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Go into the world and take new ground

John 13:1-13 (NASB95)

John 13:1–13 NASB95

Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would 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, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself. Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. So He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, “Lord, do You wash my feet?” Jesus answered and said to him, “What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter.” Peter said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.” Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, “Not all of you are clean.” So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? “You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am.

Introduction

On vision Sunday Ps Steve declared what we believe the Holy Spirit is saying to us as Wave Church . We will ‘Take new Ground’ how? ‘think BIG’

So lets consider our Text of John 13. This is the largest teaching to the disciples by Jesus we have in the gospels. It occurs just before Jesus death and resurrection and it is really the training before Jesus was to send them into the world as agents of change to bring the good news to all those around.

With that said I want us to step into this passage. Theres so much going on and we will hardly scratch the surface but we will leave here with a fresh understanding of :

Who Jesus is

How His kingdom advances

The need of washing

Who Jesus is

Last time I spoke at Seaboard I showed from Matthew 16

When you understand WHO Jesus is then HE reveals to you WHO you are and that together we are what Jesus defines as the CHURCH.

so the first thing we need to see here is that Jesus is mindful of the reality that this is His last full training session before the crucifixion.

John 13:1 “Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.”

John 13:3 “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God,”

If the disciples were to carry out the mission of God they needed to see Jesus for who He is and have an ongoing fresh revelation of that reality. It needed to be front and centre in their thinking, shaping the way they saw the world.

So Jesus took this moment to show them who He is in a powerful profound, startling in your face way.

John 13:3-5 “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself. Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.”

So what does this action tell us about who Jesus?

Jesus had clearly stated over and over again who He was. I am, If you have seen me you have seen the father. He forgave sins, He said he would Judge the earth. He clearly stated he was no just a nice guy, or a prophet with a message, a religious leader. No said He was God. They had begun to understand that He was no ordinary man not that he wasn’t human this act of washing the disciples feet had so many layers.

Washing feet was a very normal practice. After a long journey people feet were in desperate need of cleansing so when you went to a meal like this or a persons house footwashing wash the normal practice.

However, it was the lowest slave or person who would do this. It was culturally horrifying that Jesus would step into that role which you can clearly see by Peter’s reaction.

John 13:8 “Peter said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.””

But Paul clearly later understood what Jesus had done.

Philippians 2:5–8 NASB95

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Firstly it shows us the reality what who He is and what he came to do.

God how left Heaven to come to earth to live as one of us and dies a painful death.

Secondly it shows us the immensity of His love for us.

Consider John 13:1 “Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.”

Jesus is in great anguish and pain. Have you ever been in pain so bad it felt like death? He knew he would be abandoned. He knew he would be betrayed.

How did you go loving and thinking about others when your world is falling apart?

Here we see how great His love is and how nothing can separate you from His love. Even on the cross we see Jesus reaching out to the thieves.

If we are to take New Ground we have to know WHO He is.

The only way we can Think Big is to see Him and get His thoughts.

He is God He is at work in your situation and circumstance. He will make ALL things work for Good. He will turn your trial into a testimony! That is who HE is.

Which leads us to:

How His kingdom advances

Lets consider

John 13:1 NASB95

Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.

and

Philippians 2:5–8 NASB95

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

His ways are countercultural. We are to love and humble ourselves as we step into our next.

Humble doesn’t mean denying who you are its about not parading or trying to make others feel less or small.

We are saved, healed delivered, the head not the tail, winners in life but that while being our understanding is not where we start.

We have this reality of yes we are all those things but only because of who He is. We walk with our head high knowing it was His grace that gave us that.

Can you see this?

Most of our world is about power and might but Jesus although not denying He had power and might did not grasp at it or start with it. He came to serve and reach people.

We live in a fallen world and we have a mission to bring the reality of Jesus to that world. We speak truth but we speak from grace and love.

We make the first move. We reach out. Jesus is truly the most tolerant. He does not hate because people reject. He finds no peace in people rejecting truth and receiving what they deserve.

Im not saying don’t be political but understand legislation while needful is not enough. We need to see change of hearts and lives by the power of Jesus. We will highlight christian truths but its your job as the church to decide who to vote for and what to do about because we live in a day and age where you have that right and opportunity.

But remember the real work happens at a deeper level. Change from the inside out.

The Salvation Army was founded by a Methodist preacher by the name of William Booth.  Its mission was to share the message of repentance and salvation through Jesus Christ alone. Booth sent many people all over England burdened to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He sent two women Kate and Mary Jackson to Leeds to oversee a mission there. They labored in Leeds for a couple of years and nothing happened. These young ladies toiled every day giving all they had without any return. Then one day they wrote to William Booth, “Would you kindly move us to another station? We’re so tired and disheartened. We’ve tried everything that we’ve been taught to do. Please move us to another location”

Booth sent a telegram back with two words written: “Try tears!”

Those two sisters began to pray and travail for souls and they finally experienced real revival. Kate and Mary did just as General Booth said, and God moved mightily. The Leeds Salvation Army church soon became the largest outside of London.

This is the starting point of His method for advancing

The need of washing

Lastly today I want to highlight the need for being washed.

John 13:7-10 “Jesus answered and said to him, “What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter.” Peter said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.” Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.””

Now this seems very strange until you stop, consider and reflect.

There are two very different actions that Jesus is showing:

This statement by Jesus is the key: “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet,

Again Jesus is speaking symbolically. He is using a very normal thing to give insight the kingdom.

Two concepts 1. bathed: salvation, forgiveness of sins, new creation etc

2. Washed , the daily need of repentance and forgiveness of the dirt that happens in life.

As Judge, God declared us pardoned and accepted into His family when we put our trust in Jesus. But as God’s children, we can remain in close fellowship to Him only when we daily acknowledge our sins and ask His help in overcoming them. Jesus said that a person who has been bathed doesn’t need another bath; his only need is to have his feet washed.

Consider

1 John 1:9–10 NASB95

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

So in life we get the dust of the world as we work out our salvation. It doesn’t mean that you’re not saved or ‘born again’ it just means we live in a fallen world and we still make mistakes but that our attitude needs to be of confession of our failings and reminding ourselves of who we are by seeing Him. Clean the dust off your life and be renewed again daily, hourly whatever it takes.

Don’t condemn yourself because that is not who you are.

Rom 8:1 “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Conclusion

Im am reasonably convinced that Jesus is revealing Himself in powerful ways across the planet right now. Its time to get on board and see Him again, renew our love for Him and discover who we are and how we live as a result.

Don’t get lost in your failings, or that things didn’t happen as you hoped. Get lost in His presence and come into your reality with fresh purpose, clean hands and renewed minds.