"I AM" the Lord and Master
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Glad to be back into our study of Christ’s “I Am” sayings. Our text for this evening is John 13. Let me provide you a little context and background.
If you pick up from the last “I Am” saying found in John 11, much has transpired. You may recall that Christ said...
25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
This was, as you may remember, at Lazarus’ grave. Christ was speaking to Martha, Lazarus’ sister. Martha was distraught at the fact that her brother had died. In fact, she indicated to Christ had He come sooner Lazarus would not have died. There is no doubt that she spoke the truth. Unfortunately, she had failed to recognize Christ was more than just a great Healer. He was indeed God Himself the giver of life. He was the RESURRECTION and the Life. Something that He proved as He called upon Lazarus to arise and come forth from the grave. Something that He continues to prove as many who are “dead in their sins and trespasses” are made “alive” spiritually by their faith in His death, burial and resurrection.
As I already noted, there is much that transpires between chapters 11 and 13. Chapter 12 gives us the story of Christ’s anointing by Mary and the subsequent criticism of Judas. Later, in that same chapter, we have Christ’s final entry into Jerusalem before His death. When we come to chapter 13, we have one of the most blessed pictures of our Savior.
Look with me at our text.
1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put 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 was come from God, and went to God;
4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.
5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.
6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?
7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.
8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.
9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.
10 Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.
Right in this first verse, the Holy Spirit notes that “Jesus knew his hour was come” and “having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.” What a beautiful reminder that the Lord Jesus Christ “loves his own.” In fact, from this time until His arrest, Christ spends His time only with those He loves. May I remind you this evening that Christ still loves His own “unto the end.” No matter what you might have been through or currently going through, Christ loves you as His own and He loves you “unto the end.” Even though He is sitting in Heaven by the right hand of the Father, He is still very much occupied with the interest of His people.
Let me give you one further observation about verse 1. You will note that Christ had His eye on two things. First, He had His eye on the fact He would soon “depart out of this world unto the Father.” Second, He had His eye upon His own. Note verse 4.
4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.
This act of Christ was an act by which He expressed His interest in our personal cleansing. We will get more into that later in our study of this chapter.
Now, if you go back to John 12, you will note...
2 There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.
3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.
Whose feet is the focus here? It is the feet of Jesus. Mary takes this costly ointment and she anoints Jesus’ feet. You will note that she “anointed” the feet of Jesus. What Mary did had nothing to do with cleansing! You see Christ was passed through this ole sinful world without any contamination of sin. He was “holy, harmless, and undefiled.”
We all know that “feet” have to do with walking. Thus, in the context of Scripture, the focus on Jesus’ feet as well as the focus on the washing of the disciples’ feet has to do with our spiritual walk. Christ was anointed by Mary demonstrating that His spiritual walk was perfect in every way. Everything He did and everything He said completely glorified the Father in every way.
However, in our text, we find Christ arising, laying aside His garments, taking a towel, and proceeds to wash the feet of each disciple. You see we are completely opposite of Christ. Christ was sinless. We are very much stained by sin and the filth of this world. There is no doubt that we are in need of the Savior’s cleansing. By the way, you will note that Christ’s feet were anointed before He sought to wash the disciple’s feet. This speaks to...
18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
Now, go back and note again verses 3 and 4 of our text.
3 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;
4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.
There are three things we must carefully note here as reasons why He washed His disciples’ feet.
He knew that His hour was come when He should depart out of this world.
He loved His own unto the end.
He did so because all things had been given into His hands, and He that had come from God was returning to God.
All of which was summed up by Christ in His response to Peter when He said...
8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.
Christ was about to leave them. His death, burial, and resurrection were at hand. Christ’s action of washing the disciples feet was assurance to them that His love for them was undiminished and unchanged. Christ’s ascension ushered in a different service to His own. A service that continues for forever and even now one of which He is engaged.
If you go back to verse 4, you will note the imagery that Christ gives to His disciples.
4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.
I remind you again that Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection is at hand. Here, we see the Lord “laid aside his garments.”
6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,
Christ laying aside His garments was a picture of Christ after His resurrection. Then, you will note that Christ “girded himself.” In doing so, Christ demonstrated the fact of His heavenly service of which He is presently engaged on our behalf. Yet, through all this, we see Christ’s servant character. He arose, laid aside his garments, took a towel, and girded himself. Christ is the ultimate minister. He is always seeking to minister to His own. He loves them. He cares for them. He desire more than anything to serve them. Even right now, as we sit here, Christ is ministering to us. He is applying His Word via His Spirit to our lives in a very practical way. In doing so, even now, He is seeking to cleanse us from the vile sinfulness of this world.
37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.
Now, look again at our text and verse 5.
5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.
Why the feet? There was no need to wash them completely. Already, these men had left families and homes to follow the Savior. They were chosen by Him and were already in a place of cleansing.
Why the feet? Remember the feet is directly related to walking. The washing of their feet symbolized the fact that their walk must be in accord with their heavenly calling.
What about the water? The water is symbolic of God’s Word.
9 BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
You see in this act of washing the disciples feet Christ demonstrated several things. He “gave himself” for them. Why? He did so that He might “sanctify” them. In doing so, He demonstrated that they were “His own.” And thus, they needed to be “cleansed” by the washing of “water by the word.” Here is interesting thought! Christ the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us. Thus, the Word cleansed the feet (aka the walk) of the disciples.
Now, also note this, Christ not only washed the disciples’ feet, but He also “wiped” them as well.