The Last Supper

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Starting Point (Today after service)

Easter Eggstravaganza

Local Church Conference (business meeting)

Baptism Sunday

GIVING

CONNECTION

Series: The King is Coming — Jesus as the King.

Monday — Don’t your religion ruin your relationship with Jesus.

Tuesday — Build your life on the right things —> The words of Jesus.

Wednesday — Worship isn’t about what you say, it’s about what you give away.

Thursday — Night of the passover dinner.

When was the last time you were tempted to be humble?

Let’s be real—humility doesn’t come naturally to us. We live in a world that celebrates the opposite.

Think about it:

We’re constantly told to chase success, to build our brands, to push our own agendas.

Every day we’re surrounded by messages telling us to climb higher, gain more, be the best.

We applaud people who “make it” by asserting themselves and fighting their way to the top.

But the truth is, all of that is exhausting. When life is about you, there’s this constant pressure to perform, to impress, to be seen and validated. And when it doesn’t happen? Frustration. Resentment. Burnout.

It’s even true in the church. Sometimes we make serving about our talents, our recognition, our validation. We want to be noticed, appreciated, respected. And when that doesn’t happen, we get bitter. We feel overlooked. And we wonder why.

Here’s the problem: We’ve bought into the lie that humility is weakness. We think humility means being a doormat, being less than, being invisible. So we resist it. We avoid it. We convince ourselves that humility is something we can admire from a distance but never actually practice.

But then Jesus shows up in this story and flips the script. He’s not just asking His disciples to be humble—He’s showing them what humility looks like. He’s putting skin on it. He’s making it undeniable. And He’s saying, “If you’re going to follow Me, this is the way.”

But here’s the thing: that way is uncomfortable. That way feels unnatural. That way challenges everything our culture celebrates.

And that’s why this story is so hard to swallow. Because it’s not just a lesson to learn; it’s a lifestyle to live.

SCRIPTURE

John 13:1–5 NIV

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. 2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

This is scandalous. We fly over this b/c we don’t recognize the implications of what Jesus is doing and we also don’t get the scene. It doesn’t look like Da Vinci’s famous painting.

Roads in ancient Israel were dusty, dirty, and covered in everything from mud to animal waste.

People wore open-toed sandals, which meant their feet were constantly filthy.

INSERT PICTURE OF SANDALS

When entering a home, it was customary to have a servant wash the guests’ feet.

Only non-Jewish (Gentile) slaves were expected to do this—it was considered too low for a Jewish servant. Yet, the King, takes off the rabbinic robe…

and puts on the servants towel…and his followers are stunned. They don’t know what to say. The teacher is lowering himself to such a position.

And to make matters worse this is how the room actually looks, they would eat at a table called the Triclinium.

INSERT PICTURE OF TABLE — TRICLINIUM

They are leaning forward on their elbows preparing to eat and Jesus is going behind them around the table methodically washing their feet. Lowering himself.

He gets to Peter…

John 13:6–11 NIV

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.”

Peter resist s b.c he knows how wrong this is. Hoe upside down, how not king-like this is. I’ve seen what those hands can do.

B/c Peter isn’t going to do this for anyone else in the room, yet here Jesus is doing it.

John 13:6–11 NIV

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

In other words — if you want to be with me, you want to have walk with me, I must do this for you.

Symbolism of the Cross but….

Also I need you to learn to this — what I am doing.

John 13:6–11 NIV

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.

Peter is vigorous in his response to Jesus, understandable (that’s Peter) but Jesus says no you’ve already received the washing. In other words, you’ve already accepted my teaching — “I am the Messiah” — therefore I have need to wash your whole body again, instead Peter I need to teach you this Kingdom ethic.

John 13:12 NIV

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.

Surely they understood the physical implications. And it’s very easy to think that Jesus was Just teaching customs and courtesies. It’s likely the first the disciples thought that they have made a huge mistake and forgotten a key part of the cultural conversation. However, that is simply not the case.

Preach thru it. Line by line.

John 13:13–17 NIV

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.

The implication could be no clearer. People in his kingdom, people in the kingdom of God the expectation is to lower yourself. Mark 10 example.

Mark 10:42–45 NIV

Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

And let’s be honest for just a minute this is so challenging and I think that is why Jesus picked such an obvious can’t get away from it. No stopping it kind of example.

He showed his followers that humility is the way of the king.

Humility is the way of his followers.

APPLICATION

Culture often tells us to make it about us.

CEO’s — Elite — social media — you’re in charge make it all about you. Jesus comes along and says no… that’s not kingdom stuff that’s earthly stuff.

It’s not about you. It’s not about me. It’s about them.

Who’s them? Every other person you come into contact with.

Brandon — wait a second… self love, personal value, what about those buzz words I hear?

Humility isn’t thinking less of yourself; it’s thinking of yourself less.

Because here’s the truth, we don’t have an excuse anymore. If we call ourselves kingdom, people of Jesus really is the king of our lives if he really is the king then, that means we do is our king does.

And you know what he did?

He didn’t power up, he didn’t say look at me (when there was plenty of reason to look) he didn’t make everything about his needs, he made it about other people.

Jesus wasn’t just teaching a lesson—He was modeling a lifestyle.

I know I’m about to ask is hard… but hear me out. It’s kingdom stuff. Kingdom behavior.

Challenge — Look for ways to lower yourself this week.

Listening to your spouses day first.

Admitting when you’re wrong to your kids.

Giving credit to others on the team.

Listening without interrupting.

Serving at the church.

Apologizing first.

Responding with grace.

I get it, these are simple although not easy. These are countercultural, but hey listen, your king my king was counter cultural. He said this is how we are to behave.

Humility is how we lead and live.

Extra

Look I completely understand, I have been hurt too. But listen to me, this is what love looks like.

John 13:34–35 NIV

34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

People will know you’re kingdom people. They will know that you follow the King by the way you love others. The way you put them first. The way you speak, act, react and behave.

Washing feet —> that’s what love looks like.

Here’s the simple question.

What does love look like?

In my marriage?

At work?

In this meeting?

With mom? With dad?

You’ve meet someone like before right? How did they make you feel? How did they look while caring/serving for you that way?

If you notice those people are always the happiest people. They are always the ones with smiles and they just always seem… fulfilled. It seems like they almost glow.

That’s because in putting your needs above theirs they are serving you.

Here’s the tragedy…

We live in a culture that celebrates being served more than serving.

Super Bowl — they zoomed in on Taylor Swift not the person carrying her bag.

The servant never gets the glory.

But what if we have it backwards? What if in order to be higher on the spiritual rung we need to make ourselves lower on the earthly one?

Story of Jesus and the boys from Mark 10 — tell it quickly to set the stage.

Mark 10:42–45 NIV

Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

If Jesus makes sure they know this kingdom isn’t going to be like kingdoms of this world. His kingdom, will be different. As the king, he requires something different of his people.