John 13

Humility of Love

As we begin, there is some things we need to work through. Not because they are the most important, but because people try and muddy the waters with extensive discussion and miss the greater points of what Jesus is teaching.

Verse 1...........There is a lot of discussion about the chronology of the events during the last week of Jesus’ death. Disagreements galore! It seems there is not much agreement. The reason being is verse 1 of our text seems to disagree with the synoptic Gospels.

The synoptic Gospels have Jesus having the official Passover feast with the disciples, John seems to suggest that this supper was before.

Some argue that this is not the Last Supper that John writes about, which cannot be, because the events are similar in the accounts.

Some argue that John’s Gospel has Jesus going to the cross during the sacrificial ceremony.

The other Gospels seem to disagree with that.

I have went and tried to research the calendar of 33 ad, but I was met with different folks talking about different calendars.

Some Jewish people observed days from sunup to sunup, others sundown to sundown. Then some people factor in moon phases.

On and On and On!!! The Passover feast was a celebration of God being the Savior of Israel. Also, the Jews mentioned Matthew 26:3-5 “Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him. But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people.”

That is the important part of this, the very celebration of God being their Savior, Jesus was crucified and died as our Savior!

John does have Jesus dying on the cross right before the Sabbath (Sat.).

The last thing I will mention about this, there are some that say this is what could have been meant by John and translated wrong was this: “Now Jesus having known, before the feast of the passover, that his hour was come.........”

Don’t know, but let us not miss the important part

His hour had come that He would depart..........in this simple statement is power.......

The hour of Jesus, some refer to it as His passion, consists of:

Crucifixion

Resurrection

40 days of continued teaching to the disciples

Ascension back to the Father

These events explode on the pages of history!

Salvation

Eternal life

Intercession by the Son of God

During Jesus’ passion, Jesus taught and loved! What a great scene, that is why I hate all the arguing, because it takes away from this love of Jesus that He is about to show.

Having loved His own.....the Father gave these men to Jesus and Jesus loving them, loved them unto the end.....

Which means completely or as some define it: “perfectly”

Nothing about Jesus’ love is wrong......nothing about His love comes up short.....

Third Day sang a song called “Love Song”, it is as Jesus would be singing it to us, I like the lyrics:

I've heard it said that a man would swim the ocean Just to be with the one he loves All those dreams are an empty emotion It can never be done I've never swam the deepest ocean But I walked upon the raging sea Just to be with you, I'd do anything There's no price I would not pay Just to be with you, I'd give anything I would give my life away

I know that you don't understand The fullness of My love How I died upon the cross for your sins And I know that you don't realize How much that I gave you But I promise, I would do it all again Just to be with you, I've done everything There's no price I did not pay

I thought of that song when I read this verse over and over!

The fullness of the love of Jesus, is love full of humility!

Humility of Love!!

Perfect love is not self-willed it is divested of self, as we see in this scene here!

Verse 2.......This can be translated “during supper” Jesus knew what was in Judas’ heart, John knowing after the fact, as he is writing his account.

Judas in all of his earthly desires had previously according to the other 3 Gospels had already went to the chief priests and made a deal with them, after the episode with Mary in ch 12.

Verse 3-5.........Very important......Notice the 1st part of this verse......Jesus knowing that........to summarize this....Jesus knowing that even though He was to be a partaker in betrayal, agony, and death, He will be exalted to a Name above every Name, a Name that every knee will bow and tongue will confess!

In Jesus’ prayer in John 17:4-5 “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.”

He then rises from supper (this is how some say that verse 2 really meant ‘during supper’) and does one of the lowest jobs in a household.

Washing feet was a job for someone who wasn’t good at much. It was a job for the lowest of the low.

I read after one commentator who pointed out that it seems that the disciples had neglected this task.

I am not sure, but Jesus used that and I believe it was ordained to be that way!

So, Jesus gets up to wash their feet, imagine their shock when Jesus began to stoop down to do the lowliest thing that a slave would do.

Verse 6-9..........Peter expresses what probably everyone is feeling and wouldn’t say........”Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

Peter knew that this wasn’t supposed to be, Peter who rightly declared Jesus in Matthew 16:16 “And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Then Jesus, tells Peter that what He is doing to him, He would know fully very soon.....speaking of His death........Jesus humbled Himself unto death, even the death of the cross.

This is the humility of love, Paul tells us this in 1 Corinthians 13:5 “Charity (Love)......., seeketh not her own, .............................;”

Peter would know all of this in due time, after all is said and done he would understand the fullness of the love of Jesus!

But before, Peter is in protest, not knowing completely. You shall NEVER wash my feet!

Never in the Greek is the strongest form of that word....”by no means”......

This is like a phrase that the translators translated into a word, by no means will you ever wash my feet.

Jesus then states that if He does not do this, then Peter could have no part with Him.

Peter then goes to another extreme, well then wash everything!!!!!

Peter is all over the place, I would say that Peter is a reminder of ourselves!

We seem to go to all the extremes! If we would slow down and shut-up and let Jesus teach, everything will fall into place, perfectly!

Before we leave this premise, we must realize that in this Jesus showed His perfect love, for all mankind! He humbled Himself that we might live!

Jesus, although a loving Savior, is Lord of all, the Creator of all things, washing the feet of the disciples! Even greater, dying at the hands of evil men, found guilty by evil men. Vile, evil, wicked, defiled humans, declaring judgment on the Creator of all things! No way, except for love!

No way that happens unless there is love!

Verse 10-11..........Jesus calms Peter down and tells him that there is no need for a complete bath......you are clean! What does that mean?

The cleansing done at Calvary never needs to be repeated, as was done in the OT way.

Atonement is complete....Hebrews 10:10 “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

Jesus is telling Peter that he is saved!

I read behind a commentator who said: “isn’t that the most glorious declaration that you can have in your life?”

Now, The next part, some have had difficulty with, that all you need is to have your feet washed.

The idea being that they have bathed that morning , but have been walking, therefore your feet are dirty, not your whole body.

Some equate this with the regeneration of the Holy Spirit.......guiding the saved into a holy walk!

In other words, we walk in a filthy world and we need to be cleaned from our fleshly desires at times , after we are saved.

Walking in humility and self-denial, listening to the Holy Spirit and God’s Word and allowing that to cleanse our walk!

That is the most popular thought!

Then Jesus says, “Not all of you are clean!” .......This is Judas.........Jesus already knew who was to betray Him! He knew when He chose Judas, that he was to betray HIm!

More on that later.......

Verse 12-17........This is what is read mostly when we have our footwashing services.

Jesus asks them do they know what He has done to them?

Asking the question stirs the already inspired heart to want to know more!

Jesus now makes a awesome declaration, about Himself!

One preacher said he could preach 10 sermons on verse 13........Lord and Teacher or Instructor.

Teacher being implied respect as the Teacher of Truth

Lord as the highest form of praise and a declaration that Jesus was a Name (A Being) above every name!

Lord-owner-creator

That is right for Jesus IS the I AM!

Now, If I am as exalted as you have declared and have washed your feet, you also should be able to humble yourselves down to do for one another!

Remember the humility of love? This is the example Jesus is giving them and us!

Jesus showed them in doing a necessary task, that is reserved for the lowliest slaves, the humility of love!

He will leave from here and go on to the cross and complete a necessary task, that is reserved for sinners worthy of the wrath of God, yet Jesus took it upon Himself, Who knew no sin!

This you ought to do to one another!!!!

This kind of love, has others in mind, not self! There is no way, we can follow this example, unless the love of Christ lives within us!

This is how we are marked by the world, John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

Beautiful isn’t it?

Humility of love!! John 15:13 “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

The ultimate humility is to give our lives up, so that someone else can live.

I heard Ronald Reagan say of a soldiers that have died in combat: “They gave up 2 lives, the one that they were living and one that hoped to have.”

However, we can only do that once, but in the meantime we remove our selfish ambition and meet needs of the people we come in contact. This take humility to serve others with love!

To truly meet the need, not just throw money at it, but to serve one another as Jesus did!

I am reminded of this through my failures more than my successes! Mrs. Lester wanted me to come by right at quitting time and I just wanted to get home. I didn’t go. the next day she was dead!

1 John 3:18 “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”

Humility of Love....Jesus tells us that we will be blessed or happy if we live this way!

Verses 18-20........Jesus clears up to the disciples, that because there is one that will betray Him, it is not one that slipped through His hands!

The Lord knew perfectly the 12 that He chose and He knew that Judas would betray Him.

The Scripture fulfilled is Psalm 41:9 “Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, Which did eat of my bread, Hath lifted up his heel against me.”

Jesus expresses that He is not a victim, God used Judas’ hardened heart to fulfill His purposes!

This all done that when it all starts happening that they will be overcome, but would realize that this is what Jesus was telling them would happen and they would then believe fully that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God and by believing they would have life in His Name!

Verse 20 is closely related to Matthew 10:40 “He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.”

Jesus after stating that He is the I AM, “whoever receives Me as the I AM, receives the One Who sent Him.

Jesus powerfully ties the disciples to Himself and Himself to God and His ultimate purpose.

He is also preparing them for their difficult commission!

One writer wrote: “ “No matter what happens, do not forget that he who receives whomever I send receives me; and he who receives me receives my Father who sent me. Never forget that you are my representatives, the representatives of the Son of God who has come down to earth from Heaven. Never, therefore, allow yourselves to be intimidated by men.”