Jesus shows His Disciples True Leadership
Show: Jn.13:1-2 (READ)
Explain: Now when this says it was just before Passover – we’re probably talking an hour or two. The Passover was held on the 15th day of Nisan (around our March) and it began as the sun went down. So, this story is beginning – just before the Passover Meal. This was a sacred, holy meal eaten every year by the Jews in remembrance that God saved them from Egypt. In the meal they would literally retell the Exodus story of how God saved them from Egypt and they’d all clink their glasses and say hooray.
Now in the Passover Meal they are eating lamb in remembrance of the lamb’s blood spread over the doors. They’re eating bitter herbs in remembrance of how bitter life was in slavery. And they’re eating flat bread in remembrance that when it came time to leave – they had to go straight away. They didn’t have time to let the bread rise.
So as we read John 13 – Jesus and the disciples are eating the Passover Meal and Jesus is going to turn the bread and wine into the Lords Supper or Holy Communion – which we now share in church on the first Sunday of each month. On the exact same day the Jews were killing lambs and celebrating Passover – Jesus is going to die on the cross and shed his blood for us. Jesus will become our Passover Lamb (who by his blood) sets us free – from Satan’s kingdom of slavery. The Bible then assures us that if the blood of Jesus covers our lives – the angel of death will Passover us on judgment day.
So the Passover is in the background of the story today and it means John 13 to John 17 is actually ONE LONG SERMON that Jesus gives his disciples in the last supper. The sermon begins with the footwashing in John 13:1 and it ends about 5 hours later with Jesus leaving the meal and going to the Mount of Olives in John 18:1. (And you guys think my sermons are long). Over the next few weeks – everything we are looking at is happening in the Last Supper.
Now look with me at verse 3 (READ). Verse 3 tells us – Jesus is secure in his relationship with God. Jesus knows God has put all things (literally) into his hands. The sentence implies power and authority. Jesus is a leader. But it literally says into his hands because this is a story about powerful hands washing dirty feet. So Jesus knows he has real authority. Jesus also knows He comes from God and he knows he is returning to God. What this is saying is that Jesus is ABSOLUTELY SECURE in his authority and in his relationship with God. Jesus has nothing to prove to himself or others. Jesus doesn’t have to bark orders or wear a fancy suit to prove his authority. He knows he’s got authority and he knows everything comes from God and returns to God. So entirely free (from other people’s opinion of him) he gets down and washes the disciples feet. This is true freedom.
At this point Jesus is working for AN AUDIENCE OF ONE – God. Jesus doesn’t care what other people think of him. He doesn’t even care what the disciples think of him. Jesus is so secure in what God has given him and who God is – that if God wants him to wash feet, that’s ok, Jesus will wash feet. Please understand this is AUDIENCE OF ONE TERRITORY. SAY: Audience of One. The only person whose opinion about you ultimately matters is God. So stop caring about what other people think of you AND simply focus on what God you to do. Unfortunately, other people’s opinions of us shape us and our actions far more than they should. This is usually because we have deep insecurities about ourself. I’m not good enough. I’m not smart enough. People don’t respect me. Then we only do things that we think other people will respect, rather than what God says. But stop worrying about what other people think of you. Just worry about what responsibilities God has entrusted to you (what he has put in your hands) and then do whatever is necessary to gain Gods approval, not man’s approval.
Completely secure in the authority God has given him – Jesus uses it to serve others and starts washing their feet – before the Passover Meal. This is where we get the idea of SERVANT LEADERSHIP.
Now in the 1st century Jerusalem the streets would have been dusty and full of animal manure. As an agricultural society – everywhere you walked you were watching for land mines – because you’re in sandals. And stepping on a large moist cow pat in sandals – would not have been a pleasant experience as it went up between your toes. What’s more, in 1st century Jerusalem there was no proper sewer system – so people would empty their bed pans into the street and into culverts along the edge of the streets. The point is – in the first century – people’s feet were literally covered with… well you know what. What’s more, given that DAILY BATHING was not possible – there may be several days of yuck built up on the disciple’s feet. This is such an unpleasant job – that only Gentile servants could be asked to wash feet. Jewish servants had an exemption.
Now we often view Jesus’ last Supper with Leonardo Davinci’s picture (Slide 8). But historically we know this all wrong. In the first century people reclined at table like this (Slide 9). Notice everyone’s feet are away from table – because feet were usually covered with poop. Pretty much the rudest thing you could do at the table (in the first century) – was bring your feet anywhere near the food. That was not kosher. So people usually ate like this – reclined and with their feet away from the table. But by washing the disciples feet – Jesus has suddenly made it a whole lot more hygienic and more relaxing for people to share the last supper over 5-6 hours together.
Apply: Although Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords (with all authority in his hands) – he humbles himself and in love – uses his authority to serve others. Now remember the 12 disciples were a normal bunch of guys who enjoyed peeing contests. Not so long ago – they were arguing over who was the greatest amongst them. So Jesus is modelling what true greatness and glory looks like in Gods Kingdom. True authority, is expressed confidently in loving and serving others…
Point 2: Jesus shows that His Ministry is about Cleansing
Show: John 13:6-9 (READ)
Explain: Well as Jesus comes round to Peter – he says “you’ll never wash my feet.” This is EXACT OPPOSITE PROBLEM to Jesus’ humility. This is PRIDE. Peter is now too proud to let Jesus wash his feet. Peter thinks washing people’s feet is below Jesus and below himself. People should wash their own feet or at the very least let’s find a dirty, dirty Gentile and get them to do it for us.
THE PROBLEM is that we need to be humble enough to recognize that we need help from others and sometimes others need help from us. Both A) providing help to others and B) accepting help from others is often a humbling process. We hate to admit that we can’t deal with our own problems – ourselves. So, Jesus gently hits Peter with a reality check. He says; if you are not humble enough to let me wash your feet – you can’t have anything to do with me.
Now Peters head is spinning. So Jesus tells him you don’t UNDERSTAND this right now, but later you will UNDERSTAND. Peter now thinks he gets it. Jesus is saying Peter is DIRTY. So he now responds “Ok, if I’m dirty then wash my whole body, not just my feet.” But Peter is still missing the point. What Jesus is doing is SYMBOLIC of a greater and even more humbling washing that needs to take place. It is a spiritual washing. Not a physical washing.
(Slide 11) I want you to LOOK AT THIS PHOTO for a moment. This is what the disciples feet would have looked like. Walking around in this fallen, sinful world the disciples had accumulated all sorts of yuck on their feet – from animal faeces to human faeces. There would have been mud and dust between their toes. Given that that some of them were also fishermen – there were probably some fish scales and fish guts stuck to their feet as well. It would have been a mess.
But these feet are really a small picture of our lives on earth. Living in this fallen world our lives gradually get covered with – well you know the word; poop. Some of the poop comes from other people’s mess thrown at us. Some of the poop comes because we’ve walked in some pretty crappy places and made some pretty poor choices. Some of us have been so dumb – that we’ve come across big fresh cow patties and we’ve jumped right in. It’s gone up over our sandals, between our toes and under the nails. It is truly disgusting.
But really, these disgusting feet are a picture of our lives. Sin and evil and injustice in this world sticks to us like the proverbial poop that it is. Then, we feel DIRTY. We carry GUILT and SHAME, UNFORGIVENESS and ANGER at the deepest parts of our soul. We know this. Looking at these dirty, dirty feet, Jesus wants us to look at our lives and recognise we all need a really good bath. But no matter how much we try to wash ourselves – nothing can actually take away the shame, the guilt and hurt that we carry. This is what Jesus came to take away. There is a part of the Christian gospel that is actually about cleansing from sin.
Apply: Feet covered with poop are not worthy to walk on streets paved with gold. This means they are not fit for heaven. Like in Egypt – the angel of death is coming for those who reject Gods right to be God. But just as the Passover Lamb died in Egypt to save the lives of all the Jewish firstborn children, so Jesus will die on the cross to save those who believe in him. (GOSPEL) Jesus will explain in the Passover Meal that he going to accept the penalty for all our sin. He is going to die in our place for our sins – so that we can be spared. Jesus is going to do this because he loves us. Jesus will be like the good shepherd who lays down his life to protect his sheep.
But Jesus is not just going to take away the penalty of sin, he is also cleanse us – taking away the guilt, anger and shame of sin. Jesus wants to wash you completely clean. He wants to help you deal with the mess in your life – because the truth is you can’t wash yourself.
The question is – are you HUMBLE enough to admit you have a problem – you can’t fix yourself? Are you HUMBLE enough to let Jesus wash your feet. In Overcomers Outreach (our 12 Step Addiction program) THE FIRST STEP is admitting you can’t get yourself clean. THE SECOND STEP is recognizing that Jesus can. THE THIRD STEP – is letting him do it. Like addicts, most of us deny we have problem. We think we stop our sinning and clean ourselves up any time we like. But truth is we can’t. No one, can cleanse themselves properly. But Jesus cleanses us – by humbly taking the nature of a servant and doing for us what we can’t do for ourselves. In the following chapters he will explain he does this by giving us the Holy Spirit. So if you are not yet a Christian, are you ready to let Jesus help you? If you’re truly ready and humble enough to accept some help from God – please A) see me after the service or B) fill in one of our communication cards in the Bible…
Point 3: Jesus calls Christians to humbly serve and clean others
Show: Jn.13:12-15 (READ)
Explain: Well Jesus point is that he is THE GREATEST ONE sitting at the table on Passover night. Everyone in the room called him MASTER and TEACHER. So if it isn’t BENEATH Jesus to wash peoples feet, it shouldn’t be beneath the disciples to wash feet either. Jesus is teaching us – that ultimately he is in the business of cleansing people from all the sin and rubbish in this fallen world. And Jesus is willing to do whatever is necessary to cleanse people – because this is their greatest need. They need to be ready for streets of gold. So this is what love does. LOVE meets peoples greatest needs and helps them – even if that means humbling ourselves to get the poop out from between their toes and under the nails.
Of course, Jesus was willing to do even more – in the area of humbling himself. At the cross Jesus allowed himself to be beaten, mocked and nailed to a cross naked to save us. Crucifixion was the most humiliating, shameful and debasing thing a person could experience in the first century.
But Jesus was even willing to go there – to take the penalty for our sin. He did this so that we could be cleansed of the shame, guilt and anger in our lives. Jesus wants us to understand his death properly. THE CROSS is NOT simply about saving us when Jesus returns. Jesus death is ALSO about cleansing us now of everything that defiles us. Ultimately, Christian baptism with water is symbolic of this spiritual cleansing that Jesus wants us to humbly accept.
Apply: But truly the big point in this passage is not that we need cleansing, although that is very true. THE BIG POINT in this passage is that Jesus has set us an example that we should follow – in terms of love, humility, service and helping others to become clean.
Now sadly, there is no KUDOS OR GLORY left in this business. Not so long ago – people saw Christian ministry and Christian enterprise as a noble, glorious task. Christians like Mother Theresa and William Wilberforce who dedicated their lives to washing the most dirty people of the world were still recognized as noble and having a certain glory. But these days you call yourself a pastor or even a Christian and people will often treat you like 1) a dirty, dirty Gentile, 2) a homophobe, 3) a woman hater or 4) worse. But this is Jesus path. It is the path of humble service of others – so that they can find true cleansing A) at the cross and B) through the work of the Holy Spirit. The sanctifying and cleansing work of the Holy Spirit will become part of Jesus’ focus – in this sermon – during the Passover Meal.
But here are some points to consider. 1) If you are a leader of some sort in business or education or health – please remember that whatever AUTHORITY God has given you (whatever he has placed in your hands) – it is to be used in the service of the people God has given you. Never think that you are that big or that important – that the WELFARE and especially THE SPIRITUAL WELFARE of the people beneath you is ignored. There are times when you should truly humble yourself and help them sort out the mess between their toes.
But always do this remembering that your ultimate responsibility as a Christian leader is to help them find true cleansing in Jesus. You need love and then point them to Jesus’ love.
These days, I know there is very little glory in leading an SRE class, or Youth group, or an AA Meeting, or feeding the poor, or helping mothers who have just had an abortion – find help, peace and healing in Jesus. But I want you to remember – that in such tasks – you are probably closer to true Jesus like glory – than the pastors who fly around the world preaching to big adoring crowds. The path of true Jesus like glory is true love, humility, helping people find cleansing and doing that without the slightest concern of what other people think of you – because ultimately these are the things that will be glorified when we finally walk on streets of gold…
