Sermon Tone Analysis

Dear Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Read the signs - first half of this gospel - wh He is what He does - believing have life in his name.

But curious thing isthat - though he wants us to get this- wonderful things happen - keeps on saying His time has not yet come.

My hour is not yet!

Then it happens last week before the Cross - do you remember when jesus says the time has come - when the Greeks come - says like kernel of wheat - die if it stays alone, but if it dies goes in the ground, bear much fruit .

Remarkable

HOUR KAIROS time has come!

Chapter 13 opens up second half of the book - going to the Cross entering the hour that changes the world - 13-17 record jesus lovingly explainging what you and I need to do, to have a share, a part in that Great Kairos memooent - the hour of the world - the Cross.

The Cross is going to be where he loves them to the end, telos, same root word - he will say on the Cross - It if finished - my love the great salvation has been accomplished - the seed has died, that will put sin to death and exhaust punishment of God on our sins, let the harvest begin - the new world of my kingdom begin!

And now before the Cross happens and he accomplishes the mission that God sent Him in the world to accomplish - he gives to his apostles, his representatives that will bring the harvest , the new world to all peoples after him, he gives them a sign - poured water, a basin, removal of his outer robes, the dawning of the slaves towel - and your dirty foot being washed by the Son of God - and he says you need to understand the Cross with this act of washing.

It is not firt of all an example or sacrament, it is first of all sign, and those who truly get the sign are then able to imitate Christ in a service that brings a harvest!

Do you get that - Christ’s washing is not prelude to the Cross, it is so tightly tied to it, that it is a sign you need to understand the Cross.

This washing is not a rmonatic example that inspires us to have ilittle mosre servant hood like Jesus is pointing way beyond human love to the self-sacrficing love that can only come from above - you need to get that love -if you are ever going to follow Christ as an example!

Getting this washing, getting this love isn’t something that comes naturally - as we see with the heart of the passage centred on Peter’s reluctance to receive this washing and all of our reluctance to follow the example of this washing!

terribley humiliating to be in hospital others do most basic, dignity taken away - as admit can’t do need someone else to to do for me!

I wonder if you sense with same awe -that Jesus needs to do this washing on you!

Picture your foot, no yur whole soul - before the Lord Jesus, Son of God, Messiah, need to touch you , need to wash you!

Part of us says, you don’t need to bother with that, other part says, I don’t need anyone to do that to me!

HP: Two washings you must receive from Jesus, and then we must offer a washing to others!

What is the intital and first washing that Jesus says He offers?

v.10

Do you see it, Peter who is always assuming he knwos how the Messiah should fit into his plans, takes the correction that he does need the Messiah to wash him, but asks not just for his feet - but his hands and head also!

What is Jesus reply?

Washing #1 The Bath: We all need the initial & complete cleansing of justification!

The Bath: We all need the initial and complete cleansing of justification!

Don’t miss the good news in jesus rebuke of Peter.

How many of you hear this mornign can say you are completely clean before God! Two words for cleaning in our passage,

i. niptw, to rinse a part of your body.

ii.

louw -to cleanse one’s whole body with soap and water

And do you see the trap that Peter falls into - he sees Jesus offering the rinsing of the feet and assumes that they way to become cleanand is to have Jesus do that a whole bunch of times all over -

You and i fall into that trap every time we think we can be made clean, a ltitle at a time by our effort, by trying a little harder, going to God a little more for forgivness and r3epntance and then just maybe we will be clean enough!

And to this Jesus says, Stop it - never get clean that way - don’t get it it yet - but if anyone believe I came from the Father, i took on human nature , I dawned this towel to cleanse, to show you what the Cross is all about - any one believe in me in that way - they are already compeltely clean!

You and i fall into that trap every time we think we can be made clean, a ltitle at a time by our effort, by trying a little harder, going to God a little more for forgivness and r3epntance and then just maybe we will be clean enough!

And to this Jesus says, Stop it - never get clean that way - don’t get it it yet - but if anyone believe I came from the Father, i took on human nature , I dawned this towel to cleanse, to show you what the Cross is all about - any one believe in me in that way - they are already compeltely clean!

it is heartache to realize how much we still struggle with sin, how much impurity clings to our thoughts, words, actions - slow we are to change - that chruch survey - as if gorw spiritual leaps and bouns - but it is more often - spiritual growth - is lie a sappling in the wind - growing strong throughtsts and trials - can get discourage - know the our progress though there is imperfect and jesus dclares - to you to all who know him - you are compeltely clean - how can it be?

Later explaining extent of his mission and love to clean us completely, he says in

Later explaining extent of his mission and love to clean us completely, he says in

In

here the perfectly chosen timing of this footwashing is important.

They are about to eat the Passover Meal - and this act isn’t some random example of hwo to be kind.

John says in v.1 This washing shows the most cetnral thing the Son of God came down to earth to do - key symbol of His saving love - official act as Messiah.

This was the way through which he would come to His Father, completing his work, winning the glory and bringing the harvest of new life to us!

Every Rabbinic student was under obligation to serve his Master teacher, if neceesary to wash his feet , as slaves do for masters, even wives for husvband in that culture.

No one will do it - in fact dabting who is the greatest, want position and privilege - and yet the washing is supposed to hpappen.

In fact, at this time priests like Jesus with that basin in v.5 would be pouring out water - ritual cleanising before lamb s sacrficied.

And Jesus appointed by the Father - says - I am going to take off my outgarments (pl), exact same word used in them later stripping him ouf his out garments - for him to tdo the cleasning and ervice on the Cross -

Think of it the Messiah comes to set up His kingdom, everyone is expectinghim to don a purple robe, to go tto the place of power and authroity in the tempole and palace.

And Jesus says Father has sent me into this world, into the lowest places of this world - to do the dirty work of washing - that n oone else can do - he is at your feet and mine - to give cleanisng that will bring the life of God that this world doesn’t have!

This is the first washing you must receive.

Trust in jesus for the complete forgivenss of all your sins and because of his suffering, only did low job to show his love in symbol, but must trust in his suffering and dqeath, ggoing to the lowest place to pay for your sin and mine - that is our justification and complete cleansing that is the bath - it is what our baptisms picture:

says

says this is the purifying, circumcision of the ehart that happens without human hands - that is what Christain water baptism sysmbolizes will happen when one believes!

1 Corinthians

Do you get that .

you and I on our own - are leavened bread.

Leaven/yeast is the sin that is in all of us - we are all lump of dough that evil worked through.

But Christ our passover Lamb has come - believe on Him as your sacrifice - moement you become unleavened not by your efforts, but by Jesus perfet sacrfice for you.

This is the good news of cleansing from first belief in Jesus.

On the basis of his suffering, lowly service, his sacrtifical death Christ secures your perfetion so firmly that it is arleady yours - competlely clean before God!

Now how can you tell if that most basic bath, pictured in your baptism, accomplished by the sacrfice of hrist as a lamb - has happened in your life?

This is the reason that Jesus says, I’ve don this towel not only to picture that intital cleansing we all need, but to show how that cleansing must conitinually work in your life - it must become the most basic reality of your life until heaven - this rinsing off of the ongoing sin in our lives by the blood of Christ!

Washing #2 The Rinsing: Your Cleansings from Ongoing-Sin Show You Have a Part in Jesus!

Jesus says, once you’ve had the full cleansing, don’t need that again - what you need is ongoing nipto rinsing of the parts of your body that have accumulated dirt.

He uses the image of a guy takng a bath at ome - compeltely clean -but puts hisnicce robes on - straps on sandals, walks to the feast - dusty dirty, stinky feet - gross - that you need washed, Peter!

jesus is speaking of the believers need to give continual repentance to maintain intimate fellowship with God!

The ones who have been washed, even though in standing with God are perfect - now in their day to day life they get rid of any sin that clings to them - and though imperfect now get sanctified -

and that process of applying to jesus for onioing cleansing of - is proof that we are saved and have arrived!

and that process of applying to jesus for onioing cleansing of - is proff that we are saved and have arrived!

Strange isn’t it - proof that you are clean before the Lord isnt that you are perfect in your expeience

The proof is that you are experieincing progress - don’t conitnue in sin, in sense that live in it, but you are gighting it, repentning, being cleansed, being made more like Jesus !

Thisi s jesus onoging ework, beyod the complete cleansning - justificatino by sacrfice on the Cross, the blood still speaks today - must be working as the cleansing agent - rinses new sins away in your life…

THe suffering and death, and service of Christ is the key to battling our sins.

His perfection not our is the basis for us battling wsin.

We don’t fight against our sin, says Jpohn Piiper, simply to become perfect, but becausein Christ we have already becom perfect.

Our sanctification is living up to what have become in Him! We’ve become unleavened before God in Christ, now we must become unleavened in practice!

Last Sunday quote from prof at seminary both knew, read - “sin wrecks everything” Feel that and apply to Jesus today - do you hear what jesus is saying to Peter - your love, \your faith not self-sufficient - can’t make to heaven on cruise control - but in relationships with me.

Soul must be purified by jesus again and again, by returning visitations of Christ’s cleansing.

Sin will not die int his life completely, can’t be extinguished by just trying to stifel dust of sin.

Like in Pilgrims progress - at Interpreters house - try to clean up your life - sweep - duist just filled the room more you swept - but then - Christ sprinkles water in theroom - cleansing happens.

Some turn to Crhist for the bath, but get busy in this world, preoccupied with, no cleansing water -

jesus says to Peter this cleansing work is suprermely my job and superemly what my Cross is about: give me that dirtied foot of yours, for:

John 13:

Do you know wehat having a share in Jesus means.

Imagine if you could go back in time - invest in any compnay you wanted - IBM, 3M, LePage - take lifesavings at the time, maybe even sell house - Place all your chips with IBM! Whole life and future tied up in the dividends of that investment - change your life!

Well Jesus says, don’thave to go back in time, or go ahead and wait in time - the hour is now here - the seed corn is being buried - harvest is sprouting forth now -

You put all your chips in my cleansing work, my new life, my new kingdom - not only have a shre in it, not only have it asyour inheritance - but you become a participant with Me in the new life, the new kingdom!

And now you should see that it is only as you are experiencing these first two washings, that you can start living out the third one!

Washing #3 The Humble Service: Modern day footwashing is your humble service that points others to New Life in Christ

Do you see now why we can’t just take Jesus’ washing as an example of friendship and human love that we simply follow apart from teh cleansing of the Cross?

Footwashing was as normal a job as vacuuming or cleaning toilets is today.

The wonder of the passage is not simply that someone as great as jesus, the host of this meal, is humble enough to take the lowest job that no one will do for the feast he’s invited them to , … The wonder is that the meiatoro f heaven and earth is revealing how He brings cleansing and new life that he has from God, and works that in us by His sacrifce!

But once you get that forgivenes,s that new life, Jesus says you can’t greedily swallow up waters of grace.

no as you receive cleansing, power of the blood, new life - river of salvation flows through you, active power in mission.

lke jesus recevied it from Father, went down to the lowest to share itwith us, so too active power of mission - sends uis out into the common life of this world, - deep dowon to bplace of humilty and service.

Understand this Christ isn’t first of all model - imitate him and salvation will spread!

No, first of all a Saviuor - do spiritual business, cleansing forgivenss, purifiying - draw into new life and intimacy.

But the way He saves through service, the humility, and the suffering - that saving becomes the pattern of our love.

He says this is the prototype, example that is reproduces in all who get my cleansing - you put your chips with me - get and participate in my pardon and new life, but will also become like m in your love - Become a\like me, a nd participate in my lowliness and meekness, patient endurance, servanthood.

You suffering service won’t save people - but you will share in his suffering service in a way that point them to him!