The Hour of Darkness and a Servant King
("The King whose Scepter is a Towel"- title from a message by Daryl Johnson)
John 13:1-17
INTRODUCTION:
What do you picture when you hear the word “KING”? The first word that comes to my mind is POWER. And if I hear KING of KINGS I think … ABSOLUTE POWER. But our true KING of KINGS and LORD of LORDS who is different from any other King.
Most Kings carry a scepter as a symbol of their power. If you got a King Costume for Halloween, it would probably come with a scepter. But Jesus is a different kind of King --- Jesus is a King whose scepter is a towel.
The event we’re talking about happened at Passover, the very night when Jesus would be arrested. John 13:1-2 - 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 end. The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.
Jesus took this opportunity to take an amazing action that would show what it looks like to be a King who serves.
1. A King who Serves
Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; (Notice, Jesus is already KING of KINGS – he has all the POWER any King could have … but here’s what King Jesus did …)
So he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 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 13:3-5
So many things about this would have been shocking to the disciples. Jesus was leading the Passover Feast. As leader, he would be wearing a special Sedar robe. But Jesus --- the leader --- took off that special robe right in the middle of the Passover celebration. He stripped down, wrapped a towel around his waist, and knelt down to take the part of a slave. He became a King whose scepter was a towel.
When Jesus washed the disciples feet, this was NOT out of character … in fact it was typical behavior for Jesus. This act symbolizes the nature of Jesus.
• He rose from supper --- just as he had risen from his Heavenly Throne ---
• He laid aside his garments --- just as He laid aside His glory in Heaven.
• He wrapped a towel around himself --- just as He had wrapped flesh and blood around himself to become a human.
• He then washed their feet --- the most menial act of service --- just as the very next day he would die the degrading death of a common criminal.
• Then Jesus took up his robe and returned to his seat of honor at the Passover feast --- just as He returned to his seat of honor in Heaven after His ascension.
In the upper room that night, the Eternal Son of God, King of all creation, stripped off his garments, got on his knees, and washed dirt from the feet of his subjects --- the very ones who should normally be serving Him.
And Peter couldn’t take it! He knew this was all backwards …
2. A King who Cleanses
Peter was so horrified by Jesus’ actions that he cried out, “No! You will NEVER wash my feet!” This is so like Peter. Last week we talked about how he contradicted Jesus when Jesus talked about His impending death. Peter said, “God forbid it, Lord! This will NEVER happen to you.” (Peter was big on broad statements that use the word “NEVER”!)
Once again we see Peter doesn’t yet understand that God’s ways are NOT man’s ways. The fact is, Peter would have been comfortable washing Jesus’ feet. That would have fit his concept of the way things ought to be … although he would NOT have been comfortable washing the feet of the other guys. In fact the Disciples had been arguing that very day about who was going to be the “greatest” in Jesus’ Kingdom.
Jesus told Peter – “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” This showed that the service Jesus gave was ESSENTIAL … not optional. The purpose of Jesus’ service is to CLEANSE us. Jesus’ service cleansed the dirt from the disciple’s feet --- his death on the cross would cleanse everyone in the world of their sins.
And--- like what he told Peter --- Unless I wash you, you have no part with me! This is true for all of us. Unless we accept the service of Jesus washing us, we can have no part of Him!
Notice, Peter wanted to take it even further - Okay then Lord, wash my hands and head and everything. Jesus said, Just your feet --- you are already clean. This is like a lot of us. We have a hard time accepting the simplicity of forgiveness that Jesus accomplished on the cross.
We know we’re saved by grace through faith, but then we start wanting to add on a bunch of legalistic rules … Yes, I’m saved, but I also need to do this or do that in order to be clean. What Jesus did on the cross is ALL we need to be completely and eternally clean before God. Praise God!
Jesus’ scepter is a towel because he is a King who serves and a King who cleanses --- but Jesus is also a King who commands.
3. A King who Commands
This is the command he gave his men: “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.
I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. John 13:12-17
Now, Peter would have liked it better if Jesus had said “I have washed your feet, you also should wash MY feet.” But that’s not what Jesus said. He said, “You also should wash one another’s feet.” This is the command of the King of Kings. He set the example of serving us --- now we are commanded to serve each other.
The servant King whose scepter is a towel is inaugurating a kingdom of “foot washers.” While the world clamors for power, climbing over each other to get to the top, the kingdom of the King of Kings rules a people who trip all over each other trying to serve each other.
I read an author who said it this way, “When you belong to Jesus, you can no longer write on your resume, “I don’t do feet.” You see, “feet” are precisely what you do because that is precisely what HE does.” (Elizabeth Nordquist)
I’m so thankful that we see this kind of service in our church! We have so many people who serve without any desire for notice. Every Sunday people prepare the communion and clean the worship center after church. People teach the children and rock the babies in the nursery.
We have folks who do voluntary labor, repairing things, watering plants, and so on and so on. We have people who give generously without wanting any plaques with their names on it. We have folks who go the extra mile to serve others in their workplace or school or neighborhood … all in the name of King Jesus --- our example --- our Servant King.
CONCLUSION:
Philippians 2:5-11 (read together)
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
You know what’s interesting --- right after that inspiring scripture … the next section is titled “Do everything without grumbling.” That’s where the rubber meets the road if we are going to obey our Servant King. In a practical sense, we look for every opportunity to serve each other --- AND we do it without grumbling!
There was a beautiful consistency between what Jesus did at the last supper and what He did on the cross. Both times he was serving. Both times he humbled himself. Both times his men didn't understand what he was doing. Both times he was consistent with his own character.
Modern politicians might do a foot-washing maneuver as a photo op to impress the voting public, but Jesus wasn't showing off. Jesus did what was in His nature.
When Jesus washed the Disciples feet --- and when He died on the cross --- Jesus was being what he really is --- the Servant King --- the King whose scepter is a towel.
