Holy Week IV - Communion

As we consider the extent of what Jesus did for us in laying down His life, we recognize that we had an enormous sin problem, and that the condition of our heart was, as the Bible says in Jeremiah 17, "desperately wicked."   Romans 3 puts it this way:
10As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one;11There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God.12They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one."
The indictment doesn't stop there - Paul is reminding His readers of humanity's separation from God and our need for a Savior.   But he turns it around later in the chapter:21But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,22even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference;23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,24being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus...
We are all sinners in need of a Savior, but because of the incredible love of God, Jesus came to earth to be put to death, to purchase our redemption and to provide for our freedom from the power of sin.  The human condition defaults to depravity and desolation, but the condition can be changed as we accept the free gift of salvation in Christ Jesus - bless His holy name!
The time was drawing near for Jesus to be put to death, and He spent extended time teaching His disciples about the truths of the Kingdom, as we find in the book of John. He was about to become subservient to death so that He might be a worthy substitute for our sins. In John 13, verse 1, we read:
1Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.
Another translation says that He showed them the "full extent of His love."

And, He gave a powerful illustration.  Not only had He shown through the evening meal that His body would be broken and His blood shed, but He also demonstrated the motivation - His love for fallen humanity.   Reading on, now:
3Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God,4rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself.5After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.
Peter was, well, aghast, that Jesus had stooped to this level and to wash the feet of His followers.  But, it was done for a purpose:12So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you?13You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am.14If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.15For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.16Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.
This began what we might call an extended Farewell Address, as Jesus demonstrated the love He had for those with Him and for all of us.  
I came across a story that could be a metaphor for the human condition that Jesus came to address.   It's from the TIME.com website, and it involves an island off Venice. To pay off its public debt and appease the European Union’s budgeting guidelines, Italy is auctioning the island, that just happens to be considered one of the most haunted places on earth!

The article asks the question, "Why should you be afraid of the deserted Venetian island of Poveglia?"

For starters, it is deserted. Even though it’s beautiful and incredibly close to Venice, one of the most fannypack and Segway-tour-filled cities in the world. Literally 10 minutes from Saint Marco Square.

Poveglia’s sordid history serves as a good explanation for why no one wants to go there. The 17-acre island became a dumping ground for Europeans dying of the plague. Things took a turn for the lighter in 1922 when a hospital for the elderly—thought to be a cover for mental institution—was opened.  There are rumors of cruelty and a crazed doctor.

Other fun facts: there’s a local saying that goes “When an evil man dies, he wakes up in Poveglia,” there are rumors that the soil is made 50% out of human ash.
This story drew my attention, because it could provides an illustration of the human condition and the depravity of our hearts.  Because of sin, we are destined for desolation.  This weird island is being offered up for sale, even though it has seemingly little value, but the right developer with the wherewithal to restore the enclave could be successful - or not.   One thing we can be sure of:  Jesus came to lay down His life so that He might restore us, that He would pay a price to bring us back from the death that we were destined to inherit, the hell that we deserved.  He has purchased us out of His great love, and He cleanses our hearts and brings hope for eternity.
I want you to think about the "full extent of His love".  Think about the cup that He took, representing His blood shed, the suffering He endured, so that we could know His forgiveness.   Think about the bread, representing His body, broken for you and me.   And, think about the humble Savior who loved His disciples so much and knelt down to wash their feet - He submitted to suffering, shame, and death so that you might come to know Him.   He endured it all, He paid the ultimate price, so that you and I, in our desolation and rebellion, could have a relationship with Almighty God.  What amazing love!