This is so important that in thinking about this and in having conversation with our church leaders, this needs to be our vision in 2021, it needs to be about personally trusting I AM and about advancing, encouraging others, in trusting I AM. Just like Psalm 100 said, come before him, I AM, with thanksgiving, with songs, know that he is I AM. And we are His people, that we are the sheep of his pasture. It’s about trusting I AM. He brings light to the dark scene. And this morning, we see him do that with his disciples. And we see him do that for us today.

In John chapter 13, the scene is dark. It is dark. John points out that it is a dark scene. Notice with me, verse 30, where John says this, “after receiving the morsel of bread”, he referring to Judas, who was just spoken about and given that morsel of bread and being identified as the one who was going to betray him in the dark scene, “he immediately went out” and look what John says, “and it was night.” It was a dark scene. And notice how immediately, in this dark scene of the betrayer going out, that Jesus begins to break the light of dawn, light for their road ahead. Pick up with me now at verse 31, “Therefore, when he, Judas, had gone out, Jesus said, now is the Son of Man glorified. And God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him”, which Jesus said he was just a second ago, “if God is glorified in him, God will also glorify Him in himself and glorify him immediately, at once.” Jesus then directs his attention to, verse 33, “little children, yet a little while longer I am with you. You will seek me and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, where I’m going you cannot come. A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this, all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” This is light dawning on the scene, in the unfolding events of their lives, in the scenes that they will be looking at momentarily, immediately. As followers of Jesus Christ, sometimes the scenes look really dark. They do. And it should be this light, for us, as well as it was for them, as the followers of Jesus Christ. Whatever the scenes.

You know, this week, I’ve had some interaction with some believers that I didn’t really know much about before. I sat down with them. And in talking with them, they said things like this, “you know, I’m a big conspiracy theorists” and we talked about what was coming down and the inauguration. And this person was in turmoil, dark scenes, looking at dark scenes. It’s on believers, at the breaking of the dawn of he who said, I am the light of the world, that it needs to break. It is on us, as it was on them. The light in the dark scene.

And now we pick up on that here, John chapter three, where Jesus is the light of the world. And we pick up on how to show that you’re learning from Jesus, how to show that you are learning from him as he intended and there’s two things that we’re going to pick up here on this. First of all, Jesus does very clearly direct here. He does, in the dark scene, give very clear direction that brings the crack of dawn and we can very clearly participate too. We can and not only can we but we should. And dare I go this far, we must put participate in this.

Now I want you to know that I am not alone in recognizing that Jesus is shattering the darkness with a light of triumph, that he wants his followers to take to heart. I’m holding in my hand one of many volumes of sermons given by Alexander Maclaren. He was a contemporary of Charles Spurgeon in the 1800s. He preached in the same city. Spurgeon had his 1000s and Maclaren, well he had less. Nevertheless, Maclaren has through the years sounded, and his messages have also. I want you to hear what he wrote in the 1800s. John, he refers to him as the “evangelists sends Judas on his dark errand. ‘He…went immediately out, and it was night.’ Into the darkness that dark soul went. That hour ‘was the power of darkness,'” Jesus said that in Luke chapter 22, verse 53, now is the hour of the power of darkness. And that darkness fell on his soul, “in immediate connection with the departure of the traitor comes this singular burst of triumph”.

Jesus said, therefore, based on that, did you get that? If you look here at verse number 31, it says, “Therefore, when he had gone out.” Now, some translations, for some reason, don’t include that. The New American Standard does, and the Greek text does and the King James does, because the word is there. He is saying, therefore, based on what Judas just went out and did and set in motion, therefore, when he had gone out, Jesus singularly burst forth with the note of triumph, and the crack of dawn comes. Jesus says this now, now, right “now is the son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, then God will glorify Him in himself, and he will do it immediately.” What is to be anticipated here? What is to be anticipated as this light starts to dawn? On the glorious side, Jesus says, Now, now is the Son of Man glorified, and God the Father is glorified in him. How is it that the Son of Man is glorified in a horrendous act of betrayal from one who has been a close companion? How is the Son of Man glorified in that? How is God glorified when an innocent man, with great miscarriage of justice, is murdered? How is God glorified in that miscarriage of justice? How, in what has been called the most horrible event in human history?

Let me draw this analogy. When I was in the third grade, I was in class one afternoon in November, when all of a sudden the loudspeaker comes on. And it was playing a radio broadcast into the room. And we were all just kind of doing our third grade stuff that you do. And we heard this noise going on. And then pretty soon, the words of this commentator, “President Kennedy has been shot”. And they go on and to describe that, and I want you to know, as a third grader, I was shocked. The tone and the atmosphere of the whole school became sober and somber. We went home and instead of pushing and shoving, and all that kind of stuff that you do in the hall, getting on the bus as a third grader, we were just kind of all walking with some kind of a sense of shock. My parents too saw this dark scene. I will neverforget it, will never forget where I was sitting. I’ll never forget the way I lifted my eyes and looked at the intercom loudspeaker, I’ll never forget looking around, I’ll never forget walking out of school that day, an event in human history.

And this event in John was the murder of the Messiah of God. At the same time, Jesus said, it is the most glorious moment in human history. The most horrendous is the most glorious, how? Philippians two, verses 5 through 11, for the Son of Man, this is what was in his mind, “Have this mind in you which was also in Christ.” This was what was in his mind, “that although he existed in the form of God, he did not consider equality with God, a thing to be grasped, to be held on to. But he emptied himself and took on the form of a man coming as a servant. And as a servant, he became obedient, he became submissive, he gave himself totally, to the will of God, he became submissive to the point of death, even to death of the cross. Therefore, God has highly exalted Him, God will glorify Him, and He will glorify Him in himself. God has highly exalted Him, and given him a name, which is above every other name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess to the glory of God the Father, that Jesus Christ is Lord. He is the one in charge. He is Lord, that’s how the Son of Man is glorified. And Jesus, in the dark scene, brought the breaking of the dawn because he knew, he knew. Now is the Son of Man glorified. And God, He said, is glorified in him.

How is God glorified in this miscarriage of justice, in the murder of a completely innocent man, not only an innocent man, but the only man on the planet who ever did it right. How? Because John 3:16, God so loved the world. God shows the quantity and the extent and the length that he is willing to go in love, because God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him, you know how this goes right? He shall not perish, shall not die, but will have everlasting life. Because God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world. But to rescue the world. Here is how God is glorified. The extent of His love is brilliant, it is surpassing, it is outstanding, it is overwhelming large. And Jesus, in the dark scene, broke the light of the day. And God is glorified in him. That’s quite a scene to take in. Do you really think that was the most horrible event in human history? Do you really think that at that very same moment, it was the most glorious event to come? That was the glorious side. Jesus broke the dawn.

On the sad side of this event, as Jesus breaks the light, he said this, verse 33, “Little children.” That is a term of endearment. And it’s a term of endearment that applies to everyone who receives Christ, to them He gave the power to become children of God. It’s even to those who believe, to those who trust in His name, who trust Jesus as the Messiah, who trust that they don’t get there on their own. The only thing they can do is trust God’s Messiah. To them, God gives the power, he gives the right to become children of God. And as Jesus turns and looks at them, knowing that they are children of God, he says, “little children. Yet a little while I’m with you. You’ll seek me. And just as I told the Jews before, so now, I say to you, where I’m going, you cannot come.” He’s leaving. He’s leaving now. And he’s never ever, ever going to be in with them in the same on earth relationship that they’ve just gone through with him for three years. It will never be here again. I’m leaving. And he knew where he was going. John 13:1, “Jesus knowing that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world. He loved them to the end.” To the very end. When he was saying, it is finished, to the very end. He loved them. Where I’m going, to the Father, you can’t come. It’s then, when Jesus went to the Father, at the end of the cross, where he cried out, it is finished. Father, into your hands, I commend my spirit. Just exactly in line with Ecclesiastes 12:7 where it says that when it’s over, “the spirit returns to God who gave it”. You can’t come. Peter objects, verse 36. And he says, “Where are you going? Jesus answered him, Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward”. We go later, but not now, into the father’s presence, spirit commended into his hands. The impact was sad. It was sad to them. In John 16:6, Jesus says, “But because I have said these things to you, sadness has filled your heart.” It’s never going to be the same. It is never ever going to be the same.

You know, life has hard things in it. Do you notice that? Doesn’t take being a scholar to notice that, doesn’t take living very long before you notice that. From birth, here’s this doctor that slaps your rear, trying to wake you up, make you do something, to breathe on your own. Life is filled with hard things, it has them. Even in the Lord, there are hard things, difficulties, duresses, distresses, but always this light, always this light, always this light is present. For the believer in Christ, always this light, that we’re going somewhere, “that all things work together for good to those who loves the Lord, to those who are called according to His purpose. Because who he did for know, he predestined to be conformed to the image of his son. And those he predestined, he also called and those he called, he justified and those he justify, he glorified” in the all things that are working together. Rom 8:28-30 And in the hard things, there is this light that dawns, this is the light. I know that our emotions get going when things happen. There was emotion that was expressed to me concerning the discovery of this man who got a forged pass into the inauguration site, carrying these 500 rounds of ammunition. There was emotion which was expressed to me. There’s hard things but always this light dawns, always God works it together for good, working an eternal weight of glory. Now, he’s glorified.

I want to add this, what is to be pursued? Having established the light in the dark, what’s to be pursued? This is where we are to go with this. This is how we show that we are learners, from Jesus. Do you know what a learner is according to Bible terms? It’s a disciple. A disciple is someone who learns from their teacher. Not only their ideas, their teachings, but also their way of life, the way they approached it, the way they handled it, what they did with it, that’s a disciple. And Jesus here, at verse number 34, sets out to tell them and to tell us, what’s to be pursued. Notice, verse 34, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you. You also are to love one another.” Interesting here, in a very short space, he goes on and says it three times, what’s to be pursued. What’s to be pursued is a new commandment. It’s a new commandment he gives. It’s not new in regards to time. This has been around, it’s in Leviticus chapter 19, it’s in Deuteronomy, it is this thing that there is to be love. But what is new here is in the quality of this. It’s new in regards to the quantity of what he’s saying. You know, I have a computer that Nate gave me. And he said, Here, use this. I had another computer. But this one is new. It’s new in regards to what it can do, its quality. Its new in regards to the quantity. It wasn’t new in regards to the fact that it had just been made. No, it was new in it’s features. Jesus brings to them a new commandment, in quality and in quantity, and he tells us what this newness is. It’s to love one another, as I have loved you. That’s the quality of it. That’s the quantity of it. This is the commandment.

Now, we have talked many, many times together over this word love, that is coined by God in the New Testament, as the term for what is to exist in believers. It’s love, not in regards to merely…You make me feel good, or there is this attachment that I have. No, it’s a love that’s a decision to do what’s best for another regardless of how you feel, or regardless of the outcome that you foresee. It’s a love to make that decision and to act on that decision and to do what’s best, as you see it, for this person regardless of how you feel, regardless of the outcome that you foresee in this. In doing that is the quality of this kind of love. And the quantity that Jesus has shown us, how far did he love us? That’s what Jesus was saying. It’s a new command. It’s new in regards to its features. Having loved his own, who were in the world, he loved them…how far?…to the very, to the very end of this, he loves them. And the quantity…Greater love has no man than this, to lay down his life for his friends, that’s the quality, that’s the quantity, that you lay down your life, your wants, what you pursue, in order to do what’s best for another. That’s the quality.

And, you know, there is a concern I have. Not long ago, I told you about a note that was brought to me by my kids. It’s from the district attorney in California, as well as some east coast states, where there’s a list of crimes that they will not prosecute for. Here’s the list of crimes that we are not going to pursue you on. They’ll be dropped. I don’t know exactly how they said it. I’m playing it up there. It’s the list of crimes that will not be prosecuted for. And you know, this just makes me think so much of what Jesus said… Because lawlessness abounds, something’s going to happen to the believers. He said it like this, Matt 24:12, “Because lawlessness abounds, the love of many will grow cold.” You know, I have a political position and my political position doesn’t really line up with a D. A. suddenly writing off some laws that have been on the books for a goodly while, like breaking and entering, laws like trespass, laws like that do away with this underlying concept of private property. I have some pretty clear views politically. And some views that my mom used to say were so conservative. And there are some things that I have what some would think of as liberal view. Let me ask you this. Are your political views, conservative or liberal views, different than mine may be, different than another believers? Does this cause you not to love them? Does it cause your love to grow cold? I say to you, for many who professed to be believers, that is the case. And they’re ripping and they’re tearing and they’re angery. Pastor Viars, over the social media, was talking about churches ,during this COVID time, trying to decide how to work together but due to their political differences were arguing. And it’s ripping churches apart! What?! A political view, a conservative view, a liberal view, that has become an idol in the heart of someone, where I AM is to be Lord! We can participate in what Jesus told us to pursue…love one another, love as I have loved you.

And there is an outcome to this. John 13:35, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples.” Very clearly, we can participate in this. Just look at what is accomplished by this one act of loving, ongoing, keeping on to the end, all…that is all, that is the whole, that is everybody, that is all inclusive, all people, all human beings, everybody who lives on this earth… will know, by experience in their lives, that you are learners from him, that you are Jesus’s disciples, that you have gotten his picture across in your heart. That it has been settled that you are learners from Jesus. You know, I hope I didn’t say this harshly. But I hope I did say it intently. That masks, politics, conservative, conspiracy, non conspiracy…no view is a basis to go cold in love. In an age where lawlessness increases, it is not. It is an idol that you have in place of Yahweh. That’s what it is. And I want you to know that this this isn’t something only for the 21st century.

There was a man named Tertullian. He lived in 160 A.D. He was a writer and a believer, he was also an attorney. And he began to speak for the Lord. And Tertullian wrote this, “But it is mainly the deeds of love so noble that lead many to put up brand upon us. ‘See,’ they say, ‘how they love one another,’ for they themselves are animated by mutual hatred; ‘see how they are ready to even die for one another,’ for they themselves will rather put to death” than not to love. It’s rung, since Jesus said that, it’s rung. Through the ages, through the church, through the years, down to today. And there is a very big IF on this. Verse 35b, “If you love one another”. It’s the condition. So, Jesus shows the light for the road ahead. Whatever the scene, Jesus gave us vision, and he gave us direction, he gave us this. And now for you and I, it’s about trusting I AM. Do you? Can we? We can. It’s a new command He gives to you. We can by the power of His Spirit that produces fruit of love, joy, peace, patience. And it’s the fruit that’s produced. And he says, if we live by the Spirit, let’s keep in step with the Spirit. Amen. Let’s walk with Him. We can.

Father in heaven. It’s an amazing love. Amazing love that you’ve sent to us. It’s amazing in quality. It’s amazing in quantity. It’s amazing. And it’s amazing that we have the spirit to surrender our lives, just like the Lord did. And live in making decisions that are best, as we see them, for others, one another. In Jesus name. Amen.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai