JESUS knowing that
The FATHER had given all things into His+ hands,
and that HE+ was
COME FROM GOD, and went to GOD;
John 13:3
HE+ riseth from supper, and
laid aside His+ garments;
and took a towel,
and girded Himself+ .
John13:4
+ + +
After that HE+ poureth water into a bason,
and began to wash the disciples' feet,
and to wipe them with the towel
wherewith HE+ was girded.
John13:5
+ + +
The LORD JESUS CHRIST gave His+ Disciples an object lesson --- indeed, an enactment --- of exactly what HE+ came to earth to do. . . and how HE+ was going to do it.
First, HE+ knew HE+ came from out of GOD, The ELHOHIM.
Thus The LORD JESUS CHRIST showed His+ Followers that HE+ laid aside His+ Divine, Heavenly apparel as HE+ laid aside His+ garments.
At THAT POINT, The LORD did something else:
[ HE+ ] took a towel,
and girded Himself+ . . .
Keep in mind what kind of toweling this was. Soft ? Fluffy ? Well-combed cotton of a pleasing color ?
NO. This toweling was the coarse, earthly-looking, rough-woven material of the people of the land, the common article used by common laborers. Stiff. Not smoothed by “fabric softeners”.
Perhaps it was the texture of thin baling twine ? Likely it was the coarse TEXTURE of rough twine and very abrasive to the skin.
There was nothing delicate, soft, NOR PRETTY in the normal toweling of those days.
When HE+ discarded His+ Divine Robes of LIGHT,
HE+ robed Himself+ with the flesh of man.
Not soft. Not pretty. Not delicate.
And certainly NOT FILLED WITH LIGHT.
+ + +
The LORD JESUS knew what was in man. HE+ had come out from The ELOHIM, from GOD,
· to deal with man,
· to deal with his sins, and
· to deal with the great imposter, the satan.
However, HE+ did NOT come out from The ELOHIM to cleanse us and immediately whisk us away from dark and rough planet earth.
NO. The LORD JESUS came as the Second ADAM+ to defeat the great imposter AS A MAN in human mortal flesh. The Second ADAM+ would not be tricked as was the first Adam.
The Second ADAM+ did not come to whisk away immediately from planet earth His+ cleaned-up and rescued Followers.
NO, rather . . .
HE+ came to make us victorious like HIM+ while we remained here.
HE+ came to enable us to live VICTORIOUSLY over the wiles of the devil while living surrounded by the temptations of our own fleshly mind and body here upon planet earth.
The LORD JESUS came to show the lost Adamic race how to REFUSE the lures of the devil and CHOOSE HIMSELF+. . . in every test, in every trial, in every situation.
HE+ came to give us the power --- through His+ Name, through His+ Blood --- to look temptation in the eye and say in unison with HIM+:
“ Get thee behind me satan!
Thou savorest the things that be of man,
not of GOD . ”
What did that COST HIM+ ? It cost HIM+ His+ Birth-right --- His+ Royal Standing --- while HE+ learned obedience by the things which HE+ suffered when taking on the form of Man.
+ + +
Hosanna to the LORD+ of lords and KING+ of kings !
Hosanna in the Highest to the LORD of Hosts !
Hosanna to The LORD !
+ + +
Let us pray:
O Holy FATHER of our precious LORD JESUS CHRIST, robed in man’s rough garments, purchasing our exchange, I lift up a full heart of praise and thanksgiving to YOU .
It cost YOU, O dear Heavenly FATHER, to see Your SON+ so demeaned, so clothed.
It cost YOU, O dear Heavenly FATHER , to see the ones “made in the likeness and image of GOD, the ELOHIM” to be so demeaned in such filthy garments.
It cost Your Beloved SON+ to leave His+ First Glorious Estate to be girded about with the rough toweling of human flesh.
Now in turn, O LORD GOD, help me to BEAR THE COST for separating myself from this world’s ways and pleasures, styles and foods, entertainments and fun . . . in order to choose the lonely, solemn way of The LORD JESUS which goes against what the world offers me.
Help me to BEAR THE COST to stand for You+ in righteousness, no matter how HIGH the cost. Let me stop regretting that “ I can’t go there. . . or, I can’t buy that … or I can’t shop there . . . or I can’t wear that . ”
Help me to BEAR THE COST in order to become like Your Holy SON+ JESUS, so freely given to us in the Great Exchange.
During this Advent season, I offer this prayer to YOU, with tears, in the Name of The LORD JESUS CHRIST. Amen.
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