Christ, on His last night on earth, gathered with His disciples in the upper room. It was an intimate time of fellowship, and it started with: foot washing. Just like we slip off our shoes when we come in, and wash our hands before dinner, in the first century this routine chore was always performed by the lowest servant in a household, usually a Gentile. Yet Jesus not only humbly does this job, He tells His followers that this foot washing makes them part of Him, and that they should go and wash each other’s feet. Next is some intensive teaching. Jesus shares with them the Last Supper, a Passover style meal that will forever become part of Church communion, our remembrance of Christ’s sacrificial death for us. With thanksgiving and prayer they share the bread and cup, and sing a hymn. Even as Jesus again predicts His coming death, the disciples seem to be blissfully unaware that Judas is on the way with the Temple guard to arrest Jesus.
What is most important now? To make sure they have hope for future connection to God. They have enjoyed three years of spiritual intimacy with the Lord. The shock of losing Him will be epic. So Jesus tells them that although He must go away, that they will not be alone, not left as orphans. Jesus will send the Holy Spirit to them as a permanent resident in their hearts, a Comforter, a Counselor, the One called along beside, to connect them with Christ and the Father forever. A fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel 2:28: “I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh,” the Lord is promising that there will be a new and permanent connection with the Godhead. This Helper will teach them, remind them of what they have learned, convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgement, and basically take all that is the Father’s, all the is the Son’s, and declare it to them, glorify and bear witness to Christ, and empower them to also bear witness to the Savior. In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit selectively came upon people for particular purposes. In this new era the Holy Spirit, will be available to all believers, teaching us from the inside out. It guarantees that the intimacy we crave with God will start from the inception of our faith and last throughout eternity, a permanent uplink to the Lord. In the meantime, Jesus goes out to the Garden of Gethsemane and prays to His Father. He prays for all the disciples and for us. He also prays that this cup will pass from Him. In the end He says another prayer that never fails: “Not My will, but Thine be done.”
Lord Holy Spirit, we thank You for the intimacy we enjoy because of You, and our connection to the Godhead through You. Bless us, we pray, to hear Your teaching and keep in step with You each day. In Jesus’ name, amen.
