N. CLASS- SELFLESS SERVANTHOOD - John 13:1-30

PRAY

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 fill in the rest:

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..a poo pot maker…… makes garden pots from cow manure.

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

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.

But- I’m just here to tell you- you can call cow manure whatever you want- but its still poo.

It was a dirty job..it stunk…and I hated it…the smell radiated in all directions…

I thought this was bad, until I married a man whose family had pigs..and then I realized something- 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.

but…we all know that cows lead to steak and pigs lead to bacon…

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

and often, we don’t want to serve, but to be served.

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 his heart as he selflessly serves those closest to Him..

And through his example we will see that that selfless service for God comes from a heart motivated by love.

So as Jesus models selfless servanthood in chp. 13:1-30— he will shows us the:

Heart of a Servant in 13:1-17

and then 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, the Jewish people put the blood of lambs on their doorposts…they made and ate un-leavened bread…they prepared for freedom…

and the remembrance of that night is referred to as the Seder (sAdar) meal.

Sedar is the Jewish word that simply means..order..get ready..because 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 Jesus doesn’t waste any of his precious time left with his disciples…

So John here recognizes the importance and goes into great detail describing Jesus’ final hours

In fact, chp’s 13-17 are often referred to as “The Upper Room Discourse.” or..the Last Supper.

So go with me..

It’s night time…

the disciples have prepared for the meal...… thye made sure there is no leaven in any of the food……the hour had come for deliverance, there is an urgency here…

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 for sure what the room look liked or who sat where-

based off of what we know from Jewish customs at that time and from putting together pieces from the 4 gospels, its likely that the room looked something like this. (see slide)

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

The person to his left- we know was Judas- who would have the 2nd highest honor

…and on Jesus’ right, was John.. the disciple who Jesus loved and author of our book.

and then..some theologians suspect, that its possible that in the seat with the lowest honor, most likely sat Peter.

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

so as we enter into this intimate gathering with Jesus and his disciples…

… In verses 1-17 we get a glimpse into the heart of Jesus, the selfless servant…whose heart is loving, humble, and seen.

so, in vs. 1 it says: 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-

and John- the author of our gospel- never gets over the fact that Jesus loved him…he even refers to himself- as the one Jesus loved…

and here…on the night before Jesus’ crucifixion- the 1st thing John chooses to tell us- the thing he doesnt want us to forget is that Jesus’ actions were motivated by his heart of love.

Humble (1-11)

The 2nd thing John wants us to know in vs’s 2-3 is 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.

So- w/ a heart full of love…and knowing what was coming…Jesus gets up and one by one, begins to wash his disciples feet.

Feet were dirty…they wore sandals..they walked in the dessert through dust and sand. They walked where animals walked and used the bathroom.

This was a dirty job…and so the job of feet washing was typically given to the lowest servant in the house.

But instead of the lowest servant…the person with the highest 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…bends down

he gets on his hands and his knees…he pours water into a basin just like he would pour out his blood…

he washed away the dirt from their feet just like he would wash away their sin……

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 Jesus’ knees hurt as he got on the floor and washed all 12 disciples feet???..did he have to hold his breath because the smell of their feet was hard to handle?

Remember-He was fully human..this job was no more pleasant for him than it would have been for someone else.

The NT book of Phil. 2:6-8 describes Jesus’ humility in this way:

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

without Jesus’ humility- there is no salvation.

…BUT BECAUSE Jesus humbled himself- BECAUSE he came and died- for those who have put their faith in Him- you now have the power to fight sin.

By washing his disciples feet Jesus is giving a tangible example of what a humble heart- a heart full of God, a heart full of love ..looks like on the outside.

So Jesus gets to Peter……

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

But what Peter needed to understand was that..

unless Christ humbled himself…..…unless he selflessly was willing to die in Peter’s place—->then Peter would NOT have the ability to follow Him……

it was through Jesus’ coming death on the cross..symbolized in the foot washing……that made relationship and discipleship with Jesus possible in the first place!

Jesus knew that this was crucial for Peter and all the disciples to understand……so in his final hours with them- he explains in vs 8:

“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!”

Passionate Peter is all over the place..

Whatever you want Lord…

nope don’t wash my feet..wait you need to wash me all over.

ok well then..bring on the shower..

Peter, like most of us, is always 5 steps behind and 10 feet ahead.

and here Jesus slows him down and brings him back in…vs 10…Those who have had a bath only need to wash their feet; their whole body is clean.

At the moment of salvation….…Your sin is paid for..the debt has been removed……

That is your spiritual bath.

However- as long as you still live on this earth, sin still lives in you.

But God did not just leave you in it to fend for yourselves until you get to heaven.

Instead, he literally got inside of you- he sent His Holy Spirit to daily work in you from the inside out. …

And so..after salvation God begins the work of sanctification-

So- this means..your feet need washed…daily.

So that..you can be rescued, from yourself and the sin that still lives in you.

Jesus reminds Peter and us that we NEED him to wash our feet.

Remember JESUS does the washing of the feet.

He does the work of sanctification.

As the spirit works in you…you work outwardly- through obedience- for what he is already doing in your heart. …

and you can be obedient knowing that your sanctification is not DEPENDENT on your obedience, but on His promise to work in and through you.

He knows where the deadness of sin is preventing life from growing in you.

and so through sanctification he does something about it.

Its like when you go to get a pedicure- and they pull out the big metal cheese grater and start scraping the dead skin off your feet.

I dunno about you- but I hate it..it’s painful. uncomfortable and gross…and I’m certain it should be listed up there with dirty jobs…

…but when it’s over..my feet are soft- the dead skin is gone…and suddenly……the pain was worth it as my feet are brought back to life…

but only until the next time…when once again..I am in need of a foot washing……

The Holy Spirit brings your sin to the surface..through conviction of sin

and as he does……

He washes your feet……

and as you repent- slowly, the residue of your old nature is washed away as sin begins to lose its hold and Christ reigns in you.

But often the process of getting rid of sin in our life is painful and can feel like someone is taking a cheese grater to your feet.

But- each time take off the old…you put on the new…

and as Christ takes greater control….as he comes bigger…you become less..

and then. and only then can you reflect the humility of Christ.

But Judas…had not had the full bath…He could wash his feet all day long, but because Jesus was not his Lord- he was still dead in his sin…and there was no sanctification because there was no salvation.

Seen (12-17)

In vs’s 12-17 Jesus finishes washing their feet and then calls them to wash each others feet.

If Christ is living in you- then the heart of Christ in you will be visible..it should be SEEN through the way you live.

Jesus’ heart of love and humility could not help but flow out of him…his love was part of his nature.

And through sanctification, it can be come a part of yours…

Jesus lived transparently- he showed his disciples what selfless servanthood looked like as he lived day in and day out with them…

Jesus taught them HOW to serve by doing it- not just talking about it.

His love was visible.

His humility was visible.

and then in vs. 17 he says that when you serve..you will be blessed…

Because blessings in our lives always draw us into a deeper and closer walk with Jesus..

TRUTH: The selfless servant reflects a heart of love for God.

So ask yourself..

What motivates my service to others? pride? Approval of man? self-glorification? Or are am I motivated by the love of Christ?

It’s interesting that while Peter was passionately protesting Jesus washing his feet, I don’t see him running to pick up the towel.

Are you, like Peter, passionately proclaiming Christ with your words, but yet, when asked to selflessly serve you say……

‌You want me to do what Lord?

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

That would mean I would have to give up my time…my favorite TV shows, my daily scrolling… or latest book, hobby, vacation or exercise class…

How often do you tell God no because you are too busy being so consumed with…you.…?

This is a growth process…so walk in obedience..grow in grace…let Christ sanctify you…and - little by little, you will begin to reflect the heart of God in your life

II. Heartache of a Servant

In vs’s 18-30 we will see Jesus- the selfless servant…be selfless in heartache and also serve in heartache…

18-21 Selfless In Heartache

John has already told us that Jesus knew of Judas’ intent to betray him.

But Jesus- with a heart full of love- offered Judas the same opportunity, the same invitation to come to Him.

He knew what he would choose…but it didn’t stop him from moving towards him

Jesus had just challenged his disciples to go and show his love- to go and selflessly serve as they had been served- but Judas couldn’t do that, because Christ was not in him…

sure- he could have gone through the motions- but Judas shows us that participating in religious activities does not save you. Following Jesus around and being in his presence- does not save you……You have to be washed by Him-FULLY..

but…Judas did all the outward things, without the inward heart change…

so Jesus says in vs 18..I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the passage of scripture:‘He who shared my bread has turned against me.’…

Jesus here is quoting directly from Psalms 41, a Psalm that describes a betrayal……

and Jesus is basically saying…we have a traitor in the room.

What the disciples were about to walk through was going to be really hard……he knew that watching him die was going to cause them pain…

but he needed them to remember that he was perfectly in control..he needed them to remember who He was

so he tells them in vs. 19…WHEN I am betrayed..

he says: You will believe that I am who I am……

I am the bread of life…I am the light of the world…I am the gate..the good shepherd..the resurrection and the life…I am God…nothing about what is about to happen changes that…remember who I am and remember that you are mine. I know who I chose…

But then suddenly, we are told in vs 21 that Jesus was troubled in spirit as he says: “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.”

What troubled Jesus in this moment was not that he was going to die or the suffering he was about to endure.

The selfless servant here is thinking not about himself, but about another.

What troubled him most in this moment- was Judas.

Only someone who is truly selfless would look at the circumstances of this moment and what was coming and have heartache over the state of someone else’s heart.

Jesus shows us radical love here as he looks at the one who is about to betray him…and his heart aches..

Jesus’ gut wrenching pain is described here as “troubled in spirit.”- this is deep pain

We’ve seen this same pain in Jesus in John 11 when he wept with Mary and last week when he announced that his hour to die had come.

But Jesus isn’t troubled because he is worried about what is going to happen..

Because Judas’s final rejection of life with Him is about to take place

He knew what Judas would do and it broke his heart.

His heartache came from a heart, motivated by radical love, that selflessly thought of others before himself.

————-————

Serving in Heartache

and then…in the midst of his heartache..he continues to serve Judas, the source of his hurt.

…Now the disciples are sitting there totally bewildered.

In their minds- everyone was ALL IN…they had walked and talked with Jesus…that had seen his miracles..they had seen his heart…

How could one of them betray Him?

So John, the one Jesus loved, leans in and asks Jesus at the beckoning of Peter who he was talking about!

26 Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.”

To offer food to someone was a sign of friendship…

In the midst of his heartache, once again..Jesus reaches out to Judas, offering him a piece of bread…

…it’s like Jesus is handing him a final offer of grace and mercy..…

but Judas- again..rejects Jesus…he took the bread, but left the savior.

and in that moment, vs 27 tells us, that Satan entered Him.

If you are a believer than you are sealed with the Holy Spirit…and because of the Holy Spirit’s presence in you… Satan and Demons may tempt you but they cannot enter you and they can have no power over you.

Judas, made room for Satan when he chose to reject Jesus.

Judas isn’t under a spell here- he had a choice…and he chose himself.. over Jesus.

So Jesus- knowing the choice had been made- told him to do it quickly..

in other words…get it over with.

To us this feels so obvious. Obviously- Judas is the one who is going to betray him.

But from the disciples points of view- that made zero sense.

Why would Jesus put Judas in the seat of honor next to him.

give him bread……

and wash the feet of his betrayer……

It seems that he potentially only told John that “the one he gave the bread to” was the one who would betray him….… but even if everyone heard it- none of Jesus’ other actions made any sense.

That is not how you treat someone who is about to betray you-

But Jesus shows us how to serve someone who has deeply hurt you.

Jesus puts aside self- and in the midst of his pain-from a heart motivated and full of love for Judas- he wholeheartedly continues to serve.

vs 30 ends our passage this week with one final sentence.…and it was night.

And while it was physically night- Judas chose to walk away from the light of the world , and he willingly walked into the darkness- away from the presence of Jesus- away from the source of life.

TRUTH: The selfless servant serves those who are hard to love.

Who in your life might God be asking you to serve who is hard to love?

What would it like practically- to put aside self- and serve that person this week?

Conclusion

Russel and Darlene Deibler were missionaries right before and during WWII in New Guinea.

‌Russel spent months clearing a path in the jungle to bring the gospel to those who had never before heard of Jesus.

When he returned, the skin on his feet was completely gone because of a skin infection called Jungle Rot.

In order to heal- every morning his wife would pick off every layer of skin that had grown back- she was instructed to keep peeling until she reached the raw, throbbing flesh.

‌One missionary could barely look at his feet without feeling sick…

but then…the Lord spoke to Him, reminding this missionary that to Him- those feet were beautiful.

Because those feet had served selflessly..

here are his words:

‌Someday it will all be over.…Someday that last one will turn to Jesus. Then the clouds will part as thunder and our Savior will be there.”

But ladies- today is not that day

today. put aside self…

today.. do the dirty jobs…

today…… allow the Holy Spirit to sanctify you..

Serve selflessly……motivated by a heart of love for God and those he has placed in your path..

Go and serve the Lord this week…

‌Let’s pray.