Sermon Tone Analysis

Reading

Intro To Second Book Of John

New series focusing on the ‘second’ book of John (John 13-20)

A distinctive shift in the perspective of John’s gospel (Book of glory)

A final rejection by Jews (community of old covenant) signals the end of Jesus’ public ministry and the remainder of John’s gospel focuses on Jesus ministry to those he called his own, his closest followers, specifically the 12 (and soon to be 11) disciples (a private ministry)

They are given a final sign of Jesus’ love for them (the footwashing here), told to love another in unity (John 13, John17 so that a) they may bear the mark of Jesus’ disciples and b) demonstrate the reality of the gospel that God sent his Son to save those who believe in him.

Instead of signs that demonstrate to the Jews that he is the Messiah, Jesus focuses on preparing his people for his death and then their mission to spread the gospel to the whole world.

John 20:21-22

Unity, love, mission

Intro To John 13:1-17

Familiar passage of footwashing.

The command to ‘wash one another’s feet’

Why dont we wash each other’s feet (as some church traditions do, or some church leaders do?)

Why is it not a custom like baptism and the Lord’s supper?

Nowhere else in the New Testament or in early church history is it commanded.

Specific culturally, geographically

The recognition that Jesus was demonstrating in symbolic form (though it was very real to the disciples) an example of his character, a pattern of thinking that should translate into action in the disciples life.

They should emulate his example, not specifically the footwashing but rather his attitude that would lead him to the cross to die for them, so also that attitude should lead to actions that mark them out as Jesus’ disciples and adorn the gospel message that they carry

Already in John, there is a pattern of extravagant signs that convey a reality in Jesus ministry but behind that reality lies an attitude that should be emulated and will lead to similar but not the same consequences in their lives

John 12:24-25

It testifies to the reality that Jesus will die on the cross for our sins and bears the fruit of salvation in our lives

But that attitude would translate to the disciples life (not that they could die on the cross and save others for that was Jesus’ unique ministry) but by counting their life in this world as nothing for Jesus’ sake and the sake of spreading the gospel, they would bear the fruit of gospel spread, transformation and the making of other disciples

The key to this whole section (and the whole of Jesus’ ministry to the disciples prior to his death) is John 13:1

marker of time, that the hour had come for his death on the cross

having loved his own who were in the world

God loved the world (John 3:16) in order to draw his own out of the world [cf Carson].

The object of God’s love is the world but the result of that love is to draw people who will living in the world would be marked as different (his own) from the rest of the world.

he loved them to the end: a Johannine double meaning, meaning both that he loved them to the uttermost or in the most extravagant manner possible and also he loved them to the end of his life.

Both of these are true, his magnificent love for his people led him to die on the cross for them, and he maintained that love to the very end of his life on this earth

So the time has come for Jesus to do something out of his extravagant love that will lead to his death on the cross, and that attitude would be needed to be emulated by those he called his own.

And that is symbolized by the cleansing of the disciples feet

Outline

The character of Jesus, who cleanses his disciples feet

What the sign signifies about Jesus’ cleansing

The uniqueness of Jesus’ cleansing

The example of Jesus’ cleansing leading to Christian (his own) attitude and action

The Character Of Jesus

John 13:2-5

More appropriately, the nature of Jesus love

John points out Judas’ impending betrayal not just as a marker of time to indicate that the hour had come and things were set in motion under Gods sovereignty that would lead to Jesus’ death on the cross

But also to indicate that Jesus’ knew that Judas was about to betray him; turn him in for 30 pieces of silver and what does Jesus do?

Wash his feet

Mt 5:43-47

The perfection of Jesus love, exemplified in his washing of the betrayer’s feet, ultimately manifested in his death on the cross to pay for the sins of his own, who were all enemies of God

The form of Jesus’ service

Footwashing - the need probably due to travel on dusty roads and such, washing feet before sitting down barefoot for a meal

Peers did not wash each others feet.

Usually the one lower in status washed the others feet

There is no instance in either Jewish or Greco-Roman sources of a superior washing the feet of an inferior: cf.

Chris Thomas, op.

cit., ch. 3.

Perhaps if Jesus asked disciples to wash his feet, they might have agreed.

However, the reason they may not have offered

It was considered too lowly a task even for Jewish slaves, only Gentile slaves and perhaps in the home, not men, but only women and children

So for the disciples to not only do what might atleast seem proper, but to see Jesus their superior perform this service to them went against and destroyed the expected norms of society.

But more than that, here it says he took off his outer robe and tied a towel around his waist.

This was the dress of the lowest of slaves, looked down upon in both Jews and Gentiles

Lk 22:27

I like to think that Paul heard this and wrote Phil 2:6-8

This love, this grace would ultimately manifest itself on the cross where Jesus died

It was a stunning, lavish and unnecessary act but all grace is that

All acts of divine grace are so

The cross as unnecessary?

From God’s perspective

Every act of loving grace thus needs to imbibe some element of the stunning, the unexpected, the lavish and the unnecessary (love ur enemies)

FAO Schwartz piano

What The Sign Signifies

John 13:6-8

Peter’s tone is one of strained disbelief ( you to me)?

He is still thinking in terms of the social context and far be from it that Peter, the known passionate fellow, to willingly agree to this social injustice.

But Jesus points him to something that he will not understand in the present but only later

And that is, this footwashing which is Jesus’ lavish, stunning, unnecessary, gracious love exemplified in that moment points to a greater act of love that Peter will see later (and similarly not accept as in his denial etc) which is Jesus death on the cross

Jesus is saying, I am here to love you and serve you, now serve you as a slave by washing your feet but in days to come, you will see that I love you and will serve you by dying on the cross for you.

And then you may begin to understand the depth of my lavish grace and love toward you

Now Peter, hotheaded, does not want to take Jesus at face value.

No Never! he says

And Jesus says, if i do not wash you, you have no share with me

Or if I do not cleanse you, you have no part of me

Jesus is using the cleansing property of the footwash to point out that he would cleanse their sins by his death, burial and resurrection

and unless Jesus’ blood has washed away my sins, i can have no part or share of him, no link, no relationship with him

Of course, Peter would not understand all this now which leads to the next interaction

The Uniqueness of Jesus Cleansing

John 13:9-11

Peter, still not understanding, but enthusiastically responding to Jesus’ no part of me comment says, in that case wash me everywhere, hands head etc .

Drench me, clothed bath

Jesus takes the opportunity to respond to Peters’ question to make a related but separate point about his cleansing, his salvation through his death on the cross

It turns on two words, which is bath vs wash.

So those who have taken a bath only needs to wash the parts that are dirty in this case the feet because they are completely clean

In the flow of conversation, the previous verses showed Jesus using the cleansing property of the water to point to his sacrificial death on the cross as the cleansing agent for sins

Here he is using the specificity of the application of the water, which is just to the feet, to make a separate point.

Which is that those who taken a bath and have become clean do not take a bath again

So when did these disciples have this bath?

One that bath is pointing to Jesus death on the cross which is a one time event, a fundamental cleansing that makes one clean that does not need to be repeated (prospective for the disciples since Jesus knew his own and who would betray him)

Another place with similar idea in John 15:3

So the cleansing comes through the Word of God revealed in Jesus Christ pointing to the atoning sacrifice of Jesus which cleanses us from all righteousness once and for all.

It is possible but not necessary to point out that the once and for all fundamental cleansing that makes us righteous, right with God, does not need to be repeated but perhaps we need to continually cleanse ourselves of our ongoing sins through the practice of relying on the grace of God through confession 1 Jn 1:9

But also important to point out that Jesus says not every one of you is clean, referring to Judas

So no external rite (even one in this case administered by Jesus himself, let alone an agent of Jesus) can cleanse you.

Because Judas was washed, but he was not clean.

The only real cleansing of our souls, the cleansing that makes us righteous and worthy to have a share in Jesus Christ, comes from the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross which is the message of the Gospel.