Learn Some Humility - John 13: 1-17

The Text

John 13:1–5 “Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him; Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.”

Context: We are at a special dinner called the Last Supper in a cozy room in Jerusalem. It's happening during Passover, a big holiday that remembers when the Israelites were freed from being slaves in Egypt. Jesus and His friends, the disciples, are having this important meal together. It’s a special time because Jesus is about to teach them something very important before He has to say goodbye.

The Problem - Pride

Context: To appreciate the scene in John 13, we need to go back to the John 12 and quickly talk about the Triumphal Entry

A big group of people in Jerusalem for the Passover festival heard Jesus was coming. They grabbed palm branches and went to greet Him, yelling "Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that comes in the name of the Lord." Waving palm branches was a way to show they thought Jesus was a victorious king, just like the stories they had heard about who would come to save them.

Pride

The disciples, who were close friends of Jesus, saw all these people treating Him like a king. They might have started to feel very special because they were always with Jesus. It's like if you were best friends with the most popular kid in school and you felt important because of that. This situation could make the disciples think they were more special than others, just because they were with Jesus. This is where they had to be careful about pride, which is thinking you're better than others because of who you know or what you have."

The Sin of Satan

Satan, who was once an angel. Satan got into big trouble because he thought he could be more important than God. He wanted to be the top boss in heaven, not just a part of God's team. This thinking was very wrong and led to Satan being sent away from heaven. This shows how thinking too highly of ourselves, like Satan did, can lead to big problems.

Isaiah 14:13 “For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God:”

Transition: We've seen how easily pride can slip into our hearts, even in moments of success and recognition. But if pride is the problem, what then is the solution? Jesus offers us the answer through His own actions and teachings on humility.

The Solution - Humility

Humility - noun

It is the OPPOSITE of Pride

Humility is when you recognize that everyone is special and important, not just yourself. You celebrate your friends’ successes and help them when they struggle, instead of bragging about how good you are. It's about being a team player and valuing others just as much as you value yourself.

With this in mind, consider that Jesus:

Thought HUMILITY was the most important thing to teach his disciples in this moment - the last evening he had with them before he was crucified.

John 13:1 “Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world...”

“be good for your mother” anology

Thought it too important to simply tell them, “be humble.” He showed them what it looks like by example

John 13:15 “For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.”

Transition: Understanding humility as the antidote to pride leads us to ask, how can we embody this virtue in our daily lives? Jesus didn’t just preach humility; He lived it. Let's explore practical steps we can take to learn from His example and practice humility."

The Plan

Step 1: Put Others First

John 13:1 KJV 1900

Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.

Note that Jesus knew that he was about to depart this world - die. He knew he was in for a very bad day and we know he wasn’t excited about it.

John 12:27 KJV 1900

Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.

His soul being troubled, because he knew he was about to die, because he was to endure unimaginable agony, because despite being sinless, he was about to take the full wrath of God Almighty.

But it wasn’t about him…he didn’t go internal…he focused on his disciples, his friends.

Story: "You wait until we get home!”

Step 2: Be Kind

John 13:3 KJV 1900

Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;

As you get older, or maybe you have already, you’ll encounter mean people who use their position to be mean to others. They might say something like, “Do you know who I am!” more as an exclamation than a question.

If anyone ever had the right to say, “Do you know who I am!” it was Jesus - all things are his, King of Kings, God!

We’re told that he most certainly knows who he is. And with all that power, all that authority, what does he do? He chooses to serve others in kindness

Step 3: Help with a Smile

John 13:4–5 “He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.”

Understand how washing feet was viewed as lower than the low

sandals, not jordans, streets unpaved, livestock doing their business, dust, sweat, mud. You don’t even want to wash your own feet, but here’s Jesus...

Note how he wasn’t put off that he was going to wash feet in the middle of his supper.

Note how he didn’t do the bare minimum, he did the job thoroughly…he did the job right.

Transition: Repeat Steps

Step 1: Put Others First

Step 2: Be Kind

Step 3: Help with a Smile

The Stakes (Negative)

I mentioned earlier that Pride was the sin of Satan. Imagine the commotion in heaven on that occasion when Satan was cast out. Jesus remembered it well. He knew how his Father dealt with the prideful

Luke 10:18 “I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.”

And God tells us in his Word how he deals with the prideful

Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goeth before destruction”

Transition: Beloved, pride is nothing to play with. Learn some humility

The Stakes (Positive)

For this is what we are told about those that are humble

John 13:17 “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.”

Happy here is makarios and more appropriately means BLESSED.

What are the benefits of receiving blessings from the LORD. We’d be here a lifetime if we listed them all, but here are just a few:

Prosperity and Success

Psalm 1:3 “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, That bringeth forth his fruit in his season; His leaf also shall not wither; And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

Peace and Safety

Leviticus 26:6 “And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.”

Family

Psalm 127:3 “Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: And the fruit of the womb is his reward.”

Call to Action

This week, each day, I want you to find an opportunity where you can do each of these things:

Put others first

Be Kind to someone smaller or who doesn't have the gifts you do

Help your parents with a smile

MOST IMPORTANTLY...GIVE GOD THE GLORY

When you’re celebrated and people tell you how great you are, before you can let pride slip into your heart, give God the glory. If the enemy wants it, he’s going to have to go get it from God!