John Ch13v1-17

Thank you.

I'm not as tall as Jonathan.

And secondly, I'm seeing less and less well, so I have to put my stuff further and further away from me before I can read it.

So that's why I have to kind of lower the stand a bit.

Brilliant to be with you guys today.

It's a strange day for you.

Sunday afternoon service during midterm.

Quite odd.

Hammering down rain sometimes.

It might happen again.

Who knows?

But I just want to bring greetings and love from Douglas Baptist Church, your sister church.

We are truly sister churches because we actually came from the same mothership.

If you go far enough back, few enough here I suppose remember it, but Kergoline Baptist was planted out of Cork Baptist somewhere in the 80s.

87, 86, somewhere there.

And then Douglas Baptist was planted out of Cork Baptist Church in 2006.

And so we're delighted with the fellowship we share, the fact that we share in the love of the Lord together, the ways that we're part of the Cork-Carrie project together and are able to share in the work of the Lord in various ways.

And so I just want to bring greetings from Douglas to all of you.

And it is just great to be here today unexpectedly.

Johnny wasn't expecting me to be here.

I wasn't expecting to be here.

But sad that Johnny's not well at the moment and happy that I can stand in, I suppose, this morning.

So John chapter 13, verses 1 to 17, we're going to look at today.

John 13:1–17

Now today we're going to be looking and seeing a towel.

And we're also going to be looking and seeing a basin.

Now, seeing the towel and the basin, which we must see in the passage, makes me kind of terrified.

And here's why.

Because in John's Gospel, which we've been working through in Douglas,

throughout John's Gospel, people see physical realities but miss the spiritual and eternal realities behind them.

So what do I mean?

Jesus speaks about being born again.

You must be born again.

And you must be born of the Spirit.

And a man starts thinking about, do I have to go back into my mother's womb then?

Is that what has to happen?

Jesus speaks about the temple being torn down.

And what he's really speaking about is not the temple built by Herod.

He's speaking about his own body.

The disciples think Jesus is talking about lunch,

when in reality Jesus is talking about the thing that feeds and energizes me is doing my Father's will.

And so throughout John's Gospel, we have again and again these physical realities that point us to something much deeper,

more eternal and spiritual.

And so we need to see the towel and the basin today because they're here.

But we need to look through them at what Jesus is really teaching to us in this passage.

And I'm a bit terrified that in my teaching or that in your listening we might only see towels and basins

and go out and say, okay, everybody get a towel and a basin.

That's all that needs to happen this morning.

And I hope that we can look past that as we look into John chapter 13.

John 13 · chapter mention

So John 13 verses 1 to 17 is a passage that's brimming with implications,

John 13:1–17

brimming with applications, too many for us to talk about today.

But what I want us to think about today is this.

I want us to see here the love of Jesus.

See his love.

That's what I think this passage is really all about.

If you look at verse 1, it says,

What's going on in John 17?

Jesus is trying to show his own people the full extent of his love.

Now as we think about this passage,

I want us to be clear that the scriptures teach that we live out of our hearts.

We live out of our hearts.

We don't just live on the outside.

So as we speak today about servanthood,

there will be no one serving consistently

unless that comes from a heart that wants to serve.

You know, you can whomp it up for a day,

but if you want to serve ongoing, it's got to come from your heart.

You know, you think about fitness training or strength training

or things like this.

I tried some of that strength training with some of my friends in school.

They had hearts for it and they kept it up.

I went and said,

Man, I'm a wreck.

And that was it for me.

You know, I didn't have a heart for it.

Unless you have a heart for something,

you don't carry on doing it.

We live out of our hearts.

And in the Bible, when it speaks of our hearts,

it's actually really speaking about

basically the engine that drives us forward in life.

It's the energy that we live from.

Our hearts are the reason we do what we do.

They are the compelling purpose behind the things we do in life.

And so when the Bible speaks of our heart,

it speaks of our desires,

our will,

our choices.

It speaks of our motivation.

It speaks of our emotions.

It speaks of our thoughts,

our devotions,

our cravings,

our worship.

The whole inner man,

in reality,

the whole you that I can't see today.

I'm looking at your physical bodies,

but the whole you that I cannot see today

is really the heart.

It's this kind of wrapped up term

of everything that has to do with the heart.

We live out of our hearts.

It is the engine that drives us

in what we do in life.

And Jesus, here,

is living out of his heart.

And we want to see in this passage

the very heart of Jesus.

I think of in another place

in Matthew 11, verse 29,

Matthew 11:29

where it speaks very similarly.

Jesus says,

I am gentle and lowly in heart.

My very heart is that I am gentle and lowly.

And here Jesus,

the lowly and gentle master,

is showing this heart of love

which drives him

in everything he does.

So we want to see that today.

He loves.

And here in verse 1,

we see that he loves his own

to the end.

It says,

having loved his own

who were in the world,

verse 1,

he now showed them

the full extent of his love.

I really hope that today

we will get to see

something more

of the love of Jesus.

He would love them

to the death.

He would make a display

of the ultimate form of love.

Jesus, actually,

if we were to look back

into chapter 12,

he says,

now my soul

is troubled within me.

He is in the most troubling

personal circumstances

anyone could imagine.

No matter how troubled yours are,

you cannot imagine

how troubled Jesus are

in this moment.

And yet,

in this time,

when he is facing

all these troubling circumstances,

his heart is troubled

within him.

He loves

and he serves

his own.

That's very telling,

isn't it?

He loved,

it says,

his own.

Now,

back in John chapter 1,

John 1 · chapter mention

at the beginning

of John's gospel,

it says,

Jesus came to his own,

but his own

did not receive him.

There it's speaking

of the Jewish people.

He came to his own

Jewish people.

They did not receive him.

And so,

in a way,

what we see here

is that

his own,

in this passage,

are no longer

the old covenant community

of genetic people

coming from Abraham,

the children of Abraham,

genetically.

His own

are now

a new covenant community

of all

who did receive him.

John chapter 1,

John 1:12

verse 12.

To all who did receive him,

who believed on his name,

he gave the right

to become

children of God.

Children

born

of God.

John 1,

12,

and 13.

His own.

It says here

that his own

were

in

the world.

We really

want to look at it,

what it is,

is his own

are those

who he has called

out

of the world.

They are no longer

those of the world.

He has called them

out of the world,

but here they are

in the world.

A very important word

in John's gospel.

The word world here

is the word

cosmos.

And wherever it is used

in John's gospel

and throughout

much of the New Testament,

I think it is used

186 times

in the New Testament,

this word cosmos,

it refers to

humans

living

opposed

to God.

Humanity

in opposition

to God

is what this word

world

brings to mind.

Think of this.

John 3,

16.

Probably the most

well-known verse

in maybe the Bible.

For God

so

loved

the world.

Really?

The cosmos?

Humans

in opposition

to him?

He so loved

them?

For real?

Yes.

He did.

Think of

this love.

He so

loved

that he loved

those who were

completely

opposed to him.

He loved

those

who were

his enemies.

He loved

those

who lived

in direct

rebellion

against him.

He loves

those

who have

done

their worst

and most

harmful evil

to himself

and to

his son.

God

so

loved

the world.

But now

we read

here

that not

only does

he so

love the

world,

he loves

his own.

Nevertheless,

can I just

point out

this love

where God

so loved

the world,

this love

for his

enemies,

for those

who are

against him,

you have

never

experienced

love

from anyone

else like

that.

In fact,

I would

dare say,

you and

I have

never

loved

like that,

have we?

That is

an incredibly

remarkable

love,

to love

in that

way.

And yet

here we

find that

Jesus wants

to go beyond

that love

of God

so loved

the world

to show

the full

extent of

his love

for

his

own.

His

own.

He loved

his own

and showed

them the

full extent

of his

love.

About 10

days ago,

we have

some friends

in Germany,

their names

are Sam

and Jesse.

And Sam

and Jesse

had their

first child

10 days

ago.

His name

is James.

And Sam

and Jesse

for years

have been

involved in

a ministry

where they

are ministering

to students,

they spiritually

care for

many young

people and

help them

towards the

Lord.

And they

love those

young people

they work

with.

But I

can tell

you that

Sam

and Jesse

are experiencing

love to

a new

extent.

Love of

their own.

His little

James,

their own

son.

And if

you're a

parent,

I think

you know

what I'm

now talking

about.

There's

this love

to a

greater

extent.

And here

Jesus is

showing his

love for

his own.

Now in

John's

Gospel,

see if I can

get some of

this going

here.

Sorry,

I should

have had

that up

ages ago.

But in

John's

Gospel,

there's a

bigger picture

and I'd

like to

just point

this out

briefly so

we can see

what's happening

with the love

in this

passage.

But really

throughout the

scriptures we're

shown this

love that is

in the God

of Trinity,

Father,

Son,

and Holy

Spirit.

And what's

described for

us is this

fellowship of

divine love,

the love of

the Father for

the Son,

Spirit,

Father,

Son,

in this

divine fellowship

of love.

we read in

1 John 1

1 John 1:3

verse 3,

we proclaim

to you what

we have

seen and

what we

have heard

so that

you may

have

fellowship

with us

and our

fellowship is

with the

Father and

with his

Son,

Jesus Christ.

And so what

we have is

this picture

throughout

scripture of

this fellowship

of divine love

and it's being

brought out in

a unique way

here in

John chapters

John 13 · chapter mention

13 to

17,

where there

is this

unfailing,

eternal,

perfect love

on display

between the

Father and

the Son and

the Holy Spirit.

There is no

love like it.

It's a love of

delight and we're

told that in that

fellowship of

divine love there

is fullness

of joy.

But there's a

problem.

The world

is the problem.

Sinners living

in rebellion

against God.

Sinners that

cannot enter

the presence

of God

because they

are condemned

sinners

opposed

to God.

And so we

have this

fellowship of

divine love

but we have

this separation

from fellowship.

But the story

doesn't stop

there.

The good news

goes on and

this,

in love the

Father sends

his one and

only Son

into this

world of

rebels against

him.

but not

only that,

the Son,

we know,

died,

rose again,

returned to

the Father

and in love

the Father

and the Son

send the

Spirit

into the

world as

Jesus ascends

to heaven.

We learn a lot

about this in

John 14 to

16.

But it

doesn't only

stop there.

It's that in

love the

Spirit draws

rebels to

be God's

own.

He draws

rebels to

be his own

children, to

belong to

Jesus.

And through

repentance and

through faith,

these rebels

turn to him.

They become

those who are

Jesus' own

people.

Their lives

are joined to

him in this

unique way.

And those

who the

Spirit draws

to repentance

and faith,

they themselves

enter into

the very

same fellowship

of divine

love shared

between the

Father, the

Son, and the

Spirit.

Those who

become Jesus'

own enter

the same

fellowship

where there

is fullness

of joy and

delight in

God's presence.

Do you know

what it is to

be called into

that same

fellowship of

divine love?

So that's a

bigger picture

of what's

going on

here.

But the

disciples are

thinking about

external realities.

They're thinking

about slaves,

servants,

towels,

basins,

smelly feet,

water,

Passover

feasts,

lambs,

things like

this.

This is what

they have in

mind.

And Jesus

says, you

actually don't

understand what

I'm doing

for you now.

Later on,

you will

understand.

Verse 7.

Jesus is

about to

show the

ultimate

in servanthood,

the ultimate

lowering.

He will

wash his

disciples,

but the

primary way

he will

wash his

disciples is

not by

washing their

feet.

It is by

shedding his

own blood

for them.

later on,

you will

understand what

I'm really

doing for

you.

The washing

he's speaking

of, the

washing he's

really trying

to demonstrate

for them,

is a

washing by

his own

blood.

24 hours

later,

Jesus will

go to

the cross.

Let's look

at this.

First of

all, in

our passage

we see that

the master

knows how

low he

must go.

If you look

at verses

2 to 3,

the evening

meal was

being served

and the

devil had

already prompted

Judas Iscariot,

son of

Simon, 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.

And so he

got up from

the meal,

took off his

outer clothing

and wrapped

a towel

around his

waist.

Jesus knew.

There's this

early emphasis

in the first

four verses

of what Jesus

knows.

Verse 1,

Jesus knows

that his

hour has

come to

return to

the father.

Jesus knows

throughout

John's gospel

that his

hour had

not yet

come.

His hour

had not

yet come.

And Jesus

knows his

hour has

come.

He is

going to

the cross.

The time

to go to

the cross

has now

come.

It's a

matter of

timing.

His time

to return

to the

father.

Many

people call

these chapters

of John

Jesus'

farewell

discourse.

That's

kind of

a fancy

way of

putting it.

It's a

farewell

message that

he gives

to the

disciples.

It is

the time

that Jesus

will go

for his

own

to the

cross in

love.

But also,

it's not only

that he knows

his time has

come,

the hour has

come,

but verse 2,

he knows

who will

betray him.

And we read

later on,

actually,

as well,

throughout,

that Jesus

knew that

it would

be Judas

Iscariot

who would

betray him.

He knows

who will

betray him.

Then verse 3,

we see that

Jesus knows

that the

father has

placed all

things under

his power.

He knows

that he has

come from

God,

and that he

is the

eternal son,

that he is

returning to

God with

all power,

all authority,

and he is

exalted to

the highest

position.

And this is

what it means

that Jesus

has ascended

on high.

He rules

over all.

And he is

sat down,

having finished

the work as

our great

high priest.

So knowing

all this,

it says in

our passage,

Jesus got

up from

dinner.

He takes

off his

outer garment,

he takes

up the

towel,

and he

begins to

wash his

disciples'

feet.

Jesus is

doing the

unthinkable.

Think of

how much

he is

lowering

himself.

a writer

you may

have heard

of from

a few

hundred

years ago

named

John

Flavel.

He gave

this

illustration.

He said

if the

sun was

reduced to

a tiny

wandering

atom in

space,

that would

be a

remarkable

and

unimaginable

degrading,

wouldn't

it?

If a

mighty

angel

was

lowered and

transformed

into a

tiny little

fruit fly,

that would

be a

tremendous

lowering and

degrade,

wouldn't

it?

And yet,

from the

sun to

an atom,

from the

mighty angel

to a

fruit fly,

is still a

finite distance,

because they're

all created

things.

But for the

almighty

creator,

our Lord

Jesus Christ,

who is

God himself,

the one who

made all

things,

for the

creator of

all things,

to lower

himself to

the place

of a

servant.

Not only

to lower

himself to

a place

of the

servant,

but to

lower

himself to

disgrace,

to

rejection,

to

torture,

on a

cross,

crucifixion,

the ultimate

lowering.

This is

an infinite

distance,

which we

can't even

fathom.

The lowering

of our

savior in

love for

us.

Jesus'

time has

come.

He knows

Golgotha

is clearly

in view,

and there

he will

show his

love for

his own.

We see

in verse

five,

where it

says,

after that

he poured

water into

the basin

and began

to wash

his disciples'

feet,

drying them

with a

towel that

was wrapped

around him.

We see

this,

that the

master lowers

himself to

wash filthy

feet.

Now,

we do

need to

see this

foot washing

for what

it actually

is,

so that we

can see

through it

to what

Jesus is

actually

showing to

his disciples.

Without

getting into

all the

jigs and

reels of

foot washing

in the

tradition,

can we

just say

this?

People had

very smelly

and dirty

feet in

those days,

and the

washing of

feet was

the job

of a

slave.

It was a

lowly job.

I get

the sense

that if

you were

a free

person in

the Roman

Empire,

you had

never

experienced

the washing

of someone

else's

feet.

Jesus is

doing this

unthinkable

thing and

lowering

himself to

this position.

He is,

in a sense,

lowering himself.

He's demoting

himself to the

place of a

slave.

Have you ever

been demoted?

Have you ever

had your grades

knocked back?

Yeah, I have.

I deserved it.

Have you ever

lost your

position or

lost a job

or had your

pay cut or

had a position

lowered at

work?

I remember

one time I

was on a

baseball team

when I was

17.

It was my

second last

year of

school and

I went on

the team and

I had a good

year and I

was in the

starting lineup

every game

all season.

It was great.

Next year I

decided I

needed some

friends on

the team so

I invited

some friends

and two of

my friends

ended up

playing the

two positions

I played.

And we

got a new

coach.

And I

spent the

whole year

playing only

off the

substitutes

bench.

I never

once was in

the starting

lineup.

It was

humiliating.

Beyond that

when I did

get out there

I had a

humiliating

injury.

I got

smashed in

the face

with a

ball and

bled

everywhere.

But anyway

lowering

demotion.

Jesus is

giving this

incredible,

it's like a

living parable

about a

demonstration

of the

full extent

of his

love.

Washing

feet is a

humble

servant's

role.

You know,

we don't

expect to

go to

the headquarters

of Tesla

and find

Elon Musk

pushing around

a mop and

a pail,

do we?

We don't

expect to

find Vladimir

Putin

volunteering

for the

most toxic

radioactive

cleanup at

Chernobyl.

people.

But we

can expect

Jesus,

the Master

and Lord

who created

all things,

the sovereign

ruler of

the universe,

the King of

all kings,

we can expect

him to be

found lowering

himself to

the place of

a slave,

humbling

himself to

wash dirty

feet.

But we can

also expect

Jesus to

lower himself

far, far

more than

this, to

lower himself

to the

degraded

and disgraced

position of

going to

the cross,

suffering wrath

that was

ours.

He did

it in

love for

his own.

See his

love here

in John

13.

Carrying on

we see that

the Master

not only lowers

himself to

wash filthy

feet, he

lowers himself

to wash

filthy

sinners.

even in

the presence

of evil.

Looking there

at verses

6 to 10,

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'm 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.

Then Lord

Simon Peter

replied,

not just

my feet,

but my

hands and

my head

as well.

Jesus

answered,

a person

who has

had a bath

needs only

to wash

his feet,

his whole

body is

clean,

and you

are clean,

though not

every one

of you.

Sorry.

Peter,

don't you

love Peter?

Straight out

with him.

He has

these objections,

these protests,

verses 6 to 8,

the disciples

are basically

clueless of

what's happening,

it says in

verse 7.

Peter then

has the

complete opposite

reaction within

seconds,

okay,

hold back

please,

and then

Jesus points

out in

verse 9,

or verses

10 and 11,

sorry,

one of them

is actually

not clean.

He knows

who his

betrayer is.

He knows

one of them

is not clean.

Jesus says

in verse 8,

unless I

wash you,

you have

no part

with me,

Peter.

And Jesus'

words to

Peter

weren't about

his feet,

were they?

Jesus'

words to

Peter

were about

more than

just Peter

too,

they were

about you

and me.

Unless

Jesus

washes

us,

we can

have

no part

with Jesus.

In fact,

the reality

is that

only Jesus

can wash

us.

Oh,

thank you

very much,

you're very

kind.

I actually

have water

up here and

here,

I'm ignoring it.

thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Jesus is

saying,

you can

have no part

with me

unless I

wash you.

There is no

one else

that can

wash us.

We can't

go anywhere

else for

washing.

You can

try any

substitute you

want,

unless Jesus

washes you.

you will

never be

washed.

That is

the point

Jesus is

clearly making

to Peter

here.

Only he

is able

to wash

us.

And it's

a far,

far greater

issue

than smelly

and dusty

feet.

He's

pointing

to the

washing

he will

provide

for sinners

less than

24 hours

later

at Golgotha

at the

cross.

Jesus

hasn't come

to only

take up

a towel.

He's

also come

to take

up his

cross

and provide

washing for

sinners

by his

blood.

Quite

significantly

in these

verses,

they bring

out the

issue of

Jesus'

betrayer.

Now,

as you

move on

into John

13,

it deals

a lot

more with

this.

We won't

go too

deep into

this,

but Jesus

points out

that not

all are

clean.

Not

all are

his own.

In the

room,

only 11

of the

12 are

his own.

Evil is

at work

already.

And yet,

remarkably,

here we

find Jesus

also

washing the

feet of

Judas.

Wow.

Even then,

reaching out

to Judas,

giving him

opportunity.

Evil is

in the

room as

Jesus is

providing

washing.

But the

master,

he lowers

himself to

wash dirty

feet,

filthy feet.

He lowers

himself to

wash filthy

sinners.

But it's

also clear in

these verses,

verses 11 to

17, that the

master lowers

himself to

set a

pattern for

the servants

that he has

washed.

Looking at

verses 12

to 15,

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.

I am

your teacher,

I am

your lord,

I am

your master,

Jesus says.

Do you,

verse 11,

understand what

I have done

for you?

Do you

understand?

When we

begin to

understand what

he has done

for us in

lowering himself

to wash us

from our

filthy sins

as filthy

sinners,

and when we

understand that

Jesus lowers

himself to

become a

lowly servant,

there is an

obvious action

that we ought

to take.

But this is a

dangerous part

of the

passage,

and it is

this.

The easy

thing to

take from

this passage

is this,

go serve

like Jesus,

do better

everybody.

But going

back to the

beginning when

I talked about

the fact that

we live out

of our hearts,

Jesus isn't

just doing

this to do

better,

he is doing

this because

his very

heart is a

heart that

is lowly

and gentle

and full

of love

for his

own.

And so

just telling

you all,

go serve

better,

is not going

to sustain

this.

It must

come from

the engine

of your

hearts.

We must,

as servants,

have hearts

of servants

like Jesus

has.

And so

the easy

application is

just everybody

go serve

better,

and that's

true,

but we're

going to have

to get

deeper

than just

try harder.

We're going

to have

to look

at the

heart

that drives

this service.

Because

Jesus is

calling them,

verse 15,

do as I

have done

for you.

We are

being given

something to

do,

aren't we?

It's to

lower ourselves

as he has

lowered himself.

Verse 34,

Jesus will go

on to say,

as I have

loved you,

so you

must love

one another.

He has

lowered himself

to show

the full

extent

of his

love.

We will

never be

able to

lower

ourselves

to serve

like Jesus

serves

unless

the engine

of love

and the

love of

our master

drives

our service.

We will

never be

able to

sustain

it.

There's a

promise also

in these

verses for

those who

would lower

themselves

and become

servants of

others,

even to

serve

God's

enemies.

Promise

is found

here in

verses 16

and 17,

I think it

is.

Verses 16

and 17,

I tell you

the truth,

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.

There's a

promise here

for anyone

listening.

if they

are Jesus

own,

if they

have been

washed

by Jesus,

and I

must be

clear about

this,

you cannot

truly serve

unless you've

already been

washed by

him.

It starts

there.

But if you

have been

washed by

Jesus,

here's the

promise.

You will

be blessed

if you do

as I've

done.

Blessed

you will

be.

The word

blessed

means,

or blessed

means,

happy you

will be.

happy you

will be if

you lower

yourself to

serve others

like I

have done.

Happy you

will be if

you take

the more

degraded

position in

order to

serve others

in love.

Promise.

Happy you

will be.

Blessed.

If you're

like me,

when I

read that

promise,

I had to

ask myself,

do I

actually believe

that?

Do I

actually

believe that

lowering myself

in the

service of

others is

the path

to joy

and happiness?

This is the

promise Jesus

makes.

Do we

believe him

when he

says it?

Do we

believe that

pursuing the

role of

lowly

servants is

actually the

pursuit of

our own

joy?

joy?

So what are

we going

to do

about these