August 15, 2023
True Love For The Brethren
“Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.” John 13:1 (NASB)
Some people stick out and we wished they were still here. Dr. J. O. McLeod was one. Dr. McLeod was our interim pastor many years ago, before my call to pastoral ministry. I had sensed the changes God was bringing, transitioning my focus in law enforcement, to ministry. Dr. McLeod (referred to as Bro. J. O.), helped me immensely during this time. He also scared me to death the day I made my profession. He told me he was so proud of me the day I made the profession. I remember the evening so clearly. He said, “Church, Brother Mark senses the call on his life to ministry!” Then he said, “You all make sure you come back next Sunday night because he will be preaching!” My heart sank into my stomach. I got through it though. I still do not know what I said that night. I hope God saw my heart’s intention. Throughout Bro. J. O.’s time as a friend and mentor, I learned a lot about ministry. About 15 years later, Bro. J. O. passed from this earth into heaven. I still look back and remember his sermons. He could preach to a 400-member church without a microphone. He was the old school pastor, but had the heart of a shepherd. Every now and then, I still see the book he gave me in my library. He signed it and said, “This book will be a good start to your seminary.” It was a book from his days at seminary. It still touches my heart to this day to see what he wrote…
“Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world,” MacArthur says, “The Last Supper celebrated by the Lord with His disciples gave Him opportunity to use the elements of the Passover meal to form a transition from the old covenant Passover to the new covenant Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:23-26)… Jesus and the Twelve would have viewed Passover day as running from sunrise on Thursday to sunrise on Friday. They would have eaten their Passover meal on Thursday evening. The Jewish leaders (the Sadducees), however, would have viewed it as the beginning at sunset on Thursday and ending at sunset on Friday. They would have eaten their Passover meal on Friday morning.”[1] This is because there were two methods of reckoning days. Northern Israel (including Galilee where the disciples and Jesus were from) would have counted days from sunrise to sunrise. Southern Israel would count days as sunset to sunset (what the Sadducees did). This is why some gospels seem to contradict others dating. “During this time, the Passover lamb was being slaughtered on two differing days (MacArthur).” Whatever was occurring in the temple, Jesus was unchanged in His mission. He loved them “to the end.” “End” is the word, telos, which means perfection, completeness. This signifies Jesus loved His disciples to the fullest measure of love. This love God extends to all.
Jesus’ love for His disciples went far beyond my mentor J. O. McLeod. J. O. left this earth loving me to his dying day. I know that because I knew him well. He left me encouraging words in the book he gave me, but Jesus left me a whole book (Bible) to give me encouragement for all my days ahead. I am grateful for men like J. O., who encouraged me, and set a good example of what it meant to serve God. They were examples Jesus could be proud to call His!
[1] (John MacArthur, 2006), 63.