To remain in the fellowship of the Lord maintained by the foot-washing requires the strength of resurrection life. We can never do it by our natural man.

In the Old Testament the children of Israel were a vine in the eyes of God

The Jewish priests took counsel that they might kill Lazarus (12:10) who testified to the resurrection power of the Lord. He was an evident and strong testimony of the Lord’s resurrection power.

This warns us that the real foot-washing is only for the people who are genuinely in the fellowship with the Lord.

When the Lord came, Martha was the first one to meet Him (11:20). But before the Lord could say anything, Martha opened her mouth and gave forth another opinion:

有十二篮的零碎剩下来。为什么不是剩下五篮，八篮，或十一篮？因为十二这数字表征永远的完整和永远的完全。这就是说，甚至零碎也是永远完满和永远完整的。甚至微小、零碎的基督也满了取用不竭的丰富。

“Before Abraham came into being, I am.” According to grammar, He should have said, “I was.” But He is the present One, the I Am. Whether it is past, present, or future, He is always the present One.

主问，『你想要痊愈吗？』意思就是：『你想要得医治吗？』那软弱的人除了池子、水、和搅动水的使者以外，别无所知。他也晓得在自己里面没有希望，没有能力，所以就将他的光景向主耶稣说明。于是主耶稣对他说，『起来，拿你的褥子走吧。』那软弱的人听了那永活、赐生命的主那点活人的话，就痊愈了。

The day mentioned in this verse is the day of resurrection.

Lord never comes to improve you or to regulate your behavior. He always comes to enliven you. The Lord’s only intention is to impart Himself to you as the enlivening life.

If God was going to solve all the basic problems of man, He had to become a man Himself. Satan knows the importance of this. Satan was not afraid of the Lord Jesus being the Son of God. He was afraid of the Lord Jesus being a man. Therefore, Jehovah God became a man.

我们都必须按着内在的实际，不按着外貌认基督。主在地上的时候，没有吸引人的外表。今天，在教会生活也是这样，没有什么吸引人的外表。然而，你若进入教会生活里面，就会在那里看见基督的美丽。祂不是那拿撒勒人，祂乃是大卫的后裔。这就是基督！阿利路亚！

子赐生命给死人。我们看见，那听子话，又信差子来者的，就有永远的生命，是已经出死入生了。

On the one hand, we are the new creation, we are in God, and we are in the heavenlies.