The Gospel Of John Chapter 13 Lesson in Service
John has taken us now behind the scenes,
Away from the public eye,
And into that upper room where Jesus is gathered with his closest
Friends, we know them as his disciples.
Time is running out,
The stage has been set,
There is one great task for Jesus to complete,
but before he is taken away,
there is so much he wants to teach his disciples.
Jesus knows that one of his inner circle is going to betray him.
I’m sure it breaks his heart.
To love for the sake of loving someone,
And then have the one you love turn on you,
Well the pain of betrayal runs deep.
We here in the West miss the vivid picture that John paints for us concerning Jesus
relationship with Judas.
First: to eat bread with anyone was a sign of friendship,
An act of loyalty.
One doesn’t break bread with one’s enemy.
Second: the seating arrangement seems to indicate that Judas sat at Jesus
immediate left.
The seat to the left of the host was a place of high honor.
Third: Jesus quotes the first part of Ps 41:9,
Psalms 41:9 (NLT)
Even my best friend, the one I trusted completely, the one who shared my food, has turned against me.
That’s why John tells us that Jesus was “troubled in spirit” after he tells the
disciples that one of them is about to betray him.
Jesus knows his betrayer,
Jesus knows His fate—crucifixion.
He knows He is to die to make atonement for humanity,
Here’s my opinion,
There are a lot of people, scholars, theologians who
would disagree with me,
yet I can’t escape the notion that
Jesus wasn’t sure that there would be a resurrection.
Let me explain—If Jesus is our example,
Then He too had to meet the challenge of the Cross in faith.
When we lay down our lives you and I have no guarantees
either, we do it our of obedience
I don’t believe that Jesus had guarantees either,
or someone could accuse Him of having rigged the game.
If He knows without faith,
Then is it really a sacrificial death?
Therefore I think Jesus goes to the cross fortified by faith
instead of the reality of knowing the future.
Again—its just my opinion.
Chapter 13 contains the account of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples.
That’s what we will concentrate on.
Before we view the video presentation of Chapter 13 there are a
three thoughts I want you to consider.
First Thought
John 13:27 (NIV)
As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.
I find the phrase “Satan entered him” intriguing.
I don’t think it means that just out of the blue Satan picked Judas as the
betrayer.
I think Judas lost faith in Jesus’ plans and decided to come up with one of
his own.
I believe that Judas knew the Jesus was the Messiah,
But totally disagreed with how Jesus was suppose to
accomplish his mission.
So Judas took matters into his own hands.
Satan found an ally
We are constantly being tempted to do our own thing.
We may know what God wants but there is this pull to do life the way
we want.
A very dangerous desire.
Because you can unwittingly become Satan’s ally.
This is why I think that after the crucifixion Judas tried to return the 30
pieces of silver and eventually killed himself. Remorse.
Bottom line here is: even when it doesn’t make sense go with God,
Follow His lead—be obedient, God will work it all out.
Second thought
John 13:34-35 (NLT)
So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
Love each other, do your best at meeting one another’s needs.
When spouses are dedicated to meeting each other’s needs you’ll find a
great marriage.
When a group of people are dedicated to meeting each other’s needs in the
name of Jesus you’ll find the glory of God being manifested.
When you love others you transform and change them.
Let me give you a hot topic example.
Homosexuality.
I am fearful that most homosexuals think Christians hate them.
The Bible clearly teaches that homosexuality is a sin,
The practice is inconsistent with living the life of a
disciple.
But what far too many Christians have done is condemn the
Person who is caught up in a homosexual life style.
Is the sin of homosexuality any greater than the sin of gossip?
Is the sin of homosexuality any greater than the sin of gluttony?
Or adultery, or having lustful thoughts about a member
of the opposite sex,
or murder, or being angry with a brother or
sister in Christ?
Cohabitation, divorce, greed, prejudice,
being unkind with our words, being selfish --
these sins are just as bad as the sin of homosexuality.
A homosexual is a human being.
All sexual sin, regardless of the type, greatly effects the core of
who we are.
The homosexual life style is a sin.
But Christians are not to be judge and jury---
Christians are to be ambassadors of the cross.
We are to bring the Kingdom and
We bring it best when we love.
Its by your love that God is glorified in this world.
Its by your love, that through you, God manifests His presence in this world. Its by your refusal to judge and your willingness to love that you bring
the kingdom to others.
Love opens the door for transformation in the lives of those loved.
So bottom line: Even when you know a person is doing wrong,
Love on them in order to transform them.
On important caveat—leave if you are at risk.
Third thought
John 13:37-38 (NIV)
Peter asked, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you." Then Jesus answered, "Will you really lay down your life for me?
That question of Jesus--Will you lay down your life for me?
We’ve seen that it can refer to your physical life—
We’ve seen that it can refer to your time or your money or your
energy or your talent.
But have you considered every time you inconvenience yourself to do
something to help out another person, you’re laying down your life?
Sometimes we get caught up thinking that laying down our lives deals with
the big things,
forgetting that we prepare ourselves for the big things
by laying down our lives in the small things.
Next time you are presented with being inconvenienced,
Having to serve instead of being served,
Having to yield the right of way,
Not demanding your rights,
Think of it as laying down your life.
I think that’s what it means when the Apostle Paul tells us to make our lives a
living sacrifice,
I think laying down our lives in the small ways is how we worship.
So bottom line: When you do things you don’t have to do for others, you’re laying
down your life.
Three extra thoughts for you from the 13th chapter of John’s Gospel.
When we chose to do our own thing we unwittingly become an ally of Satan.
Loving others invites an opportunity for their transformation
To serve is to lay down your life.
Now let’s watch Chapter 13.
Here’s a little background to this passage
Foot washing
Foot washing was regularly practiced.
It was a sign of hospitality.
The roads were either dusty or muddy.
The feet of guests were washed before they entered the house.
It was the task of the servant to wash the feet of those visiting his or her
master’s house.
In the Gospel according to Luke prior to this there was are argument
between the disciples as to who among them would be the greatest.
What the pecking order would be when Jesus revives the
Davidic Kingdom?
The disciples are concerned about which one of them will be the most
honored.
Jesus shows them by doing for them the most menial of services.
Washing their feet what accounts for greatness in the Kingdom
John 13:14-15 (NIV)
Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.
I have a Question and an Observation--
First a Question: Has Jesus washed your feet?
It’s an important question because Jesus tells Peter if I don’t wash your feet you
will have no fellowship with me.
John 13:8 (NIV)
"Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."
Sometimes you can get lost in the symbols, allegory and metaphors.
When that happens I think that best thing to do is
Is apply Ockham’s Razor to the problem.
William of Ockham in the fourteenth century said
``entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily''
Which we usually take to mean the simplest answer tends to be the
one that is most correct.
Unless you let me serve you,
Unless you let me meet your need,
You can’t enter into a right relationship with me.
The greatest of human needs is for atonement.
I’ve taught you that the best way to understand the concept of
original sin is from the perspective of estrangement.
Every human being comes into this life with a
broken relationship with God.
Jesus atonement is the mediation that reconciles two estranged
people.
Jesus served you by making that atonement for you.
Pride says I can make atonement for myself.
I can make myself acceptable to God.
But Jesus says unless you receive my service
You’re not going to make it.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast.
You allow Jesus to wash your feet when you allow Him to meet your needs.
The need of atonement is the biggest.
First a Question
Has Jesus washed your feet?
Are you letting Jesus serve you?
Are you allowing Him to cleanse you from all sin?
Or are you still doing your own thing?
Second an Observation
What Jesus has done for you do for others.
You can’t give what you have not received.
We are to follow Jesus example.
Therefore as disciples we are to wash the feet of others—
The way disciples wash the feet of others is by serving them.
I told you that these upper room discourses are for the training of disciples.
The first lesson was how to worship.
Today’s lesson is how to serve.
If Jesus has washed your feet you should be washing the feet of others.
That’s what disciples do.
They see a need, they do their best to meet that need.
They use their gifts, their talents, their abilities to serve.
And by serving they bring the kingdom to others.
I just seem to be forced to bring this up time and time again.
Service.
Disciples Serve.
Christians serve—that’s what we are called to do.
Find out how you can serve.
I want to give you a little primer for learning about service.
First there is a Spiritual Gifts Inventory you can take—on line, free of
Charge:
http://www.churchgrowth.org/analysis/intro.php
That inventory will suggest a couple of areas that you might be gifted
in and what possible areas of service you may want to check
out.
Second, after you’ve taken the Spiritual gifts inventory and read the results
Think about what you are passionate about,
What you like to do, what you’re good at, what you are
interested in.
Third, volunteer in that area and see if it is a joy to you and how effective
you are.
I truly believe that God hardwired you for service.
For a particular type of service
By doing that service for others you bring the Kingdom to the people
you serve.
Jesus—washed feet,
As a follower of Jesus,
As one of His disciples—go wash feet.