Love And Service

And after that description, you think that he'll do something really impressive, maybe, that demonstrates his power.

Maybe about to take up a crown for himself, having been declared king just the following day, just the previous day.

And maybe he's about to do some amazing miracle to demonstrate his power.

But instead, what we find after the description is that he laid aside his outer garments and taking a towel, tied it around his waist.

And then he begins to do the unthinkable in verse 5.

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.

You guys have to think about this, right?

Because people's feet are dirty, right?

Maybe some of you guys are familiar with that moment when someone who's been working out or wearing tennis shoes all day enters a room and finally removes those tennis shoes.

And the smell just kind of percolates throughout the room.

You guys know that smell.

Maybe some of you guys are familiar with how wearing flip-flops in the summer.

You wear the flip-flops for a few days or, you know, the bottom of your feet get really dirty.

It looks black, right?

You guys know what I'm talking about?

It kicks up dirt.

It gets dirty.

And so imagine this.

This is in the Middle East, right?

This is Jerusalem.

It's a desert climate.

It's a lot hotter than it is here.

And it's a lot dirtier.

There's a lot of dust, dry dust on the ground.

And people walk around in sandals, even more shoddily constructed than today's flip-flops.

And they're wearing it all day.

Imagine their feet.

It's both sweatier and dirtier than the feet that we're accustomed to smelling and seeing.

And so because of that, it was customary for hosts, when they have guests over to their houses,

to arrange for someone, a servant, to wash their feet because you didn't want that kind of feet in the house.

But this task was reserved for the lowliest of the menial servants.

In fact, some of the Jews insisted that even Jewish slaves should not do such menial tasks.

Even the slaves shouldn't do it if you're a Jew, they said.

This should be reserved for the Gentile Jews.

Some Jews taught that.

And so that task, well, you can imagine the scenario.

So Jesus has come with his disciples to this place.

The guest meal has been prepared.

And Jesus sits as the host.

Everybody knows what needs to happen.

Somebody needs to wash their feet.

But not a single one of the disciples is willing to swallow their pride and say,

well, I guess I'll do it.

Because perhaps they'd be willing to wash Jesus' feet.

Yeah, I mean, he's the son of God.

He's the Messiah.

I'll wash his feet.

Oh, but Judas' feet?

Peter's feet?

No, there's no way I'm washing their feet.

That's the scenario.

And so you could imagine as there's this kind of tension in the room,

the disciples are looking around themselves at how mortified they would be

when they find Jesus laying aside his outer garments,

pushing himself up from this mat.

And he wraps a towel around his waist,

which is the attire of the menial servants during that time,

and proceeds to wash their dirty, stinky feet.

This is a stunning demonstration of Christ's humility and love.

And lest we miss it, John already reminded us in verse 2

that Judas Iscariot, the betrayer of Jesus,

is among the number of the twelve.

He's there.

And Jesus knows he's about to betray him.

And he washes his feet, his enemy, his betrayer.

And others are just shocked and uncomfortable.

So there's this uncomfortable silence in the room,

and they don't say anything out of embarrassment.

But Peter predictably objects.

In verse 6, he says to Jesus,

Lord, do you wash my feet?

In the Greek, the sentence is constructed to emphasize Peter's indignation.

It reads like,

Lord, you will my feet wash?

That's, Lord, you will my feet wash?

That's unthinkable.

And then so Jesus answers in verse 7,

What I am doing you do not understand now,

but afterward you will understand.

When Peter refuses stubbornly, he says,

You shall never wash my feet.

He's well-meaning, but Jesus responds to him in verse 8,

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

See, Jesus is insistent that he's going to wash his feet,

you know, not because of some false humility,

saying, No, you are going to let me be humble and wash your feet.

That's not what's going on at all.

Jesus is insistent because of the symbolic value of what he is doing,

because this act of humility and self-sacrifice,

it points to his death on the cross that is coming.

Someone who is deserving of honor and glory,

the perfect one, laying down his life,

humbly serving the people,

the people who ought to be serving him.

And so that's why he tells me,

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

That's the inheritance language.

It's only those whose sins have been washed away by the blood of the Lamb

who will have a share in Christ's heavenly inheritance.

So Peter, of the famous all-or-nothing personality,

responds in verse 9,

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

But Jesus restrains him in verse 10,

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.

So this explanation teaches a really important,

but an impractical distinction

between the initial once and for all washing of the Christian

and the ongoing continual washing

that must take place for the Christian.

Because the follower of Jesus,

once you place your trust in Jesus,

repent and believe in him,

you are cleansed once and for all.

You're saved once and for all.

You're justified once and for all.

And that is not a repeatable event.

That's once and for all.

However, the Bible still commands us

to confess our sins to him

so that we might be forgiven.

1 John, for example,

it says, Apostle John is writing clearly to believers.

He says in chapter 5, 13,

that he's writing to those who believe in the name of the Son of God

and have eternal life.

So he's writing to people who have eternal life,

yet he tells them in chapter 1, verse 9, 1 John 1, 9,

if we confess our sins,

he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins

and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

So this tension that we see here

is like so many other tensions,

other truths of Christianity

is because of God's eternal and omniscient perspective,

the contrast between that

and our finite and limited perspective.

Because from God's perspective,

he's timeless and eternal,

he sees our past, present, and future

all in one picture in the same way.

So for him,

that once and for all justification

deals with all of our sins.

So from his perspective,

we might rightly say that,

yes, our future past sins also are forgiven.

But from a human limited perspective,

it's been appropriate to say

that God forgives you of your sins

before you confess them,

your future sins before you commit them.

Rather, the Bible calls us to confess those as we go,

and that's the continual washing,

the feet washing that must keep taking place.

But that's not the same

as that once and for all,

the bath that takes place

when we first believe in him,

repent in him.

And the ground for that continual forgiveness

is not our own confession,

but it's what Jesus has already done for us,

his sacrifice on the cross.

So 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.

So by washing the feet of his disciples,

Jesus simultaneously gives us

a symbol of saving cleansing

that he will affect on the cross.

And at the same time,

he displays his great love for us.

This is the love demonstrated.

And having demonstrated his love for us,

Jesus calls us to emulate it.

He commands this same love.

In verses 12 to 17, read it with me.

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 are 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.

Jesus has given us an example

so that we might do them, right?

Now some people understand these words

to mean that we should continue

to wash one another's feet in a literal way.

There are denominations

that practice foot washing as a ritual.

But I don't think that's Jesus' intention

for a couple different reasons.

And first is that nowhere else in the New Testament

is foot washing mentioned

as a ritual to be practiced.

And that may be why in the book of Acts

you see the picture of the early church.

They don't, you don't see them

in the description of the early church,

them washing feet, right?

And secondly, foot washing

is not something that Jesus started, right?

It's something that everyone

in that culture practiced.

What Jesus is doing is instead

there's something that you would normally think

is beneath yourself.

This do for one another.

Love and serve one another.

And so Jesus, I don't think,

is instituting something

that we need to practice

in a ritualized sense,

but rather he's saying

that we have to serve one another in humility

even to the point of washing one another's feet.

So no doubt, I'm sure,

as Christians in the early church,

they did wash one another's feet.

And we have to think in our context,

what does it look like for us

to wash one another's feet,

to love and serve one another?

The fact that Jesus' point

is far broader than just foot washing

we can see later in verses 33 and 35

because he expands the command.

And this new commandment I give to you

that you love one another

just as I have loved you,

you also are to love one another.

That's the command that Jesus is saying,

emulate me, the command to love.

And if our Lord and teacher

deign to wash our feet,

then should we not also wash one another's feet?

If we are just servants of God, right?

But then if our master

washes his disciples' feet,

then should we not also wash

one another's feet?

If Jesus was willing to wash his disciples' feet,

then there shouldn't be anything

too demeaning for us,

too anything beneath us,

if it means loving and serving one another.

Who should be willing to do?

I don't know if you've ever been

a part of a volunteer organization.

I guess you are in the church,

but other volunteer organizations.

If you have been, like I have,

then you know it's really, really hard

to get people to do anything.

Because there's no incentive,

there's no leverage,

you don't have anything.

You just have people's goodwill.

And so if you're in a volunteer organization

like that,

it's really hard to get people

to just come and sit and do nothing.

Like it's,

let alone take on real responsibilities.

But not so in the church.

Why?

Because Christ has given us this example.

Because Christ as a commander says,

wash one another's feet.

So we're eager to serve one another.

We've been saved to serve one another.

So we're eager to take on tasks

that others will consider to demeaning

beneath our dignity.

Because that's the humility,

the hallmark of Christians.

And note that this command

applies specifically to one another.

Right?

It's in verse.

And that's why Jesus calls his disciples

little children in verse 33.

He's referring to that circle of believers.

The Greek word behind the translation

of that little children

is a diminutive form

that conveys special affection.

It's an endearing term.

You could translate it as

my dear little children almost.

Right?

And it's beloved children.

So Jesus is actually,

and the Passover was traditionally,

the way Jews celebrated,

a family meal.

Right?

So the head of the household

presided over the Passover meal.

And so Jesus is radically breaking

from tradition

when he gathers his disciples

and sits as head of the household

over the Passover meal.

Because he's drawing them away

from their families

and constituting the new family of God

as he does this.

That's why in Matthew 12, 50,

he says,

For whoever does the will

of my Father in heaven,

he, that person is my brother,

and that person my sister and mother.

Right?

So Jesus is forming that new community.

And so he calls them,

his disciples,

his little children.

And so this applies particularly

to the way we treat one another

and serve one another

as believers.

But what about the people

who are not part of the family of God?

And do we not love them?

Well, of course,

that's not it at all

because Jesus calls us to love

even our enemies

in Matthew chapter 5.

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

Of course, we're called

to love everyone.

Of course, we're called

to love our neighbor as ourselves.

But just as people reserve

a special place of affection

for an intimacy

for their family members,

we do the same

for the family of God.

Doesn't mean we love

other people less.

We just,

at the risk of saying

something that seems paradoxical,

we don't love them less.

We love each other more.

Right?

And so that's why

Apostle Paul exhorts us

in Galatians 6, 10,

So then as we have opportunity,

let us do good to everyone,

and especially to those

who are of the household

of faith.

This command to love

one another

is so simple

that the youngest member

of the church

can grasp it

and appreciate it.

But at the same time,

it's so profound

that even the most mature

among us

can't exhaust it

or fully practice it.

So what does that mean?

What does it look like

to love one another?

The command to love

one another

apprehends all the commands

in Scripture

of the one another

commands in Scripture.

It means we greet

one another.

We rejoice with one another

in times of joy.

And we cry with one another

in times of sadness.

It means we confess

our gravest and slightest sins

to one another

in humility.

And we accept one another

in God's grace.

And then we pray

for one another

so we might be healed.

It means that we serve

one another

and carry one another's burdens

by meeting each other's needs,

caring for the sick among us,

providing for the poor among us,

assisting the heavy laden among us.

It means we're to be hospitable

to one another.

We are to be eating

in each other's homes.

It means we encourage

and edify one another,

exhort one another

to be faithful

and spur one another

on toward good deeds.

It means we bear

with one another,

forgive one another,

forgive one another,

cover up one another's faults

and idiosyncrasies.

It means we teach

and admonish one another

and speak the hard truth

in love to one another.

It means we look out

for one another's interests

and not just

to our own.

That's what it looks like

to love one another

as Christ has loved us.

That's the church.

That's the kind of community

that Jesus set out to build.

Nothing less than that.

And loving one another

this way

is actually also

the best way

we can love

our non-believing friends

because it says

in verse 35,

by this all people

will know

that you are my disciples

if you have love

for one another.

Our love for others

flows from our love

for one another

because if we love

one another well,

people around us

will see that

and that's how

they will come

to recognize

Jesus in our lives

and His saving grace

in our lives.

That's how we reveal

Jesus to those people

around us.

We love one another.

So that's really

the most loving thing

we can do

for our unbelieving friends

and neighbors as well.

We share the gospel

with them

and we show them

the gospel

in the way we love

one another.

And this has been

documented

throughout church history

of how people

come to know the Lord,

how people come

to Christ

because by watching

how people love one another,

how Christians love one another.

In a book entitled

The Rise of Christianity,

Rodney Stark,

a sociologist,

writes about the

meteoric rise of Christianity

from being this

minority religion

that was persecuted

to becoming the majority

religion in the Roman Empire

within a mere few centuries.

That's a remarkable

historical phenomenon.

And he writes that

during the two epidemics

in year 165 AD

and 251 AD,

each of those epidemics

killed up to a third

of the entire Roman Empire,

most people in the empire

deserted their friends

and relations

in order to save themselves

because the disease

was contagious.

But Christians stayed behind

and cared for their own.

And because of their care

for their own,

the rate of survival

was way higher

among the Christians.

And because of that

tight in the community

that Christians exemplified,

the people outside

looking in saw that

and was attracted,

drawn to it,

said,

I want to be a part

of that kind of community.

I want to be a community,

being a community of love.

And so people came to Christ

and led to a great revival

of Christianity

in the Roman Empire.

There's no silver bullet

for church growth.

We currently have

about six households

in our church

who live in East Cambridge proper

within a quarter mile radius

of each other.

And we have a lot more people

who are also really close

right outside of that.

And if we love one another

in this way

as God's calling us to,

as Jesus is commanding us to,

and showing us to,

if we do this,

I guarantee you,

people will take notice

and we will grow

and people will come

to know Jesus Christ

and this community of love

will grow and grow and grow

until it overwhelms.

And people can't help

but go to a grocery store

without seeing

a Christian loving one another.

That's the vision

for our church plan.

It's not,

it's not some gimmick

trying to pull some stunts

to attract people.

Our plan for growth

is to love one another

and to serve Jesus

and serve one another.

And so,

we are recipients

of an incredible commission

and promise.

Because Jesus says

whoever receives

the one he sends

receives him.

And whoever receives him

receives the one

who sent him.

He's saying the way

you love one another,

the body of Christ,

what you do for them,

you do for Jesus himself.

That's why in that parable

of the sheep and the goats,

you guys know

in the final judgment,

Jesus divides the sheep

and the goats

and what does he say

to the sheep?

When I was in prison,

you came and visited me.

When I was hungry,

you came and fed me.

He refers to these little ones.

He's referring to

the believers.

What you do

for the body of Christ,

you do for Jesus.

And so,

this is the love

commanded by Christ.

But though Christ

has demonstrated

his love for us

and he commands us

to love one another

as he has loved us,

we often fail to do so.

And this brings us

to our final point,

love betrayed.

Christ demonstrates

his love for his disciples,

but he will soon

be betrayed by Judas

and denied by Peter,

the foremost among

his disciples.

Jesus says in verses

17 to 18,

If you know these things,

blessed are you

if you do them.

I'm 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.

Now,

I don't think Jesus

is saying here

that he knows

whom he has chosen,

meaning I chose you,

11,

but not Judas.

I don't think

that's what he's saying

because he says

in John 6,

early in chapter 6,

70,

Jesus says,

Did I not choose you,

the 12,

and yet one of you

is a devil?

So what Jesus

is saying here

is that he chose

the 12.

He knows whom he chose.

He knew exactly

what he was doing

when he chose Judas

to be among the 12.

That's what he's saying.

And then he cites

Psalm 41, 9,

where David laments,

Even my close friend

in whom I trusted,

who ate my bread,

has lifted up

his heel against me.

And this Psalm,

which David wrote,

is applied to Jesus

because David

was a type

or a pattern

or a model

that's pointed to Jesus

and Jesus fulfills

David's life

and what he represented

as a king of Israel.

And so that verse

is now applied to Jesus.

David's suffering

applied to Jesus

and he says

that he who ate his bread

has lifted his heel

against me.

Now,

eating once,

sharing your bread

is a big deal

even in our culture,

right?

You don't eat together

with strangers,

right?

You generally eat together

with your friends.

And when you invite

someone over to your home

that breaks another barrier.

You're saying,

I'm trusting you

and inviting you

into the intimate quarters

of my life.

That's what that represents.

In the Near Eastern culture

that Jesus is in,

this is an even bigger deal

than it is in our culture

because you only eat

with the people

that you really are intimate with,

you love.

Here,

you don't associate

with enemies

and sharing the bread

with someone

and then to turn around

and betray them

was considered

particularly heinous

and evil.

And Jesus said,

that's what's happening

to him.

The one

whom he has trusted,

he who ate my bread

has lifted his heel

against me.

Judas,

one of Jesus'

most intimate companions.

Judas,

whose feet Jesus washed,

Judas,

who oversaw the money

for the twelve,

will betray him.

Jesus speaks even more plainly

in verse 21,

truly, truly,

I say to you,

one of you will betray me.

Now,

the disciples are confused

by the starting revelation,

but Jesus doesn't immediately

follow that with exactly

who's going to betray him.

And it's because of that,

so Peter just kind of

motions to John.

He says,

one of his disciples

whom Jesus loved

was reclining at table

at Jesus' side.

So Peter motions

to this disciple

and the disciple

whom Jesus loved

is John,

the apostle John.

And this is

the conventional way

of preserving

authorial kind of humility.

They don't,

authors try not

to put themselves

in the book,

in the book themselves.

Apostle Paul

does a similar thing

when he talks about

the man who ascended

to the third heavens.

He's talking about himself,

most commentaries agree,

but he doesn't refer

to himself by name.

And so,

and John,

and this is,

don't think of it

as a boast

because I don't think

John's saying,

oh, I,

the disciple

whom Jesus loved,

you know,

more than all the others.

That's not what's going on.

That shows profound gratitude

and sense of indebtedness

to what Jesus

has done for him.

I,

the one whom Jesus loved,

the son of God loved.

He says,

so he was sitting there

and he was reclining

next to Jesus,

apparently,

on Jesus' left side

or right side,

it seemed.

And,

and you have to kind of,

in order to picture this,

you need to know

the customs of this era

because when they're reclining,

that means they're actually

literally reclining,

usually leaning

on their left arm

like this

and they're kind of

lying down

on,

on a mat

and they're sitting

at a low table

and they would sit around

kind of in a staggered

kind of way

so that the person

on your left

would have their head

close to your chest

if you're,

I mean,

or,

you guys kind of know

what I'm talking about

so it's,

they're kind of diagonal

and so they're dining,

reclining in that way

and their feet

are all radiating outward

so it's kind of

around the table this way

and so John was on,

on an honor,

in an honored place

right next to Jesus

on the right hand

and so Peter

tells him,

hey,

ask Jesus,

who is this person

who's going to betray him

and then Jesus replies

in verse 26,

it is he to whom

I will give this morsel

of bread

when I have dipped it

and then he dips

the morsel

and gives it to Judas

Iscariot.

Now,

the fact that Jesus

is able to give

the morsel of bread

that he's dipped

to Judas

might suggest

and most biblical

commentators guess this

that Judas was probably

sitting on Jesus'

left hand

so John was on the right hand

and Judas was sitting

on the left hand

so Jesus was able

to pass it to him

so it's,

and dipping the morsel

of bread

during the Passover feast

and giving it

and the host

would do that

traditionally

that was also

considered an honor

and so Jesus

gives to Judas

a great honor

bestows on him

a great honor

when he dips

that morsel of bread

and gives it to him

it's almost

seems to me

like the last gesture

of his love

a plea even

an overture

and

and if you are

Judas

of course

by this point

you would have to

really dull

to not know

that Jesus knew

what you were about

to do

I mean Jesus knows

and so Judas

has really two

stark options

first is to

you know

rush out

and immediately do

what he was planning

to do

to betray Jesus

and the second

is to just

break down

in front of Jesus

and repent

unfortunately

he opts

for the former

because he says

in verse 27

then after he had

taken the morsel

Satan entered

into him

his sinful heart

gives way

to Satan's

possession

and Jesus

knowing this

says to him

what are you

going

what you are

going to do

do quickly

now apparently

Jesus' answer

to John's question

who is it

that's going

to betray you

wasn't really

audible to everyone

because it leads

to great confusion

now verses

28 and 29

it says

now no one

at the table

knew why

he said this

to him

some thought

that because

Judas had the

money back

Jesus was telling

him buy what

we need for

the feast

or that he

should give

something to

the poor

so it's

very possible

that only John

and Judas

were able to

hear what

Jesus was saying

maybe the ones

that were right

next to him

because they're

still confused

when Jesus

says go

whatever you're

going to do

do quickly

they think

that Judas

is going out

to buy

more supplies

for the feast

of unleavened

bread

which continues

the Passover

feast

or to go

out and give

alms to the

poor

which was also

conventional

traditional

practice

during the

Passover feast

and so John

even though he

knows what's

going on

he's shell

shocked

probably a

nerd by

Jesus'

incredible

declaration

and confused

probably why

Jesus is so

calm and

collected

and in

control

when he's

announcing

that someone's

about to

betray him

so he doesn't

say anything

and then

the rest

of the

disciples

assumed

just that

he went

to do

something

that he

was going

to do

with the

money bag

and then

so it

says in

verse 30

after receiving

the morsel

of bread

he immediately

went out

and it was

night

so if you've

been with us

throughout the

series in the

gospel of John

you know how

John uses

day and night

to refer to

light and

darkness

so this

now it is

night when

Judas leaves

it is the

night

the hour

of darkness

has come

the hour

of Jesus

departure

his death

has come

the series

of events

that would

lead to his

trial and

execution

has now been

triggered

and ironically

the hour

of darkness

is also the

hour of Jesus

glorification

as we've been

talking about

so it says

in verses 31

and 32

now is the

son of man

glorified and

God is glorified

in him

if God is

glorified in

him God

would also

glorify him

in himself

and glorify

him at

once

but when

Jesus talks

in verse 33

about him

departing

even though he

had been

preparing the

disciples up to

this point

everything that

just transpired

including his

exchange with

Judas and his

abrupt departure

is quickly

forgotten and

they just kind

of grab onto

that piece of

information

what you're

about to

leave

what are you

doing Jesus

so Peter

tells him

Lord where are

you going

verse 36

asks him

Jesus says

where I'm

going you

cannot follow

me now

but you

will follow

afterward

so Peter

then asks

Lord why

can I not

follow you

now I

will lay

down my

life for

you and

then Jesus

makes a

stunning

prediction

verse 38

will you lay

down your

life for me

truly truly I

say to you

the rooster

will not

crow till

you have

denied me

three times

you could

just imagine

you could hear

his ego

deflating

I will die

for you

no you will

deny me three

times before

the rooster

crows

and note the

irony of Jesus

question in

verse 38

will you lay

down your

life for me

right Peter

has got it

all backwards

who is going

to lay

who is life

down for

who that is

the exact

opposite of

what is going

to happen

Jesus is

laying down

his life

for him

and Peter

says to him

no I will

lay down

my life

for you

and unfortunately

for Peter

his boast

that he would

never deny

Jesus

even to the

point of

death

betrays his

naivete

and it

betrays his

ignorance of

human sin

and weakness

in fact his

his kind of

haughty self

denial is the

very root

is the seed

of his

eventual denial

and so let

me ask you

if if ever

you're more

aware of

and if ever

you're more

aware of

and concerned

about how

you are

loving Jesus

than of how

Jesus has

loved you

if ever

you're more

aware of

and concerned

about your

righteousness

and performance

than Christ's

righteousness

and what he

has accomplished

for us

on the cross

if you're

ever more

aware of

and concerned

about the

work that

you are

doing for

the kingdom

and for

Jesus

than the

work that

Jesus has

already done

for you

then that

same pride

that was

at work

in Peter

is now

seeking

to bring

you down

therefore

let anyone

who thinks

that he

stands

take heed

lest he

fall

1st

Corinthians

10

12

it's

the person

who is

confident

in his

own

strength

that is

in the

greatest

danger

of

sinning

and denying

Jesus

and it's

when we

are aware

of our

sinfulness

and weakness

that we

are most

grateful for

and dependent

on God's

grace

that's when

we're the

strongest

so in

his

autobiography

entitled

Confessions

Augustine

a 4th

century

pastor

and theologian

writes

the recalling

of my

wicked ways

is bitter

in my

memory

but I

do it

so that

you may

be sweeter

to me

that's what

we do

when we

remember

our weakness

when we

remember

our sins

when we

remember

our indebtedness

to Christ

that's when

we are

strong

that's when

Christ is

sweet to

us

that's when

we are

invulnerable

but Peter

in another

sense also

speaks better

than he

knows

because he

will first

deny Jesus

three times

but after

his denial

and Jesus

gracious

reinstatement

of Peter

and after

he has been

empowered by

the Holy

Spirit

at Pentecost

Peter

will lay

down his

life for

Jesus

tradition

holds that

Peter was

crucified

upside down

at his

own request

because he

refused to

be killed

in the same

manner as

his Lord

and Savior

and where

did the

strength

for Peter

come from

not from

himself

but from

Jesus

and that's

why Jesus

calls this

command

new

if you guys

caught that

right

he says

love one

another as

he has

loved us

that command

he says

is new

it's not

new

technically

speaking

right

because the

command to

love has

been around

since the

time of

Moses

so it's

not new

in its

content

but it's

new in

its

covenantal

context

because Jesus

has brought

the people

of God

into a

new

community

of love

and he

has formed

this new

family of

God

and has

empowered

them

and dwelled

them

with the

Holy Spirit

and so

then this

command to

love one

another

is new

in the sense

that it is

given under

the new

covenant

we now

are empowered

to obey

this commandment

in ways

that the

people of

God never

were previously

empowered to

do

so God

promised in

Jeremiah 31

behold the

days are

coming when I

will make a

new covenant

with the

house of

Israel

and the

house of

Judah

not like

the covenant

that I

made with

their fathers

on the day

when I took

them by the

hand to

bring them

out of

the land

of Egypt

my covenant

that they

broke

but this

time I

will put

my law

within them

and I

will write

it on

their hearts

and I

will be

their God

and they

shall be

my people

for I

will forgive

their

iniquity

and I

will remember

their sin

no more

that's the

new covenant

reality

and that's

why Jesus

calls this

command to

love one

another

new

because now

we're in a

new context

in a new

covenant

community

and now

we have

the spirit

of God

and we're

empowered

to actually

obey

this

command

so then

let me remind

you the

power for

obedience

then for

the Christian

lies not

in our

own

willpower

or self

discipline

it lies

in abiding

in Christ

it lies

in remembering

and living

in light

of his

grace

and glory

demonstrate

on the

cross

because if

Jesus washing

of his

disciples feet

is shocking

and unthinkable

then the

notion of

the eternal

holy and

perfect God

the king

the messianic

promised messianic

king dying

the death

of a criminal

slave on

the cross

is even

more unthinkable

and shocking

and that's

what the

foot washing

here points

to

just think

about it

in your life

every moment

in our

lives

of petty

selfishness

and envy

every lustful

thought

and a

wandering

glance

every harsh

words

in an

anger

every

instance

of greed

materialistic

hedonism

every wasted

hour of

unproductive

twittering

surfing

every

prideful

moment

in which

we judged

others

and thought

ourselves

better

now

instead of

having our

name

associated

with it

has

Jesus'

name

written

over it

in blood

Jesus

the holy

one of

God

who should

never

be associated

with our

sinful

squalor

so that

his holiness

his righteousness

can be

imputed

to us

for

our

sake

God

made

him

to be

sin

who

knew

no

sin

so that

in him

we might

become

the

righteousness

of God

if you

are not

yet a

follower

of Jesus

I want

to urge

you

this

morning

don't

spurn

Jesus'

love

as

Judas

did

and if

you

already

believe

in

Jesus

and have

trusted

in him

then I

exhort

you

to lean

not on

your own

strength

as Peter

did

but look

to Jesus

only

for it's

only in

so doing

that we

can love

one another

as Christ

loved us

let's

pray

God

we

are at

a

loss

for

words

when we

think

about

what

you

have

done

for

us

in

your

son

Jesus

Christ

that

he

bore

our

sin

so that

we can

bear

his

righteousness

we

will never

understand

why

that is

the mystery

and wonder

of your

grace

but we

do ask

that you

make

that wonder

that you

never let

us lose

that wonder

of your

grace

and mercy

so we

can

continually

behold

Christ

rely on

him

lean into

him

abide

in him

and in

so doing

be transformed

by your

love

so we

can love

one another

as you

have loved

us

in Jesus

name we

pray

amen

for

in

am

what

about

ti

one

who

that

would

be

yeah

I

can

imagine

you

hear

me

can

απ

bad

you