The Passion – 12 - 24 - 1
March 7, 2003
John 13:1-38 Sunday AM
Context: Jesus has entered Jerusalem for the last time on the back of a donkey to the cheers and praise of the people – in the midst of the week he sends Peter and John (Luke 22) to make preparations for the Passover meal.
Insert: The greatest event in the history of Israel was the Passover. Every spring the Jews celebrated the event that occurred 1,400 years prior. The Jews were slaves in Egypt. God called Moses to tell Pharaoh to let the His people go – but he refused. God sent a series of plagues to warn Pharaoh, but it didn’t help. Finally, the death angel was sent to kill the first born in every household unless the people followed God’s instructions. He told them to slay a lamb and smear the blood on the doorpost. The family was to walk under the blood and partake of the lamb – when the death angel saw the blood applied to the doorpost, he would Passover and spare the family.
Trans: As we enter into the upper room w/ the disciples, they’re under the impression that they’re about to partake in the Passover – little did they know that this night would be unlike any other meal they’d ever experience.
Imagine if you would, Jesus and the 12 lying around a make shift dining area. 11 of the men are more concerned about who was going to be the greatest in God’s kingdom, while one was considering the offer to sell Jesus out for 30 silver coins – meanwhile Jesus is preparing to teach them His most important lesson – 12 Disciples – 24 Feet – 1 Message.
Trans: Often times when we think of this text, we understand the lesson to be one of humility and service, but I submit to you that the message is far greater.
Here in this room, after the meal, the Son of God washes His disciple’s feet and then gives them a new covenant to live by.
Why: The Bible says that He wanted to show them the full extent of His love.
Custom: It was customary on special occasions to have a servant to wash the feet of the guest – people would bathe in public bath houses and then travel dusty roads – their person was clean, but their feet soiled. As a gesture of friendship – a host would provide a slave to wash the feet of his guest.
Insert: There was no slave in the upper room – most assuredly, the disciples noticed this, but b/c they were more concerned about being first, thus not one of them considered humbling himself by taking on the role of a slave.
Note: This played into Jesus’ plan – He gave specific details to Peter and John intentionally leaving out this very detail – they had water but no servant.
Note: Jesus had planned to wash his disciple’s feet from the start – maybe he wanted to send a message to counter their thirst for glory – maybe he wanted to expose Judas and Peter and teach a lesson about salvation.
Note: The emphasis of the foot washing was that Jesus loved His disciples to the uttermost degree of His being – even Judas.
The footwashing was a shadow of the full extent of God’s love that would confirm His identity – clarify His message – and commission His followers.
I He CONFIRMED His Identity vs. 1-5
Note: Jesus wanted the disciples to know He was the Passover Lamb of God who had come to seek and to save the lost.
Verse: For Christ our Passover has been sacrificed. 1 Cr 5:7-8 (HCSB)
Trans: In washing His disciple’s feet, he was showing the full extent of His love in confirming He was the Passover Lamb provided by God for the sins of man.
Text: Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality w/ God as something to be used for His own advantage. Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death — even to death on a cross. Ph 2:5-8 (HCSB)
Insert: Note the similarities to the washing of the disciple’s feet.
Jesus rises from supper just as in the incarnation He rose from His place of perfect fellowship w/ the Father.
He laid aside his priestly garments just as he temporarily laid aside His glorious existence w/ God.
He took the towel of slavery just as he took upon Himself the form of a servant and wrapped the towel around His waist to cleanse His disciples just as He wrapped Himself in flesh to become a servant to wash all mankind.
He poured water into a basin just as He poured out His blood.
He washed His disciple’s feet just as He cleanses all who put their faith in Him alone for salvation.
He arose and reassumed his position of Master and Lord, just as after the resurrection He ascended to the right hand of the Father.
Note: Jesus perfectly portrays His entire mission and purpose as a man from birth to death to resurrection in this single act of love. He confirmed his identity.
II He CLARIFIED His Message vs. 6-10
Verse: The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and give His life a ransom for many. Mt. 28:20 (NIV)
Think: How does washing the disciple’s feet show the full extent of His love?
Look: Look at who he washed
1 Judas The man who would betray Him.
2 Peter The man who would deny Him.
3 Thomas The man who would doubt Him.
4 Disciples The men who would abandon Him
5 John The man who would walk w/ Him
Note: He washed Judas to teach him about the salvation, while He washed the rest of them to teach them about fellowship w/ God.
Note: He told Peter that he who has been washed (louo – from head to toe) only needed to have his feet washed (nipto – a partial cleansing). But in referring to Judas, he said that not all of them had been washed (louo).
Point: Union w/ Jesus is so strong that nothing can break it – but communion w/ Jesus is so fragile even the slightest sin can break it.
Trans: Just as he washed the disciple’s feet w/ water to cleanse them, He washes us w/ His blood cleansing us from sin.
1 He washes those who will sell out the faith for next to nothing.
2 He washes those who stand opposed to God b/c it doesn’t suit them
3 He washes those who have questions and doubt
4 He washes those who run in the face of confrontation.
5 He washes those who will go w/ Him all the way to the cross.
Insert: Jesus washed to clarify His message – “to seek and to save the lost.”
III He COMMISSIONED His Followers vs. 11-17
Point: Jesus commissioned us to be little Christ’s to this world. He called us to seek first His Kingdom and righteousness instead of our kingdom. He called us to deny ourselves, take the cross and follow Him. He called us to do nothing out of selfish ambition and vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than ourselves. (Ph. 2:3)
Problem: Like the disciples we are more willing to fight for the throne, than we are to fight for the towel.
Idea: Many of us are poor spellers – we think “service” is spelled “serve us.”
Poem: I’ll go where you want me to go dear Lord real service is what I desire,
I’ll sing you a solo any time just don’t make me sing in the choir.
I’ll do what you want me to do dear Lord, I like to see things come to pass,
But don’t ask me to teach boys and girls, I’d rather just sit in my class.
I’ll do what you want me to do dear Lord I yearn for your Kingdom to thrive, I’ll give you my nickels and dimes but please don’t ask for my tithe.
I’ll go where you want me to go dear Lord, I’ll say what you want me to say, I’m busy just now w/ myself dear Lord, I’’ help you some other day.
Quote: But the measure of a person is not the number of his servants, but the number of people whom he serves.
Verse: Jesus said it this way, No one has greater love than this that he lay down his life for his friends.
Note: The Christian life and following Jesus all comes down to basin theology. We can be like Pilate and call for a basin to wash our hands of Jesus, or we can be like Jesus and call for a basin to wash feet for Jesus.
Invitation
Lord’s Supper
