Opener:
Welcome and good morning everyone ! So blessed to see everyone here today!
By the way, Happy Valentine’s day! Today is the day that is observed for the memory of Saint Valentine who is said to have been martyred on this date in the year 470 A.D while performing a wedding for a Roman soldier which was a violation of roman law.
There is a story in the Old Testament that really talks about the love that God has for his people. It is found in the book of Hosea. So Hosea was a prophet of the Lord and was instructed to go out and marry a prostitute name Gomer. And you thought that the bible was boring? So Hosea does this and we learn that over time, Gomer goes back into her old trade. Gomer then gets herself into financial trouble and is being sold on the open market like some kind of common live stock. Hosea becomes aware of this and God commands Hosea to buy her freedom back and to take her back as his wife. After all that she had done. This entire story is really an illustration on how the children of Israel would leave God and be unfaithful to Him and Yet He loved them so much to take them back anyway.
This morning our text comes from the book of John chapter 13. To give you a bit of a background before we hop right into our text. Jesus had been with his disciples for over three years and showed and taught them many wonderful things. Jesus earthly ministry was wrapping up and he called all his disciples to one final meal together. Jesus had one more valuable lesson to share with these disciples. Let’s pick up our story in John 13:1-6 – NKJV-13 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.2 And supper being ended, 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. 6 Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?”
It is important to note that during Jesus time, there were no paved roads, instead the roads were dusty and dirty. The people did not have cool Nike shoes there like Johnny or Caleb. No They had open toed sandals and the feet would get really dirty. So when you went to a wealthy person’s home during this time, there would be a water filled basin and the servant of that home would come and wash the feet for the guests. The house that Jesus went to did not have servants to wash their feet.
I. Selfless love
A. Laying down garments
a. There in verse four we see Jesus lay down His garments, got down and washed the disciples feet. This really speaks to the humility and servant heart of Jesus.
b. This was symbolic in a lot of ways. It was symbolic in a sense that Jesus stepped out of Heaven and all it’s glory to come to earth.
c. It was symbolic in that Jesus was laying down his reputation of being a respected teacher, authority figure, and put that aside to show the disciples that to be great, you need to humble yourself.
d. I love the verse found in James 4:10 – NKJV-10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
B. Lowly thinking?
a. Humility is not lowly thinking of ourselves. Rather, humility is when we lay down pride and our own interest and we consider others.
b. The picture of humility is a strong person that loves others not someone that is a pushover.
c. Humility is not just putting on an act to impress others, it is a sincere care.
C. Progress
a. This humility leads us to understand the progression of what selfless love is.
b. It is an understanding that God had extended His grace to each of us and accepts us.
c. This understanding of grace moves us to accept God’s love in our lives and causes us to experience a newfound Peace which leads us to love and accept others.
d. This progress teaches us that selfless love is really valuing others in our lives.
II. Steadfast and serving love
A. Not movable
a. This leads us to our second point this morning, the love that Jesus has for His disciples is one that is steadfast.
b. It was unwavering. We look at Judas Iscariot and how he betrayed Jesus, yet, Jesus gave Judas space to repent and continued to show him love, even though He knew that Judas would betray Him.
c. If our love is not able to stand the test of hard times, then that is not love at all.
d. The bible says in Romans 8:38-39- NKJV - 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
e. There is nothing that can separate us from God’s love, and we need to know that.
f. Expressing this kind of love to others, will take much effort and a lifetime to perfect.
g. Brian Wren has captured this reality in his moving hymn, “When Love Is Found”: When love is tried as loved ones change, Hold still to hope though all seems strange, Till ease returns, and love grows wise
Through listening ears and opened eyes.
B. No job to lowly
a. Having love in our hearts moves us to want to serve others.
b. Jesus taught us that there is no job that is too lowly for us to serve in.
c. Maybe that means cleaning toilets. As many of you know, we have had a chess club in years past. Part of this chess club was to raise funds for tournaments. So we have the opportunity to work at the Iola car show to accomplish this. Our job at the car show is to clean toilets, plunge out toilets, maintain toilet paper and paper towels dispensers.
d. While I no doubt could have others do this job, I was willing to serve to help the chess club.
e. There are several here in our church that work tirelessly to maintain our bathrooms.
i. Shout out to Keith, Cindy, Charity, Megan, Deb, Sophia, and others.
ii. It is greatly appreciated!!!
C. Washing Judas feet
a. Did you notice in our text that Jesus washed ALL the disciples feet. This is significant to mention, because Judas the betrayer ,was among those disciples.
b. Jesus was teaching the disciples that the love we are to have is not necessarily giving it to the people that deserve it.
c. In the sermon on the mountain, Jesus said in Matthew 5:44 - NKJV-44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you
d. Now this is really hard to do no doubt. The good news is that Jesus will give you plenty of opportunities to practice this while here on earth.
e. This foot washing also illustrates to us that while these disciples did not deserve this honor. They needed it.
f. The bible says in John 3:18 –NKJV- 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
III. Set apart love
A. Inward change
a. This leads us to our third and final point this morning, that as a result of Jesus love, it causes an inward change in our lives.
b. This inward change really speaks to having a heart change.
c. Jesus illustrated this point when talking with the teachers of the law, the scribe and Pharisees when he said this in Matthew 23:25-27 NKJV 25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.
d. Jesus was stressing the importance of a sincere heart.
B. Separate for God
a. As a result of this inward change, brings about the evidence of an outward witness.
b. This process is known as the sanctification process.
c. The word sanctification speaks to something that is set apart for a special use.
d. In other words, God sets us apart, so He can bring about true change in our lives.
e. Sanctification gives us a purpose, when applied in our lives is to love those that are around us.
C. Peter confronted
a. The disciple Peter was confronted with this truth.
b. We all know Peter’s story. He was a disciple that had a tremendous amount of faith and was really the spokesman for the disciples.
c. He was also one that denied Jesus three times when Jesus trial was happening.
d. After Jesus died and resurrected, Jesus had a one on one with Peter.
i. You ever have a one-on- one with your supervisor. They can be a bit nerve racking right.
e. Well Peter was having this one-on-one with Jesus, and during this time, Jesus asks Peter three times if he loved Him.
f. Let’s just go there in the bible, this encounter is found in John 21:15-19 –NKJV- 15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep. 18 Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” 19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”
D. Restoration
a. Now this one-on-one was not to embarrass or demote Peter.
b. Rather the opposite is true, this meeting was to restore Peter, it was to bring about a cleansing in Peters life.
c. Not only did Jesus do this for Peter, but He has done it for us as well.
d. I love what 1 John 1:7 NKJV- 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
Closing:
As we wrap up here this morning, we are reminded of the love that Jesus has for us. While I know that many consider Valentine’s day as a secular holiday, and I get that, however, for the believer, we can use this day to remind those around us that Jesus loves them and so do we. The love that Jesus has illustrated to us is one that truly is powerful. It looks beyond faults and failures. It looks beyond betrayal and enemies! The love that He has is steadfast and motivates us to want to be willing to serve others.
