Untitled Sermon (11)

Introduction

It isn’t uncommon for people to create a “bucket list”, that is a list of things that they want to do before they die. For some people this may be sky diving or traveling. Have you ever considered how Jesus spent his last moments before his death? He didn’t travel very far. In fact, it is estimated that Jesus never traveled more than 40 miles from his home. No, Jesus ended his life the same way he began it, in the service of other people.

Our text beings by saying, “Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart our of this world to the father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.” As Jesus sat down with his disciples he knew that this would be their last fellowship together. For his friends that gathered around him, this was another meal. For Jesus, this was a moment to teach them again. Believer, this morning Christ wants to teach you. He wants you to see the servant that he was and as he spoke in John 14:12, that if you believe in him you will do the works that he does, but not just these works, greater ones also.

I am convinced this morning as we approach the this word, that God desires from Riverside Baptist Church a community of Jesus followers that are serious about following Jesus. A fellowship that looks to Christ and joins together in imitating him. This is not a faith that checks boxes.. Jesus prayed.. yep I pray…go to church…yep got that. Believer, if your version of Christianity is reduced to these simple things than I am afraid you have missed who Jesus was. At some point, we have to reconcile our lives, our following of Jesus with words such as this...

“By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.” 1 Jon 3:16

It is to that end that we meet our text this morning. I hope you arrived at church this morning with the expectation to departing looking more like Christ.

(Pray)

A Great humility

“Jesus knew that the father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God.” v. 3

When I was a kid my grandfather would ask me one important question before dinner...”Did you wash?” What he was asking me was if I had washed my hands before eating. For him, it was a matter of cleanliness to wash your hands before you ate. In the same way, as a resident of Israel in the first century it would have been a necessity to wash your feet before eating a meal with friends. You would not have found a dinning room table with chairs in the home of a first century Jew. Instead, when you sat for meals, you would have reclined low to the ground and you feet would have been near the table where everyone else was eating.

The disciples must have been stunned as their mast rose from his place at the table and began to wash their feet. Should it not have been them that washed his feet? I think Peter had the same thoughts, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Washing feet was menial work, those who were given the responsibility of washing feet were not prestigious individuals. Yet, the creator of the universe and the one who spoke the dust on their feet into existence was the same God and creator that we find washing their feet.

Consider that for a moment, in washing the feet of the disciples Jesus did not lose or jeprodize an ounce of his deity. For, it was in knowing that he had all power and that he came from God that Jesus took on this role. It is in knowing well the fulness of God that dwelled bodily on him that he emptied him self and took on the form of a servant. (phil 2:7). This is a remarkable scene and one that I do not think is by accident.

Jesus rose from his place at the table just as he rose from his place in perfect community with God.

Jesus laid aside his out garment as he did, temporarily, his glory in heaven.

Jesus took a towel, a symbol of a servant, as he took on the form of a servant.

He poured water in a basin to wash their feet, as he would soon pour out his blood to wash them of their sin.

Finally, he washes their feet as a symbol of his greatest act of service for their sin.

Read again Philippians 2:5-9

‘Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross. Therefore, God exalted him to the highest place, and gave him the name that is above every name.”

Do you remember the request of James ad John in Mark 10:37. After asking Jesus to do what ever they wanted him to do, they ask “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” After so long of being with Jesus the disciples still had so much to learn about what it means to be with Jesus. For, we know that it is the humble that will be exalted and the proud that will be humbled.

We are content to come to our comfortable church building, hang out with a group of people that are like us, sip on our coffee and hear a good word. But, are we okay if following Jesus meant placing ourselves in the stench and dirt of other people’s lives? Would you strip yourself of your own comfort to take up a towel and follow Jesus to those who need to be served?

Jesus was not inconvenienced by having to wash their feet. By all means, he could have requested that they wash their own feet. Yet, he did it for them. Make no mistake, clean feet was a necessity to recline at Christ’s table. But, Jesus does the washing. I fear that far too often people never darken the door of churches, and never consider the truthfulness of the gospel because the Jesus who washes feet is not the Jesus who is proclaimed by his followers.

Paul directly associates humility and service with the life of a Christian in Romans 12:16, “… Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.” Did you see that? The literal meaning of associate in this verse it “carried away with” or “condescend to.” Paul doesn’t want us to merely acknowledge the lowly, but invite them into our lives and seek way that we can be a part of their lives. Christians of all the people in the world should be the friendliest to sinners, not because we are better, or more put together. If anything to show that we aren’t. But, most importantly because our Lord is a friend and servant to sinners!

A Great Love

Think about who this group was...

Peter- Denied Jesus

Thomas- Doubted Jesus

And what really causes me to pause.. Jesus washed the feet of Judas. I admit that I struggle with this, and when I was reading this passage over and over again in preparation to preach this message I found myself returning to this again and again. Why, in the middle of teaching the disciples a lesson on service and love for one another, would Jesus wash the feet of the one that would betray him? Judas was a traitor, a back stabber, and an accomplice of the murder of Christ. Then I realized, I am the traitor, the back stabber, the one who’s sin Christ came to die for.

If you are in Christ, he knew your sin as he journeyed to the cross. Before Christ, we were all enemies of God. We were dead in our sin and followed Satan and son’s of disobedience. We were by nature, Children of wrath. (Eph 2:1-3) But, Christ served us by humbling himself and dying for us.

Look back at verse 1, “Now before the Feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.”

From chapter 13-17 love is mentioned 31 times, while only six times in chapter 1-12. In this passage Jesus is showing them the full extent of his love. He has now loved them to the end. This is not an isolated event in the life of Jesus and his relationship with his disciples. Instead, it is to be understood as a foreshadowing to how Christ will ultimately show his love for them. One person has written, “In the footwashing we have an acted parable of the Lord’s humiliation unto death”

He loved until the end. He loved in his life. The entirety of Christ’s life was given to the service of others. He loved in his death, for his death was to save the world of sin. Indeed believer, he has loved you through the hardest moments of your life as he did the disciples that frightful stormy night. He has loved you in the greatest moments of your life. For as Paul asked,

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?”

Does the love of Christ run out? Can we exhaust his kindness to us? Perhaps this morning you have come here and you are questioning Christ’s love for us. Remember he loves you until the end. For,

“he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

We can all relate to his company. The room was not full of well put together church folk. Jesus served one that would deny him, one that would doubt him, one that would betray him, all to show us the true heart of the crucified Christ. For, we are those who denied him, we are those who have doubted him, we are those who have betrayed him.

Can you love and serve how Christ did? Can you take up your towel and follow him to your enemies? Not with anger but with love? For, what was the purpose of this but to draw the disciples into a deeper knowledge of him? Do you desire for your enemies to know Jesus?

Look at verse 10. Not all were clean. Indeed, Christ knew that Judas would betray him. Yet, he served him that evening. Loving as Christ loves does not mean loving those who are easily loved. What does Paul say in Romans 12:20?

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if his is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by doing so you will heap burning coals on his head.”

Well, that is a strange thing to say. By being kind, our kindness acts as a punishment to our enemies? On the contrary, the image that Paul is painting is kindness that leads to shame for ones guilt. Our kindness, like God’s kindness is always meant to bring others to repentance. Christian kindness to our enemies says, “I want to spend eternity with you in the presence of God! I’m loving you because I want you to turn from your sin and love God!”

Did Paul not preach to his captors? Did Jesus not seek the father’s forgiveness for those that crucified him? Should not we also seek kindness towards those who persecute us, so that they too can experience the forgiveness and cleansing power of the humble servant Jesus, who desires to see them clean?

A Great Challenge

When we arrive at the conclusion of this passage we are face with a great challenge.

“If I then, you Lord and teacher have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not great than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. “

Have you been washed by Christ? Is he your teacher and Lord? I think we are often content with Christ being our savior, and even our teacher. However, to call him Lord is a major pronouncement. Pay close attention to how Jesus described himself. It was not teacher and then Lord. It was Lord and then teacher.

Perhaps this morning, we have arrived at our text and you are struggling to reconcile your relationships with others with the text. Have you learned from Christ, but have not made him your Lord? For, if Christ is to be your Lord you cannot treat service to others as a good sounding idea. Furthermore, we cannot treat service to others as something we only receive . No, if Christ is your Lord you will do just as he has done for you.

Did Christ take on the for of a servant? Then what should be expected of the servant of the servant. Surely, if Christ humble himself and served others should we not also? Really, when we refuse to serve others we are not merely acting indifferent to the commands of Christ, but we are declaring that his work is beneath us. Yes, Christ washed feet, but why should I have to get my hands dirty?!

For many, it makes much more sense to scold, lecture, or talk down to others until they finally submit to their wishes or walks away entirely. The cleanest work if the work that throw mud on others instead of cleaning of it off.

What did Christ expect from you in return that he should show his kindness to you? Could you ever repay him for his grace and mercy? I think we often forget how costly it is to follow Jesus. What did Mark record in his gospel?

“Jesus told his disciples, ‘if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself ad take up his cross and follow me.” Mark 16:24

Where did the cross of Christ lead if not to his death for the sins of the world? What greater example of service and love could a person need than to look to the crucified one?

No, Christ did not come to serve or receive any payment that one should deserve his love. Instead, Christ came “to serve and give his life as a ransom for many.”

In the words of R. Kent Hughes, “If we are to count ourselves as followers of Christ, there must be humble service in our lives. We must be people of the towel.”

In verse 14 Jesus really focus’s on a specific service, that is our service to one another within the fellowship of Christ’s people. “You ought to wash one another’s feet.” Imagine what would happen if this type of service spread throughout our church. It is often easier to humble ourselves to this degree for people that we do not know. But, what about those people in our own families, in our small groups, those in the church that you do not talk to often.

How refreshing it is to be served by God’s people? When we humbly serve God’s people it will have a cleansing effect on our church. The feet of the disciples were covered in the dirt and mud of the day. How refreshing it must have been to have that washed off. We all collect dirt during our day to day lives. Do you notice when someone needs the cleansing water of Christian love and service? It is by this that we will stir one another up.

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together…but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:24

When the writer of Hebrews says “let us consider” he is not asking you to develop a program of service. Rather, he is asking us to give careful and thoughtful attention and deep concern for one another. You cannot do this by being a mere passer by. You cannot have deep concern or thoughtful attention if you are apart from one another. This is why it is so important for us as a church to gather on Sunday, in our homes, and throughout the week. And the result of this love, service, concern, and community is godliness! Not just for you, but also for those you are serving. This is so important for us to practice as a church.

Conclusion

Jesus asks his disciples a simple question, “Do you understand what I have done to you?”

Do you? Do you understand what Christ has done for you? He came down as a servant to save you, to cleanse you, to wash you clean. This night there were 12 men gathered around the table, yet the table that Christ has prepared in his death can fit many.

Believer, do you understand what Christ has done for you? Will you follow him today in obedience to serve others? For, there was a man at the table who’s feet were washed yet, he went away and betrayed Christ. He did not understand. Examine yourself church, seek Christ.

(Pray)