Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries
What it means to be initiated into the secret of the mystery. Part 8. The mystery behind the reclining at the table.
Sunday, January 16, 2005
Peter is saying - “Lord you’re greater than me so you shouldn’t wash my feet, because I’m greater than them, and I didn’t wash their feet.”
GAL 6:3 For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
1CO 3:18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become foolish that he may become wise.
1CO 10:12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
Peter’s statement would be commended by many because it is a statement of sincerity, but he was sincerely wrong.
MAT 16:22-23 Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”
JAM 1:8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
One bath - the cross,
many foot washings - the rebound technique.
Completely clean = once saved always saved; you are completely clean in the eyes of God.
TLJC knew that Judas Iscariot would remain an unbeliever billions and billions and billions of years ago in His deity.
He also knew it in His humanity because He knew the scriptures and He knew doctrine.
Old Testament prophecy of the betrayal of Judas Iscariot -
PSA 41:9 Even My close friend, in whom I trusted, who ate My bread, has lifted up his heel against Me.”
- fulfilled in JOH 13:18, LUK 22:47-48.
Our Lord knew that He would be sold out for money, Amos 2:6,
Our Lord knew these prophecies in His humanity.
ZEC 11:12 So they weighed out thirty shekels of silver as my wages.
Jesus Christ had stripped off His clothes to do this washing which is not only a reference to Him being stripped at the cross,
MAT 27:28.
“When He had washed their feet” = the cross where the Lord Jesus Christ “washed us from our sins” -
REV 1:5 Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
The taking of the garments refers to His resurrection from the dead.
“Reclining at the table” = our Lord’s session being seated at the right hand of God the Father after His work was finished - the doctrine of the session.
Certain doctrines that had been held in secret from the beginning of the human race, the doctrine of the Church-age or the mystery doctrines.
These things are now available to us after He was seated at the right hand of the Father or - after He reclined at the table.
In foot-washing, He is depicting Himself in resurrection, in ascension, and session, and only after that, when Christ is glorified, does God the Father provide from Heaven the mystery doctrines pertaining to the Church-age.
Reclining at the table at the last supper after He had washed the disciples’ feet symbolized the fact that our Lord would be seated at the right hand of God the Father after He had washed us from our sins.
The doctrine of the session = that doctrine of Christology pertaining to the glorification of our Lord’s humanity at the right hand of the Father.
PSA 110:1 The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand, Until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet.”
ACT 2:34-35 For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, Until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet.’”
Deity does not sit.
Deity is imminent and transcendent.
Deity is omnipresent so deity does not sit down.
This was addressed to the humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ.
MAT 26:64 - TLJC reveals that He is the Son of God by stating that the son of man will be sitting at the right hand of power. In this passage, the session relates to His power and authority.
REV 4:2 - TLJC is sitting on the throne as evidence of His kingship -
REV 4:2 Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne.
COL 2:14-15 having cancelled out the certificate of debt which was against us by means of the decrees, and which [certificate of debt] was hostile to us and He [by means of the decrees] has taken it out of the way having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.
PSA 110:1 - the prophecy is given concerning the Messiah sitting at the right hand of God the Father, therefore it is a prophecy concerning the Messiah fulfilled by TLJC.
PSA 110:1 (A Psalm of David.) The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand, Until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet.”
MAT 22:44 the session is used to reveal to the Pharisees that the Messiah had to become a member of the human race.
In Peter’s first message at Pentecost he cites the session as proof that TLJC ascended into heaven -
ACT 2:34 “For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand,”
HEB 1:13 But to which of the angels has He ever said, “Sit at My right hand, Until I make Thine enemies A footstool for Thy feet”?
Concerning the victory and the rewards of TLJC, the session or TLJC being seated at the right hand of God is mentioned in
REV 3:21 He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
Concerning the power of God and the beginning of the Church-age, the session is mentioned in EPH 1:20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
Concerning our position in Christ the session is mentioned in - EPH 2:6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus,
Concerning the intercessory ministry of TLJC -
ROM 8:34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.
It is mentioned concerning His power to save and forgive sin -
ACT 5:31 “He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.”
It is mentioned concerning the hypostatic union -
HEB 1:3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high;
It is mentioned in relationship to His priesthood -
HEB 8:1 Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,
It is mentioned concerning the efficacy of His work on the cross -
HEB 10:12 but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God,
It is mentioned as a means of occupation with Christ -
HEB 12:2 Be concentrating on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
It is mentioned concerning His victory in the angelic conflict when He came back from Hades -
1PE 3:22 who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.
In all these passages, the doctrine of the session or TLJC being seated at the right hand of God points to His deity.
It also points to His power and authority - that through union with Christ and mystery doctrine we now share in.
It also points to His kingship, His fulfillment of Messianic prophecies, His ascension into heaven, His victory in the angelic conflict, His eternal rewards, and the power made available to every Church-age believer.
Reclining at the table at the last Passover after He had washed the disciples’ feet also points to our position and security in Christ.
His intercessory ministry, His power to save and forgive sin,
His hypostatic union, His priesthood, the efficacy of His work on the cross, occupation with TLJC, His trip to Hades.
“I am” - pres-act-ind - eimi = He keeps on being their Lord and teacher.
“Ought” - pres-act-ind - opheilete - o*feivlete = a verb of obligation.
"One another’s feet” = the believers of the first generation of the Church-age.
PSA 119:9 How can a young man cleanse his way pure? By keeping it according to Thy word.
EPH 5:25-26 Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her; that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word.
No pastor can communicate from an empty bucket.