John 13:1-30- Selfless Servanthood

INTRODUCTION

There is a show on TV titled: Dirty Jobs

So to kick us off and get our minds in the right place for our scripture today, I’m just going to read you some of the titles of the episodes and let your imagination do the rest:

Bat Cave Scavenger

Worm Dung Farmer

Roadkill Cleaners

Sewer Inspector

Pig Farmer

Avian Vomitologist..yes..their job is to collect and study owl vomit.

and Poo Pot Maker, just to name a few..

and just because I know you wont be able to let it go..apparently the poo pot makers make garden pots from cow manure.

now- while I never made poo pots…I did make poo piles…

See, when I was a kid, my family had cattle and one of my jobs was to shovel the cow manure into piles so that they could take the manure and spread it on the garden and into the fields as fertilizer .

My grandpa used to tell us over and over that we were shoveling piles of money. Scoop after scoop of gold he would say…

But- I’m just here to tell you- you can call cow manure whatever you want- but at no point did I ever look at smelly, gross cow manure on my shovel and go “man thats a beautiful pile of gold.”

It was dirty job..it stunk…I hated it…it got on my shoes and my clothes..and in the summer…. the heat and humidity made it so that no matter what, the smell radiated in all directions…

I thought this was bad, until I married a man whose family had pigs..and then I realized- that cow manure- doesn’t smell that bad..

There is a reason that pig farmer and poo pot maker are both on this list of dirty jobs.

And there is also a reason that my husband and I chose to start our life together in the city away from the cows and pigs.

Now I know some of you are farmer wanna be’s- see me after- and we’ll chat..

but…we all know that cows lead to steak and pigs lead to bacon…and taking care of both is necessary to get the benefit.

Nobody wants to do the work to get it, But nobody complains about the reward.

right..I mean- I think we can make the argument that everything is better with bacon.

This week Jesus steps in and does the dirty job..the one that nobody wants to do.

but Jesus isn’t motivated by bacon…or what others will think..he isn’t looking for applause.

Instead, he is motivated by his love…In our scripture this week Jesus shows us that selfless service for God comes from a heart motivated by love.

So as Jesus models selfless servanthood in chp. 30:1-30— he will shows us the:

Heart of a Servant in 13:1-17

and the

Heartache of a Servant in 13:18-30

Open Bible’s/App’s

I. HEART OF A SERVANT 13: 1-17

Loving (1)

So, passover has arrived.

Passover was and still is a time when the Jewish people celebrate when God freed his people from slavery in Egypt.

The night before their deliverance from Egypt, they were to take the blood of the lambs and put it on their doorposts…they were to make and eat un-leavened bread…they were to prepare for freedom…this remembrance of that night is referred to as the Seder (sAdar) meal.

Sedar is the Jewish word that simply means..order..

in other words..prepare..get yourself ready…get your things in order..freedom is coming…

So just like the people of Israel were instructed to be prepared for deliverance…Jesus here takes the time to prepare his disciples for the coming freedom from sin that was about to occur..

he knew his hour, the hour to die, had come- in fact, in less than 24 hours, Jesus would be dead…and so Jesus doesn’t waste any of his precious time left with his disciples…

The book of signs has ended, and we now move to what many refer to as the Book of Glory.

This title is appropriate because Jesus is the glory of God and God’s greatest glory is achieved in and through Jesus’ death and resurrection.

So John here recognizes the importance of this and SLOWS WAY DOWN……going into great detail describing Jesus’ final hours with his disciples…in fact, we will spend the next 5 weeks alone studying chp’s 13-17 which is often referred to as “The Upper Room Discourse.”

Jesus went from speaking to crowds to now an almost abrupt switch to only speaking with his disciples. In these chapters Jesus is going to teach them what it means to love, to serve and also prepare them for the coming of the Holy Spirit.

So go with me..

It’s night time…

the disciples have prepared for the meal.

they have made sure there is no leaven in any of the food..no yeast, no baking soda or baking powder…the hour had come for deliverance, there was not time to mess with waiting on things to rise…

the table had been set- the seating arrangements made.

Now- we often picture the famous painting by LeoNardo Divinci when we think of the last supper

I need you to just put that out of our mind..

While a wonderful work of art…it’s most likely not accurate.

While we can’t know 100% what the room look like- based off of what we know from Jewish customs at that time and from putting together pieces of John’s gospel and the other gospels, its likely that the room looked more like this.

at this meal, Jesus is the guest of honor seated at the place of highest honor.

The person to his left- who would have been the one to be considered having the 2nd highest place of honor was given to Judas…and on his right, the 3rd highest place of honor..would have been John..

and then..clear over in the last seat- the seat given to the person of the lowest _____ most likely sat Peter.

There were no chairs, just pillows as they reclined at the at the table while they ate.

so as we enter into this intimate gathering with his disciples. In verses 1-17 Jesus gives them a glimpse into the heart of a selfless servant…whose heart is loving, humble, and seen.

so, let’s begin with vs. 1

1 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

In chapters 1-12 the word love is only used 12 times. But, in chp’s 13-17 it is used over 40 times.

Everything Jesus did was motivated by a heart of love.

He wasn’t trying to earn God’s favor…or prove a point- he came because He loved his people..his sheep…his love for them never ceased…it’s why he went to the cross.

and here…on the night before his crucifixion John right away tells us that his heart was motivated by love for his people.

What motivates your service to others? Is it love? self-glorification? Are you motivated to serve by what you hope to receive in return or so that others will view you in a certain light?

Are you motivated by love for God and His people? Or are you looking for position and praise from those watching …

Jesus wasn’t gaining the applause of the crowd- they were actively plotting to kill him at this exact instance- but he kept going… kept moving forward because of his unconditional love for his people…

Humble (1-11)

So, with a heart of love…Jesus serves with a humble heart…

So- they are eating and right away we are told in vs 2 and 3 that Jesus knew Judas was going to betray him.

This is important for several reasons, but mainly because from the beginning we are reminded that at no point was Jesus out of control.

He is not surprised that Judas was going to betray him…and he ALLOWED it to happen because he knew it was necessary for God’s plan of redemption to be carried out…

So- knowing what was coming- Jesus gets up and one by one, begins to wash his disciples feet.

Feet were dirty…they wore sandals and they were in the dessert. It was dusty and sandy and their feet walked where animals walked and used the bathroom.

When I was a kid I attended a church that did a foot washing meal every year. I remember thinking this was so weird and I would ALWAYS wash my feet before going so the poor person who was washing my feet wouldn’t be grossed out. My 8 year old self clearly didn’t understand what was happening..

But that didn’t happen here……there was no pre-washing to the washing……This was a dirty job…and because of that it was given to the lowest servant in the house to wash a person’s feet.

But instead of the lowest servant…the person with the high honor in the room rises…

And there stands Jesus…fully God..and fully man…the one who we were reminded last week is worthy of all of our worship-

…who came and made his dwelling among us…. and what does he do?

He humbles himself…

…just as he took off his heavenly robes, here he takes off his outer garment…

and instead of a sovereign, he takes the place of a servant-

as he picks up a towel…instead of a crown..

and then…the Word…the one who was God and was with God in the beginning..the one in whom all things were made…in whom was life..the light in the darkness…bent down..

he got on his hands and his knees…he poured water into a basin just as he was about to pour out his blood…

he washed away the dirt just like he would wash away sin……

The NT book of Phil. 2:6-8 says it this way:

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself NOTHING by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

Can you imagine what Jesus was thinking as he washed each of his disciples feet.

John.

Thomas.

Judas.

Peter.

He knew them intimately…He knew Judas would betray him..and yet he washed his feet anyways…in fact, he washed his fee first.…

He knew Thomas would struggle with doubt…

He knew passionate Peter would speak boldly …deny him..and eventually become the rock on whom he would build his church…

He knew many of his disciples would die proclaiming his name…

he knew their sins…he knew their fears…he knew their hearts…

and here he models humility…he shows us how to serve from a humble heart..a heart of love.

Humility for us does not mean that we look at others and go- well, I am better than they are, so let me just bend down here and help you out.

No…Humility is what we talked about in John 2…it’s about US becoming less in our life and Christ becoming more……John the Baptist said, he must increase and I must decrease.

when we decrease and Christ increases in our lives- then humility is the result.

We don’t strive for humility- how many truly humble people do you know who walk around like:

“One of my spiritual qualities is humility”

NO..because the instant you hear that- what you hear is pride masked in a sense of false humility..

but..it’s when you see people put Christ above themselves…when they serve to show Christ’s love for others…because of the love they hav received…that is when you look at someone and say…wow, that is humility……

…we strive for Christ…because when he increases, then the sin of pride in our lives is tackled head on…

Do you have the heart of Christ? Only when you have the heart of Christ can you serve in the way he calls his and modeled for his people to serve.

He had a heart of love.

A heart that was solely focused on bringing glory to the Father…resulting in a humble heart.

As Jesus is washing the disciples feet, he gets to Peter..

and passionate Peter in vs’s 6-11 is like…woah woah Jesus- you absolutely will not wash my feet…

but notice something about Peter for a second..

he is adament that Jesus should not wash his feet- but remember, Peter is most likely seated in the place of lowest honor at the table…which means…HE should be washing everyone’s feet.

and while Jesus is passionately protesting Jesus washing his feet……

I don’t see him running to pick up the towel.

Where in your life are you like Peter..passionately proclaiming Christ with your words, but yet, when asked to serve Christ- you say, well…

- I’m too busy

- Serving in kids- oh -they are dirty- their noses run and they need someone to wipe their bottoms- that is below me…I’ve done my time, it’s someone else’s turn..

You want me to do what Lord? Don’t you know how much time that would take up?

Don’t you know how much I already do for you?

That would mean I would have to give up my time…I wouldn’t have time for my favorite TV shows, my daily scrolling of instagram or facebook… or latest book or exercise class…

Those things aren’t all bad necessarily- but we often tell God no because we are so consumed with ourselves.…

ladies- this is hard- on Sunday morning I was about to go to church and I received a text that someone was sick and they needed someone to serve in kids last minute.

You want to know what my first thought was…

I just served 2 weeks ago……Can’t someone else do it? Don’t you know how much time I have put in serving you this week?

and then it was like the Lord was screaming at me.I heard his voice loud in clear in my head as my first thought was…PICK UP THE TOWEL……

and I KNOW that was not my own voice..my own voice said..oh Megan, you do so much..you can say no……

So..reluctantly, and NOT with a heart full of love…I said yes…

I felt so much like Peter…anything Lord, well, expect that……

but the Lord met me in my pride and selfishness…

He gave me joy as I got on my knees and crawled across the floor so each preschooler could touch God’s precious word.

I had joy singing head, shoulders knees and toes on repeat…

serving Jesus often looks nothing like we want or expect…

it doesnt always feel good or come easily.

Jesus is showing Jesus that in order to serve him..he needs to let go of his expectations and pride,.

but he doesn’t just tell him…he shows him.

because the heart of a servant is seen through action…

Sometimes we say yes to God and serve him because he is asking us to be obedient not because we have all the happy feelings we want..

Yes…God gives joy..yes God blesses those who serve Him by giving them more of himself…but sometimes in order for us to get the joy and get the blessing of Him we have to first take the step of obedience…

You know what would have felt really good on Sunday…sitting through the service. worshipping…learning…and being with God’s people.

but in that moment, that would have been disobedient. even if it had felt good and was good.

stop saying no to God because it doesnt feel good.

Here is Jesus…with the heart of a servant…full of love……about to die…… on the floor- doing the thing no one else wants to do.

I wonder….…did his knees hurt..did he have to hold his breath because the smell of their feet was hard to handle? He was fully human..this job was no more pleasant for him than it would have been for someone else.

But his joy was in serving the Lord…no matter what the task was in front of him.…

because he had the heart of a servant..he had the heart of God..

and you too can serve with the same heart..

because as we have studied, we know Jesus gives you a knew heart..a heart that has the capacity to love like he does, to serve from a place of joy, a heart that can be content in any circumstance because when he gives you a new heart you have the ability to be filled with Him…but you have to let him fill you..you have to take the steps of obedience..

remember..believing in the gospel of John is an action, not a passive serving…

some of you are caring for aging parents..

some of you need care yourself and your pride is not allowing others to serve you or love you..

Because as God is magnified in his life, his heart of love for his people overflows into everything that he says and does, his humility comes from his heart of love for God and his people.

SANTIFICATION(6-11)

6 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, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their 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.

Seen (12-17)

12 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 Very truly I tell you, 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.

TRUTH:

Application:

II. Selfless Servant

In vs’s 18-21 we will see Jesus, the selfless servant Rejected and then his Response to the rejection.

18-21 Rejected

by a friend

cause pain/heartache (his soul was trouble)

22-30 Responds

In love

Serves anyways (selflessly)

TRUTH:

Application:

Conclusion

There was a missionary who traveled to the jungles of _______ to bring the gospel to those who had never before heard of Jesus.

In order for this to happen, he had to walk by foot and clear a path.

In the process- he lost ALL the skin on the bottom of his feet.

In order to heal- every morning his wife had to pick each and every layer of skin that had grown back because what was growing, was infected.

Peter is all up in arms about Jesus washing his feet, but notice he also isn’t running and grabbing the towel.

The Midrash would not even let foot washing be done by a Jewish Slave..

My understanding is that because of the time it was given during the meal, the disciples would not have thought it was Judas. There are different Seder traditions, but one was to dip the bread and then give it to the person with the most honor and esteem. Also- you would have given it to everyone at the table. So, the disciples would have potentially just viewed it as "it was one of them in the room" not that it was the 1st person he gave it to..in fact, since that person typically had the most honor, they would have thought Judas as the last person to betray him.

But it also recognizes that Jesus lived transparently in front of his disciples in order to teach them how to live. They, in turn, were to live transparently before others, humbly teaching them the way of Christ. This approach involves not just information but transformation. God’s goal isn’t simply to fill the world with people who believe the right things. It is to fill the world with people who shine with the brilliance of Christ.

Spangler, Ann; Tverberg, Lois. Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus (p. 69). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

it takes humility and grace to be serve, but it also takes humility and grace to BE served…

humbleness—>holiness—>happiness (in that order) vs 17

happiness is byproduct of a life that is living in the will of God

By becoming a servant, Jesus did not push us down, he lifted us up to the same level as the master..he dignified sacrifice and service.

in todays world- we want to know…”How many people work for you” but Jesus says “For how many people do you work?”…

Jesus taught them HOW to serve by doing it.

I am going to venture a guess that most of us know this truth…this is not news to us that we need to serve others…

I think the problem comes in the action piece..

we talk about it..know we should..but we don’t..

often we are waiting till it “feels” right..

CONCLUSION