John 13:4-11

Announcements:

Introduction:

As we have started chapter 13, Jesus is no longer out teaching publicly. He has retired with those closest to Him in the upper room. They are in Jerusalem having a final time of fellowship before His train and crucifixion. This discourse will continue to through chapter 17.

Recap:

Last week we saw the last statement Jesus made publicly in this gospel, before the cross. A summary of all of His teachings thus far.

His teachings, a challenge to decide, a warning to those who decided against Him and a promise to those who decided for Him.

We had also looked at the signs Jesus performed to prove that He was in fact the Christ.

Changing the water into wine.

Healing the nobleman’s son.

Healing the cripple at pool of Bethesda.

Feeding the five thousand.

Calming the Sea of Galilee.

Healing a man blind from birth.

Raising Lazarus from the dead.

vv 4-5) Washing feet

[4] With these short, vivid statements John describes some of the most remarkable things Jesus did on that unforgettable night. John wrote this many years after the fact and he still remembered ever detail.

John’s account reads like that of an eye-witness who watched with wonder and suspense- short staccato sentences.

What sticks out to you in verse 4?

The humility of Jesus, fulfilling His mission and destiny, and that is what enabled Him to stoop down and wash the disciples’ feet. Taking the place of a slave.

We might expected this incident to be in the Gospel of Mark, being the Gospel of the Prefect Servant. But the fact that it is in the Gospel of the Son of God makes it all the more remarkable.

Because this symbolic act reminds us of how the Lord left the joy of harmonious living within the triunity of Himself- God. And came down into this world as a Servant, and ministered to those He had created.

[5]During this time, the use of open sandals made it necessary to wash one’s feet frequently. It was common courtesy for a host to arrange to have a slave wash the feet of His guests.

Here the divine Host became the slave and performed this lowly service.

This is a critical moment, this is the evening before the torture of the cross, and again Jesus isn’t thinking about Himself. He thought about His rag-tag group of men.

This is truly, loving them to the end. After all, the disciples would forsake Him completely; yet He love them.

We need to come to terms with that love that Jesus has for us. Despite some the very poor decisions we make, nothing will separate us from the love of God.

Romans 8:31–39 ESV

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Jesus completely gave Himself to washing their feet. He was thorough in that work.

First, He rose from supper. then Jesus laid aside His garments, which had to remind Him of what waited in just a few hours, when He would be stripped of His garments to be crucified. Jesus then took a towel and tying it to his waste. Finally Jesus poured water into a basin.

What is the purpose of Jesus doing this?

If Jesus wanted to just display the image of a servant, He would have had a servant or one of the disciples do all this preparation work.He then would have quickly wiped a damp cloth on a few dirty feet and consider the job done.

Here Jesus gave Himself completely to the work. Displaying an extreme act of servanthood.

a teacher had no right to demand or expect that their disciples would wash their feet. It was absolutely unthinkable that the Master would wash His disciple’s feet. (Upside down kingdom).

As Jesus went around the table, washing and drying the feet of His disciples, it was a dramatic scene.

Luke’s gospel says that the disciples entered the room debating who was the greatest.

Luke 22:23 ESV

And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this.

By what He did, Jesus illustrated true greatness.

The disciples probably wondered why they ate their meal with dirty feet. It was for this reason that Jesus had them go unwashed.

This was more awkward than we might think. First, because of the sandals they wore and the roads they walked on, the feet were dirty. Second, the disciples ate a formal meal like this at a table known as a triclinium.

This was a low (coffee-table height), U-shaped table.

The guests sat and their status at the meal was reflected by how close they were to the host or leader of the meal. Because the table was low, they didn’t sit on chairs. They leaned on pillows, with their feet behind them. The unwashed feet were easily seen and perhaps smelled.

None of the disciples were interested in washing each other’s feet. Yet any of them would have gladly washed Jesus’ feet.

But they could not wash His without having to be available to wash the others’ feet, and that would have been intolerable admission of inferiority among them. After all they are competitors for the top positions in the disciple’s hierarchy.

Jesus wanted to teach them something very important. He knew that actions speak louder than words. So when He wanted to teach them, these proud men, arguing about who is the greatest about humility, He didn’t just say it- He showed it. He showed it in a way that illustrated His whole work on behalf of His own.

Jesus rose from supper, a place of rest and comfort.

Jesus rose from His throne in heaven, a place of rest and comfort.

Jesus laid aside His garments, taking off his covering.

Jesus laid aside His glory, taking off His heavenly covering.

Jesus took a towel and wrapped it around his waist, ready to do the work.

Jesus took the form of a servant, and came ready to accomplish His Fathers work.

Jesus poured water into a basis, ready to clean.

Jesus poured out His blood to cleanse us from the guild and penalty of sin.

Jesus sat down again, John 13:12 after washing their feet.

Jesus sat down at the right hand of God the Father after cleansing us.

Know that He came from God, and went to God, and that even when He was kneeling before these men, the father had given all things into His hands, what did He do?

Lord it over them? Show His majesty? Flash His power? Demand service? No! He got a towel and washed His disciples’ feet!

Decades later, when Peter wrote to Christians about humility, he put it like this:

1 Peter 5:5 ESV

Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Jesus even washed the feet of the traitor. What a picture and lesson for us.

vv 6-8) Peter Objects

[6] Peter might have thought, “All these other disciples missed the point by letting Jesus wash their feet. He wants us to protest, and proclaim that He is too great, and we are too unworthy, to have Him wash our feet.”

Needless to say Peter was shocked to think of the Lord’s washing his feet, and he expressed his disapproval that One so great as the Lord should stoop so low as to wash someone who is so unworthy as he.

The sight of God in the role of a servant is disturbing.

[7]Jesus is teaching Peter that there was a spiritual meaning to what He was doing. Foot-washing was a picture of a certain type of spiritual washing. Peter knew that the Lord was performing the physical act, but he didn’t understand the spiritual significance.

He would understand this spiritual lesson sooner than later. One because Jesus would explain it. And he would know it by experience when later he was restored to the Lord after having denied Him.

[8] Peter illustrates the extremes of human nature. He vowed that the Lord would never wash his feet- and here never literally means “not for eternity.”

The Lord answered Peter that apart from His washing, there could be no fellowship with Him. The meaning of foot washing is no unfolded.

As Christians we walk through this world, we contract a certain amount of defilement. Listening to vile talk, looking at unholy things, working with ungodly men inevitably soil the believer. We need to be constantly cleansed.

This cleaning takes place by the water of the Word. As we read and study the Bible, as we hear it preached, and as we discuss it with one another, we find that it cleanses us from the evil influences around us.

The other side of this is true too. The more we neglect the Bible, the more these wicked influence can remain in our minds and lives without causing us any great concern.

When Jesus said, “you have no part with me,” He didn’t mean that Peter could not be saved unless He washed him, but rather that fellowship with the Lord can be maintained only by the continual cleansing action of the Scriptures in his life.

It is not the area of skin that is washed that matters but the acceptance of Jesus’ lowly service.

For Example:

Peter preached the good news of the kingdom and cast out demons in Jesus’ name- and still needed his feet washed.

Peter saw Jesus transfigured in His glory together with Moses and Elijah, an incredible spiritual experience- and still needed his feet washed.

Peter’s own feet walked on the water in an amazing act of faith- and still needed his feet washed.

Praise God that Jesus didn’t say, “If you do not have great holiness, you have no part with Me.” or “If you are not a Bible expert, you have no part with Me.”

Having a part with Jesus begins simply with receiving something from Him, not achieving something our self.

vv 9-11) “Wash me completely”

Now Peter jumps to the other extreme. A minute ago, he was saying, “Never.” Now he said, “Wash me all over.”

Peter, in his request to be fully washed, was still reluctant to let Jesus do as He wanted. Peter wanted to tell Jesus what to do.

Jesus- though the servant of all- still was and is God’s appointed leader. He would not allow Peter to dominate this situation and set thing on a wrong course.

Peter’s humility is true enough to allow him to see the incongruity of Jesus washing his feet: but not deep enough to make him conscious of the incongruity of him opposing and dictating to his Master.

Sometimes we show a servant’s heart by accepting the service of others for us. If we only serve, and refuse to be served, it can be a sign of deeply rooted and well hidden pride.

Man’s humility doesn’t begin with serving others. It begins with the readiness to receive it.

There is a long Biblical tradition of using physical washing as an illustration of spiritual cleansing,

There is a difference between the bath and the basin. The bath speaks of the cleansing received at the time of one’s salvation. Cleansing from the penalty of sin through the blood of Christ takes place only once.

The basin speaks of cleansing from the pollution of sin and must take place continually through the Word of God. There is one bath but many foot-washings.

“The priest of God, when consecrated first, was washed from head to foot, and so baptised into the service of the sanctuary; but each time he went to offer sacrifice he washed his feet and his hands in the brazen laver.” - Spurgeon

[11] With full knowledge of all things, the Lord knew that Judas would betray Him, and so He singled out one as never having the bath of redemption.

Numbers 6:24–26 ESV

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.