How Will They Know God Loves Them? Series

INTRO:

How do people know that you are a Christian? Is it by the way you live? Is it because you don’t do certain things that they do? You don’t say the same words that they do or watch the same filth or hang out with the same people? Is it because they know that you go to church on Sundays? Is it because they’ve seen you pray or read a Bible? Or maybe you’ve preached to them a few times about your feelings on a subject.

Well what about how you treat others? Do you treat everyone with respect or do you tend to judge others and talk about them with your friends? Do you show sincere concern when someone is going through difficulty and offer to lend a helping hand? Or do you say, “What a shame. Somebody really should do something.” and go about your day?

When people see you, do they see Christ through you? That’s a tall order isn’t it? But there never was a truer saying than, “You may be the only Bible that some may ever read.” You may be the only example of God’s love that some will ever experience. You may be the testimony of what Christianity is all about to many out there who watch you every day.

We’ve begun a Sermon Series for February entitled “God so loved that He gave.” And today I want to ask the question, “How will they know?”

How will they know that God loves them?

BODY:

Please Turn in your Bibles to... John chapter 13

John has been called the Apostle of Love. He uses that word a lot in his writings. In fact, John mentions love more times in his Gospel than all of the other Gospels combined. 1 John, one of John’s letters, is only 5 chapters long and yet it says the word love in some form at total of 75 times.

John’s Gospel was written for a specific purpose, not just to present a record of Jesus’ life and ministry, but to show that Jesus was in fact the Messiah. In fact, John is the only Gospel that records Jesus washing the disciples feet.

The story begins this way…

John 13:1 New International Version (NIV)

It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the [very] end. [to the utmost]

This was one of the last lessons that Jesus would teach them. This was the night before Jesus was crucified. Jesus was always using object lessons or Parables, things from real life to teach a spiritual truth. What truth would Jesus leave with them before going to His Father. Well how about a message of love?

The evening meal was being served and they are all sitting around the table or eating area getting ready to dig in, maybe waiting for the blessing. Judas Iscariot is there too and he has already made a deal with the devil. The devil had already prompted him to betray Jesus.

And Jesus? Jesus knew that His Father had given Him power and authority over all things. Think about that. Because He also knew that one of His own disciples would betray Him.

Here’s what Jesus does with His power. He gets up from the meal, takes off his outer garment, and wraps a towel around His waist. Then He proceeds to pour water into a basin and to each of His disciples (even the one who would betray Him) He stoops down on His knees and washes their feet, drying them with His towel wrapped around His waist.

You see, the people in Jesus’ time walked the dusty roads with only sandals on the feet or even barefoot. We wear shoes and socks and apart from our feet being a little sweaty, most of us probably don’t have filthy, dirt encrusted feet. Though I can’t speak for all of us. There’s some of you all, I wouldn’t touch your feet with a ten-foot-pole. Just kidding. I really don’t know that.

But back then there were no nicely paved roads or sidewalks; just dusty, dirty paths. Walking those paths in just sandals, or worse, barefoot, isn’t going to leave you particularly clean at the end of the day. Or even healthy – how many times did the disciples get blisters, cut their heels on stones, or stub their toes?

It was proper etiquette for the host to provide a traveler who entered their home a way to clean their feet. But the most important person in the room would never assume this job.

No, this chore was left to the lowliest servant in the household.

Jesus was the guest of honor, the Rabbi, the teacher, the master, the one they followed and believed in. So while the meal is being served by the other servants, Jesus takes on the role of the lowest servant and begins to do what no one else was willing to do.