April 2, 2026 | Maundy Thursday

This is the holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.

Glory to you, Lord Christ.

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 now understand, 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 only my feet, 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 it is completely clean, and you are clean, but not every one of you.

For he knew who was who it 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.

The gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Pray with me, please.

We pray, come, Holy Spirit, Lord, speak to us today.

That we might glorify you.

Come, Holy Spirit, we need you.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

Please be seated.

Well, we began the journey on Sunday.

It was the journey of the most incredible week in the course of human history.

We began with Palm Sunday.

We began with Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey.

And he was hailed as a king when he rode in, the king of the Jews.

The shouts of Hosanna.

Save us.

Shouts to save the people of Israel from the heavy hand of Rome.

They didn't realize what they were shouting.

They were bowing down before him, putting their cloaks out before him.

The king had arrived.

Not only the Lamb of God who comes to take away the sin of the world, but the king.

The king born at birth, riding on a donkey.

He is the king of kings, and he is the Lord of Lords.

But what about the nature of his rule, this king?

What about the mode of his ministry?

I want to look at that tonight.

This king, as we journey to the upper room, and I want to do it framing it around a very familiar reading.

Paul writes in Philippians and chapter 2.

I want to frame this evening around Philippians chapter 2, and what's known as the Christ hymn.

Philippians 2 · chapter mention

Listen to this.

We know it well.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus, who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness, and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death, on a cross.

This is an incredible statement that Paul is making.

He begins with the word.

John says in the beginning of his gospel in the prologue: in the beginning was the word.

And the word was with God, and the word was God.

Everything was made through the word.

And here's the king.

And Paul says in Philippians that the word emptied himself.

He let go.

And what did he let go of?

Did he let go of his deity, the word, who was God?

No, he didn't let go of his deity.

But he empties himself of the glory that was his in eternity.

It's the glory that he lets go of.

The glory that's only seen one time in the 33 years of life.

The glory that was revealed upon the mountain, the Mount of Transfiguration, the glory that was revealed to Peter, James, and John.

John would write about it in the prologue.

Peter would write about it a little bit later in his letter.

The glory that was revealed, they witnessed it.

This.

This is what he lays aside.

When he humbles himself, when he becomes a human being.

This is what he prays a little bit later in John 17.

He says, Father, I have brought you glory on earth by completing your work.

Now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had before the world began.

Do you hear that?

He doesn't lay aside, he doesn't let go of his deity.

He is God, but he lays aside his glory.

And Paul says he humbles himself and he becomes a human.

And not only that, he becomes a servant.

Just imagine that.

The God who created, the God who knows the beginning from the end, the word, how does he reveal himself to his people?

He reveals himself as a servant.

And Paul says that as a servant is obedient to his master, Jesus is obedient to his father even to death on a cross.

This is incredible.

This is a God who comes among his people, not with a glory that's blasting them away, but he comes with a humility to hide the might and the glory that is his.

So he comes.

He comes in the role of a servant.

Therefore, because of that, God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name.

That at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth.

And every tongue confessed that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

Again, this is an amazing truth.

This is a godly kingship.

This isn't a worldly kingship.

This is a godly kingship of authority and sovereignty.

Our Savior, our King, comes as a servant, and he stoops down to conquer.

So that's the backdrop.

We find ourselves tonight in this upper room.

And it's just before the Passover meal that John writes.

Matthew says this upper room, it's a borrowed room.

But it's just before they've gone to prepare for the Passover meal.

And this is what we heard.

We heard in Exodus chapter 12.

Exodus 12 · chapter mention

God spoke to Moses and Aaron.

And he said, Tell the Israelites, gather up male lambs, one year old, male lambs without defect.

And on the fourth day, on the 14th day, after the tenth day when they are presented, slaughter them and take the blood of the lamb and paint it on the doorpost of the house.

And that everyone who is inside the house, when the angel of death passes over, they will be safe.

The lamb, the blood of the lamb will protect them, will deliver them.

And then God says, this is to be commemorated for year after year after year.

So Jesus enters into Jerusalem, and on the 14th day, they are entering into the Passover meal and making preparation.

And again, Matthew tells us that this room that they go to, it's a borrowed room.

Think about that.

If it's a borrowed room, then there's no servant to perform the duty of hospitality.

And what is the duty of hospitality?

To wash feet.

Can you imagine the conversation?

When they got in that upper room, can't you just imagine Peter saying, Where's the servant?

Don't expect me to wash your feet, John.

Bartholomew says, Don't look to me.

This is that's beneath me.

Can you imagine the conversation going on?

And then we get a sermon and silence.

Did you hear it?

That after that dinner, that that feast, when Jesus would have taken bread, he would have blessed it, he would have broken it, he would have given it to his disciples, and said, Take, eat, this is my body, which is given for you.

Whenever you eat of this, do so in remembrance of me.

And after that supper, he would have taken a cup of wine and he would have blessed it, and he would have given it to them and said, Drink this, all of you.

This is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Whenever you drink it, do so in remembrance of me.

They would have had no idea of what he was talking about.

Of course, Jesus knows he's pointing to the cross.

In a few hours, that's where he's going.

But after that meal, John records that Jesus stands up and he takes off his outer clothing.

And he takes a towel and he wraps it around his waist.

And then he takes a basin of water.

And without a word, in total silence, he begins to wash the feet of all of his disciples.

From Peter to Judas.

Can you imagine again the shame in the room?

The shame that they must have felt?

They called him Lord.

But here he is now on his knees washing their feet.

There must have been a disconnect.

Was the Lord?

Was the was the Messiah?

What is he doing washing my feet?

But yet in silence, without without a word being spoken, he's washing their feet until he gets to Peter.

And Peter says, No, you're not gonna do this.

And Jesus says, Peter, you must let me do this.

Otherwise, you will not have a part of me.

You will not be numbered with me.

So then Peter says, Well, not just my feet, but my heads and my hands.

And then we get to the point of this sermon and silence.

After he finished washing their feet, he got up, he put his outer clothing back on, and he sat down.

And he asked them a question.

Did you hear the question?

He said, Do you understand what I have done for you?

You call me teacher, and you call me Lord, and rightly so, for that is what I am.

Now that I, your Lord and your teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet.

I have set an example for you that you should do as I have done for you.

I tell you the truth: no servant is greater than the master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.

I mean, it all makes perfect sense.

It's so logical.

No servant is greater than a master.

No messenger is greater than the one who sent him.

Do you remember how John began in verse 1 of chapter 13?

He began this way.

It was just before the Passover feast.

Jesus knew the time had come for him to leave the world and go to his Father.

Now, here, listen at this.

Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.

This is the point of the sermon.

What's the full extent of his love?

Serving them.

And he serves them in the lowest possible way.

He serves them by getting on his knees and washing their feet.

So he says in verse 17, he says, Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

You know what the irony is?

John doesn't record it, but Luke records it.

Do you know what was happening that moment in that upper room?

Those twelve?

Do you know what they were doing?

They were arguing.

And you know what they were arguing about?

Who is the greatest?

Can you imagine that?

I mean, really, what's the basis for the argument?

I mean, what's the basis, Peter, that you're greater than John?

Because maybe you called Jesus to Christ, the Son of the Living God, or John, John, that you're the beloved one, or Matthew, you're the one that invited Jesus in with all the sinners?

This is what they were arguing about.

And then Jesus asked them another question.

Who is greater?

The one who is at the table or the one who serves?

And then he answers.

Is it not the one who is at the table?

The guest who is at the table is greater than the one who serves the guest?

And Jesus says, Yes, that's true.

But here's the point of the sermon.

But I am among you as the one who serves.

You see, we have moved to Thursday, to Monday, Thursday.

Just the Latin word for commandment.

Jesus a little bit later would say, As I have loved you, you go and love one another.

And this is the point of the sermon.

This is the point of the silent sermon.

This is the point of taking the basin, getting on his knees and washing their feet.

The point is, is that they must receive his love before they can love.

They must receive it completely before they can love.

And how do we do that?

How do we receive his love in all humility?

Just like Jesus.

We receive his love by submitting unto him, by surrendering to him yet again.

But this is the point.

Jesus is making preparation to go to the cross in just a few hours when he's gonna be denied, he's gonna be betrayed, he's gonna be abandoned.

It's on the cross, he's gonna give another lesson.

It'll be the greatest demonstration of that love.

It won't be just washing feet, it'll be giving himself.

So this Maundy, Thursday, this night, we're reminded before we can love, we gotta receive his love completely.

Father God, we we come to you with humble hearts.

Lord, thank you for your servant leadership.

Thank you for your kneeling love and help us to receive it, Lord, that we might love as you have loved us.

As we make preparation, Lord, yet again to move deeper into this love.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.