John 13

John 13

Tonight we're going to be looking at John chapter 13. So far we have looked a lot at a lot of things that Jesus has said in regards to his death, and we know that he understood what was going to happen. He knew what was going to take place. He knew that all the prophecy had to be fulfilled. He knew what all he was going to have to go through. And it's obvious by looking at Scripture that this was God's plan all along, even though it wasn't a pleasant one, even though it wasn't something that He wanted to do. It was something that had to be done in order for us to be saved, in order for us to have the opportunity. The salvation that we have today, because without it we wouldn't.

But a few things that we're going to look at tonight. First of all, Jesus shares his final meal with his disciples and then he want he's going to wash their feet. Tonight, we're going to be looking at a chapter full of humility, full of service. After all, that's why Christ came to earth. He came to earth to serve. He came to earth to be humble. He came to earth to die for our sins, not His own. Remember, He didn't have any. The only person to ever walk the earth that didn't sin was Christ himself. He didn't have any sins that needed forgiven. But he paid the price for us.

So let's start off tonight. Look at verses one through 4 John chapter 13. It says, “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 had already put into the heart of Jesus 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. Taking a towel he girded. Himself.”

Now, John's Gospel does not specifically mention Jesus. Instituting the Last Supper is what we know. Today is communion. However, John's Gospel takes a little different approach. John's Gospel focuses on the teachings, it focuses on Christ relationship with his disciples, which I think is important as well. And that's why it's important not only to look at the three synoptic gospels, but to look at the Gospel of John as well, because each one of them. Takes a little bit different approach. Especially John, because there's a lot of things in John that is not in the rest. There's some things that are in the rest that are not in John, but when you mash them all together, you get a way better view of what happened.

But from the beginning here, Jesus knows that his hour had come to the part of this world. He knew that it was just going to be just a few days left, remember? The last chapter we looked at Jesus come into Jerusalem. He entered Jerusalem on what we know is that Palm Sunday. And what always gets me with this is he knew that Judas was going to betray him. He knew that Peter was going to deny him. They ate too. Judas ate supper with Jesus. Because they're in verse 2, it says during supper the devil had already put into the heart of Judas to betray him. Think about that. Could we do that? I know we talked about this before, but if one of our best friends was going to betray us in a few days, could we eat supper with them that night? If we knew it was going to happen, would we still love them? But we still feed them. I think that shows the character of Jesus.

I think we can take a lesson on the character as well. I think we could take a lesson on a lot of things that Jesus did. We're getting ready to look at when he washes the disciples feet. At first we don't think that story is important. We kind of, a lot of times just write it off. But truly is important. It shows his humility. It shows how humble he is. Because throughout Christ's whole life, it was all humble. Everything he did was for someone else. Everything he did was to love, to teach, to serve. I think a lot of times we truly forget that.

So let's move on down. Let's look at this story here, verses 5 through 20. It says, “He poured water into the basin and began to wash his disciples feet and to wipe them with a towel, which with with with which he was girded. So he came to Simon Peter and said to him, Lord, do you wash my feet? Jesus answered and said to him, What? How do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter? Peter said to him, You shall never 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 is who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but completely clean. You are clean, but not all of you. Or he knew that one who was betraying him. For this reason, he said, not all of you are clean. So when he had washed their feet, he had taken his garments and reclined at the table. 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. If I, then the Lord and the Teacher washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I gave you an example that you should do as I did to you. Truly, truly. I say to you, a slave is not greater than its master, nor is one who sent greater than the one who sent him, if you know. These things, you are blessed if you do them. I do not speak all of you. I know the ones I have chosen, but it is in the scripture may be fulfilled. He who eats my bread has lifted up His heel against me. From now I know I'm telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am He. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I sin receives me, and he who receives me receives who sent me.”

So we see this very humbling act of Jesus washing his disciples feet. Some people say that it's the most humble part of scripture. Practice a foot washing was a long Old Testament tradition. Meaningful task, you know, it was not a very difficult task. It was not a very rewarding task. It wasn't hard to do. It wasn't something that a lot of people did. It was usually reserved for a servant. Just foot washing was a common thing during the time they didn't have shoes like we have today. They had basically sandals, dirt roads, people's feet got pretty nasty. This was reserved for the job of servant. Jesus humbled himself to that point.

The question that I have do we have that humility in our lives? Do we have that life of service for each other, for Christ? Because in order to serve God we have to be humble. In order to serve God we have to have a life of service. These are things that are not optional. They have to happen. You can't serve God and not be humble because the opposite of humility is pride. And when pride gets in the way, there's no way that we can do anything for anyone else. There's no way that we can serve God. There's no way that we can follow the commands. Because God asks us to serve others, God asks us to serve him. And if we're focused on ourselves all the time and focused on serving ourselves each and every day, then we can't have both. You can't do it both ways. It's impossible. So we have to make the decision, are we going to be humble or are we going to develop an attitude of humility? Are we going to develop an attitude of prayer? Are we going to develop an attitude of service? These things need to become habits in our lives, not rarities. So my question is, what are they? In our lives, can we find humility? Can we find service? Are they present? Or is it something that we really need to work on?

Move down a little bit there talking about Peter, you know Peter told the Lord. He said you shall never wash my feet. He knew that Jesus was way above him. He knew that Jesus was the Messiah. He knew that he was going to be king. Then the Lord told him pretty clean, plain. He said, if you do not let me wash your feet, you have no part with me. Then he said, Well, not only wash my feet, wash my hands, my head. You see, you kind of missed the point here. Jesus came to serve. He came to show us that nobody is better than the other, including him. Even says there in verse 16 he said truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is the one who is sent greater than the one who sent him.

We need to realize not only is Christ one of the three. In the Trinity. He's God in the flesh. He was here on this earth. We need to realize that we're no better than anybody else. Comes with humility. It comes with service as well. All these things are starting to tie in together with each other. The reason I say that is because when we realize that we're no better than anybody else, it becomes easier to help. It becomes easier to serve. We realize that we're no better than anybody else when someone else is down and they have something going on. When they need something, when they're in need of help, it's much easier to help them. These are all things that we have to develop. They don't necessarily come naturally. Not to some of us they probably do, but to a lot of people they don't necessarily come naturally. It's something that we have to work on.

Now by looking at scripture we can tell immediately that. God's plan is right on track. God's plan is happening. Because just the way everything is falling into place, if it wasn't for God, none of this would have happened. Prophecy is being fulfilled. Everything is happening just the way it is supposed to. Everything is happening just the way it has to.

Let's move on down. Let's finish up this chapter. Look at verses 21 through 36. It says, “When Jesus had said this, he became troubled in spirit and testified and said, Truly, truly. I say to you that one of you will betray me. The disciples began looking at one another, at a loss to know which one he was speaking. There was reclining at Jesus's bosom, one of his disciples whom Jesus loved. So Simon Peter gestured to him and said to him, Tell us, who is it? Of whom he is speaking, he, leaning back thus on Jesus bosom, said to him, Lord, who is it? Jesus then answered, This is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him. So when he had dipped the morsel, he took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. After the morsel, Satan then entered him. Therefore Jesus said to him, What you do, do quickly. Now no one of those reclining at the table knew for what purpose he had said this to him. Some were supposing, because Judas had the Money Box, that Jesus was saying to him by the things we have need of for the feast, or else that should give something to the poor. So after receiving the morsel, he went out immediately. And it was night, therefore he had gone out. Jesus said, Now the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify Him immediately. Little children, I am with you a little while. You will seek me. And I said to the Jews, Now I say to you, where I am going, you cannot come. The commandment I give to you that you love one another, even as I have loved you, so that also you love one another. By this man will know that you are my disciples if you have love one another. Simon Peter said to him, Lord, where are you going? Jesus answered, Where I go, you cannot follow me now, but you will follow later. Peter said to him, Lord, why can I not follow you right now? I will lay down my life for you, Jesus answered. You will lay down your life for me, truly, truly. I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny me three times.”

So several things to talk about here real quick. First of all, Jesus tells them that one of you will betray me. And they're all standing there looking around, wondering who that's going to be. Because they know that everything that Jesus has said thus far has come through. So why would they doubt this? Why would they doubt that he's telling the truth now? Why would he make this up? So they knew one of them would betray him. Think about how Jesus felt here verse 21, He said he became troubled in spirit testified. I say to you that one of you will betray me.

Oftentimes, one of the hardest things to go through in life is the betrayal of a close friend. That's something that some of us probably realize. Some of us probably understand that we've been there. Jesus's case, that betrayal ended up in his death. You say he knew this had to happen. He knew this was going to take place. He knew Judas was going to be the one to do it. Now one thing like I talked about a few minutes ago. Something that amazes me here not only did Jesus allow Judas to eat. Jesus allowed Judas to follow him. He allowed Judas to be with him, to spend time with him, to become close with him. Miss one of the 12. It is one of the very few people on the earth that was intimately close with Jesus. He knew he was going to betray and he still allowed him to do that. It had to be this way. There was no other way for it to happen. It had to happen just like this. But think about how Jesus felt because he was human. Not only was he divine, he had a human aspect of him as well. He was 100% human, 100% God.

Jesus then starts talking like he was talking to the Jews earlier. If you remember, he said where I'm going, you cannot follow me. And now one thing that's interesting here, a little bit of difference, verse 36. Jesus says where I go, you cannot follow me now, but you will later. Think about. That gave him a little glimmer of hope there, he said. You know, I you don't know where I'm going. You can't go with me, but you will. It's a little different than what we have seen in the past. Is in the past when Jesus was speaking to the Jews, he just said where I'm going, you cannot come. But now he says you cannot follow me now, but you will later. The reward for following Jesus. The reward for following his commands, doing what he said to do. Think about that.

Then this perplexes Peter a little bit here and he says why can I not follow you right now? I will lay down my life for you. And then he gets a little reality check here, Jesus said there in verse 38 he says. A rooster will not crow until you deny me three times. He knew he was going to be betrayed. He knew he was going to be denied. Think about how that might Peter feel. If you look in the other gospels, Peter didn't think that he would actually deny Jesus until he heard the rooster crow. Then he realized what he had done.

How would we act in that scenario? What I mean by that if tasked with the same situation. Would we deny Jesus? If we thought that we may have a cross with our name on it, if we thought that we may be harmed, we may be killed, we may be beaten, maybe even as simple as we may be asked some questions. Would we stand up for Jesus? Will we deny Jesus or we would we say that He is our Lord? There's some things that I want us to think about tonight, I want us to think about this week.