The Gospel According to John: John 13:1-17

Series Introduction:

The theme verse for our series is John 20:31

John 20:31 – “…these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.”

The “these” John is referring to are the seven recorded SIGNS/miracles and the seven recoded “I Am” STATEMENTS of Jesus. John focused on those 14 key SIGNS and STATEMENTS in order to show us that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the World because He’s God’s only begotten Son. God had John write these things so that we would believe and put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ so that by the grace of God we would be FREED from the penalty of our sin and given life to the FULL here on earth and life FOREVER in heaven.

Recap/review/summary:

Sign 1: Water into wine (John 2)

Sign 2: Royal officer’s won healed (John 2)

Sing 3: Lame man healed on Sabbath (John 5)

Sign 4: Feeding the 5 thousand (John 6)

Sign 5: Man born blind given sight (John 9)

Sign 6: Lazarus raised from the dead (John 11)

Sign 7: *(John 20)

I Am Statement 1: The Bread of Life (John 6)

I Am Statement 2: The Light of the World (John 8 & John 9)

I Am Statement 3: The Door (John 10)

I Am Statement 4: The Good Shepherd (John 10)

I Am Statement 5: The Resurrection and the Life (John 11)

I Am Statement 6: *(John 14)

I Am Statement 7: *(John 15)

John 13:1–17 (NASB)

1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. 2 During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, 4 got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself. 5 Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. 6 So He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, “Lord, do You wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter.” 8 Peter said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” 9 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.” 10 Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, “Not all of you are clean.” 12 So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 “You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. 14 “If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 “For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. 16 “Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. 17 “If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

What is the example that Jesus gives us in this passage?

Mark 10:45 (ESV)

45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Who did Jesus serve?

Jesus served His Dad.

First and foremost, Jesus served His Dad. It was all about the Father.

Mark 14:36 (NASB)

36 And he said, “Abba, Father...”

(v. 1) Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father...

(v. 3) Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God,

John 5:30 (ESV)

30 “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.

It all has to be for the Lord. If you serve for any other reason or for any other purpose it will become a burden rather than a blessing and a joy robber rather than a joy giver.

Galatians 1:10 (NASB)

10 For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.

15 “For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.

Serving God has to be primary. Just gave us that example. On a secondary level, with God being the primary, we see 3 other examples Jesus gives us when it comes to who we should serve…

Jesus served the disciples.

(v. 5) “Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.”

(v. 14) 14 “If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.

(v. 15) 15 “For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.

Jesus served the difficult.

(v. 6-10) “So He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, “Lord, do You wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter.” 8 Peter said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” 9 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.” 10 Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.”

(v. 15) 15 “For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.

Jesus served the deceiver.

(v. 11) “For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, “Not all of you are clean.”

Luke 6:27–28 (ESV)

27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.

Proverbs 25:21 (ESV)

21 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,

(v. 15) 15 “For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.

How did Jesus serve?

Humbly

(v. 3-5) “3Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, 4 got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself. 5 Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.”

(v. 16) 16 “Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him.

Jesus, their Master, served them. He humbled Himself.

Philippians 2:5–8 (NASB)

5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

(v. 15) 15 “For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.

Honestly

Jesus didn’t have a false sense of humility. His service was honest. Genuine. True.

(v. 1) “Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.”

His service was motivated by love.

“having loved His own… He loved them to the end...”

1 Corinthians 13:3 (NASB)

3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

(v. 15) 15 “For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.

In closing:

17 “If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

Memory Verse of the Week:

Philemon 3 (NASB)

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Discussion Questions: (John 13:1-17)

What did Jesus know and why is it important we learn it? (v. 1-3)

How does washing feet demonstrate the heart of Christ? (v. 4-5)

Why do you think Peter was confused about Jesus washing his feet? (v. 6-7)

What all do you think Jesus meant by “wash” here? (v. 8)

Spiritually speaking, what do you think the difference is between bathing and feet washing? (v. 9-10)

How was Jesus washing the disciples feet more than just washing? (v. 12)

What is the difference between being a teacher and being Lord? (v. 13) Why is believing that Jesus is both Teacher and Lord so important?

What example did Jesus give us and why it is powerful? (v. 14-16)

How should the slave and master terminology impact our daily lives? (v. 16)

In what ways are knowing and doing essential to our faith? (v. 17)

What else does this passage tell us about God?

What else does the text teach us about ourselves?

Did anything else in these verses stick out to you?

How do you believe God is leading you to respond to His word?