The Lord’s Supper

Intro

Covenant Series

I want to invite you to turn with me to the book of John. Chapter 14. We will (for the most part) stay in this book today.

We are in the process of marching through the entire Bible. What’s great about teaching our students and then coming in here is that it’s quite seamless - we’re all covering the same subjects each Sunday.

So, we are well out of the Old Testament and we have taken a significant amount of time in the Gospels (rightly so). I think sometimes we feel like we know what happens in the Gospels and so we look over them.

TODAY: The Lord’s Supper

Today in particular, we are looking at the Lord’s Supper. And I will say this: I would soak in what we are reading and learning, because (in case you missed this), Pastor has announced that this coming Wednesday will be a very special service - we will be having both communion and footwashing that night.

So, this lesson, I believe, becomes very important.

Footwashing

So let’s just dive into footwashing, which is surely the most intimidating of the two.

Firstly, how many have ever taken part in a “footwashing service?”

So, in biblical times, when a host invited guests into a home for a meal, it was customary for the host to call for a servant to wash the guests’ feet. So just hold that historical significance in mind.

Hospitality. When someone comes in your home, you usually do something to show hospitality. This was the culture of the day.

Now, when it comes to footwashing, we today derive two prominent aspects:

Hygiene

Humility (foremost)

You can understand that most of the people of the desert area of Judea wore sandals, which quickly became dirty from dust. They would kick off their sandals at the door so they didn’t spoil their hosts’ beautiful rugs or freshly cleaned floor

So, it became a sign of hospitality to offer to wash a guest’s feet.

Today, we wash our hands before meals. Then, they also practiced foot washing for hygiene as well.

But the second point is what we look to focus in on for ourselves: humility. Foot washing didn’t require a ton of skill for a servant. But it was necessary.

Now, remember: the host typically called for a servant of some sort to perform this task. And so, for the head of the household to wash feet would have been a humiliating task. And so you must understand that when Jesus - the one the disciples looked to as their rabbi, or teacher - knelt down to wash their feet, it was not only a reversal of the norm, it was a lesson in humility.

John is the only Gospel that records Jesus washing the disciples feet (John 13:1-17). And what’s interesting about that is that the book of John is very focused on Jesus as being Lord. Think:

John 1:1–2 KJV 1900

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.

John 1:3–4 KJV 1900

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

John 1:14 KJV 1900

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

All speaking of how divine Jesus was. But what’s fascinating is that Jesus was just as divine when He was washing feet as He was when He walked on water.

Jesus Took the Role of the Lowest Servant

So here’s the deal. Jesus invites His disciples to eat the Passover meal with Him. All the disciples were gathered together and looking forward to an evening with Jesus.

John 13:1 NKJV

Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.

And He had already told them that He wouldn’t be with them much longer. He knew that His hour was coming.

Now, it’s not clear why no one had offered to wash the guests’ feet at the Passover meal. None of the disciples offered to do it. It might be that they looked around for a servant and when they saw none, they simply ignored the awkward silence in the room and began eating.

But none of them were willing to assume the role of the lowest servant in the room. And remember, these are the brothers that have the proclivity to argue about which of them is the greatest disciple.

Now, we may not argue about which of us is the greatest saint in the church. But we do deal with pride. And there’s certainly some of us who have reservations about washing feet this coming Wednesday. Oh, yes.

But I want to try to help you with that.

We are very much looking through the veil of the flesh when we naturally buck up against such things as this.

If you feel a resistance in yourself to the idea of footwashing, that’s exactly why you NEED to do this.

When Jesus did this, He was not disgusted or sickened. He went and acted out of love. Because there are things that appear odd or disorganized in the flesh (such as tongues, or a head of house washing a guest’s feet) that are actually greatly in order in the Spirit.

This veil of the flesh can betray us. If we’ll pray and deny ourselves and fast, it will change our vision!

But there’s also the truth that we naturally prefer ourselves over our brother or sister, in stead of preferring them over ourselves, as Jesus instructed.

We are naturally focused toward: self-preservation, selfishness, covetousness, pride.

Very often, we are harboring some of these this and we don’t even realize it. But in the altar or in prayer or in Scripture, it’s revealed to us how we have been wrong.

Footwashing helps that a lot.

So, while the disciples are already moving past the thought of footwashing, Jesus gets up from the table, puts His cloak aside, wraps a towel around His waist, kneels down, pours water into a basin, and gently begins washing their feet. When He’s finished, He takes the towel and dries their feet.

And there was a lot of depth to the love He was showing here. Judas was about to betray Jesus. Peter was going to deny knowing Jesus three times. Jesus could have pointed out flaws in every disciple, but it did not stop Him from showing this kind of love and service to His followers by washing their feet.

We could pick out all sorts of faults in one another today. If you want to make that your business, you can. Some do.

But I want to tell you that that will destroy revival!

If you let that critical spirit creep in, it’ll set up a full roadblock in your walk with God!

“There they go, coming back to church. We haven’t seen them in two months. Probably won’t see them for another two after this. We all know what they’ve been doing.”

“There he goes preaching on THAT again.”

“I sure could’ve done that better if she would’ve asked for my help.”

Those are the remarks of someone who has become a lid to revival! And against the opportunities God has placed before them in the Spirit!

I’ve seen people go into churches where the music team is completely out of tune, and they come in there and they instantly become critical - and they have NO IDEA that God has brought them here to test them and see if they will worship Him anyway!!!

John 13:6–7 NKJV

Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?” Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.”

John 13:8 NKJV

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.”

Peter had this habit of blurting out his thoughts before thinking them over. But when Jesus told him this, he changed his tune quick.

John 13:9 NKJV

Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!”

Jesus Taught Us How to Live with One Another

The picture that we have today of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet is one of true humility and love. Jesus was the greatest teacher of all time. And He wasn’t only showing them how much He loved them. THIS IS IMPORTANT: He was also showing them how to love one another.

When He got up, He asked them if they knew what He had just done. Then He says:

John 13:13–14 NKJV

You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.

So… “Why are we doing this?!”

When we serve each other in humility, we will prefer our brother or sister over ourselves. Learning to serve as Jesus did helps us to live in unity with each other.

Right now, this talking about love and humility and service might seem as though it’s some soft version of Pentecost to someone, but it’s not! What I am speaking to you right now is truly POWERFUL. AND APOSTOLIC. And it’s clear that we are being led right now into something glorious, if we’ll humble ourselves!

There’s an Apostolic principle here that we are going to have to learn and let soak into our spirit: humility swings wide the doors of the supernatural!

That’s not what somebody wanted to hear. When you get yourself out of the way finally, God can take center stage!

God protects the meek. God will take care of the humble. You humble yourself. You watch how much God will handle for you, instead of you always having to handle stuff.

STORY: Murrell Ewing was attacked by close friends, never said a bad word about them and saw it resolved years later.

STORY: Eli Hernandez tells the story of his father who had a man that got very angry with him and actually punched him. When the deacons were ready to tear him apart, he stopped them and said, “God will deal with him.” And He did. They found him where he had fallen dead in his back yard and worms had gotten to him.

STORY: Charles Robinette wrote about when he and his family were done wrong very badly by a missionary they were serving under. It blew up and he came home and started telling everyone else about what he thought of them and what had happened. His pastor called and told him that he was going to buy a plane ticket, go to that missionary, and wash his feet.

With Judas there, Jesus was showing us how to love someone who does evil against us.

I will serve with humility.

And so Jesus issued some clear instructions. And I wish to charge you with these this morning:

John 13:34–35 NKJV

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

There’s a wonderful choir song that says, “They shall know we are Christians by our love.”

"One of the Great Keys to Revival is Learning to Respect Each Other." - Billy Cole

Why Respect unlocks Revival:

IT KILLS PRIDE: You can't respect someone while looking down on them.

IT FOSTERS SAFETY: People grow where they feel valued.

IT INVITES THE SPIRIT: God dwells where there is unity (Psalm 133).

True revival is sustainable only when the people carrying it respect the giftings in one another.

One of the most difficult things to do as human beings is to intentionally serve with humility. It doesn’t come naturally to us because of pride, which is a poisoned fruit of sin. In fact, John declared it is one of the three worldly attributes that will separate us from God. (See I John 2:16.)

So it’s good for our soul when we serve with humility. We kick pride to the curb when we put the needs of others before our own.

Let’s pray for God to help us serve each other in humility, just as Jesus served His disciples.

Remembering Jesus’ Sacrifice

Symbolism of the Bread and the Cup

The meal was wrapping up, and Jesus takes the bread, gives thanks, and brakes it. He gives it to His disciples.

Luke 22:19 NKJV

And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

He lifts up the cup and says:

Luke 22:20 NKJV

Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.

The blood of animals would no longer be necessary to cover their sins. Rather, Jesus’ blood ushered in the new covenant by providing remission for sins.

Jesus Is the High Priest and the Lamb of God

The Jewish high priest had several duties to perform every year before he was allowed to enter into the Holy of Holies, the most secure and sacred room in the Temple.

As he passed through the veil, he approached the Ark of the Covenant, the symbol of God’s presence on earth.

Atop the Ark of the Covenant were two golden cherubim (angels) facing each other with their wings outstretched, touching each other. Their faces looking at the Mercy Seat, the place where God’s presence would descend to meet with humanity.

As the high priest sprinkled blood from the sacrifice he had offered onto the Mercy Seat, the presence of the Lord would fill the room.

During that Passover meal, Jesus announced a new covenant through the gospel, thus fulfilling His role as High Priest (mediating between God and humanity).

At the same time, He was also the Lamb of God willingly sacrificing His blood for our sins. He who knew no sin was made to be sin for us. (See II Corinthians 5:21.)

As God incarnate, Jesus was both our high priest and the sacrifice.

I will remember Jesus’ sacrifice.

So, when it comes to communion, we will at times hold special services in which we take communion.

Communion reminds us of the sacrifice Jesus made for us. Jesus shared communion with His disciples at the Last Supper. When He was finished, He instructed them: “Do this in remembrance of me . . . until I come.”

So what’s the point? Here it is: We eat the bread and remember Jesus’ broken body for us; we drink the fruit of the vine and remember Jesus’ shed blood for us.

It’s not something that we do lightly. We’re not going to eat the bread and drink the cup like we drink our sweet tea and eat our meatloaf.

We’ll begin by repenting and making our hearts ready. We want to be right with God when we do this, because it’s about Him.

And then when we do it, we have our mind on Him. Not indifferent or somewhere else mentally. We want to be present and thinking on Him and what He did on the cross.

And when that happens, something begins to brake. Because when you really get a full and clear picture of the cross and His sacrifice, it’s life-changing.

We must remember Jesus’ sacrifice, for without it, we would all be lost. We celebrate, we remember, and we look forward in faith to the day Jesus returns for His church.

Now and Future King

Jesus Promised the Holy Spirit Outpouring

That same night, Jesus also promised that He would pour out His Spirit.

John 14:16 KJV 1900

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

John 14:17 KJV 1900

Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

John 14:18 KJV 1900

I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

Today, we can look forward to the outpouring of the Holy Ghost. When the disciples received the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, the promise came alive as they spoke in tongues, experiencing the divine infilling of God’s Holy Spirit.

That same experience is our promise also. We have the same hope the disciples had that Jesus will dwell within us until He calls us home.

Jesus Promised He Would Come Back for His Church

Contrary to what many of the Jewish leaders believed, Jesus Christ was the Messiah. He may have come in a lowly manner, but He carried out His mission perfectly.

He promised He would come back for His church. That is why Jesus instructed the disciples—and us, by extension—to remember His death until He comes. He was calling us to look back to what He did for us and forward to what He will do for us.

Jesus is coming back for His church who has been made right with Him through the gospel.

I will live in covenant and look for Jesus’ coming.

Jesus’ sacrifice was the signature of His covenant with us. His work was completed. Through the gospel we have access to His presence in our lives.

Looking forward to His coming is a benefit of living in covenant with Jesus. How wonderful it will be when we hear the trumpet sound and are caught up in the clouds to be with the Lord forever!

1 Thessalonians 4:16 NKJV

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

1 Thessalonians 4:17 NKJV

Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

Conclusion