Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Well, good morning, everybody. Good morning. Good morning, children. You are free to make your way back to children's church. The rest of us will be starting a new chapter in John as we continue our series in the book of John, John 13.
[00:00:26] I was thinking, you know, kind of a maybe sarcastic way. Not that I'm sarcastic, but I think the church has finally made an impact on culture over the past few years. Because super bowl used to be at 1:00 and now it's at 3:30, right? So I think advertisers knew they were losing half the nation of advertising starting at 1. So now they wait till 3:30. Anyway.
[00:00:55] You guys get it?
[00:00:58] They probably knew that pastors wouldn't preach until 3:30, so they were safe to start then.
[00:01:04] So we're in John chapter 13 and the passage that Pastor Duba read, I was joking with him, you know, you just read that we don't need to be taught about love. So we're done. You can go home, you can barbecue and get ready for the super bowl. But we can be reminded about how to love, can't we? It is important. So we're going to look at this passage of scripture here in John chapter 13 and talk about how love can manifest itself in our lives. And the idea that we read this and the title of the sermon. This whole thing is more than just about a basin and towel, isn't it?
[00:01:43] I mean, I almost got a basin in towel, just put it by the back door. And as you walked in, people looked at it and said, what are we doing with this? Why is this here?
[00:01:54] And disciples probably did the same thing, didn't really know what was going on here. Let's pray and we'll read this passage and we'll talk about it for a few moments here. Father, we thank you so much for this time.
[00:02:10] Lord, you are worthy of the worship that just took place, Lord, you're worthy of our time and our fellowship coming together, unified by your spirit, unified by your love, Lord, that the world may know that Jesus is your son and there is only salvation through him.
[00:02:32] Lord, just bless his time. Bless my words, please. That what comes out would just bring glory to you and would edify the church, would equip us, Lord, to continue to live in a way that you and your name is lifted high. Lord, we ask these things in Jesus name. Amen.
[00:02:52] John, chapter 13. We're going to read this great story. Probably every one, not every one of us could almost tell the story from memory and get most of the details right. But let's Read this.
[00:03:03] So 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. 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 he was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments and taken 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 a towel that was wrapped around him.
[00:03:45] He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, lord, do you wash my feet? Jesus answered him, what I am doing, you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.
[00:03:56] Peter said to him, you shall never wash my feet.
[00:04:00] Jesus answered him, if I do not wash you, you have no share with me. Simon Peter said to him, lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.
[00:04:11] Jesus said to him, the one who hath bathed does not need to wash except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you. For he knew that he would betray him. That is why he said, not all of you are clean.
[00:04:27] When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, do you understand what I have done to you? You call me teacher and Lord. You are right, for so I am. 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 should also 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 all right.
[00:05:06] So we have this passage and up to this point, John would present a sign from Jesus. All the way through John, there would be a sign, there would be a discourse, a teaching, and then sometimes an opportunity for them to understand what the teaching was. And they also always pretty much failed after the teaching. Their faith was not there yet.
[00:05:30] This and the next four chapters. As we now look at the last week of Jesus life, things are kind of flipped.
[00:05:37] We got five chapters of discourse and examples that will be explaining the climactic sign of Jesus death and resurrection.
[00:05:49] Think about the 5,000. There was a sign of feeding or the wedding in Cana. There was A sign that he turned water to wine. And there was some discourse, some teaching. And he says, kind of like practices. He gave them examples and they failed.
[00:06:02] So here it's like, there's like, this is it. You can't fail anymore.
[00:06:06] This is going to be one of the last big things that he does to show them how to live after he is gone.
[00:06:14] And we look at this, the first point, little amendment here, kind of put like a 1A above the 1. And as we read, look through these first three verses, the point is, here is the time had come, and we see that it's now the feast of the Passover.
[00:06:34] And his time had. And the hour had come. And before, all the way up to this, he would say, my hour has not come. Even told his mom, woman, the hour is not yet, but the hour has come now. And you think about it. What has the entirety of Scripture pointed to up to this time? Whether it be in Genesis chapter three and the covenant made there that you know, the seed of the woman who crushed the head of the serpent. What was it all pointing to, the promise in that garden? What was the need for 2000 years of sacrificial system or the building of the temple? It was all to point towards Christ's death and resurrection and the atonement of sins by the blood of Christ, the blood of the Lamb rather than the blood of lambs. All these years for Jesus and the disciples at this point in time. Now it's like when it says the Passover. This would be the Passover.
[00:07:33] For 2,000 years, they observed the Passover, but this is the Passover.
[00:07:40] It wouldn't be the blood that they would put over their doorpost. It would be the blood of Christ that they would put on as the righteousness of Christ that would give them life. This was it.
[00:07:51] And he was. This whole evening was focused on what was to come. Just hours later, the cross was calling. The cross was there.
[00:08:04] Preparation was being made for this to happen.
[00:08:10] There were going to be criminals dying the next day, and he would be lifted up as a criminal to die for your sins.
[00:08:19] Redemption and reconciliation was at hand. This hour. The hour had come. When not come, you know, be three hours away, that it would be here.
[00:08:31] And so with this, this one last moment. And there would be this almost like a sign of his crucifixion. But also we're going to have some teaching for the next few chapters what Jesus is finally preparing his disciples to do once he leaves.
[00:08:48] He's providing them one more example that he would command us to follow. Not only are the disciples then, but he's talking to us 2,000 years later after them. This is what we are to do as a church.
[00:09:00] The instructions, the example, the model, Everything that is said here and what is done by Jesus is for us today, sitting in this church right now. We can't overlook it. We can't say, well, that was just for the disciples. He is doing what he needed to do for us today.
[00:09:23] An act that would represent the servitude and humbleness that we. That we are to imitate each day that we journey, each day that we sojourn.
[00:09:35] This isn't our final place. This isn't our final rest. This isn't it. This is just a temporary stay as we wait for Jesus to come.
[00:09:47] We are staying, yes, in his kingdom today.
[00:09:52] We are kingdom citizens, living in a manner, living in a way that would bring glory to his wonderful name. And how do we do that?
[00:10:01] We have the example today.
[00:10:05] So just. It's right before the Passover feast. Again, as we look at this, and we have this context in mind as we look at all the. The verses and chapters between now and the lifting him up and him dying on the cross, that this is the final Passover feast and he would be the final Passover.
[00:10:26] It won't have to happen again because his death is sufficient for our sins.
[00:10:34] We don't have to keep doing this over and over and over again.
[00:10:39] The hour had come early in 1223. We said that the coming of the Greeks was an indicator of this hour of coming.
[00:10:47] He was going to leave the world. And this term leave the world is used 40 times in chapters 13 through 17.
[00:10:55] It was introduced in chapter one.
[00:10:58] The world being the entirety of creation that would have rebelled against God and would reject the Son of God.
[00:11:07] If God loves the world, he does. John 3:16. It is in order to draw people out of this world. The term world cosmos in John is really an indication of the wickedness and the rejection of Jesus Christ and God himself.
[00:11:22] And by his love, God is going to draw people out of this darkness and into light through Jesus Christ.
[00:11:29] The world loved its own and Jesus loves his own, as in 1519 would indicate later.
[00:11:36] The object of love in these chapters is therefore not the lost world, but newly forming people of God.
[00:11:43] The disciples of the Messiah, the church, the community, the elect. The bride of Christ is who we are looking at today. And he would love them to the end, literally to the utter end. He would love his own.
[00:11:57] He told his Father that he would not lose any of his own that they would give unto Jesus and he would keep them till the very, very end, that he would lay down his life for his own.
[00:12:10] So let's look at this event as we see the context here. The Passover. If we don't have this Passover, we would not be here today.
[00:12:21] If this Passover did not take place 2,000 years ago, we would bring in lambs and whatever to sacrifice for the atonement of our sins. But that has been done and completed by Jesus.
[00:12:33] So with that, I mean the disciples were on the backside of this. And this is pointing to what we know already.
[00:12:41] And as Paul has shown as we read that verse, that we have been taught this type of love.
[00:12:47] We don't need any more teaching on how to love.
[00:12:51] Jesus taught us the Holy Spirit is teaching us every day. What we need to do is what? Just practice it. That's it, right? You know it.
[00:13:03] Then just practice. We won't copy Nike and say that, but just practice it.
[00:13:10] Just practice it. So let's look at this things to consider in this passage. Now we're kind of into the flow of the notes here as we look at this event, at those who were drawn out of the world, these 12 soon to be 11 men.
[00:13:29] Look back at verses 4 and 5. So after he this statement is made about Jesus, John makes the statements and he kind of narrates what's happening here. He says he rose from supper, he laid aside his outer garments and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into the basin and began to wash the disciples feet and wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
[00:13:57] What's going through the disciples mind?
[00:14:01] Maybe a little shame, maybe a little guilt because they walked right past that basin of water, right? There was no servants there and it was customary. I mean you did not eat dinner, supper without washing your feet. You just not, you didn't do it.
[00:14:21] And yet they began to eat.
[00:14:24] And Jesus gets up and begins this. You got to know, they're looking around and they're probably pointing, why didn't you do this?
[00:14:33] You're the lowest disciple, you should have done it. I'm sure they're making that, that thought we're the loved ones, John saying, I'm the most beloved, I'm not going to do it, Jesus, I'm his favorite.
[00:14:46] You should have done it, Peter. You're the bad mouthed person who always goes off impetuously.
[00:14:52] And you know that they're thinking this and they even argue about this. And that's another point. They begin to Argue who's the greatest among them. During this supper, after Jesus has washed their feet, they still think they're all of that in a bag of chips. They just like first. They're just not getting it yet.
[00:15:15] So the first point is that, you know, just like them, we got to consider that what's going on even today, that the Creator was washing the feet of his creation.
[00:15:28] Just let that sink in. The Creator, the one who put H and O together to make water. Think about that.
[00:15:39] The chemist of all chemists, the water that he's using to wash their feet, he formed out of nothing.
[00:15:51] The feet that he created, that we stand on for hours and hours and hours. It gets us everywhere we go, designed perfectly that if just one of those bones were gone in your ankle, you would be a lame person that God is washing their feet.
[00:16:13] Think about what other business model does this, where the CEO walks in and serves every one of the employees. I mean, sometimes it does happen. Great companies probably have that.
[00:16:26] What other religion has their God submitting themselves to do the lowliest job possible in order to serve the people that are worshiping him?
[00:16:40] What other religion has their God dead then come back to life too?
[00:16:47] What other rain?
[00:16:50] What other. The kingdom. Think about that kingdom. How many feet did Caesar wash on his way to power?
[00:16:59] Be more like, how many brothers and sisters did he kill to get the power?
[00:17:04] How many people did he squash to get the power?
[00:17:08] But here, Jesus the King, is washing his feet.
[00:17:14] I have one example really quick.
[00:17:17] I work for nuggets for a few years and worked at night. It was 2 to 11 then, and we're all tired. We go home and shower, come back.
[00:17:26] And one morning we come back and the bathroom was just a mess.
[00:17:31] And we all knew it because we went in there and saw it. We ignored it.
[00:17:35] And so we're on down to work, and we're doing our stocking, looking up. And if you've been in the nugget of that walkway, and back in the old days, Gene still had his office, and the bathroom's on the other side. And so we're working, working, working, working, just wanting to get done by 11. And then what do we see? We see Gene, still the owner with a bucket and a mop, walking down to the bathroom to do the job that none of us, none of us would want to do because it was too low for us.
[00:18:09] We're not the.
[00:18:11] We're not the janitors. Thank you. See, I can't even think of the word. I don't want to be a janitor. We're not the janitors, and we refuse to do it. And he walks down, he cleans it, and he doesn't say a word. And we all look down and we just start working because we know we should have done it.
[00:18:30] That's our culture. Jesus was very countercultural.
[00:18:34] Christianity is very different from this world as far as servanthood. And that's the point that Jesus is making.
[00:18:45] Paul, if you read the Bible's amazing, sometimes we should read it backwards. And you know, we have all this great commentary in the Epistles about the Gospel.
[00:18:56] And we got to know that when Paul wrote Philippians chapter two, did he have this in mind? As far as this one example, I think he did. And the cross. We read this passage, Philippians chapter 2, verses 5 through 11. We see this, what we just read kind of come to life in Paul's words here. It says, have this mind, which is to be in the same mind, agreed together, to cherish, have the same views, be harmonious, to direct one's mind to the same thing, to seek and to strive for among yourselves. So Paul is saying this. Have this mind. Be harmonious, Be like this, which is. You're in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped. But what did he do? He emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men and being found in human form. He humbled himself by becoming obedient to. To the point of death, even death on a cross.
[00:20:03] Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the same that is above every name, the name. So that at the name of Jesus every knee would bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth. And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, the glory of the God, the Father, Jesus. This point here, this whole, I would call it a sign of the cross, something that we can do that we couldn't do on the cross.
[00:20:34] We can humble ourselves before each other and serve one another and put other interests above ourselves. Something that Jesus did, but he did it completely and perfectly all the way to the cross, which we can't take away each other's sins.
[00:20:47] We can't do that.
[00:20:50] But Jesus gave us an example of what we can do for one another while we are waiting for his return to serve and to humble ourselves daily.
[00:21:03] That those who see that would be astonished by the love that we have and say, they're different.
[00:21:12] They're different from our culture.
[00:21:14] What makes you so different?
[00:21:18] Humility. Here in the upper room displayed before these 12 really clueless men would soon be magnified on a tree, a tree of shame and a tree of death.
[00:21:31] Humility shown by the one who created the water that would be used to wash the dirty feet of these men.
[00:21:39] So us like them, we are his creation. And he came to serve his creation through the cross.
[00:21:50] And he's given us an example how we can serve each other.
[00:21:53] Just short of that, the next point was the Messiah was washing the feet of feuding disciples.
[00:22:03] What were these 12 men doing just. I mean, during this last supper, just after Jesus washed their feet, they were arguing who was the great.
[00:22:15] No wonder he was asking for the Holy Spirit to come, because they didn't get it yet.
[00:22:23] They weren't understanding what Jesus was talking about.
[00:22:27] Luke 22 has this passage, this story says in verse 23, the disciples began to ask each other which of them would ever do such a thing as far as the betrayal.
[00:22:42] And they began to argue in front of Jesus, arguing among themselves about who would be the greatest among them when Jesus is there, had just washed their feet, and they're worried about themselves.
[00:23:06] Think about it, as we just mentioned earlier, they walk into this room, they pass right by the basin, which they know had to be done. They look around, there's no servants in that room.
[00:23:18] It's just the 12 and Jesus.
[00:23:23] And you gotta know that it crossed their mind that somebody's gonna have to do this.
[00:23:30] And they start looking around, it's not gonna be me.
[00:23:35] It's going to be somebody else because that's below me.
[00:23:40] Who would be the one to humble themselves that night?
[00:23:46] I don't think they expected Jesus to do it.
[00:23:51] They may have thought about washing Jesus feet, but obviously they didn't think very long about it because they already started eating the dinner.
[00:24:03] One last kind of really practical point that we can relate to here. It kind of goes back to verse two. It says during the supper, when the devil had already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him. So Judas already was an enemy, right?
[00:24:23] Already happened. He came to that dinner as an enemy of Christ.
[00:24:28] He showed up already knowing what he had done, already paid his 30 whatever, shillings of his silver, whatever silver, whatever it was, just for the life of Christ that had been done.
[00:24:46] And what does this event do?
[00:24:49] What does it show us today? Why is this included in the gospel?
[00:24:54] It attests to the love of Jesus, the kindness he would show to someone that would betray him, a heart that was incited by Satan. This is a spiritual battle, right? Here, incited by Satan, already wills that the devil wills he has been bought by Satan.
[00:25:17] And we know this whole plot against Jesus has been Satanic since the very beginning.
[00:25:24] And the fact is, think about this.
[00:25:27] We encounter the same enemy every single day.
[00:25:31] How do we respond?
[00:25:36] Are you prepared to wash the feet of your enemy?
[00:25:42] I know, I'll just let you ponder that. Just kind of like feel bad about that for a second.
[00:25:51] Are you prepared to wash the feet of your enemy?
[00:25:56] Are we the ones saying, why should I wash?
[00:26:01] That's not my job.
[00:26:04] I'm too good for that.
[00:26:06] I've been a member here for 48 years. I don't do that kind of stuff anymore.
[00:26:12] You'll probably see the person been here 48 years doing that stuff anyway.
[00:26:16] That's why they've been here for 48 years.
[00:26:20] Why not the person next to me? Are we too great in our own eyes to humble ourselves to wash the feet of our enemy?
[00:26:31] That same passage in Philippians, chapter two, just two verses earlier, Paul says this again, commentary on the Gospel. Don't be selfish.
[00:26:43] Don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.
[00:26:49] Don't look out only for your own interest, but take an interest in others too.
[00:26:58] Think about this, even your own friend. I mean, do you pick and choose who you serve in the church?
[00:27:11] What would you have done with Judas, knowing that he was going to betray you just a couple hours later?
[00:27:20] Would you have like, no, we'll just kind of go down this way.
[00:27:24] Or maybe waited till he went to the bathroom, washed everyone's feet, and then when he came back, oh, we're all done.
[00:27:31] He washed the feet of his enemy.
[00:27:36] Jesus taught, love those who persecute you, right?
[00:27:40] He is living out this teaching right before their eyes.
[00:27:45] Jesus doesn't say things and expect you to do them without us having an example to do it.
[00:27:55] That morning, if Gene Steele would have called over the intercom, hey, someone do this.
[00:28:01] He knows that he would have done it himself.
[00:28:06] Jesus gave us a command to love those who would persecute you. And what does he do? He washes the feet of the person who would betray him.
[00:28:19] He lives what he speaks.
[00:28:25] He was willing.
[00:28:28] The question is, are we willing and not even our enemies? I mean, we got to be willing within the body of Christ as well.
[00:28:42] We're the same family, brothers and sisters in Christ, and he expects us to treat each other the exact same and to share that love equally among us.
[00:29:05] Some things to understand in this passage. Huge teaching moment here.
[00:29:13] He says this 6 11. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, lord, do you wash my feet? Jesus answered him, what I am doing, you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand. I mean, did Jesus know Peter's mind?
[00:29:29] You're not going to get it, dude. I know you. We've been through this before. You're not going to get it, but you'll get it later. Just trust me. And so he says this again, you will understand later for us as well. Peter said to him, you shall never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, if I do not wash you, you have no share with me. Now Peter's kind of confused, like, I want you, Jesus. So what are you talking. What are you saying? Just, like, spinning this, like, web of, like, I don't get it. What's going on here?
[00:29:58] Peter said to him, lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. He wants it all. Jesus said to him, the one who has bathed does not need to wash except for his feet, but it's completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you. For he who knew who was to betray him. That was why he said, not all of you are clean.
[00:30:21] So we need to understand this is a huge understanding here, all of us today, our need for the righteousness of Christ.
[00:30:31] This was a deliberate action by Jesus, just as deliberate it would have been two hours, three hours later when he allowed himself to be hung on a cross.
[00:30:42] It was very intentional, wasn't it?
[00:30:45] Jesus had an intention that night. He knew. He knew their mind. He knew that none of them would get that basin. I mean, he knew was a very intentional teaching moment for him to walk in, give them time to do it, and to, you know, even feel more guilty about it, then get up and prepare himself to do the most humiliating thing a person can do in this culture. This was the worst.
[00:31:16] This is something the Greeks would do.
[00:31:19] Those nasty, dirty Greeks. This is all they deserve, is to wash my feet.
[00:31:25] And yet Jesus was doing this.
[00:31:31] So he comes to Peter, and again Peter says, lord, kind of like, you know, are you going to wash my feet? You know, that's the. If you would translate it literally, you know, are you Jesus? I mean, God, are you going to wash my feet?
[00:31:46] Jesus expects Peter to submit to the washing.
[00:31:53] They cannot understand how the Messiah must go to the cross. And this is again preparing them and why he needs to wash them. Even the whole language being completely washed and just cleansed afterwards.
[00:32:05] As Jesus got up to wash his feet, they had to know that this was wrong.
[00:32:13] Again, like we said, there had to be some guilt and shame creeping in. And Peter says, jesus, you can't wash my feet.
[00:32:22] What I'm doing, you don't understand. Peter again referring jesus, I know better. Let me counsel you on this.
[00:32:29] Let me tell you what's right and wrong here. All right? And what happened last time he tried to cancel Jesus, get behind me, Satan. I'm going to the cross.
[00:32:38] I have to die.
[00:32:41] So again, same thing.
[00:32:44] We can't counsel God.
[00:32:48] Love the passage in Job, it talks about, where were you? Job 38, 4, 11? Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much. Who determined its dimensions and stretched out the surveying line? What supports its foundations and who laid its cornerstone as the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? Who kept the sea inside the boundaries as it burst from the womb? As I clothed it with clouds and wrapped it in thick darkness? For I locked it behind barred gates limiting its shores? I said, this far and no farther. Will you come here.
[00:33:28] Your proud waves must stop. Who are we? Where were you when God and Jesus formed this planet, this universe? Who are we to question and to doubt God and his plans?
[00:33:47] So they also cannot understand this symbolic act. Now, that would point to what is to come. They're not getting that the cross is just a couple hours away.
[00:33:58] The temple had to be destroyed. It had to be rebuilt in three days.
[00:34:04] Verses 8 and 9. Peter said to him, you shall never wash my feet. Jesus answered them, if I do not wash you, you have no share with me.
[00:34:13] Simon Peter said to him, lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. So right now he's a little impetuous, not just understanding what Jesus was about to do, probably just the context of Jesus doing such a menial activity such as foot washing. So he doubles down and says, you shall never wash my feet. Jesus can't happen.
[00:34:40] He responds, maybe a little harsh. If you don't let me, then I am done with you.
[00:34:50] Sometimes we think that we don't need a foot washing.
[00:34:55] We don't need to be cleansed. There's nothing wrong with me. And that's the sadness of our world, as they don't think they have a sin problem.
[00:35:07] There's no need for salvation.
[00:35:10] They don't understand the Christmas story when it says a savior was born, infers that a savior is needed and there needs to be sin forgiven.
[00:35:22] So it's not harsh, it's reality.
[00:35:27] What Jesus is saying is, unless the Lamb of God has taken away a person's sin, and has washed that person clean, he or she can have no part of him pointing to the cross.
[00:35:41] There has to be a final washing of sins. There has to be a sacrifice that is sufficient for your sins, for all eternity to make you righteous.
[00:35:55] And having a part of share is a word used in respect to an inheritance and in Jewish thought refers to the in blessing of our eternity with Jesus Christ, our inheritance, that we are coheirs with Jesus Christ, that the kingdom is ours through Christ.
[00:36:17] No doubt Peter most likely understood that he wanted to be linked with Jesus, but is clueless on the idea of the impending humiliation that would be on the cross.
[00:36:28] So again, they needed the Holy Spirit to teach them these things, to open their eyes to the reality that I have sinned against the Creator of this universe. I need forgiveness of my sins. I need to be washed clean and clothed in the righteousness of Christ.
[00:36:50] Imagine this. I think this is a picture of something this means about being clean. And we need foot washings every once in a while. We need forgiveness of sins. And we are called to confess our sins to God and ask for that forgiveness, to restore the relationship, to help us with no barriers, no wedges, nothing to keep us from serving him the best that we could.
[00:37:16] I'm going to pick on Josh. He's right here.
[00:37:19] So I invite Josh over for dinner.
[00:37:23] So he's at home, he's worked all day, he's got grease all over him. And so he takes this long shower, probably like a 30 minute shower. He stands in front of the mirror, he gets all primped up and clean. And he's washed, he's got his beard trimmed and there's no more grease on his hands. He comes over to have dinner with me.
[00:37:41] Some nice ribs. I know he likes smoked ribs. And, and so he comes in and the first thing he says says, can I use your bathroom? Sure.
[00:37:49] I figure, you know what, he's maybe touched something dirty. He needs to go wash his hands. He goes, can I have a towel, some soap?
[00:37:57] He goes back and he begins to shower all over again.
[00:38:02] And an hour later he comes out because he needs to be what?
[00:38:08] Cleaned again.
[00:38:09] But in reality, all he needed was his hands clean to eat the dinner with Christ. We have been thoroughly cleansed.
[00:38:23] The table's been set before us in the presence of our enemies, right? So we can eat in peace and know that even in this world we can have this dinner with Jesus.
[00:38:34] And we have been not only cleansed thoroughly, but we've been clothed with the righteousness of the robes of Jesus Christ.
[00:38:44] And there's nothing more we need to do.
[00:38:49] Yes, we do need to confess our sins. Yes, we need to admit to God I failed God. I am sorry I did not serve you well today.
[00:38:59] Lord, forgive me for loving myself today more than I loved you.
[00:39:04] Lord, forgive me today for loving myself more than loving my brother and sister in Christ.
[00:39:10] Lord, forgive me for not paying attention and taking time to talk with somebody who needed someone to listen to them.
[00:39:19] That's the sin we need to confess to restore us and to be the unified church that he wants us to be.
[00:39:31] Peter wanted his hands and head washed, was mostly likely an excitement of his part.
[00:39:37] But what was it really about? It wasn't just about a basin in towel.
[00:39:42] A physical act that we can emulate is about the spiritual cleansing that only the blood of Christ can provide a righteousness. We all need the righteousness that only Jesus can give us.
[00:39:55] And the question is today what are you clothed in?
[00:40:02] Are you clothed in your own so called good, righteousness, good works?
[00:40:08] Are you clothed in the blood and the righteousness of Jesus Christ?
[00:40:17] So what's a sermon without practice, right?
[00:40:20] You got to have the practical. Let's read verses 12 through 18. We finish up here.
[00:40:26] What parts of it? When he washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed in his place, he said to them, do you understand? Do you think they got it yet?
[00:40:37] No, they're just looking around because if they would have gotten it, they wouldn't have argued who was the greatest, right?
[00:40:46] So after all this, Jesus said, knowing what they were thinking, he says, do you guys get it yet?
[00:40:54] The answer would have been an emphatic no. But they couldn't say that out loud. But he knew in their hearts.
[00:41:00] Do you understand what I've done to you? You call me teacher and Lord and you are right, for I am. If I, then your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet. You also. I love that word ought. It's like it must. It's like you have no choice.
[00:41:16] This isn't an option. As a follower of Jesus, you ought.
[00:41:23] If you need to circle that word and say I need to do. I ought to do a lot of things in the church as far as service, as far as loving, as far as forgiving, as far as coming alongside people. We ought, because that is who you are. You are a child of God.
[00:41:40] All right, I'm sorry.
[00:41:42] No, I'm not sorry. You need to hear that I lost my place. You ought to do this to one wash another's feet. For I have given you an example that you also should do just as I have done to you.
[00:41:58] Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is no greater than his master, nor is his messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, if you understand these things, blessed, happy, joyous are you who do them.
[00:42:15] So he's saying here, you want a blessed life? You want a happy, joyous life?
[00:42:23] Just do what I just did.
[00:42:26] Humble yourself and serve one another.
[00:42:33] How many times before did he give a sign and then they didn't get it.
[00:42:41] Feeding the 5,000, they didn't get it. Jesus walking out on the water, they didn't get it going all the way back, turning water into wine, they didn't understand healing the thousands of people that he did throughout those three years, they still didn't get it. And they're still arguing, who is going to be the greatest in his kingdom?
[00:42:58] Who's going to be your general?
[00:43:04] Don't miss Jesus this morning because of a hard or cynical heart.
[00:43:13] My prayer is that the Holy Spirit has already been working on your heart, kind of kneading it, softening it, preparing it to receive and to know. If you're here and you've never heard that you need Jesus, that you need forgiveness of your sins, you need his righteousness to live with him forever, then just allow the Holy Spirit to need your heart.
[00:43:37] And he's saying, and also in the aspect of our service to one another, if you're still not getting to that, we are called to serve and humble ourselves before each other. To look to the person to the right or left of you and say, your interests are more important than my interest, that I need to do what I can to help you and to help you grow and to love Jesus more and more each day.
[00:44:04] What do I need to do?
[00:44:07] If you get it, then do the same.
[00:44:11] Our lives should be focused and described as that being like the humility of Christ.
[00:44:21] Samuel Rutherford will close with this statement.
[00:44:25] He says, be humbled.
[00:44:28] Walk softly down with your topsail.
[00:44:33] Stoop, stoop.
[00:44:35] It is a low entry to go in at heaven's gate.
[00:44:45] Jesus is asking us to live humble lives before him as he did. He gave us the example to serve one another, to love one another.
[00:45:00] And if you love Jesus, what does he say in a few verses later? If you love Jesus, then what? Keep these commands.
[00:45:10] Do this.
[00:45:11] Why?
[00:45:13] So the world would see the love that you have for one another.
[00:45:19] A world that is pit against each other. A world that squashes and demoralizes one another. A world that uses other people to gain, needs to see a church that humbles themselves to serve one another and is looking forward to the time when we do this that God will exalt you and lift you up.
[00:45:48] We don't have to do that for ourselves.
[00:45:51] We can only exalt ourselves. This much God is going to bring us back home glorified and exalted.
[00:46:00] And that's what we're doing today as we wait, cultivating our hearts, preparing ourselves, loving Jesus, loving those he puts into our lives so that he would be glorified each step we walk.
[00:46:21] Let's pray.
[00:46:27] Father God, we come now and we thank youk for your word, for your example, a perfect example and the expectation that we follow this example. Father, I pray, Lord, as we close today with this song of worship and just glorifying you, Lord, that we would just evaluate, confess to youo where we fall short of this, maybe even going to somebody just asking for forgiveness.
[00:47:03] Lord, that you would be glorified in our service to you in this body.
[00:47:09] Father, you are so good. We're so thankful for your word.
[00:47:13] Lord, we ask these things in Jesus name, Amen.
