“I am not saying these things to all of you; I know the ones I have chosen. But this fulfills the Scripture that says, ‘The one who eats my food has turned against me.’ I tell you this beforehand, so that when it happens you will believe that I Am the Messiah. I tell you the truth, anyone who welcomes my messenger is welcoming me, and anyone who welcomes me is welcoming the Father who sent me.” John 13:18‭-‬20

So, in light of having just told the disciples that “no slave is above his Master and no student above his Teacher” that if He had loved and served them, they should each other.

Now Jesus points out that He’s not talking to all of them because not ALL of them are His! He uses a verse from Psalm 41:9 to highlight this point. A psalm of King David, Ps 41 describes the pain and grief of being betrayed by a friend or close relitive. Jesus identifies with David’s pain because He too, in just a couple of hours will be betrayed by someone He deeply loves, Judus Iscariot. Jesus explais this to His desciples so that when it happens, His credibility will be further affirmed and they will believe He’s the Messiah, the whole point to His mission to earth!

He then says something incredible as He welcomes His disciples and ultimately US into the bond shared by Him and His Father: “He who welcomes my messenger (DISCIPLES & US) is welcoming Me, and anyone who welcomes Me is welcoming the Father Who sent Me.” WOW! He’s said many times up to this moment that He and the Father were One and to see One or believe One was to see and believe both, but how privilaged we are to be included in this circle! When people recive our message, they are believing His. Now Jesus sayes this with the expectation that we’d represent Him with the same integrity and obedience that He had for God the Father!

So to have the same message as Jesus and the Father, we need the same loyalty to each other and Him as Jesus did for God the Father! Do you?

Think about it!