Wash Those Feet

Wash Those Feet

John 13:1-17

JESUS WANTS US TO KNOW

ABOUT HIS SERVICE!

Jesus Wants us to Know!

• He told the disciples to do as he had

done (v 15).

Jesus Wants us to Know!

• He told the disciples to do as he had

done (v 15).

• The Holy Spirit guided John to

record this narrative.

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT

SERVICE AMONG US.

Suffering Servant

• “By his knowledge shall the

righteous one, my servant, make

many to be accounted righteous,

and he shall bear their iniquities”

(Is 53:11, ESV).

Suffering Servant

• “By his knowledge shall the

righteous one, my servant, make

many to be accounted righteous,

and he shall bear their iniquities”

(Is 53:11, ESV).

• In Jn 13, we see Jesus‟ serving and

about to “make many to be

accounted righteous.”

JESUS’ ACTIONS CERTAINLY

STAND AS THE BACKDROP

OF THIS TEXT.

Wash Those Feet

• JESUS SERVED IN DEVOTION.

• JESUS SERVED IN DISTRESS.

• JESUS SERVED IN DEBASEMENT.

• JESUS SERVED IN DESIGN.

JESUS SERVED IN DEVOTION

• “Now before the Feast of the

Passover, when Jesus knew that his

hour had come to depart out of this

world to the Father, having loved

his own who were in the world, he

loved them to the end” (v 1, ESV).

TEXT SAYS JESUS LOVED

TWICE

Jesus Loved Twice

• The first verb shows Jesus‟

motivation.

Jesus Loved Twice


motivation.

• The second verb stresses the

footwashing as part of Jesus‟ love.

Jesus Loved Twice


motivation.



• “Having loved” refers to Jesus‟

entire ministry.

Jesus Loved Twice


motivation.



• “Having loved” refers to Jesus‟

entire ministry, and “he loved

them” refers to the specific act of

footwashing.

Jesus Loved “To the End”

• NIV: “He now showed them the

full extent of his love.”




• KJV (ESV also): “he loved them

unto the end.”





unto the end.”

• Both ideas are likely.





unto the end.”

• Both ideas are likely:

– Jesus demonstrates love at the very

end of his earthly ministry.





unto the end.”

• Both ideas are likely:

– Jesus demonstrates love at the very

end of his earthly ministry.

– Jesus demonstrates just how much he

loves the disciples.

LOVE DEMONSTRATES

ITSELF IN ACTION/SERVICE.

Love is Action/Service

• “Husbands, love your wives, as

Christ loved the church and gave

himself up for her” (Eph 5:25,

ESV).

Love is Action/Service

• “Love is patient and kind; love does

not envy or boast; it is not arrogant

or rude. It does not insist on its own

way; it is not irritable or resentful;

it does not rejoice at wrongdoing,

but rejoices with the truth. Love

bears all things, believes all things,

hopes all things, endures all things”

(1 Cor 13:4-7, ESV).

WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO

DO WITH US AT ALUM

CREEK?

What about us?

• If I love you, I will serve you!

What about us?


• Examples:

– Keep your kids.

What about us?


• Examples:

– Keep your kids.

– Rake your leaves.

What about us?


• Examples:

– Keep your kids.


– Teach for you.

What about us?


• Examples:

– Keep your kids.


– Teach for you.

• I‟ll do whatever I can—whenever

you need it—because I love you.

IF I DO NOT SERVE YOU, I DO

NOT LOVE YOU!

THOSE ARE STRONG

WORDS!!!

Not Serving Means Not Loving

• Maybe you can‟t serve the way

we‟ve mentioned.



we‟ve mentioned.

• Scripture doesn‟t say how

specifically to serve.



we‟ve mentioned.

• Scripture doesn‟t say how

specifically to serve. But, look for

opportunities to do what we can

with what we have where we are.


• “If anyone has the world‟s goods

and sees his brother in need, yet

closes his heart against him, how

does God‟s love abide in him?

Little children, let us not love in

word or talk but in deed and in

truth” (1 Jn 3:17-18, ESV).








truth” (1 Jn 3:17-18, ESV).

• “They didn‟t ask!”








truth” (1 Jn 3:17-18, ESV).

• “If anyone „sees his brother in

need.‟”

ARE WE REALLY LOVING

ONE ANOTHER?

Jesus Served in Distress

• “During supper, when the devil had already put

it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon‟s son,

to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father

had given all things into his hands, and that he

had come from God and was going back to

God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer

garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his

waist. . . . Jesus said to [Peter] . . . „You are

clean, but not every one of you.‟ For he knew

who was to betray him; that was why he said,

„Not all of you are clean” (vv 2-4, 10b-11,

ESV).

JESUS SERVED JUDAS AFTER

JUDAS DECIDED TO BETRAY

JESUS!

Serving our Enemies

• “Love your enemies, DO GOOD

TO THOSE WHO HATE YOU,

bless those who curse you, pray for

those who abuse you. To one who

strikes you on the cheek, offer the

other also, and from one who takes

away your cloak do not withhold

your tunic either” (Lk 6:27-29,

ESV).

Serving our Enemies

• “„If your enemy is hungry, feed

him; if he is thirsty, give him

something to drink; for by so doing

you will heap burning coals on his

head.‟ Do not be overcome by evil,

but overcome evil with good” (Rm

12:20-21, ESV).

DO WE SERVE OUR

ENEMIES?

Jesus Served in Great Turmoil

• “My soul is very sorrowful, even to

death” (Mt 26:38, ESV).

Jesus Served in Great Turmoil

• “My soul is very sorrowful, even to

death” (Mt 26:38, ESV).

• Can you imagine the turmoil of

having one of your closest friends

getting ready to betray you to

death?

WILL WE SERVE IN GREAT

TURMOIL?

Jesus Served in Debasement

• Jesus “laid aside his outer

garments, and taking a towel, tied it

around his waist. then he poured

water into a basin and began to

wash the disciples‟ feet and to wipe

them with the towel that was

wrapped around him. He came to

Simon Peter, who said to him,

„Lord, do you wash my feet?‟” (vv

4b-6, ESV).

Washing Feet was the Work of

Slaves• Feet became very dirty.



– Common to wash guest‟s feet.



– Common to wash guest‟s feet: “I

entered your house; you gave me no

water for my feet, but she has wet my

feet with her tears and wiped them

with her hair” (Lk 7:44, ESV).




– But, slaves—NOT THE HOST—did

this!





this!

• Jewish slaves did not do this.





this!

• Jewish slaves did not do this.

• Jewish masters had Gentile slaves do this

work!

Wrapping a Towel

• In our culture, this act makes sense.

Wrapping a Towel


• In Jesus‟ culture, this was a sign of

slavery.

Wrapping a Towel



slavery.

– Ancient Jewish commentary (Gn

21:14): Abraham tied a shawl around

Hagar‟s loins so “that people would

know she was a slave.”

Wrapping a Towel



slavery.

– Ancient Jewish commentary (Gn

21:14): Abraham tied a shawl around

Hagar‟s loins so “that people would

know she was a slave.”

– Caligula (r AD 37-41) debased

Roman senators by making them

serve him with towels.

Societal Norms

• Jews stressed staying in your social

class.

Societal Norms


class. Judah Ha-Nasi (AD 220)

would do anything but give up his

superior position.

Societal Norms




superior position.

• Peter is dumbfounded!

Societal Norms




superior position.


– Peter stutters: “Lord, you—my—you

shall wash—the feet?”

Societal Norms




superior position.


– Peter stutters: “Lord, you—my—you

shall wash—the feet?”

– Here is the Messiah doing a slave‟s

work!

True Service Involves Debasement

• “You yourselves know how I lived

among you the whole time from the

first day when I set foot in Asia,

serving the Lord with all humility

and with tears and with trials” (Acts

20:18-19, ESV).

True Service Involves Debasement

• “You yourselves know how I lived

among you the whole time from the

first day when I set foot in Asia,

serving the Lord with all humility

and with tears and with trials” (Acts

20:18-19, ESV).

• “If anyone would be first, he must

be last of all and servant of all”

(Mk 9:35, ESV).

IS THAT NOT WHY IT’S SO

HARD TO SERVE?

Humble Service

• “Do nothing from rivalry or

conceit, but in humility count

others more significant than

yourselves. Let each of you look

not only to his own interests, but

also to the interests of others” (Phil

2:3-4, ESV).

Humble Service

• Phil 2:3-4.

• “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with

humility toward one another, for

„God opposes the proud but gives

grace to the humble‟” (1 Pt 5:5,

ESV).

Humble Service• “Self-righteous service is impressed with the „big

deal.‟ True service finds it almost impossible to

distinguish the small from the large service. Self-

righteous service is highly concerned with results.

True service is free of the need to calculate results.

Self-righteous service picks and chooses whom to

serve. True service is indiscriminate in its ministry.

Self-righteous service is affected by moods and

whims. True service ministers simply and faithfully

because there is a need.”

HOW IS OUR SERVE?

HOW IS OUR SERVE?

HUMBLE OR SELF-

RIGHTEOUS?

Jesus Served in Design

• “If I then, your Lord, and Teacher, have

washed your feet, you also ought to

wash one another‟s feet. For I have

given you an example, that you also

should do just as I have done to you.

Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not

greater than his master, nor is a

messenger greater than the one who sent

him. If you know these things, blessed

are you if you do them” (vv 14-17,

ESV).

Jesus, Our Example

• “Take my yoke upon you, and

learn from me, for I am gentle and

lowly in heart” (Mt 11:29, ESV).

Jesus, Our Example

• “Take my yoke upon you, and

learn from me, for I am gentle and

lowly in heart” (Mt 11:29, ESV).

• “Be imitators of me, as I am of

Christ” (1 Cor 11:1, ESV).

ARE WE FOLLOWING JESUS’

EXAMPLE OF SERVICE?

Are we following Jesus’ example of service?

• Do we serve in devotion?



• Do we serve in distress?



• Do we serve in distress?

• Do we serve in debasement?

DO YOU NEED TO BEGIN A

LIFETIME OF SERVICE?

Spiritual

Wash Those Feet