Take up the Towel

Well, we're continuing on in our journey through the Gospel of John,

and we're coming to chapter 13 this morning.

This is a very unique section of John's Gospel.

Unlike the other Gospel writers, Matthew, Mark, and Luke,

John is about to give us five chapters,

all of which happen in one evening,

the evening of the Last Supper, the evening of Jesus' betrayal.

And this is amazing.

The best storytellers know when to quickly move the story along

and when to really slow things down

in order to help us see what's most important in the story.

And that's what John is doing here for us.

Almost a quarter of John's Gospel describes one evening in Jesus' life.

So we have to know that what we're about to read here is very important.

What's in these five chapters from 13 to 17?

I'm just going to summarize it briefly.

First of all, John tells us what happened before the Last Supper.

Then John tells us about Judas, the betrayer,

and what happened with him at the table that night.

Then after that, Jesus goes on at length,

teaching the disciples, encouraging them,

telling them about what's soon to happen for them.

And finally, sometime before Jesus is arrested in the garden,

there's a whole chapter telling us what Jesus was praying that night.

So these are very special moments in the story of Jesus.

We heard last week what some of Jesus' last words were to the public before his death.

But now John is giving us Jesus' last words to his disciples.

This is almost like a sort of backstage pass,

an invitation for you and I to come into the house

where Jesus sat and ate his last meal with the disciples

and to hear all that was said in those final hours.

So let's begin by reading, starting in John 13, verse 1.

John 13:1

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.

The evening meal was in progress,

and the devil had already prompted Judas,

the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.

Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power,

and that he had come from God and was returning to God.

So he got up from the meal,

took off his outer clothing,

and wrapped a towel around his waist.

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.

So John tells us that this was just before the Passover.

The translation on screen says Passover festival,

but the same word can also mean feast,

as in the special meal that the Israelites would eat together

every year on the day of Passover.

And this is probably what John means.

This is the evening of Passover.

And John gives us a little bit of a peek

into what's going on in the heart and mind of Jesus

at this moment.

He says,

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.

It's not as though Jesus' betrayal and arrest

and death just came out of nowhere

and caught Jesus by surprise.

Jesus knew that the hour had come

for him to leave this world

and go to the Father.

Up until this point in the story,

we've heard a lot from Jesus

about how he has come into the world,

how he has been sent into the world

by his Father.

But now we hear that Jesus is about to leave

this world

and go to his Father.

And we might be wondering,

if we imagine ourselves there in the room

with the disciples,

what do you mean, Jesus?

Leave this world?

Go to the Father?

Like how?

Is this referring to Jesus' death

and his spirit going to be with the Father

after he dies?

Or is this referring to Jesus ascending to heaven

over a month later?

For the moment,

we're going to leave those questions unanswered.

Let's wonder about them,

just as the disciples did.

And they're going to actually ask about this

in the conversation this very evening.

John's main point here

is that Jesus knows that this is the hour.

He knows that he's right now

having his last moments

with his disciples

before he dies and departs.

Think about this for a moment.

Imagine what it would be like

to know for certain

that in less than 24 hours

you would die.

What would you do with that last day

of your life?

Who would you want to spend it with?

What might you want to talk about

with that person, those people?

What might you do with them?

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.

Jesus spends these final hours

with his own,

his disciples,

his friends,

his closest followers,

those that he has chosen,

his sheep.

And I love how John says this.

Having loved his own

who were in the world.

Do you hear that?

It's as though

John is thinking back

over all the time

that he has had with Jesus

up until now.

And what does John remember

from his days with Jesus?

What does he say

about this whole time

up until now?

He remembers being

loved

by Jesus.

Being cared for.

Valued.

Treasured.

It's as though

John is saying

he had loved us all along

right from the start.

but now this evening

in these last hours

we knew,

we felt that again.

He loved us

right up to the end.

Right up

to his death

and departure.

Verse 2.

The evening meal

was in progress

and the devil

had already prompted

Judas,

the son of Simon Iscariot,

to betray Jesus.

So John tells us

that the meal's

already been served.

It's about to begin

and along with that

a plot to betray Jesus

has already been served

as well.

John says it

quite strongly.

A literal translation

would be something

like this.

Already the devil

having put it

into the heart

of Judas

that he should

betray Jesus.

Jesus.

This is not just

a wicked man

or wicked men

plotting against Jesus.

This is

the devil himself

going after

the son of God.

Verse 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.

These words

are quite something.

We've already heard

some of them already.

John told us already

that Jesus knows

that he's come

from God

and is returning

to God.

But with that

John tells us here

that Jesus knew

that the father

had put all things

under his power.

Literally

Jesus

having known

that the father

had given

all things

into his hands.

That's quite a statement.

Think about it.

Jesus knew

that the father

had given

all things

into his hands.

The translation

on the screen

says all power.

We might see this

as a statement

about authority.

That Jesus

knows

that he will have

dominion

over all things.

That he will rule

and reign

and be king

over all of it.

all things

have been given

into his hands.

Jesus knew

that

and so what

does Jesus

do with this

awareness?

This is astounding.

having known

that the father

had given

all things

into his hands

he got up

from the meal

took off

his outer clothing

wrapped a towel

around his waist

poured water

into a basin

and began to wash

his disciples

feet

drying them

with the towel

that was wrapped

around him.

what an unexpected

thing

for the one

who knows

that God

has given

everything

into his hands

he takes

those very hands

and with them

he performs

the most lowly

and humble service

that can be done

for his friends.

He washes

the dirt

and the dust

off their feet.

Now the washing

of feet

is a rather

private matter

for most of us

except for maybe

some of you women

who like to go

and get a pedicure

from time to time.

The rest of us

we usually like

to wash our own

feet at home

by ourselves

in the tub

or in the shower

but this is

a different culture

and time

a different part

of the world

being a really hot

part of the world

they wore sandals

all the time.

Having no cars

the main way

to get around

was walking

on the dusty

and dirty

roads and streets.

By the time

evening rolled around

everybody's feet

were pretty dirty

possibly

smelly

and so this

was a custom

to wash their feet

before the evening meal.

It was a task

normally carried out

by the lowest

of servants

or by slaves

and you would

almost never

wash the feet

of one of your peers

and if you

happened to

it would be

a mark

a sign

of great

love.

Some Jews

even insisted

that a Jewish

slave

should never

wash

another Jew's

feet.

It was too

demeaning

of a task

too lowly

a task

for any Jew

to perform.

This was truly

considered to be

one of the lowliest

services that you

could do

for another human

being

and it was

kind of symbolic

I mean you

think about

the person

the feet

are at the

bottom

they're the

lowest

that you

can go

on the

person.

For us

today

maybe we

don't feel

quite the same

about that

but maybe

think about

the feeling

that you

might have

if you're

helping someone

who can't

do it on

their own

to take a

bath

or to

change their

diaper

if they're

incontinent

or to

scrub their

toilet for

them.

This is

maybe a

little closer

to the

feeling that

they might

have about

washing the

feet of

another

person.

You don't

want to do

that unless

that's your

job, that's

your role,

that's your

service to

them.

You might

be happy to

offer that

service to

someone of

great honor

like a

king but

you can bet

that the

disciples,

they had no

intention

whatsoever of

washing each

other's feet

before this

meal.

I'm not sure

what happened,

whether they

just had no

servants to

do the foot

washing or

what, we

don't know.

We might

assume that

Jesus simply

saw or

perhaps even

smelled the

need for it

and that he

didn't care

about positions

of authority

but that's

perhaps what's

so shocking

here.

It wasn't

like Jesus

just forgot

who he

was in

relation to

the disciples.

Having known

that the

father had

given all

things into

his hands,

he got up

from the

meal, took

off his

outer clothing

and began

to wash

his disciples

feet.

That's what's

amazing about

this.

Jesus hadn't

forgotten that

he was the

Messiah, that

he was to

be Lord of

all, which

means that he

did this on

purpose, knowing

full well what

he was doing.

Knowing full

well that he

was humbling

himself to

serve them

even though

they were the

ones who

really should

be serving

him, who

should be

washing his

feet.

It was a

mark of the

greatest of

loves.

The reality,

like John the

Baptizer had

said years

earlier, was

that these

disciples were

not even worthy

to bend down

and untie

the sandals

of Jesus.

That's how

great Jesus

the King

is, the

Son of God

is, and

yet he loves

them so much

that he will

do this humble

and lowly

service for

them to

scrub the

dirt of the

day off their

dusty feet.

eventually Jesus

comes around to

Peter to

wash his

feet.

Verse 6,

he came to

Simon Peter

who said to

him, Lord,

are you going

to wash my

feet?

Jesus replied,

you do not

realize now what

I am doing,

but later you

will understand.

No, said

Peter, you

shall never

wash my

feet.

Jesus

answered, unless

I wash you,

you have no

part with me.

What Peter

says doesn't

quite come

through in the

translation on

screen here.

Quite

literally, Peter

says, not

ever unto

eternity shall

you wash my

feet.

I was trying

to think of a

modern day

English equivalent

to that, and I

don't recommend

this expression,

but people in

our world might

say it this

way.

When hell

freezes over,

will I let

you wash my

feet?

Like, no,

uh-uh, not

going to happen.

And maybe it's

implied, I don't

know.

You give that

bowl to me,

Jesus, and I'll

wash your feet.

That's what's

right.

That's how it

should be.

And Jesus

just slices

right through

Peter's

objection.

He says,

unless I wash

you, you

have no part

with me.

I think what

Jesus means is

simply that Peter

and all of the

disciples must

allow Jesus to

humbly serve

them.

And I don't

think it's mainly

about the feet.

It's that the

disciples have

need of a humble

service that only

Jesus can provide

for them.

And I think

this points to

what he's about

to do for them

tomorrow, which

is much more

humbling and

lowly.

His suffering and

death on the

cross for them.

The ultimate

act of love.

It's as though

Jesus is saying,

all of you must

receive the humble

service I offer

if you want to be

with me, have a

part with me.

But it seems

that Peter is

mainly thinking

about the

physical, the

tangible, the

water and washing

part of things.

Verse 9,

Then Lord, Simon

Peter replied,

not just my feet

but my hands and

my head as well.

You've got to

love Peter.

If this washing

is needed for me

to roll with you,

Jesus, then

let's go all in.

Give me the full

bath.

Wash my hands.

Wash my head.

Whatever this is

about.

Give me the full

package deal.

Is this a cleansing

rite, a purification

ritual of some

kind?

I don't know what

Peter's logic is

here.

It seems to be more

washing equals

bigger share with

Jesus.

And it's here that I

imagine Jesus

probably chuckled

and said,

Oh, Peter,

those of you who

have had a bath

need only to wash

their feet.

Their whole body

is clean.

It's as though

Jesus is saying,

yes and no.

Yes, there is a

deeper meaning to

what I'm doing right

now for you,

Peter.

But no, it's not to

spiritually cleanse

you like a

purification rite or

a ceremonial washing.

That's not the

point.

On one level,

what I'm doing is

simply to meet the

physical, tangible

need.

Your feet are dirty,

Peter, from the

days walking.

The rest of you,

it looks and smells

pretty good from

your bath earlier

today.

No, Peter, this is

not about me being

made spiritually

clean by me

washing your feet.

But when it

comes to spiritual

cleanness, Jesus

seems to turn

the metaphor that

way for a moment

here.

He seems to be

saying that Peter

and the other

disciples, they

already have some

measure of cleanness,

whether spiritual or

ceremonial, I don't

know, it doesn't

say.

But listen to what he

says here in verse

10.

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.

You see what I

mean?

It's like Jesus

seems to be saying,

speaking of spiritual

or perhaps ceremonial

cleanness, you all

have it, except for

one of you, who is

defiled, who is

unclean.

Verse 11.

For he knew who was

going to betray him,

and that was why he

said that not everyone

was clean.

So whatever kind of

cleanness he meant at

the end here, Judas

didn't have it.

And this washing of

Judas' feet, it didn't

give it to him.

He had already been

plotting with the

Pharisees about how he

might hand Jesus over

to them.

And while the deed

hadn't been done yet,

the treachery of that

deed was being planned

and prepared even now

in the heart of

Judas.

making him

unclean.

Defiled.

There's perhaps a

brief word for us

here.

Sometimes we just

are tempted to

think that God only

really cares about our

outward behaviors.

But no.

God sees our hearts

and our thoughts

too.

And those inward

things defile us

and make us

unclean

too.

it's only through

faith in Jesus

and his blood

shed for us

that we can have

this spiritual

cleanness that

Jesus offers.

Finally, we come to

the deeper meaning

of the foot washing

itself.

The lesson behind

what Jesus did for

them that evening.

Verse 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.

You call me

teacher

and Lord

and rightly so

for that is what

I am.

Now that I,

your Lord

and teacher

have washed

your feet,

you also

should wash

one another's

feet.

I have set

you an example

that you should

do as I have

done for you.

Very truly,

I tell you,

no servant

is greater

than his

master

nor is a

messenger

greater than

the one

who sent

him.

Now that you

know these

things,

you will be

blessed

if you do

them.

Here,

Jesus gives

the lesson

to us

in all

this.

The first

thing he

makes clear

is that

what he's

just done

here now,

washing their

feet,

it's not

meant to

erase all

notions of

authority or

to make all

people equal

in role

with one

another.

He says,

you call me

teacher and

Lord and

rightly so,

you should

because that

is what I

am.

It's still

fitting for

them and

it's still

fitting for

us to

refer to

Jesus as

the teacher

and we

the learners.

To refer

to Jesus

as the

Lord or

the master

and we

the servants.

That's the

reality between

Jesus and

his disciples,

between Jesus

and us.

What Jesus

does here at

this meal,

it doesn't

change the

authority

structure.

It doesn't

make us

somehow the

master or

greater and

him the

servant.

And just

in case there's

any confusion

about this,

Jesus comes

back to it.

He reinforces

it again in

verse 16.

He says,

very truly

I tell you,

no servant

is greater

than his

master,

nor is a

messenger greater

than the one

who sent him.

There is still

authority,

there is still

distinction in

roles and

position.

There is still

one who is

greater and

one who is

lesser.

And Jesus

will always be

the greater

and we the

lesser,

even though he

has stooped

down so low

to wash our

feet,

to serve us.

even to die

for us.

But now the

lesson comes

in verse 14.

Now that I,

your Lord and

teacher, have

washed your

feet, you

also should

wash one

another's feet.

I have set

you an

example that

you should do

as I have

done for you.

what does

Jesus mean?

What does

he want them

to do?

Jesus,

very simply,

wants his

disciples to

take up the

towel and

to wash the

feet of one

another.

Now some

might here

want to talk

about foot

washing as

a ritual that

has been

practiced in

some church

traditions.

Should we be

doing that?

That's a good

question if it

comes from a

sincere desire

to understand

and to obey

the Lord Jesus.

I'm just going to

share with you the

helpful comments of

D.A. Carson from

his commentary on

John.

I found them

helpful.

This is his

answer.

Two factors have

prevented most

Christians from

institutionalizing

foot washing.

first, nowhere

else in the

New Testament

or in the

earliest extra

biblical documents

of the church

is foot washing

treated as an

ecclesiastical

rite, an

ordinance, a

sacrament.

He goes on to

acknowledge that

there is one

place in the

New Testament

in 1 Timothy 5.10

where foot washing

is mentioned but

it's merely listed

there as a kind

of good deed that

goes with hospitality

in the list of

qualifications for

widows.

He goes on to

say, second and

perhaps more

importantly, the

heart of Jesus'

command is a

humility and

helpfulness toward

brothers and

sisters in Christ

that may be

cruelly parodied by

a mere rite of

foot washing that

easily masks an

unbroken spirit and

a haughty heart.

And I think when

most of us hear

that, we have to

admit, well, yeah,

deep down inside we

know that Jesus is

not here just asking

us to regularly do

a ritual show of

humility and

service to one

another whenever we

gather together.

Just like Jesus

washing the feet of

the disciples, it

had a tangible

benefit to them, a

need that it met.

In the same way,

our humble service

of one another should

meet a need, a

real need.

So Jesus is simply

commanding them and

commanding us to

humbly serve one

another, to

metaphorically take

up the towel, do

the jobs and work of

a servant for one

another.

Just like with the

disciples that night,

it's like he's

saying, don't look

around the room here

and think, well, I'm

not going to do that

for them.

That's what the

disciples were

thinking.

There was the need

for someone to

wash the feet and

it's like they were

all just looking

around at each

other like, well, I'm

not going to do

that for them.

Here today, the

need in our church

is not foot

washing.

But what is the

need in our church?

Who has a need in

our church that you

know about?

What are the needs

in our church for

various ministries?

For the adults?

For the youth?

For the children?

Don't look around

the room and think,

well, I'm not going

to do that for them.

Jesus has called all

of his disciples to

be his servants to

one another, to

humbly serve one

another, to do the

jobs and work that

nobody wants to do

for one another.

This is the way that

Jesus showed his

deep, his great

love for his

disciples.

And this is the way

that he's commanded

us to love each

other.

And what will get

in the way?

Pride.

If you think these

kinds of things are

beneath you, that's

pride.

pride.

If you think, well,

that job or that

work or what's

needed to help that

person or those

people over there,

that's something I

don't like to do.

Well, somebody's got

to do it.

And if it isn't you,

who will do it?

The disciples found

out that night that

Jesus will do it.

There's almost like

an argument from the

greater to the lesser

here.

See if you can hear

it in verse 14.

Now that I, your

Lord and teacher, have

washed your feet, you

also should wash one

another's feet.

It's like he's saying,

I am your Lord.

I am your teacher.

You are my students.

You are my servants.

And if I, as your

Lord and teacher, have

humbly served you, how

much more should you as

peers, as equals, jump

up, grab the towel to

serve one another?

It's like even if some

of you were greater than

each other and you're

not, you should still

serve one another like

this.

I, says Jesus, I am the

greater and I have

served you.

Take up the towel for

one another.

Take up the toilet brush

for one another.

Take up that job that

nobody else wants to do

for one another.

Take up the oven mitts

for one another.

Take up the work gloves

for one another.

And notice that there's

no mention here of

skill.

That's got to be one of

the top three excuses I

hear to why people can't

serve other people in

the church.

I'm not very good at

that.

Or that's not my gift.

Now there are a few

people when they say

that to me when I say,

you might be right

about that.

You might be right

about that.

That's okay.

We'll find someone else

to do it.

But most of the time

when people say that

to me, what I think

is, how would you feel

if your son or daughter

said the same thing to

you about taking their

turn to wash dishes

or clean the bathroom

at home?

Dad, washing dishes,

I'm not very good at

that.

Mom, cleaning the

bathroom, that's not

my gift.

I think you're better

gifted towards that.

I'm pretty sure I know

what most of you would

say to your son or

daughter.

And I would suggest to

you that with most

things in the church,

it's no different.

There are some people

who are specially gifted

by God to certain

kinds of work in the

church.

But there are many

times and many kinds

of service in the

church for which a

special gifting is not

necessary.

Just like with doing

the dishes at home

or cleaning the

bathroom.

You can learn how to

do it.

You can get good at it

with practice.

I don't want to pick

on anyone, but ask

Charles before this

past year.

I mean, he had very

little experience teaching

kids Sunday school,

right?

And over this past

year, the more you do

something, the better

you get at it.

You figure out what

works and what doesn't

work.

And now Charles is

saying, I love this.

This is my thing.

I think of myself.

I'm not gifted or good

at ministering to youth.

This past Friday, I had a

game planned out for the

kids and it bombed.

The kids didn't like it.

They said, can we do

something else?

It was kind of

embarrassing.

I was a little red.

But sometimes by God's

plan, he doesn't give us

a special gift for the

work that needs to be

done.

Maybe it's a way that he

teaches us to depend on

him and to look to him

for help.

But will we obey the

command of Christ and

serve like he has given

example to us?

Or will we just keep

looking around the room

at someone else who we

deem better suited to the

work than us?

Take up the towel, says

Jesus, just as I have

done for you.

As I was reflecting on

these words and how they

apply to us as a church, I

feel that I need to

commend some of you.

Some of you have been

living this way, that

Jesus says we should.

You've been serving one

another.

You've been scrubbing the

church toilets.

You've been vacuuming the

church carpets, making

coffee on Sunday morning,

making and delivering

meals to people in need,

helping one another out

with vehicles or

equipment, serving our

kids on Sunday mornings

with a live, doing the

sound booth and the

PowerPoint at the back,

serving with your voice

or instrument for

worship, delivering meals

on wheels.

The list really can go

on.

As I thought about it, I

thought, wow.

For a small church, we

are a serving church and

we do a lot.

And so to all of you who

have been helping and

serving so faithfully over

the years, I just want you

to know that your work

and your service has not

gotten unnoticed.

And the Lord will reward

you.

He sees it all.

And so I just want to say

thank you to all of you

who have been serving so

faithfully over the past

years.

Your service is so deeply

appreciated by us.

Some of you here this

morning maybe have been

less involved for whatever

reason.

Maybe it's health.

Maybe you're new.

Maybe you're just visiting.

Maybe you feel burnt out.

Maybe you want to serve,

but you're just not sure

what to do.

Or maybe if you're honest,

your attitude has been a

little bit like the

disciples here.

Whatever the reason, this

morning if you're here and

you hear the Lord's call to

take up the towel and you're

ready, I want you to know

that there's lots of

opportunities to serve in

this church and in this

community.

We've got a bulletin board

through that back door.

We call it the servant's

corner.

It's got opportunities

printed on it there.

And there's lots of

opportunities that aren't

listed there as well.

Feel free to come and

chat with me about it

any time.

We've got church yard,

spring cleaning, youth on

Fridays, health center

services, other little

projects and waiting.

And we've also got people

who continue to be in need

of help, even with just

something as simple as a

meal, who are having a

rough go here in our

church.

So if you're looking for

ways to serve, check out

the servant's corner.

Come talk to me and I'd be

happy to help you figure

out how you can take up the

towel.

Let's pray.

Lord Jesus, we're humbled

by your love.

We know that if we were in

the room that night,

you would have washed our

feet.

And we would have known that

we should have been the ones

with the towel in our hands.

We thank you that you have

loved us with such an amazing

love.

And that you went way

further than that.

The next day, you suffered

and you died for us.

We are unworthy.

You are worthy.

And we love you so much.

Thank you for doing that

for us, for meeting the

greatest need that we have,

that we could not meet for

ourselves.

We love you and we pray

this for your glory.

Amen.