John 13:1-4
Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.  And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him; Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.

Jesus knew.  He understood the gravity of the situation, how special this time was with His disciples.  To them, it may have been just another Passover meal that they shared together.  But for Jesus, it was getting close to the end.  He knew His time was at hand.  He knew what was soon to take place.  He knew time was limited, and there were still some things He needed to teach His disciples.  He had longed for this moment to share this special meal with them, to share this time, to share Himself with them in a unique way as He instituted the Lord’s Supper and shared a few last vital truths.

If the disciples had only realized, truly, what Jesus had been telling them, if they could grasp the gravity of it, the shortness of time, what might they have done differently?  If they knew that their lives were about to change so drastically in a few short hours, would they have made different choices?  Often we feel and act differently when we know time is short.  We appreciate more those moments that we have.  We’re less distracted and pay more attention.

Truly life is short.  It may seem long in the midst of the day-to-day grind, but in the big picture, it’s a blink of an eye compared to eternity.  Our time here to serve our Lord is precious.  The days we have to live for Him on Earth are few.  The hours we can devote to Jesus diminish with each passing day.  So knowing that, can’t we try to make the most of what time we do have?  Can’t we be more diligent about what we’re supposed to be doing?  Can’t we value much more those moments we have to spend with those closest to us?  Can’t we stay focused on our priorities while we have the opportunity?

That’s kind of what Jesus was doing.  He was savoring some special moments.  He was ministering and teaching and setting an example.  He was demonstrating His love.  He was making memories with His best friends.  And He honored His Father until His very last moment.  Let’s not leave anything undone, no task unfinished.  May our days be filled with meaningful moments of service and fellowship and honoring God, the kinds of things that make our time here so worthwhile.