AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE                                         John 13:1-17

Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. (v16)

I once heard an eminent psychiatrist say that a clear understanding of one’s identity rests on four things. (1) a sense of belonging, (2) a healthy attitude in one’s death, (3) a willingness to confront issues, and (4) a loving spirit that reaches out to others. As I listened to him say those words, my mind turned to the passage before us now: It struck me very forcefully that Jesus exemplified every one of those four things when He was here on earth –and to the most perfect degree. As Jesus is the model for us, His sons and daughters, I think it will be helpful for us in understanding our true identity to consider these four things one by one, and see how they fit into our own lives.  (1) First, a sense of belonging. Picture the scene with me again. Jesus is sitting with His disciples in the upper room. He is getting close to the hour of His death. Inside, the atmosphere is tense. Outside, a storm is about to be unleashed. But look at Jesus, and how secure He seems to be. The account says, “Jesus knew that he had come from God and was returning to God” (v3) Can you see the sweep of those words? John’s account says, Jesus knew He had come from God and was now returning to Him. His sense of belonging was complete. He belonged not just to time but to eternity and, more importantly, to the God of eternity.

PRAYER LINE: Loving Father, I see so clearly how important a sense of belonging is to my new identity. Help me walk through life with a new sense of confidence, knowing that I belong not to time but to eternity. And, most important of all, to You. Amen (EDWJ)

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Believer in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved (Acts 16:31)