Title: Wet Feet
Theme: A message about Christ’s humility and grace shown in foot washing.
Text: John 13:1 – 13
Note: I had 12 chairs stretched across the stage. I taped signs on them. The tape was long enough to flip to the back side. As I was speaking about Jesus showing grace I would turn a sign over. I used words like: thief, betrayer, adulterer, denier, doubter, faithlessness, sinner, failure, backslider, incompetent, selfish, murderer
Introduction
You could hear the room get louder, especially as each disciple entered in. As the crowd of 12 grew you could imagine them each jockeying for the most important position.
This was common debate among the disciples. So much that John and James had their own mother approach Jesus and petition Him to set her sons up in the most prominent place. The right and the left of Him when He comes to His kingdom.
It not hard to imagine the scene as they would come in, maybe even arriving early to the “best seat”. Well you know where John was to sit, beside Jesus, he was the closest. Then there was Peter and James. They were on the on the mountain with Jesus when the cloud covered, and they met Moses and Elijah. Surly they would have a good position. Then you have Andrew. Where would Peter be without Andrew, for he is the one who introduced Peter to Jesus. Phillip was kind of like the spokesperson. People would come to him for request and Phillip would relay the message. Then there was Judas. He was the treasure. And on and on it went. Until finally the “last” one is seated. This was how it went.
In the all the hoopla of position they missed something. Over in the corner set a basin with water. They overlooked this. Here they had entered into this sacred moment with dirty feet. They had missed the ritual of washing feet. Maybe distracted. Maybe afraid they would lose their seat. But they sat at the table with dirty feet.
I mean have you ever been to an event and got the best seat in the house so you don’t want to leave afraid someone may take it. I have been there. Even to the fact of having to use the restroom but not wanting to get up in fear of missing my seat. I sat miserably at the game or concert not wanting to get up.
What they missed was the little pan and water in the corner. But Jesus didn’t.
Jesus washes the disciple’s feet.
So they watched as Jesus strolls past them. Not sitting. Not really fellowshipping, coming in at the last minute. He walks over to the basin and the water. Picks up the pail and begins. Each person, each foot. The dirt, the grime begins to fall off. This Jesus, their leader was washing feet.
This was such a shock to them. Enough to cause Peter to challenge Him.
Joh 13:6-9 Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, "Lord, are You washing my feet?"
I believe Peter was thinking in the back of his mind, “If I had only knew. I would have done this.” Why didn’t Jesus tell me? He could have sent me a head.”
(7) Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this." (8) Peter said to Him, "You shall never wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me." (9) Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!"
There are many lessons we can learn from this story but I want to focus on two.
Two Lessons of the Story
True Humility
Joh 13:12-13 So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? (13) You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am.
Christ, their leader, Christ, their God. Christ, their Messiah. Knelt down and washed feet. This was for those lower in the ranks. The less noticed. Yet Jesus showed them true humility. This has always been a characteristic of Jesus. From the beginning:
Philippians 2:5-8 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, (6) who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, (7) but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. (8) And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
- Original: tape???´? - Transliteration: Tapeinoo - Phonetic: tap-i-no'-o
- Definition: 1. to make low, bring low a. to level, reduce to a plain b. metaph. to bring into a humble condition, reduce to meaner circumstances
1. to assign a lower rank or place to 2. to abase 3. to be ranked below others who are honoured or rewarded 4. to humble or abase myself by humble living
c. to lower, depress 1. of one's soul bring down one's pride 2. to have a modest opinion of one's self 3. to behave in an unassuming manner 4. devoid of all haughtiness
Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less.- C. S. Lewis
A Message of Grace
Joh 13:2-5 And supper being ended, [76] the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him, (3) Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, (4) rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. (5) After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.
Phillip the faithless (feeding the 5,000 in John 6:7 “It’s Impossible!)
Peter the denier (He would deny Christ 3 times
James and John the selfish ones (lobbied for position in the kingdom )
Thomas (the doubter)
Judas (betrayer)
I could go on and on placing labels and Jesus would go on and on offering Grace
Romans 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
Grace is God loving, God stooping, God coming to the rescue, God giving Himself generously in and through Jesus Christ. – John Stott
Rom 3:23-25 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (24) being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, (25) whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,
Romans NLT 3:23-25 For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard. (24) Yet now God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins. (25) For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God's anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us. God was being entirely fair and just when he did not punish those who sinned in former times.
How can Jesus wash their feet, how can we serve others?
John 13:3 gives us insight: (Joh 13:3) Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God,
He knew where His authority came from. (His authority) (only comes from God)
You can find out the true heart of a person if you give them a little bit of power.
He knew where he had come from (His identity)
When you know who you are in Christ Jesus.
Child of the King,
Ephesians 1:5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—
Part of His body
He knew where he was going (God’s will)
When you know whose you are in Christ Jesus.
This is not our final destination.
Jesus looked at His bickering, stinky disciples and loved them because He knew from whence He came and where He was headed. Both are absolute prerequisites for love. You see, only faith concerning the past and hope concerning the future allow one to genuinely love in the present. – Courson NT Commentaries on John 13:2 - 3
Conclusion
Matthew 26:26-29 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed [143] and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." (27) Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. (28) For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (29) But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom."
Now let us go out and do as Jesus did and wash feet. Serving as Christ served. Forgiving as Christ forgave.
