The-Servant-King

John chapter 13, verses 1 to 20.

John 13:1–20

Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father,

having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

During supper, when the devil had already 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 had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper.

He laid aside his outer garments and, taking a towel, tied it around his waist.

Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

He came to Simon Peter, who said to him,

Lord, do you wash my feet?

Jesus answered him,

What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.

Peter said to him,

You shall never wash my feet.

Jesus answered him,

If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.

Simon Peter said to him,

Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.

Jesus said to him,

The one who has bathed does not need to wash except for his feet, but is completely clean.

And you are clean, but not every one of you.

For he knew who was to betray him.

That was why he said,

Not all of you are clean.

When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place,

he said to them,

Do you understand what I have done to you?

You call me teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am.

If I then, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet,

you also ought to wash one another's feet.

For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.

Truly, truly I say to you,

A servant is not greater than his master,

nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.

If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

I am not speaking of all of you.

I know whom I have chosen.

But the scripture will be fulfilled.

He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.

I am telling you this now, before it takes place,

that when it does take place, you may believe that I am he.

Truly, truly I say to you,

Whoever receives the one I send, receives me.

And whoever receives me, receives the one who sent me.

This is the word of God.

Well, good morning everyone.

My name is Gareth.

If you don't know me, you'll detect I have a different accent to everyone else.

Or everyone else has a different accent to me.

All right, let's pray.

Let's pray.

Lord, we just ask this morning that you would speak to us through your word.

Help us to hear, to understand.

And not just to hear, but to do your bidding for your namesake.

Amen.

John chapter 12 brings an end to Jesus' public ministry.

John 12 · chapter mention

He now turns his attention to his disciples in order to prepare them for what was to come.

They had followed him throughout this public ministry and had been amazed, awe-inspired,

at times confused, and even fearful of the words and events they had witnessed.

After he had calmed the storm in Lake Galilee, they said,

Who is this that even the wind and the waves obey him?

They knew he was very special and they believed in him.

Though as we will see, not all.

But for those who believed, their belief was real and they stuck with him.

Most recently, they had witnessed the resurrection of Lazarus and the triumphal entry into Jerusalem

with the people declaring,

Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel.

Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Glory.

At this point, they didn't know or understand the implications of this

and how their lives were about to be turned completely upside down,

being radically changed even more.

But Jesus was there to prepare them.

He loved them dearly and would do to the end,

or to perfection, as John MacArthur puts it.

Everything was now set.

The hour had arrived.

Jesus was going to return to his father,

following unimaginable anguish, pain,

and the sealing of a new covenant

that would bring a cleansing salvation

and peace with God

to those who believe.

Have you ever been in a situation

you felt really uncomfortable in?

It's made you feel really awkward?

Anne and I have been to many weddings in our time,

but one of them stands out for a wrong reason.

Or maybe so that I can give you an illustration now.

I don't know.

But along with all the couples whose weddings we've been to,

we really liked this couple.

They were lovely people.

We knew they were very popular.

And they had many friends.

So for us to be invited was a tremendous privilege.

But at the reception,

we felt so awkward and uncomfortable.

Not because it was a bad reception.

But because we felt, quite frankly,

unworthy to be there.

Inside, I was squirming,

though it was a fabulous wedding.

Have you ever had that feeling?

Now think of that feeling of awkwardness,

magnified many times.

And we may begin to understand

how the disciples must have felt.

Supper had already began when Jesus got up

and removed his outer garment

and tying a towel to his waist.

He began to wash the disciples' feet

and then wipe them with a towel.

Can you imagine the room

previously filled with a hubbub

of relaxed conversation,

maybe even laughter?

It would now have turned silent

with the realization of what Jesus was doing.

The relaxation turned to tension.

All eyes fixed on Jesus

in bewilderment and embarrassment.

This was socially awkward.

Not just socially awkward,

it was outrageous, shocking.

The washing of dusty feet

would not usually take place

in the middle of a meal.

It would take place before.

It would normally be carried out

by a bond servant.

That's a slave.

Only a slave in this circumstance

would be seen having removed

their outer garment.

The New Bible commentary says

the removal of the outer garment

and the wrapping of a towel

around the waist

was the dress of menial service

and would have been despised

by both Jew and Greek alike.

Jesus, who had just been lorded

as Messiah, the King of Israel,

is now washing the feet

of those who serve him.

Awkward.

They considered they were not worthy.

This was no way for a king to behave.

It was all too much for Peter.

And he was the only one

to vocalize what everyone else

was thinking.

Lord, do you wash my feet?

Jesus ever patient.

Peter, you don't understand right now,

but later on you will.

Meaning after the resurrection.

Now if Peter had have thought

through what Jesus had just said,

he might have come to the conclusion,

well, Jesus had never been wrong before.

In fact, he's done and said

some amazing things.

Yeah, okay.

I'll trust him.

I'll let him wash my feet.

I'll understand later on.

But we know from other scripture

that that's not Peter's personality, is it?

He acts or speaks first

and thinks after.

Noble as he may have thought

he was being, he said,

you shall never wash my feet.

The inference here is,

Lord, this is below you.

I can't allow you to do this.

Do you realize what you're doing?

I don't think you do.

But of course, Jesus does.

He loves them so much.

He's willing to humble himself

by this demonstration.

Preceding the ultimate act

of humiliation

and love,

the cross.

He also has something

very important to teach them.

So he presses on.

If I do not wash you,

you have no share with me.

This is a game changer

that changes Peter's mind immediately.

If you wash in my feet

means I have a share with you,

then I'm all in.

In fact, Lord,

wash my hands and my head also.

Perhaps, understandably,

Peter has got the wrong end

of the stick.

He wanted to be well

and truly clean.

But this is only a part

of what Jesus is teaching them.

Just your feet, Peter.

You don't need a wash.

You are clean.

But not every one of you

is clean.

At first glance,

it might be a bit difficult

to understand

what's quite going on here.

If Peter doesn't have

his feet cleaned,

he has no part of Jesus.

Yet not of all of those

who are having their feet

washed are clean.

You have Judas in the room.

It's obvious that the feet washing

is not the way to be clean.

that it was symbolic

of something else.

But they did need to be clean

to belong to Jesus.

What was it that made them clean?

If we jump a couple of chapters

to John 15 and verse 3,

Jesus tells them explicitly,

Already you are clean

because of the word

I have spoken to you.

Now it's clear

that simply hearing the word

did not make them clean.

Because Jesus had spoken

not only to his disciples,

but publicly

to many people,

including the Pharisees,

who we know refused

to believe

so could not be clean.

The disciples believed

and they were clean,

though not all.

Soon Jesus

was to die on the cross.

Ultimately,

they would be cleansed

by his blood

as we are cleansed

if we believe in Jesus.

Though your sins

are like scarlet,

they shall be as white as snow

is the promise

in Isaiah 1 and verse 18.

As the song says,

what can wash away my sin?

Nothing

but the blood

of Jesus.

Judas saw the signs

and miracles

at close hand.

He was one

of the disciples.

The other disciples

saw Judas

as one of them.

When Jesus told them

that one would betray him,

they had no idea

who that was going to be.

Judas was not clean.

He did not believe.

He loved money

more than Jesus.

He worshipped money,

not the Lord,

and was soon

to betray Jesus

for 30 pieces of silver.

Once Jesus

had washed

the disciples' feet,

he put on

his outer garment

and then went on

to explain

the significance

of the foot washing.

He reaffirms

that he is their

teacher and Lord

and tells them

that as he has done

to them,

so they should do

to one another.

That is,

serve one another

in humility.

I think we probably

don't quite grasp

how alien an idea

it was to the disciples

given the times

they lived in.

Humility was despised

in the ancient world

as weakness.

We know that the disciples

had previously

not understood this

because in Mark's gospel

in chapter 10

verses 35 to 45,

James and John

had got it

oh so wrong,

requesting

that one sit

on Jesus'

right hand side

and the other

on his left

in glory.

They didn't realize

what they were asking.

It says in verses

42 to 45,

And Jesus called them

to him and said

to them,

You know that those

who are considered

rulers of Gentiles

lord it over them

and their great ones

exercise authority

over them,

but it shall not be

so among you,

but whoever would be

great among you

must be your servant

and whoever would be

first among you

must be slave of all.

For even the Son of Man

came not to be served,

but to serve

and to give his life

as a ransom

for many.

They had not

absorbed the words,

but Jesus,

washing their feet,

powerfully brought home

the message of humility

and servanthood.

He then went on

to cement this point

even further.

Verse 16,

Truly, truly,

I say to you,

a servant is not

greater than his master,

nor is a messenger

greater than the one

who sent him.

Don Carson

writes of this verse,

No emissary

has the right

to think he is

exempt from tasks

cheerfully undertaken

by the one

who sent him,

and no slave

has the right

to judge any menial

task beneath him

after his master

has already performed it.

Jesus was turning

their understanding

of his kingdom

upside down.

They were to lead,

but not lording it

over the church.

They were to emulate

their master,

the servant king,

and serve one another

in humility,

driven by love.

In doing these things,

they would be blessed.

All through this passage

and the passages

that follow,

Jesus is preparing

his disciples

for his departure,

his death,

and resurrection.

resurrection.

As we know,

this was to be

a horrifically difficult

time of confusion

for them.

Jesus wanted

them to remember

that when Judas

betrays them,

betrays him,

when things appear

to go pear-shaped,

this is all part

of the plan.

It is important

that they stick together

and still believe

that Jesus

is the Messiah.

of course,

it is not until

Pentecost

that they receive

the Holy Spirit

and they will fully

understand.

We finish our passage

on another

sit-up-and-take-note

verse,

which is verse 20.

Truly, truly,

I say to you,

whoever receives

the one I send

receives me,

and whoever

receives me

receives the one

who sent me.

Not only does

Jesus want

his disciples

to remember

that he is

the Messiah

and that all

that is to happen

is part of God's plan,

he also wants

them to know

that when he returns

to the Father,

they are to continue

his mission

that others

might believe

in him

and be saved.

Are you clean?

Do you believe

that Jesus

is the Christ,

the Son of God?

Or do we worship

something

or someone else

like Judas?

As I've heard

somewhere else,

if you were tried

in court

for being a Christian,

would you be found

guilty?

Is there evidence?

And if you believe,

does that belief

bring about

a gratitude

of heart

and love

for a Savior

who has gone

way beyond

washing our feet

to death

on the cross

in ultimate

humiliation?

And following

the example

of love

and humility

of our Savior,

do we serve

one another?

and allow

others

to serve us?

No task

too menial.

I came across

part of a hymn

by Brian A.

Wren

while I was

studying for this.

I love some

of these words.

Great God,

in Christ

you call

our name

and then

receive us

as your own.

Though through,

not through

some merit,

right,

or claim,

but by your

gracious love

alone.

We strain

to glimpse

your mercy seat

and find you

kneeling at our feet.

then take the towel

and take the bread

and break the bread

and humble us

and call us

friends.

Suffer and serve

till all are fed

and show how grandly

love intends

to work

till all creation

sings,

to fill

all worlds,

to crown

all things.

us.

We strain

to glimpse

your mercy seat

and find you

kneeling at our feet.

I love those words.

They show a picture

of Jesus,

our King,

the King of Kings,

a King

who in great love

humbled himself

on our behalf,

our servant King.

let us worship him.

Let's pray.

Lord,

we thank you

that

you came to earth,

that you loved us

so much

that you died

on that cross

for us.

we thank you

for your

love and humility

so great.

How can we respond

in any other way

than to love you

and serve you?

Amen.