Leadership: Servanthood

Introduction:

Leadership: Footwashing= Cleaning gas station bathrooms

So much more to leadership then gross acts of kindness

vs. 1: “Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.”

These disciples were outsiders- part of the ‘world’. The word ‘world’ appears 40x from chapter 13-17. Why? Because Jesus came into this world to snatch those he loved from the world! Why? To preserve for himself a community whom Jesus will love fully and completely to the end.

These disciples were outsiders- part of the ‘world’. The word ‘world’ appears 40x from chapter 13-17. Why? Because Jesus came into this world to take back those he loved! It’s a snatching out from the grips of ‘the world’ and preserving for himself a community whom Jesus will love fully and completely to the end.

To understand this significance, we need to go to the beginning of John’s Gospel:

v.10: [Jesus] was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.” BIG UNIVERSAL PROBLEM

v.11: [Jesus] came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. BIG LOCAL PROBLEM.

So it’s out of these two fundamental problems that Jesus brought people out from the world:

Full and Complete love

Called them

Followed him for 3 years

Taught them

Witnesses to healing and resurrection

vs. 1: “Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.”

And now here, as the hour for Jesus to die is at hand, Jesus now has a small tight community of believers he loves.

Jesus is preparing for his departure, and as he does so he creates a community.

Jesus would have been a really bad church planter:

Not financially stable

Only 12 uneducated, doubting, fickle, prideful, resentful group… But Jesus loves these he has grouped together and will love them to the end...

Epic Moment: World vs. New Messianic Community

Epic Moment:

The future church will be riding on these 12 in order for others to be called out from the world to belong to this community. In fact, the word for ‘church’ means ‘ecclesia’- called out. original: Not called out TO the world but called out FROM the world.

Jesus has accomplished a goal of gathering a solid core, and that solid core will be the beginning of the most unstoppable movement in human history!

Carson: Those so drawn out constitute a new entity, set over against the world: the world loves its ‘own’, Jesus loves his ‘own’ (15:19). The object of the love of God in Christ, in these chapters, is therefore not the lost world, but the newly forming people of God, the disciples of the Messiah, the nascent church, the community of the elect.

Those so drawn out constitute a new entity, set over against the world: the world loves its ‘own’, Jesus loves his ‘own’ (15:19). The object of the love of God in Christ, in these chapters, is therefore not the lost world, but the newly forming people of God, the disciples of the Messiah, the nascent church, the community of the elect. Jesus had loved his own all along; he now showed them the full extent of his love.

Leadership Lesson #1: Love the Church

LOVE

2 During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God,

So here are words that make Superman come across like an ant. John presents this conflict between the devil and Judas as if it’s just like a little bit of bad static.

That side issue pales in comparison to the scale of Jesus power in verse 3!

Father had given all things into Jesus hands… that’s a lot

He had come from God and was going back to God… Come from God, back to God.

Out from verse 3, you’d think Jesus would stand and begin to glow like he did on the Mount of Transfiguration...

Instead...

2 During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

And it’s within the context of Jesus preserving his beloved community and within the context of Jesus being the King over all things, Jesus does the most unexpected thing… He dresses up like a slave.

Superman- NOT like Clark Kent. Superman becoming a janitor at the Daily Planet

Queen Elizabeth visiting us Sunday morning:

“It’s been so

Give her a chance to speak

“It’s been so lovely getting to know some of you wonderful Americans. You are truly the full expression of southern hospitality. Thank you...

And then she pulls out her fanny pack… “And if you will excuse me for just one moment.” She pulls out a pair of rubber gloves, some Clorox, toilet bowl cleaner, a plunger, throws some rags over her shoulder....

“If you excuse me, I know how nice it is to have a clean bathroom… I’m just going to skip my 94 year-old self out of here to ensure that you all have spotless bathroom.

Queens don’t clean bathrooms.

Kings don’t wash feet. It’s insulting, embarrassing. Peter wants nothing of it!

6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

Classical John move: Misunderstanding Passages

Misunderstanding Passages

WOMB: : Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”

WATER: : The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”

WASH: :

v. 8: You shall never wash my feet.

Excuse me, Queen, you don’t need to wash our bathroom. Actually, we’ll go to Buckingham Palace and clean yours before you clean ours.

v. 8a: You shall never wash my feet. thank you. We have servants who can wash our feet. I can find a million others who can wash my feet. I can’t except this from you.a

Jesus throws down the gantlet:

vs. 8b: “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.”

No share with Jesus, because of washing feet? How does that work?

What Jesus is teaching and modeling in this moment is the very thing we need to belong to the King. He’s teaching and modeling the Gospel and Grace.

The hour has come for Jesus to die. He has set up shop- he’s pulled these guys out from the world and loves them. But he also has to save them. He has to die to them- the washing of feet really is symbolic of the washing we need to be saved from our sins- from our brokenness, our past decisions, regrets, daily addictions, all that stuff! Jesus needs to wash us clean, and it’s an offer grounded in Christ’s sacrifice.

The word for ‘share’- ‘you have no share with me’:

this word is used to refer to tribal land promised in Canaan that Israel was to inherit. NIVAC: [the land] was one of the principal gifts of the covenant. But this gift of God is no longer “land,” but life with Jesus (cf. also ch. 15).”

V.8-9: Carson: “unless the Lamb of God has taken away a person’s sin, has washed that person, he or she can have no part with him.”

‘No share with me.’: NIVAC: “If Peter is not washed, he cannot have any “part” (Gk. meros) in Jesus. Throughout the lxx, the meros/meris word group refers to tribal land promised in Canaan that Israel was to inherit (; ; ). It was one of the principal gifts of the covenant. But this gift of God is no longer “land,” but life with Jesus (cf. also ch. 15).”

V.8-9: Carson: “unless the Lamb of God has taken away a person’s sin, has washed that person, he or she can have no part with him.”

Jesus is pointing towards the Cross:

This community I’m building, if you want a part of it, you need to except this gesture of grace.

Over-anxious Peter chimes in again:

Of course, Peter wants to be a part of Jesus, so Peter says, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” v. 9

Totally reasonable request: But Jesus needs to teach something very important to Peter, and to all of us really:

But Jesus needs to teach something very important to Peter, and to all of us really:

Jesus calls his discples clean because once their feet are clean, then it becomes unnecessary to clean everything else. The feet are metaphors of our sin. Where we go, we leave a trace of it. This is about their dirty, stinky, messy, sweaty, ugly feet that needs to be cleaned.

In other words, if their feet are cleaned, then they are clean! And they need Jesus to do it for them.

Salvation from sin is a one time event.

Forgiveness from sin is a daily event. We will still get our feet dirty. We still leave traces of our brokenness everywhere. But Jesus will keep washing us every time when we come with repentant hearts.

10 Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.”

The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to John 1. Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet (13:1–17)

the person who has taken a bath, and who is basically clean, may nevertheless need to have his feet washed after a short walk on dusty roads, even though another bath would be superfluous. In the same way, the disciples have received the cleansing salvation, prospectively, by faith: you are clean, Jesus comments, and then adds, though not every one of you.

John comments that Jesus said this in full consciousness of who was going to betray him (cf. 6:70, 71).

Christ is also Pointing to the One Time Event of Salvation but that we will still struggle with sin

My hands are dirty. My hair is sweaty- clean more than my feet because I want to be a member of your community.

The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to John 1. Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet (13:1–17)

the person who has taken a bath, and who is basically clean, may nevertheless need to have his feet washed after a short walk on dusty roads, even though another bath would be superfluous. In the same way, the disciples have received the cleansing salvation, prospectively, by faith: you are clean, Jesus comments, and then adds, though not every one of you.

John comments that Jesus said this in full consciousness of who was going to betray him (cf. 6:70, 71).

Leadership Lesson #2: Belonging to the King requires receiving the King’s Grace

Picture this group of future church leaders- Jesus is like: I deeply love you guys, but in order for this movement to grow, in order for you to belong to me, you need to be a forgiven leader.

Belonging to the King requires receiving the King’s of grace.

Leadership: You aren’t the savior, you aren’t God. You aren’t all that and a box of chocolates. You need to receive my grace without a hint of achieving it by yourself. Don’t resist the the Savior’s scrub! Don’t resist the King’s cleansing.

Leaders must receive forgiveness.

Gracey’s article???

12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

‘Bifocal’ Application:

Spiritual cleansing (vv. 8-10)

Standard of service

History: NIVAC: “How do we do this?

Footwashing (ie. Boismard)

Sacramental Interpretation (vv. 3,4-5, 6-10, 21-30)

Moralistic interpretation (vv. 1-2, 4-5, 12-15)

“World” appears 40 times in this chapter

Before Jesus leaves, he creates this nascent community of believers.

The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to John 1. Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet (13:1–17)

Those so drawn out constitute a new entity, set over against the world: the world loves its ‘own’, Jesus loves his ‘own’ (15:19). The object of the love of God in Christ, in these chapters, is therefore not the lost world, but the newly forming people of God, the disciples of the Messiah, the nascent church, the community of the elect. Jesus had loved his own all along; he now showed them the full extent of his love.

Washing John’s Feet vs. Judas’ Feet

There is a long tradition in the church that has taken this literally. In some ancient liturgical traditions, footwashing became a part of Maundy Thursday rituals.

Huge Extreme to set up the scene:

Washing John’s Feet vs. Judas’ Feet

vs. 2: Devil and Judas are on an evil conspiracy theory to destroy Jesus

Two Different Missions During Supper:

vs. 2: Devil and Judas are on an evil conspiracy theory to destroy Jesus

vs. 3-4: Father has given Jesus all things into his hands and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper.

Huge confidence boost! Pride, etc.

But then he goes and washes feet:

Benedictine monastaries practiced footwashing as a part of their hospitality to guests.

Benedictine monastaries practiced footwashing as a part of their hospitality to guests. In early England, Catholic monarchs used to wash the feet of twelve poor men each Maundy Thursday. In the Greek Orthodox tradition in Jerusalem, the archbishop re-creates the footwashing scene with twelve priests, washing and kissing each of their feet.39 Other ancient interpreters, however, saw the command as a symbol of lowly service and nothing more (e.g., Augustine).”

vv.5: NIVAC: “When Jesus “takes off his outer clothing” and wraps a towel around himself (13:4), he is adopting the posture of a slave.”

When Jesus “takes off his outer clothing” and wraps a towel around himself (13:4), he is adopting the posture of a slave.

V.8-9: “unless the Lamb of God has taken away a person’s sin, has washed that person, he or she can have no part with him.”

Painting the Picture:

In early England, Catholic monarchs used to wash the feet of twelve poor men each Maundy Thursday.

Carson: “The details are revealing: Jesus took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel round his waist—thus adopting the dress of a menial slave, dress that was looked down upon in both Jewish and Gentile circles.”

In the Greek Orthodox tradition in Jerusalem, the archbishop re-creates the footwashing scene with twelve priests, washing and kissing each of their feet.

V.8-9: “unless the Lamb of God has taken away a person’s sin, has washed that person, he or she can have no part with him.”

‘No share with me.’: NIVAC: “If Peter is not washed, he cannot have any “part” (Gk. meros) in Jesus. Throughout the lxx, the meros/meris word group refers to tribal land promised in Canaan that Israel was to inherit (; ; ). It was one of the principal gifts of the covenant. But this gift of God is no longer “land,” but life with Jesus (cf. also ch. 15).”

Other ancient interpreters, however, saw the command as a symbol of lowly service and nothing more (e.g., Augustine).”

Bathed= justification

Point of vs. 16-17: If the master does it, then it is not an act ‘below’ you.

King makes it normal for us to sacrificially serve. No act of service that is embarressing for the Christian!

Footwashing, like the cross, has ‘examplary force’ (Carson)

v. 12 Do you understand?

Carson “Fellowship of the cleansed that he is creating is to be characterized by the same love (vv. 34-35), and therefore by the same self-abnegation for the sake of serving others.”

Footwashing, like the cross, has ‘examplary force’ (Carson)

v.13: Teacher and Lord. Titles of authority

vs. 14-15:

Example of rejecting Christian inter-racial couple

Why isn’t it a sacrament:

No one in the early church practiced it as an ecclesiastical rite

Action that can be faked as false-humility

How do we wash feet?

unless the Lamb of God has taken away a person’s sin, has washed that person, he or she can have no part with him.

Leadership Lesson #3:

Reflections:

Messianic Community: Jesus had 12. This is where we’re going to start.

Getting the order right:

Footwashing is first and foremost about the Gospel

The Gospel plays an exemplary role

Peter’s Misunderstanding about Salvation

“Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

“I don’t think so!”

Queen Elizabeth

I’m going to go upstairs and clean your bathroom.

I’ve been following you on Facebook and I’m going to go upstairs and clean your bathroom.

Leadership: Servanthood

Notes:

Jesus’ New Beloved Community

vv. 2-10: Jesus Illustrates Love

Bifocal Foot-Washing Application