Sermon Tone Analysis

Sunday, October 26, 2008

*Washing feet – a shameful act for our honorable Lord to do*

John 13:1-11

/4 //so He got up from the meal, took off His outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist.

5 //After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him./

John 13:4-5 NIV

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On the *last Sunday of February* of this year, I launched *our* *study* of the *Gospel of John*, diving in at *chapter 17* because I believed that we *needed* to get *an upclose look* at our *Lord Jesus*.

One of the *best places* to discover the *character, conviction and priorities* of a man or woman is to *listen to their prayers* while they are in their *prayer closet*.

John 17 gave us *that opportunity* with Jesus Christ.

In *that chapter* we saw the *character of Jesus* that was solidly rooted in His intimate *relationship* with *His* *Father*.

We saw the *conviction of Jesus* that was unbreakable to his *assignment* to be the sacrificial *Lamb of God*.

We saw the *priorities of Jesus* by His *invest**ment* in the lives of *His disciples* with the full extent of *His love*.

I *admit* that my way of *tackling* the *book of John* may seem somewhat *unorthodox*, jumping in at *chapter 17*, then backing up to *chapter 11*.

It does seem *a bit strange*.

Yet, part of my *strategy* is to get a *clear view of the destination* so that *as* we make the *journey with our Lord* we are better *prepared* to understand His *moves*, His *choices* and *decisions*.

*Last week* we finished up *chapter 12*, the *turning point* chapter in the Gospel.

Jesus’ *entry into Jerusalem* brought together *all the players*, so to speak; those who were *for Jesus*; those who were *against Jesus*; and those *in between*.

But for *all of them*, and for *all of us*, Jesus is the *fork in the road **to** eternity*.

Our *eternal destination* has everything to do with *which road* we take.

As we enter *chapter 13*, John sets the *context* as the *Passover Feast*.

The Passover *takes us all back* to the days when the *Hebrew nation* was *held captive* in Egypt.

*After repeated signs of God’s power displayed* before the Pharoah of Egypt through God’s prophet Moses, *Pharoah’s hard heart* was hardened by God and He brought *judgment on the nation of Egypt*.

*God* told Moses that He was going to *send His death angel* who would *kill the firstborn **of every man and animal* in Egypt.

But, in His *mercy toward the obedient* and *repentant* Hebrews, His death angel would *Pass Over their homes* if he saw *blood* of a *year old lamb* painted on the *doorframes* of their houses.

On that *fateful night*, God was true to His *promise* and the Hebrew children were *redeemed from death* because the angel of death *passed over** their homes* when he saw the blood.

From then on, God’s people were to *annually celebrate* the Passover Feast as a *memorial to this day of redemption*.

It is within this context, the week celebrating Passover, that Jesus says His *goodbye**s* to His disciples.

In John’s Gospel, this *“Farewell” section* covers chapters *13 through 17*.

It starts with the *powerful lessons* of Jesus *washing* His *disciples’ feet* and concludes with the *intimate conversations* of a Son with His Father in chapter 17.

Gerald Borchert in his *commentary* on the Gospel of John sees *chapter 17 *as the *completion* of what Jesus started in *chapter 13* with *serving His disciples *by *washing* their feet.

Borchert suggests that in chapter 13 *Jesus modeled for His disciples* that Christian *discipleship happens* in the context of *love and servanthood*.

That’s why *He washed their feet*.

Then, in chapter 17, *Jesus modeled* for the disciples that the *Christian community’s mission* and *well-being* is accomplished *through God-center, Christ-focused prayer*.

[1]

He suggests that *chapter 13 is part 1* and *chapter 17 is part 2*, thus bringing *together* *love and prayer *as critical *components* in Christian discipleship.

As we now enter *chapter 13* with some memory of John 17 still in our minds, hopefully we will see the *complementary nature* of *love and prayer* as *two (complementary) components *in Christian discipleship.

As John 17 opened, it was *accountability time for Jesus*.

Thus, *His conversation* with the Father which starts with the words, “*the time* (or hour) *has come*.”

It’s time for Jesus to *give an accounting*.

He could hear His Father asking, “Jesus, *did You do what You were sent to do?*”

Our Lord’s prayer *highlights* the importance of the *relationship between the Son and the Father*.

His prayer is* a conversation* with His *most intimate of friends*.

Relationally, they have *positioned themselves* as a *father~/son team*, though they are nonetheless *both fully God*.

They are *one*.

They are a *triunity* of Father, Son and Holy Spirit comprising *the Godhead*.

Though they are one, they *converse with each other*.

*John 17:1 (NIV) */1 //After Jesus said this, He looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the time has come.

Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You./

This is where we see *in prayer* the *character of Jesus* as it is rooted in His intimate *relationship* with *His Father*.

Jesus, God the Son, made *His greatest sacrifice* by *attaching Himself to humanity*, taking on *human flesh*, thus making Himself to be *an effective mediator* between *sinful humanity* and *the righteous and holy Father*.

In coming to earth, He *emptied Himself* of His *prerogatives* as God.

In *returning to heaven*, He is looking forward to *receiving back the glory* He previously had.

John 17:4 says:

/4// //I have brought You glory on earth by completing the work You gave Me to do.

5// //And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world began.

/

As *His mission* to a hostile world is *about to be completed* with the perseverance of a *trained and obedient soldier*, we see, *bathed in prayer,* the *conviction of Jesus* as He fulfills the *assignment* as the sacrificial Lamb of God given to Him by His Father.

Our *Lord’s prayer* in John 17 also shows us how He *kept His focus* on *training* up *His disciples* to carry on His work.

In verse 6 of chapter 17, Jesus says in His prayer:

/6// //“I have revealed You to those whom You gave Me out of the world.

They were Yours; You gave them to Me and they have obeyed Your word.

7// //Now they know that everything You have given Me comes from You. *8*// /*/For I gave them the words You gave Me and they accepted them.

They knew with certainty that I came from You, and they believed that You sent Me. /*

God gave the *disciples to Jesus* so that *Jesus could train them* to carry on the *mission of Jesus* to the world *after He returned to the Father* in heaven.

Certainly, the *completion of the task* involved the *outpouring of the Holy Spirit*.

Jesus could *see that happening*.

He told His disciples that they would be *given the Holy Spirit*.

And, again, *prophetically, Jesus proclaims in prayer* *as complete* what will take place.

So, in the face of distractions and opposition, we see *in His prayer* the *priorities of Jesus* by His *investment* in the lives of His *disciples*.

So, with this backdrop of *Christ’s prayer* in chapter 17 as a vital *component* to the *training of His disciples*, let’s get into the *complementary chapter* that adds the *component* of *loving servanthood* to the training *curriculum* of Christ’s disciples.

*Chapter 13* of John’s Gospel.

By the way, as *the writer of a Gospel*, John can be rightly referred to as *an evangelist*.

An *evangel* is a *good message*, like the *Gospel* is *good news*.

An *evangelist* is a *messenger* bringing *good news*.

*John 13:1 (NIV)*

/1 //It was just before the Passover Feast.

Jesus knew that the time had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father.

Having loved His own who were in the world, He now showed them the full extent of His love./

In addition to the context of chapter 13 being the *time of the Passover Feast*, John notes for us immediately that *Jesus’ time or hour had come*.

This is the *same introduction* we get in *chapter 17* as Jesus opens His prayer by saying, “Father, *the time (or hour) has come*.”

*The hour* refers to the *time of His departure* from this world and the *time of His greatest demonstration* of love.

Verse 1 contains both of those thoughts, (1) *Jesus’ departure* from this world and (2) *His ultimate demonstration of love*.

To *Christ’s disciples* as they *reflected* on this moment after the resurrection and to *students of Scripture*, it is *clear* that *Jesus is letting it be known* at this small gathering with His disciples that *He is going to be the Passover Lamb of God* at this special and historically unique *Passover Feast*.

The key *dynamics* of this story include *Jesus’ anticipated departure*, His *demonstration of love* by *washing* His disciples *feet* and by His prophesied *dying on the cross*, and (3) *betrayal* from *within the ranks* of the disciples.

/2 //The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus./

Regarding the *betrayal*, we see the *interplay of temptation* and *disobedience*, of *opportunity* and *desire*.

This story has *two script writers*.

We are most familiar with *God* as the *script writer* of how things played out in Jesus’ life.

But *Satan* was *also writing a script*.

And he *needed someone* to work with the *Pharisees* and *Saducees* that he has *already deceived* and brought *onto his team*.

So, he made his *appeal to Judas* *Iscariot*.

That’s the *temptation* *part* of the interplay.

But, *Judas had a desire* that was *vulnerable* to Satan’s *temptation*.

So, when he was *tempted* or *prompted* by Satan, *he gave in* and *joined* Satan’s ranks.

*His desire was married* to a Satanic *opportunity*.

*Betrayal* was the *result*.

So, with *everything moving forcefully* toward the *crucifixion* where the loving *purposes of God* would *cross* with the *evil purposes of Satan*, with almost a *surreal calmness*, Jesus, God in *human flesh*, *Creator* of the universe, *King* of kings and *Lord* of lords, *demonstrates His love* for His disciples in a most *unexpected way*.

/3 //Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God and was returning to God; 4 //so He got up from the meal, took off His outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist.

5 //After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him. /

Folks, it *doesn’t take much imagination* to begin to *feel the power* of His action.

In fact, *the more I imagine* this event, the more I can *understand Peter’s resistance*.

Foot washing was in the *category of menial tasks* and among the *lowest* of those tasks.