Suppose Someone?s Toes Were In Your Nose! Series

Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He now showed the disciples the full extent of his love.?*?2 It was time for supper, and the Devil had already enticed Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to carry out his plan to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. 4 So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples and to wipe them with the towel he had around him.

6 When he came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, ?Lord, why are you going to wash my feet??

7 Jesus replied, ?you don?t understand now why I am doing it; someday you will.?

8 ?so,?Peter protested, ?you will never wash my feet!?

Jesus replied, ?but if I don?t wash you, you won? belong to me.?

9 Simon Peter exclaimed, ?then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!?

10 Jesus replied, ?a person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet,?*?to be entirely clean. And you are clean, but that isn?t true of everyone here.? 11 For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, ?not all of you are clean.?

12 After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, ?do you understand what I was doing? 13 You call me ?teacher ?Lord,?and you are right, because it is true. 14 And since I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other?s feet. 15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. 16 How true it is that a servant is not greater than the master. Nor are messengers more important than the one who sends them. 17 You know these things, now do them! That is the path of blessing.

During the American Revolution a man in civilian clothes rode past a group of soldiers that were repairing a small defensive barrier. As the soldiers were working another man was nearby shouting instructions, but making no attempt to help them. Asked by the man in civilian clothes why he didn?t help, he answered with great dignity, "Sir, I am a corporal!" The stranger apologized, got off his horse, and proceeded to help the exhausted soldiers. The job done, he turned to the corporal and said, "Mr. Corporal, next time you have a job like this and not enough men to do it, go to your commander-in-chief, and I will come and help you again." The man in plain clothes who got off the horse and helped was the first president of the United States George Washington. (Today in the Word, March 6, 1991.)

-George Washington knew what Jesus taught. That great leaders are also the greatest servants.

-Jesus put it this way in *Matt. 20:26-27; "Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must become your slave."

-Rick Warren says; "You can do two things with your life. You can waste it or you can invest it. Which one will you do?"

-When you are in the service of the Lord, you are investing your time in the Kingdom of God. The rewards are truly out of this world. It?s not a waste of time!

I want you to transport yourself with me two thousand years ago to the time in when this incident took place.

-Jesus entered Jerusalem on Sunday,

-Monday, He cleansed the temple.

-Tuesday was a day of conflict as the religious leaders sought to trick Him and get evidence to arrest Him.

-Thursday He met in the Upper Room with His disciples in order to observe Passover.

#1.What Jesus knew.

-

Jesus knew that His time had come to leave this world and return to the Father.

- He knew that the devil had already enticed Judas to betray Him.

- He knew that the Father had given Him authority over everything.

- He knew that He had come from the Father and would return to Him.

-It was an intense time in the life of our savior because of what He knew. He knew what was awaiting Him at the cross.

-He knew that the next few days would be tough ones.

-He knew that His ministry on earth was coming to a close and He turned His attention on the disciples to teach them a few final lessons before joining His father in heaven.