SERVING FROM YOUR KNEES
Gospel of John • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 5 viewsAs we shift to the Upper Room Discourse in John's Gospel account of Jesus, Our Lord shows us what it looks like when dignity and humility collide in leadership. Following Jesus means we are engaged in towel service.
Notes
Transcript
Key Texts:
Key Texts:
REFLECTION: Philippians 2.14-18
Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.
SERMON READING: John 13:1-17
MEMORY: Matt 7:13-14
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
BENEDICTION / CLOSING: Matthew 28:19-20
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
INTRODUCTION
The next 5 chapters of John’s Gospel, (13–17) walk us through what we call the Upper Room Discourse.
In these chapters we see intimate teaching about service, about love, about the Holy Spirit, about Heaven, about our union with Christ, and about prayer.
TRANSITION
The first few words of our passage reveal to us that the shadow of the cross is looming large…growing longer and darker as we stand on the evening before the crucifixion of our Lord…at the very foot of the cross.
THE SCENE IS SET
THE SCENE IS SET
JOHN 13:1-3
1 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.
Notice the mind of Christ here in verse 1:
He knew that His time had come.
to leave this world
to go to His Father in Heaven
He had loved well
his disciples
who were staying on earth
He would love them till the end!
(v3) He knows that the Father has given all things to Him - that is, that the Father is in complete control of all things and the Son has all authority
2 During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him,
Notice the scene set before us here in our text:
It’s supper (what will become known as the Last Supper) - they have gathered for the passover meal together
The Devil has already put into Judas’ heart to betray our precious Lord Jesus
(v4) Jesus rises from supper to take an incredible step that will forever mark the body of Christ as a display of HIS INCREDIBLE HUMILITY…and an example of HOW WE ARE TO SERVE ONE ANOTHER.
JESUS SERVES HUMBLY
JESUS SERVES HUMBLY
John 13:1-5
Let’s read on...
4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 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.
One of my first working titles for this sermon was, Towel Service.
After the pandemic, if you happened to be traveling, up until the first part of 2023 actually, many hotels were not providing standard services (though they were still charging standard prices).
In fact there were notes all around about “towel service”. If you need towel service, you’ll need to call the front desk and someone will bring you more towels to your room.
Our idea of towel service today is that someone else is doing something for us!
That’s VERY SIMILAR TO HOW PEOPLE VIEW RELIGION TODAY.
Every action we take is on the basis of my personal benefit. We’re happy to make others jump through unnecessary hoops if it benefits us - even if it is something we don’t need.
This kind of TOWEL SERVICE has ME as the focus.
The TOWEL SERVICE that we see Jesus engage here is completely different. WE ARE NOT THE FOCUS - others are!
He gets up from the table (the position of the served).
He lays aside his garments that would identify him among the guests.
He takes on the appearance of a servant.
He takes a towel and ties it around his waist. This identifies him with the lowest station in the room that night. The servants.
Not only will he identify with the lowest station; HE WILL PERFORM ONE OF THE LOWEST ACTIONS.
Jesus is SO MUCH MORE THAN AN EXAMPLE...
Yet we see a completely different approach don’t we?
42 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Paul gives us a glimpse in Phil 2:1-10
Allow me to start at the end and work my way around...
9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
LOOK AT JESUS! HIGHLY EXALTED…NO-ONE ABOVE HIM. NO ONE LIKE HIM.
EVERY KNEE WILL BOW AT THIS KING
EVERY TONGUE WILL CONFESS THIS KING
EVERY THING ON, IN , UNDER, AND AROUND THE EARTH WILL CONFESS THAT JESUS CHRIST IS LORD
ONE DAY EVERY THING ALIVE WILL EXALT JESUS AND GLORIFY GOD
…SO WHAT’S THE TRIGGER FOR THIS FROM HEAVEN’S PERSPECTIVE
Royal Robes? no
Legions of Armies at His disposal? no
Earthly conquest? no
Earthly Riches? no
Look at the verses preceeding...
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
He willingly laid down his life
He emptied himself of anything that He was entitled to
He - being able to take any form He could have - took the form of a servant
Christ became a man
while we know man is the pinnacle of God’s creative order...
lest we think more highly of ourselves than we ought…God reveals that we are created from the dust of the earth...
he was found in human form…on purpose…for GOD’S GRAND PURPOSE
He was obedient
He humbled Himself to DEATH for the purpose of the Father, for the glory of God, and for the BENEFIT OF THOSE WHO COULD DO NOTHING FOR THEMSELVES.
Now - notice the charge in the passage
1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,
Have the same MIND in YOU
because of who Christ is
his encouragement
his comfort
his love
his gift of the Holy Spirit
his affection for you and your affection for Him
his sympathy for you and the world around you
Have the same LOVE in you.
Don’t be self-absorbed, self-centered, self-worshiping people
Don’t be conceited, prideful, arrogant,
BE HUMBLE WHEN YOU LOOK AT OTHERS
COUNT THEM AS MORE SIGNIFICANT THAN YOU!
LOOK OUT FOR THEIR INTERESTS
THIS IS HOW JESUS LIVED AMONG US.
So, here is Jesus - Son of God and Son of Man - putting a towel around his waste - getting as low to the ground as he can - and washing the feet of those around him!
There are 2 dimensions to this act that are worth noting here as we look at Jesus. He is teaching/showing/discipling us:
1. No one is ABOVE SERVING
1. No one is ABOVE SERVING
If our King can get low…what right do we have to ever refuse to serve.
If our King can humbly serve others, we should to.
When we make excuses NOT to serve, is it a legit? or is it a way of trying to calm our conscience because we think this act is BENEATH us?
Nothing kills Christ-honoring service like pride.
2. No one is BELOW BEING SERVED
2. No one is BELOW BEING SERVED
John will repeatedly remind us in this chapter that Judas is present.
That he is present and actively scheming against our Lord.
And yet, Jesus washes twelve sets of feet.
He stoops down and washes the caked on dirt and grime and filth off of the feet of each disciple…and Judas.
Is anyone going to betray you at the level of Judas? Worse than? No. No one is below being served.
WHAT A TEACHER!
WHAT A SERVANT!
WHAT A LEADER!
WHAT A SAVIOR!
NOT ONLY DOES JESUS HUMBLY SERVE in this incredible passover meal...
JESUS ENABLES US TO SERVE LIKE HIM
JESUS ENABLES US TO SERVE LIKE HIM
John 13:6-17
Imagine the uncomfortable quiet as the dumbstruck disciples watch Jesus moves into position.
You can hear the gentle pouring of the water and the Lord’s breathing as he moves from disciple to disciple.
And he comes to Peter
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 8 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.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
He’s ministering to PETER.
The disciple who is most known for putting his FOOT IN HIS MOUTH.
As Jesus washes his feet, Peter can’t help but run his mouth.
As this scene unfolds, Jesus is pointing his disciples, and us, to a greater, more powerful act of service.
Jesus is now demonstrating what he had taught them - he had come not to be served but to serve.
In just a few hours he will humble himself to death as he willingly lays down his life on the cross to pay the sin debt for the whole world.
When he says to Peter that they will understand “afterward” (vv. 6–7) - he doesn’t mean after the footwashing - He means after the resurrection.
He had to become a servant for them to have life.
He asks them the question:
12 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?
Then he tells them plainly.
13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 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. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
No one is above serving.
No one is below being served.
Humble yourself to death to self.
As my good friend, Flip Benham says, “Lay your life down on the barbed wire of this world so that some other soldier of Jesus Christ can climb over you and advance the Lord’s Kingdom.”
He said what he said.
He said do as I do.
28 But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS TO SERVE LIKE JESUS? It means to get LOW.
Years ago, when I had room for a coffee table in one of my offices, I had a small red book there that my wife got me for Christmas.
It’s some of the collected writings from Samuel Logan Brengle’s notebooks and Bibles.
In 1878 when William Booth’s Salvation Army had just been so named, men from all over the world began to enlist.
One man, who had once dreamed of himself as a bishop, crossed the Atlantic from America to England to enlist.
He was a Methodist minister, Samuel Logan Brengle.
And he now turned from a fine pastorate of a large and growing church to join Booth’s Salvation Army.
Booth told him to go back home and serve his church - pastoring of that sort was not what the Salvation Army needed. After some back and forth, Booth accepted his services reluctantly and grudgingly.
Booth said to Brengle, “You’ve been your own boss too long.” And in order to instill humility into Brengle, he set him to work cleaning the boots of the other trainees.
And Brengle said to himself, “Have I followed my own fancy across the Atlantic in order to black boots?”
Then he remembered this passage that paints Jesus bending over the feet of rough, unlettered fishermen to serve them in humility.
Brengle prayed that famous prayer, “Lord,” he whispered, “You washed their feet: I will black their boots. And it will be enough.”
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
JESUS SERVED HUMBLY.
HE CALLS AND EMPOWERS US TO SERVE HUMBLY.
IT ALL COMES FROM A PLACE OF LOVE.
Matt Carter summarizes this beautifully...
Jesus does not call us to a life of leisure but of labor.
He doesn’t call us to follow him down paths sprinkled with gumdrops and lined with lollipops but down dirt-covered, sweat-stained paths—paths that stink, paths that are not simple or clean or neat.
The cost of discipleship is high, but it’s worth it.
God’s blessing comes to the genuine disciple—the one who follows Jesus into a life of humble service.
Of all the marks of discipleship Jesus could have highlighted, he highlighted a willingness to pick up a towel and get our hands dirty.
Few things we do make the gospel more beautiful and compelling than when someone sees Christians with dirty towels and clean feet.
Dirty towels and clean feet make the gospel clear—everyday people doing everyday things to serve others.
That’s what humble service looks like.
That’s what following Jesus looks like.
Where is the LORD calling you to die to self, get on your knees, and serve others?
LET’S PRAY
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TRANSITION TO COMMUNION