“When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. ‘Do you understand what I have done for you?’ he asked them. ‘You call me “Teacher” and “Lord,” and rightly so, for that is what I am.’” -John 13:12-13
The words in my heart that I want to scribe on paper come from a place of deep tenderness this morning. I pray I adequately express the invitation sitting on the shores of my own life that I believe Jesus has for us. There’s been a lot of injustice and pain that we are all wrestling with in this season. No doubt, we are wrecked and raw. I want to start with a quote that will launch this devotional.
“Love, for the God of the Bible, is not one activity among others. Love defines who he is most deeply. Ultimate reality is not cold, blank, endless space. Ultimate reality is an eternal fountain of endless, unquenchable love. A love so great and so free that it could not be contained within the uproarious joy of Father, Son, and Spirit but spilled out to create and embrace finite and fallen humans into it. Divine love is inherently spreading, engulfing, embracing, overflowing. If you are a Christian, God made you so that he could love you. His embrace of you is the point of your life. I know you don’t feel it. Even that is taken care of. He wants you to know a love that is yours even when you feel undeserving or numb.” -Dane Ortlund, “Deeper”
Recently, someone posed the question, “Do we approach the Lord as teacher or as Lord?” In situations and in life in general, are we coming close to our Savior as an instructional rabbi from whom we constantly learn lessons? Or are we coming to Him as Lord—the One we have surrendered the lordship of our lives to, the One who deeply loves and cares for me and you?
Although Jesus affirms both of their approaches in this passage, I want you to look at another scene in Scripture to give this some contrast.
It was the night Jesus was having His last supper with the disciples. He had washed their feet, broken bread, and shared a moment with them in preparation for His departure.
“When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, ‘Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.’
“They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, ‘Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?’
“Jesus replied, ‘The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.’
“Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, ‘Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?’
“Jesus answered, ‘You have said so.’” -Matthew 26:20-25, emphasis added
The disciples were quick to identify the lordship of Jesus, while Judas, who knew nothing intimately of His lordship, simply called Him a teacher. The tenderness of this season begs me to ask the question: What name do you call Him? When a situation pierces your heart, who is He to you? When you are disillusioned, what do you need Him to be? There is no right or wrong answer. But the name by which we call Him can be indicative of how close we feel and really long to be.
Recently, I walked through a season that left me both frustrated and wounded. In the middle of it, someone gently remarked, “Maybe God wants to teach you something.” It wasn’t a wrong thought, yet deep inside I wondered: What if His desire is not only to instruct me but to hold me? What if He simply longs for me to collapse into His arms and discover that He is the strength of my heart and my portion forever? Perhaps He yearns to be my Comforter and Counselor, my Savior and Restorer—the very Lord of my heart.
Beloved, I want to encourage you, run to Jesus as Lord. He is far more than just a good teacher. In the midnight hours of our pain, His desire is not merely to inform us but to form us. He listens for the cry of our surrendered hearts calling Him Lord in the midst of shaping, refining, and even suffering. Sometimes, we must allow the names of God to travel the six-inch journey from head to heart—where He ceases to be theory and becomes our living reality.
So I ask you: Will you invite Him to be Lord not only over your joys but also over your despair? Will you shift your gaze from what you can learn to who it is that holds you fast and loves you intimately? Often, what we need most is not a teaching moment but the transformation of His presence. Wisdom, knowledge, and understanding are beautiful gifts, but who He is surpasses what He can teach. In revival, what the world needs is not mere doctrine but the revelation of Jesus as King, Savior, and Rescuer. Take people to your Lord, and trust Him to reveal Himself as Teacher in His perfect timing.
Remember this: He came first to love us before He ever came to teach us.
“‘Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.’” -John 13:14
Your Lord has not only washed your feet; He has cleansed your whole being—body, soul, and spirit. Carry this reality into a broken world steeped in darkness and pain. As you stoop low to wash the feet of the desperate, revival will burst forth.
Join the Arise Movement
Women who are equipped to live boldly for the gospel are a key to unlocking movements of the gospel in the world’s spiritually darkest places. Through Arise, East-West helps women take action and follow the Holy Spirit to be bold and reach the lost. Understand your role in the Great Commission and be equipped to boldly bring the world an encounter with Jesus.
