M. Thursday
17 April
2014
John 13:1-17
He loved
them to the end
Jesus kept
loving His disciples. He loved them. Despite their self-seeking ways. Even
though He knew one of when would betray Him. Even though was conscious of soon
entering the glory from which He had come. He performed for His disciples, even
for His betrayer, the menial service of foot washing. In that selfless act. He
showed His love in all the beauty of its perfection.
He loved them to the end.
1.
It is
a love that makes us clean.
A.
The foot washing portrayed Christ’s loving work
of spiritual cleaning. .
(v.10)
1.
Peter did not understand the real significance
of this act of love. “He came to Simon Peter, who said to him,
“Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What
I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will
understand.” Peter
said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” (Vv.6-8a.)
2.
Though justified by faith and thus purified from
sin, we still daily sin much.
a.
We are still living outside of Eden.
b.
Flesh and blood led us into evil.
c.
We need daily cleansing from daily defilement.
B.
If our feet are not washed, we have no part inn
Jesus. “If I do not wash you, you
have no share with me.” (v.8b)
1.
We confess we need to have our feet washed when
we pray daily, “Forgive us our trespasses.”
2.
He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and
to cleanse us. (1 John 1:9)
3.
We have a part in all that Jesus earned for us
by His suffering and death.
We are daily
made clean all over. The love Jesus showed in washing His disciples’ feet does
not fail us either.
2.
It is
a love that makes us humble.
A.
The foot washing provides us a pattern for
humble service. “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? You
call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have
washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For
I have given you an example, that
you also should do just as I have done to you.” (Vv.12-15)
1.
Christ’s act is a picture of His voluntary
humiliation whereby He stooped to save. “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,[a] 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.” (Philippians
2:6-8)
2.
But literally washing one another’s feet will
not bring us any nearer to the mind of Christ.
3.
We follow Christ’s example when we bear one
another’s burdens. “ .”
(Galatians 6:2)
a.
We are concerned for their physical comfort.
b.
We aim to secure their spiritual and moral
cleansing.
B.
The love of Jesus enables us to “wash one
another’s feet.”
1.
That love transforms our hearts so that we get
rid of arrogance, envy, and anger.
2.
That love guides us in a spirit of lowliness and
helpfulness.
Blessed are
we when we let the unfailing love of Jesus move us to imitate Him. “ .” (v.17)
The love of
Jesus will not fail. He who washed His disciples’ feet will cleanse us daily
and empower us to humble service.
645 Words
85% Reading ease
4.7 Grade level
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