Servants of the King

We Are…the Body

John 13:1–20 NRSV

1 Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, 4 got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.” 12 After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, 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 that is what I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. 16 Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. 18 I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But it is to fulfill the scripture, ‘The one who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ 19 I tell you this now, before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am he. 20 Very truly, I tell you, whoever receives one whom I send receives me; and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.”

What a remarkable time in the life of Jesus our savior and in the lives of the disciples who followed Him. By this simple, yet humbling act, Jesus has given a powerful illustration of what the church is to be. We have been talking about the church, and what it means that we are the body of Christ. We are…the body! We have discovered the nature of the church – the Bible uses several metaphors to describe the church – we are a fellowship, a family, a flock, a body – we are the body of Christ to the world and to each other.

We then looked at the purpose of the church and found that there are 5 purposes of the church: we used the acronym SHINE to outline those purposes. S was for seek and to share with those who are lost. H was for Help – we are here to help one another (physically and spiritually.) I was for Include – everyone is welcome in God’s family, and we are to include everyone that we can! N was for Nurture – it is the job of the church to help us grow in Christlikeness. E was for Exalt – we are to be a people who worship our heavenly father with everything we have and everything we are!

Last week, we talked about Body building – we build up the body of Christ through building our unity – remember, that doesn’t mean uniformity because we also build the body by celebrating our diversity. Finally, we learned that the body grows as we mature in our faith and in our relationship with our heavenly father.

One of our primary goals as the church is to pass on the faith to the next generation, because the church is always 1 generation away from extinction. Jesus knew that He must invest His life in the life of others, and that is what He did throughout those 3 years of ministry as He traveled around Israel. When we have a service of dedication, where parents bring their child before the church, the church promises that we will do our part in helping them raise their child to be a follower of Jesus Christ. We MUST place a high priority on helping and on reaching families with the life changing message of the gospel!

One of the ways that we do that is by service, one to another. Jesus exemplifies what it means to serve when He took the role of a servant and washed His disciples’ feet. This job was normally the job for the lowest of the servants that was present. Since there were no servants present, one of the disciples could have taken the water and the towel to wash the others’ feet, but they each were waiting for someone else to do so. I can picture them sitting there looking at each other, wondering who was going to do this menial job. There they sat, calculating their position among the disciples to figure out who among them should grab the basin and towel. Imagine the shock and embarrassment when this job was performed by Jesus, who would soon become their savior. He was the only person they all knew shouldn’t be the one to do such a dirty job.

In 1904 the heir to the Borden Dairy Estate, William Borden, graduated from Chicago High School a millionaire. His parents gave him a trip around the world. During that trip he became burdened for all the hurting people he saw in Asia, Europe and the Middle East. He made a decision to prepare for the mission field. When he made that decision he wrote in his Bible the words, “No Reserve.”

When William Borden arrived at Yale University the next year as a freshman his passion for Christ was already kindled. He was disappointed to find the school morally bankrupt and the teaching filled with empty philosophy. So during his first semester, he asked a friend to begin praying with him before breakfast. As a result of his leadership other prayer groups began to spring up. And by his senior year, 1,000 of the 1,300 students were meeting in prayer groups. Many of those young leaders came to the Lord through that movement.

Upon graduation he was offered high paying jobs. But he turned those offers down and continued to pursue God’s call on his life. While making those decisions he wrote two more words in his Bible, the words “No Retreat”.

When he completed his studies at Princeton Seminary he sailed to China to work with the Muslims. On the way he stopped in Egypt to study Arabic. But there in Egypt he was stricken with spinal meningitis and within a month at the age of 25 he died. What his friends and family found written in his Bible was a great source of comfort. Added to the words previously written, “No Reserve, No Retreat” were two more words, “No Regrets”.[2]

Wouldn’t it be a wonderful thing for you and me to arrive at the end of our earthly journey with those words written in our hearts, “No Reserve, No Retreat, No Regrets”?

I want to be that kind of servant for my King! I want to serve Him and serve others with no reserve, no retreat, and no regret. That is the church we are to be. We are to give our all to honor Him and to show the love of Christ to the world around us with no reserve - serving Him by serving others with no regard to worthiness. There is to be no backing down - no retreat from what God would have us do, and when we lay it all down before Him there will be no regret!

The Communion Supper, instituted by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is a sacrament, which proclaims His life, His sufferings, His sacrificial death, and resurrection, and the hope of His coming again. It shows forth the Lord’s death until His return.

The Supper is a means of grace in which Christ is present by the Spirit. It is to be received in reverent appreciation and gratefulness for the work of Christ.

All those who are truly repentant, forsaking their sins, and believing in Christ for salvation are invited to participate in the death and resurrection of Christ. We come to the table that we may be renewed in life and salvation and be made one by the Spirit.

In unity with the Church, we confess our faith: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. And so we pray:

Holy God,

We gather at this, your table, in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, who by your Spirit was anointed to preach good news to the poor, proclaim release to the captives, set at liberty those who are oppressed. Christ healed the sick, fed the hungry, ate with sinners, and established the new covenant for forgiveness of sins. We live in the hope of His coming again.

On the night in which He was betrayed, He took bread, gave thanks, broke the bread, gave it to His disciples, and said: “This is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

Likewise, when the supper was over, He took the cup, gave thanks, gave it to His disciples, and said: “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in remembrance of me.” Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Matthew 26:27–29, Luke 22:19)

And so, we gather as the Body of Christ to offer ourselves to you in praise and thanksgiving. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us and on these your gifts. Make them by the power of your Spirit to be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the Body of Christ, redeemed by His blood.

By your Spirit make us one in Christ, one with each other, and one in the ministry of Christ to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen.

And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, let us pray:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Before the partaking of the bread, let the minister say:

The body of our Lord Jesus Christ, broken for you, preserve you blameless, unto everlasting life. Eat this in remembrance that Christ died for you, and be thankful.

Before the partaking of the cup, let the minister say:

The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, shed for you, preserve you blameless unto everlasting life. Drink this in remembrance that Christ died for you, and be thankful.

[1] The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Jn 13:1–20). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.