Good morning Church,
Tell me - what would you do if you knew the future? What would your next steps be if you knew exactly what was going to happen?
We know the Hollywood answer, we would use that knowledge to make ourselves rich…
We would use that knowledge to manipulate people around us – maybe make that person fall in love with you
We would, knowing the time and circumstances of our future demise, maybe head off to get our bucket list ticked off. After of course telling our bosses exactly what to do with themselves. Wouldn’t that be nice.
Whatever the case, that answer is typically self serving – its’ our last chance to gain something for our self – so use it or lose it.
You can go to John 13 in your bibles this morning, and we pick up the trail were David left us last week when he spoke – he did such a great job of painting a picture of what’s happening – Jesus is in his last week before the cross, he’s had the triumphal entry in Jerusalem before crowds chanting – he’s been the subject of a beautiful, worshipful, reverent, deep act when his feet are washed with perfume.
And this morning together we’ll quickly look at the first part of chapter 13.
The end is nigh, the hour has come – the chapter has multiple references to Jesus’ foreknowledge of what awaits him. He will be betrayed – he will be denied.
We start with a sobering understanding of the weight of the task that awaits Jesus.
Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet
13 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
12 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. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them
The passage has barely begun and we bump head first into something so weighty and profound it casts a long shadow over every else we’re going to hear this morning.
JESUS KNEW THAT THE HOUR HAD COME FOR HIM TO LEAVE THIS WORLD AND GO THE FATHER.
Jesus knew – the son of a carpenter, son of man, fully human, HE KNOWS THE FUTURE. He knows what is coming. He knows what he is there to do. Does he know the painful death? Does he know the sham of a trial that awaits? Does he know the abandonment that is around the corner? Does he know the betrayal that is about to befall him at the hands of his closest own group of spiritual brothers – people he’s been travelling with, discipling, teaching, loving, - does he know – YES HE DOES.
And he knows that it is HERE / NOW – the last week – leading to the cross. Every moment is precious every act is deliberate, every word is not wasted and frivolous. Last chance dot com.
And how’s this for a gut punch of a statement – Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
Stop right there for a moment – HE loves us, yes, of course we know he loves us – aren’t we just loveable people. Isn’t loving people easy? We’re supposed to do it – all your heart , all your soul, all your mind.
But the end is in front of him! The crown of thorns, the ploughed skin, the nail pierced hands and feet the turning away of the father, the weight of sin that will fall upon him . Is it still easy to love in the face of such a cost? To follow through – that’s what this is right – to the end.
Thats what a loving sacrificial commitment is. I will love you always. Not, just, now, I’m feeling good, right now, ok, you’re alright, tomorrow, who knows, maybe I’ll wake up and not love you.
But this is to the end, this is always, this is forever….
This is love that costs, this love that demands a sacrifice – the writer here is taking a moment to remind the reader of the glorious weight of what is going to happen.
And Jesus knows it – does he change plans? Does he back down? Does he become disobedient to the will of the father? Of course we know he doesn’t. He is faithful. HE is the picture of obedience. HE is the exact model of service in the face of great cost for us to follow. He is the exact image of humility.
Becoming obedient – to death, on a cross. You know who crucifixions were reserved for? The worst criminals.
So, now, with that said – come back with me to the text – Jesus has just had his feet washed – and here comes a object lesson in service – from someone clearly mindful of everything we’ve just spoken about.
He gets up from the meal, and starts to take of his outer clothing – and wraps a towel around his waist – even that act – is a shocking event – their leader is preparing himself for the act of service – the kind of act that would have been left to the least of the group. It was a dirty, humbling act – feet were disgusting. David said that last week. People weren’t walking round in closed boots on clean roads and pathways. Wearing cotton socks with feet and bodies that have warm soapy showers every night - no.
He begins to wash his disciples feet and gets to Peter – of course its Peter – this guy is a loud mouth and a hot head, and always seems to say the first thing that comes to mind. Really one to speak first and think later – but certainly someone with a heart and passion for Christ.
You’re not, going to, you’re not about to do what I think you are – and Jesus patiently, in his loving kindness, in his gentleness and humility, doesn’t rebuke him, he just gently says OK, you don’t realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.
Again, Jesus knows - he knows their hearts and minds – he knows that this act is just a picture of his greatest act of service – going to the cross, that is still to come. He knows it will be pieced together – that they’ll – hey, that WE will look back at this event and see the imagery, see the metaphor, see the lesson in the object,
But for now, he has to patiently suffer through the ‘ignorance’, in a sense – but justified in a sense, of the brash Peter.
NO – you shall NEVER wash MY feet.
Think of Peter’s viewpoint – he means it well – this is their Rabbi, he is special, he is lauded as King – he’s been telling us about himself being the one with the father – we should be serving him. How can it be that he wants to wash our feet – what does it mean?
What kind of a king washes feet? NO King history has ever heard of, and lets be honest, ever since then as well.
A King who serves his people? Who is not there to rule and take, and ransack and plunder and benefit from. A lot of our rulers could take a lesson or two here. He is willing to get uncomfortable, get dirty, and get down to the ground, and work for his people. The upside down Gospel we’ve seen coming through once again.
The God on High – come down to us. Lord I lift your name on High – How Great thou art – His Majesty – we have come before his throne on high in worship – we looked up to him who holds the highest place.
But he left that highest place – he came down – he came down to you. You could not get up to him, He comes down to us – takes the form of a man, a servant. He disregards, the praises of those have would elevate him into military leadership and authority – he hangs around with the tax collectors and the fisherman.
He comes down to serve.
Back to the picture – what does he do?
He washes us clean.
I don’t need to be washed protests Peter – especially seeing as washing is something that the slaves do for us…
But the prophetic significance of the words Jesus utters
Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.
You are dirty, and you need to be clean – inside - and that is what I am here to do. HE doesn’t provide the water and says off you go - clean your selves. He does the washing. The standard is set by God – but so is the means to achieve that standard. He provides the way. And he does the work.
The Gospel picture presents itself. Jesus humbling himself in service to wash his disciples feet is a picture, a type, a mirroring of what is to come on the cross, where he will wash away the sins of believers.
Jesus knows.
Isaiah prophecies
“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.
Isn’t scripture amazing - can? you see the links here. Not bad for some writings cobbled together by eyewitness in the first century or so. Can you see the beauty of this book we study every week?
We’ve been working through the book of John, every week, something is coming out – about who Jesus is, what he was about, why he came, what it has achieved.
And this morning another amazing memorable, shocking, upsetting at the very least act – intentionally performed (time is short, in his last week) deliberate sign pointing to himself.
Have you been washed? That sin that you feel, that you can’t shake – that past that follows you? That forgiveness that deep down inside you know you need. That freedom that comes from casting your burdens onto Him.
Do you understand what I have done for you – Jesus directly asks his disciples.
Can you feel that question coming straight at you this morning. I hope it does. DO YOU REALISE WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR US.
There’s application coming, and a command around the corner – but before you get there, and you have to be here. You need to have your feet washed before you can go wash others feet.
Do You realize what he has done for you – that’s all the realization you need.
His love for us, to the very end. His sacrifice, His service.
And then, knowing the future – knowing how the Gospel will spread, not through might and power, but through the following of the great commission to the ends of the earth – through human beings sharing and serving.
He commands us to serve.
I have set you an example that you should do as I have done to you.
Go out and wash some feet ya’all.
Go out and serve others. Go out and place others needs ahead of your own – that’s the key – that’s the big secret.
A new commandments I give unto you that just a few verses later hey. That you love one another. As I have loved you.
Jesus finished up – he asks – do you understand? This is also something that has come up time and time again with all these signs and wonders and wonderful teachings through out John. Sometimes the disciples get it – sometimes they didn’t.
Did Peter get it? Well he was surely about to – as the rooster would crow the third time – also just round the corner later in John 13. Jesus desire was for them not to simply just follow blindly these commandments and object lessons. Become robots going around literally washing peoples feet.
But to understand the meaning behind the lessons.
Look at how the section wraps up in verse 17.
Now that you KNOW these things, you will be blessed if you do them. What a promise! Straight from Jesus lips. What awaits Jesus is a cross – but through that cross, wait awaits us, in his humble service is blessing. Is happiness. Not in accumulating favour and popularity, and material things, but in simple service.
Jesus knows this.
The rest of the chapter just echoes this picture – he knows Judas will betray him – he literally tells them who that he will betrayed and clearly indicated who will do it.
He knows Peter will deny him – he literally tells him to his face that he will and even describes in DETAIL HOW IT WILL HAPPEN.
As a cool trick? This is his last week! He doesn’t have the time for party tricks! He needs them to understand that He Is God and He is here for his people – even though they betray him.
I want to maybe finish with something different this morning. We know this story, many, most of us have understood the Gospel and have accepted this offer to us, we know what Jesus came to earth to do, and we have made commitments. We don’t know the future - we pray by faith that those commitments aren’t Peter like, to be denied and backtracked on soon. We trust as we meet and share and celebrate his faithfulness to us, that we too, live out his faithfulness in our lives.
That people would see and know by the love we share that the we too are his disciples.
That we would, as commanded, even as we have been reminded this morning – not place ourselves above anyone. That we would be humble. That we would be servants of others. Givers, not takers. Blessors, not blessees. People that shine light into darkness, not people who suck the joy out of a room.
I spent the last week in Malawi for work. Terrible roads, traffic problems, needs some good engineering for sure, but the country has precious little resources to offer. They are a poor nation. But they are, by relative standards a Godly nation. We stood in prayer – proper prayer! to open and close our meetings engineering meetings. And they are a humble people. We sat sharing a wonderful meal together, and the TV was on. Showing the world outside in chaos – American politics and all the fanfare – Riots in the UK. Very little humility in the first world. And the Malawians shake their head at the craziness. Watched the 200m sprint final, and the arrogant American jumping around the track before the race – before the quiet Botswanan took Gold. Fantastic.
So Medway, the question has been implied, but let’s be direct here – how’s our humility doing?
We bang on from up here about getting involved in service – lots of jobs that need doing in the service of the Lord, can you see a spot that you might fill?
But let’s come at it differently - coming from our passage this morning and do some self reflection. Maybe not what we do, but how we do it.
A heart humility check, if you will. Some questions for us to contemplate as we wrap up this morning.
Does your spiritual walk praise God, or does it really praise yourself. Does it humble yourself and elevate the risen King? Or does it put you up on a Holy perch.
Do you look down on those who are less educated, less affluent, less refined, or less successful than yourself?
Do you have a judgmental spirit toward those who don’t make the same lifestyle choices you do . . . dress standards, how you school your kids, entertainment standards, etc.?
Do you have a sharp, critical tongue?
Are you proud of the schedule you keep, how disciplined you are, how much you are able to accomplish?
Are you argumentative?
Do you generally think your way is the right way, the only way, or the best way?
Do you have a touchy, sensitive spirit? Easily offended? Get your feelings hurt easily?
Do you have a hard time admitting when you are wrong?
Do you have a hard time confessing your sin to God or others? (not just in generalities but specifics)
Do you have a hard time sharing your real spiritual needs/struggles with others?
Do you resent being asked to serve?
Do you become defensive when you are criticized or corrected? No I don’t – how could you say that
Are you a perfectionist? Do you get irked or impatient with people who aren’t?
Do you frequently interrupt people when they are speaking?
Do you talk about yourself too much?
Are you more concerned about your problems, needs, burdens than about others’ concerns?
Do you get hurt if your accomplishments or acts of service are not recognized or rewarded?
Do you react to rules? Do you have a hard time being told what to do?
When is the last time you said these words to a family member, friend, or coworker: “I was wrong; would you please forgive me?” (If it’s been more than a month, mark it down!)
Are you sitting here thinking that many of these questions apply to someone you know?
Are you feeling pretty good that none of these things apply to you?
Philippians 2
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature[a] God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature[b] of a servant, being made in human likeness.8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
He truly loves us to the very end. Amen
