If you were to be able to spend an evening with Jesus, personally,
What would you do?
Maybe, it would be a small group - you & a few of your friends,
You were to have a meeting with Jesus,
What do you suppose you’d talk about?
There are the journeys, that you’d like to think about being on with Jesus
-where Jesus calmed the storm over the sea, or walked on water
-or, feed the 5,000, or 4,000
-or, made water into wine, the healings & the raising people from the dead
So you know Jesus has done all that - but now’s the time to sit down & talk
-about your life - about His life & your life
What would Jesus talk to you about?
And, this is a good thing to think about when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper
-as we are this morning
-which is what it’s about - Jesus around a table with His disciples
-Jesus is sharing His last important words with a small group of disciples
John 13:1
It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.
So, what follows here in John, is the dialogue He had with His disciples
-on this very important night as they had supper together
In this lifetime, I’m not expecting Jesus to come & sit with me,
& dialogue in person in a small group setting with me
-but I like the idea of thinking about what He would say to me if He would
-& this comes as close to anything as far as knowing what He’d say
-& our night starts off, with a certain bit of drama
-not a cheap drama to entertain
-but an unexpected activity
-that’s actually uncomfortable
-that’s about to drive home a point way before anything is said
John 13:2-5
The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. 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; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 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.
How would you feel about that?
Would you keep eating? Would you care that the food was getting cold?
Would you keep carrying on the small talk & lighthearted jokes?
How would you feel?
-you’d feel awkward, uncomfortable, maybe convicted & embarrassed
-you’d feel like, maybe you should have thought to do this
-you’d think back to times where women had done this
-with expensive perfume & tears & their hair for Jesus
-you’d be thinking, there’s something very important & profound
-about to be taught here tonight
-& that was certainly true
-as Jesus comes to Peter - a very important lesson is taught
John 13:6-11
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"
7 Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."
8 "No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet."
Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."
9 "Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"
10 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." 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
A very important lesson to learn - is we need to let Jesus serve us
-we need to be served by Jesus
It’s often not easy for us to be served by others - is it?
e.g. - We’re trying to carry too much - & someone offers,
“Hey, let me help you carry that!”
& we say,
“Ah, I can do it!”
“Hey, let me open the door for you!”
“Nay, I can do it!”
We don’t like to be helped - we can do it ourselves
Isn’t that true of our spiritual lives also?
We think we can do it ourselves
-most of us, grew up & lived much of our lives thinking:
“I’m going to try to be a good person, so God likes me & let’s me into heaven”
-& still, now being saved through faith in Jesus
-we think we’ll live the Christian life by following the laws of God
“I’ll do it God!”
We need to humbly realize & understand & believe - we can’t do it
-we need help
-we need Jesus to help us - to serve us
Mark 10:45
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Jesus came to serve, we need to start by letting Him serve us
-& Jesus is making a point here about the washing of our souls, or spirits
-not just our bodies
-Peter eagerly asked for Him to wash more of him
-no, it was just the feet that was needed
-let’s say you go to take a bath - in those days, a lot of baths were taken
-at a community bath
-so, you’re all nice & clean after the bath - but on your way home
-your feet get dirty once more
-so, your feet need a focused cleaning & you’re good to be clean
Jesus washes the whole spirit & soul
-the moment you trust in Him to be your Savior
-the moment you believe that He died for your sin & the guilt of your sin
-that’s good enough - you’re clean before God
-Jesus takes your sin onto His soul as He dies
-& He gives you His sinlessness, as you believe & trust in Him
-this is all as far as the guilt is concerned before God’s throne in heaven
-we need to be humble, let Jesus do that for us - we can’t save ourselves!
Now, as we walk on in life - we get dirty with our sin
-less & less, as we follow the Lord
-but, we still sin & need ongoing spot cleaning
-this too, Jesus helps us with - we need His help!
-none of this, “I’m going to do this on my own!”
-no, we need to humbly let Jesus clean us from our day to day sin
1 John 1:5-2:2
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, (Hey Jesus - I’ve got dirty feet!) he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives..
2:1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense — Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
Jesus serves us - He came to serve us & even be the ransom for our sin
-you’ve got to let Him serve you
-you can’t be proud - thinking you don’t want Him to serve you
-or, artificially humble - but really proud,
-thinking you don’t want to burden Him
-you’ve got to let Him be your Savior
-& you’ve got to let Him purify your life & cleanse you
-giving you strength & a way to overcome sin in your life
So, a very important lesson that Jesus is teaching us as He gets up to wash feet,
-is, we need to let Him serve us
Second, we need to now serve one another
John 13:12-17
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. 13 "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
Jesus didn’t just tell it like it is - but He did it Himself
Would you have understood what Jesus was doing & the point He was making?
“Do you understand what I have done for you?”
-Jesus was the Lord - the Teacher - the Master
-yet, He served them
-that’s making it pretty clear for what we’re to do as His followers
So, what should we be doing?
What would Jesus suggest you do? Wash feet?
-I suppose - but most of us can easily do that ourselves
& our feet stay clean
-it comes down to the great commandment - to love each other
-people have needs - we make sacrifices to help meet the needs of one another
-that’s serving one another - rather than just serving ourselves
Philippians 2:1-4
If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Galatians 5:13-14
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. 14 The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
Serve one another in love
And this again brings us to face our responsibility in our church
-as well as our community
As Jesus served us - He died on the cross
-so we can be set free from the penalty of our sin
-He served us as putting His life on the cross as a ransom for our sin
How are we serving our community by seeking to connect with people
-to bring them the gospel?
-to have their souls washed & cleansed of guilt through Jesus?
As Jesus serves us - He exists as a helper for us
-continually helping us to be at peace with God
-cleansing us of those on-going sins that interfere with our walk with God
-those sins that dirty our feet
So, how are we doing in our church - helping each other
-to keep our feet clean?
-it’s not really about washing feet
-it’s about helping each other live lives like Jesus - holy & pure
-filled with the fruit of righteousness
God calls us to serve people in this world - bringing them to Christ’s salvation
God calls us to serve one another in the local church
-as we encourage each other to grow
Galatians 6:1-3 (NLT)
Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. 2 Share each other's burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. 3 If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.
You are not too important to serve others! Jesus demonstrates that to us
He’s telling us -
John 13:16-17
I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
Ultimately, we stand to benefit by our sacrifice of service for one another
-we bless others, & we’re blessed in return!
-isn’t it great how the Lord works!
So, how are you serving others here in this community & this church?
Also, are you letting others serve you?
Those are good questions that all of us should consider before the Lord
-questions to be considered as we share together in remembering
-what Jesus gave for us
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