The Servant's heart of Christ

The life of a disciple of Jesus Christ is like a tree. The roots are our identity as sons and daughters of God. Today we will look at the trunk of the tree which is the servant’s heart of Christ.

Introduction

Imagine with me for a moment that you had been given unlimited power and unlimited resources and had only a few more hours left to live. What would you do? What would you have others do for you?

In we see Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, the Lord, the One who created all things, teach His disciples a lesson they would never forget…that the heart of God is the heart of a servant and we as God’s children should have his heart…the heart of a servant.

Why? Because the essence of the gospel is self-sacrificing, self-denying, God-loving, people-caring, because the essence of the gospel is that the King of the universe gave Himself in sacrifice for us, the undeserving.

Background

It is the night before the crucifixion of Jesus. Our Lord and His twelve disciples have travelled from Bethany. Traditionally, when guests arrived at a dinner, they were greeted by a servant who would put a towel around his waist and would wash the guest’s feet, which were probably caked with dirt, as they reclined at the table. This was a gesture of good will from the host to their guests. They were refreshed as the dirt was removed from their feet.

On the night of the Passover, the water vessel, bowl and towel sat there, crying out for someone to use them. The disciples knew that somebody should do the foot-washing, but nobody wanted to admit that they were the servant of all. So, as the meal continued, no one performed the duty.

Exposition

Listen to this statement with me, “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, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist.” Let that sink in…

The performer of the act

This is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Glory, the great I AM, the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. The good Shepherd; the True Vine; the Door; the Way, the Truth, the Life; the Resurrection and the Life; the Light of the World; the Bread of Life. This is the Word, the One who was with God and the One who was God. The One who made all things. This is the Life and the Light of men. He is the one who turned water into wine, raised the dead, restored vision to the blind, made the deaf to hear, made the lame to walk and calmed storms. This is the one who never did one evil act or though.

How could the source of all life who would take on flesh and dwell among us do such an act? How could the Maker of the earth give his life for His creatures? What would you do if you saw your Creator, in humility, wash your feet as if he was a servant?

Do you remember the saying, WWJD, What Would Jesus Do, though it was abused and misused, yet, doesn’t this question cause us to pause and think deeply? How could the King of Glory be a servant to sinners? What would Jesus do? Well, Jesus, though he was God, left heaven, emptied himself, and took the form of a servant and humbled himself.

We must remember that we are nothing compared to Him. And if he acted as a servant in humility, shouldn’t we do the same?

The performance of the act

Notice, beginning in verse 4, that Jesus Christ…rose from supper. The Lord and Maker of the universe stands up right in the middle of the Passover meal! This must have struck the disciples. What will He do?

The King of the Universe, who knew that all things were given into his hands, during His last meal on earth, allowed it to be interrupted.

Have you ever gotten a phone call in the middle of a warm meal and when you got back it was cold? Can you imagine letting your last meal on earth get cold? And for something that was beneath you?

The last few hours of a person’s life on earth are precious, so you treasure those hours, and others do too, so you try to get the most out of every minute for yourself. But Jesus didn’t spend this time in things to make him happy. He spent it doing acts of servitude for others. And so, in , during His trial, a few hours later, he said to Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world…” His focus was not on this temporary life, but rather, on heaven. He wanted His disciples to know this, and most of all, He wanted to teach them that they should live like him. They should set their minds on things above, not on things of this earth.

The beloved disciple, John, who wrote this gospel, was so impressed with this that he said in , “For all that is in the world— the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world.”

It also was impressed upon Peter, such that in he says:, “Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.”

The human passions that consume us and cause us to stay fixed upon this temporary home we are in, did not control Jesus. Rather, He was fully in control of all His emotions and all his passions. Yes, He had both emotions and passions, but He used these to the glory His Father in heaven and serve his fellow man in love.

Next we see that, “He laid aside his outer garments”. Christ walked over to the water, the basin and the towel and took off his outer garments. When people worked, they would take off their outer garment to make it easier to work and move about.

As soon as he did this he would have looked like an ordinary servant of that day. The disciples were probably trying to figure out what was going on, and were probably in shock. But there he was, looking just like a servant. Isn’t this unbecoming of the King of the kings and Lord of lords to be standing as a servant. Why would their Teacher and Lord shed His outer garments and take on the likeness of a servant? There the disciples waited with bated breath to see what would happen next.

But then it happened, “and taking a towel, tied it around his waist.” It became extremely clear at this point what He was doing. He bent down, picked up the towel, and as a servant would do who would wash the feet of the houseguests, he tied the towel around his waist so that he could wash their feet, and then dry them with this accessory towel.

How is it that the Lord and King of all the universe would even think of doing something so low and unbecoming as to wash the dirty feet of the disciples? As He continued, the silence must have been deafening.

Then he poured water into a basin. I think these things are being told in such detail because of how amazing it was for the God and King of the universe to be doing this. I am sure every time that John thought of this, and his Maker hanging on a tree, tears must have poured from His eyes. Imagine the significance of this act for John. Imagine what it meant for Him? The real question is, “What does it mean for us?”

But then, it continues, He…began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. Yes, He walked over to the disciples with the basin, full of water, in His hands, and began to wash their feet. Don’t forget that this was almost a matter of necessity because they traveled without shoes, and the dirt on their feet was, as they were reclining on couches, in plain view.

Not only did Jesus wash their feet, which were caked in mud and dirt, but he also dried them with the towel that was wrapped around Him. Jesus as he did this was kneeling down. He was physically lower than the disciples. Let’s think about this. Thus, he was showing that He wasn’t trying to lord it over them, or show that He was better than them, although He was. He was showing that He was their servant.

The Lord, Jesus, a servant to the disciples? What was this about? This situation made no sense to them. It shocked them. And thus, like Peter, we would have probably refused to have our feet washed by Jesus too.

The charge that we should do the same

The object lesson or parable completed, His words to Peter completed, all the disciples in somewhat of a shock, Christ now applies it. When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them.”

Christ finished washing all 12 of the disciple’s feet, even Judas His betrayer. Not only was Judas there at the Supper, he was also there at the foot washing.

Jesus stood up, walked over to where His garments were, set down the towel and put them back on. He now resumes His proper role. The clothes of a servant have now been put aside, and now He walks back to His place of prominence at the table. It is now time to talk to them and explain the significance of what He just did.

The disciples may have been glad when the Jesus, their Lord and Master assumed His normal dress and position. However, they would soon realize that Jesus came and lived as a servant day after day.

For the King of the universe to come to earth and be born to a poor family, having to obey God’s law designed for men, honoring flawed parents, dealing with the troubles of this life and spending his whole life helping and teaching others, even the last few hours, accused, sentenced, beaten by puny men, enduring the wrath of God while on the cross, dying on a cross, being buried, and having your body be under death’s power for 3 days…what servant-hood, what humility!

Yet, he continues to be both God and man in one person and two distinct natures forever. Here is the King of kings and Lord of lords in heaven, still in our frame today, a glorified one. What a King, what a Savior, what a God…a humble servant.

So, then Jesus explains this and His authority, Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.

Jesus asks the disciples a question, “Do you get it?” Apparently, by Peter’s response, and the discussions that followed on who is greatest in the kingdom a few minutes later, they didn’t.

Jesus affirms to them that He is their Teacher and Lord. Then he corrects their theology by re-wording their statement. Jesus puts Lord first, because first and foremost Jesus Christ is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. So, why would he do this? Well, sometimes we listen to teachers when we think it is good for us, but when our Lord tells us something, we should really pay attention.

Jesus makes it clear why He gave them a lesson on foot-washing. This lesson was given to show the love and kindness, humility and servanthood that we should have toward others. It was done to teach us how our attitude should be toward our fellow creatures. Our lives are to be lived in humility and servant-hood toward them.

This is why he said, For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 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. Here He teaches His disciples the paradox of the servant-leader. He tells them that this foot-washing is an example or parable. And the reason He did it was so the disciples, and consequently you and I would do just as Christ did to them.

So, does this mean that we should wash each other’s feet? Sort of. We should wash each other’s feet in a spiritual sense, meaning that we should not set ourselves up as greater and higher than others. We should always be ready to serve one another in humility.

Christ says that a servant isn’t greater than a master, nor a messenger than the one who sent him. Let me paraphrase this, “you saw me, your Lord and Master, your Lord and Teacher live a life of humility and demonstrate this in a practical parable of foot-washing, and since you are not greater than me, than your lives should completely and wholly demonstrate a life of humility and servant-hood.”

Christ’s actions and attitudes were of a humble servant. Therefore, our lives should not be proud, arrogant and self-seeking, but should be humble and other-seeking. We should be God-focused as Christ was and we should live in service to God and man.

We must not think that we are greater than the God of the universe. We must humble ourselves and be servants, because as Christ said…If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

And why wouldn’t we be happy or blessed if we live as a humble servant. If our King and our Creator is humble and a servant, then why would we think that being proud, arrogant, and setting ourselves up higher than the God of the universe would be any advantage to us.

Christ shows us the way to happiness or blessedness. And it is the path of humility and servanthood. So, let us be wise, let us be people who understand the truth of the foundation of the universe. Let us be humble servants, and we will be blessed and happy to be doing them.

So, what then is the secret to a happy and fulfilled life? To empty ourselves of pride and thinking that we have the right to be god. We must reflect God and show His glory and honor by living as a servant. Once we do this, then we will be living like Christ, the second Adam, who came not only to redeem us from our sin, but also to show us the true way to live. Servanthood.

Application

So how does this apply to our lives? The answer is clear from Paul, in His epistle to the Philippians in chapter 2, verses 3-4, as he explains that just as Christ lived, so should we, “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

So this week, when someone gets a new job, a promotion, a raise, a better grade, has a better day, or is better than you in any way, rejoice with them and for them. Count them as more important than you. Let your native pride slowly fade as you think about Jesus, the King of Glory as He gave himself for you…as He humbled Himself for your sake.

If an authority figure comes to you and demands something that seems unreasonable, something underneath you, or something you don’t like, give up your pride and arrogance, and remember what your Savior did. Remember that He washed the feet of the disciples, even Judas, his betrayer. Give up the desire to justify yourself as someone important.

If a situation pops up where you lose precious time, whether a few minutes, or even a few days, instead of trying to get revenge, give them your time, your life, and your energy to show what your Savior did for you. You may then get a chance to share your faith with them.

Allow the wonder and majesty of what Christ did for you to animate you and energize you in such a way that it will give you an opportunity to witness to a lost and dying soul who is in need of the eternal joy of knowing Christ.