“Two Bowls and Two Towels”
Jesus and Pilate
First Baptist Church Ardmore
May 18, 2003
Robert S. Hightower
If you have your bible turn with me to the gospel of John chapter 13
The title of this morning’s message is “two bowls and two towels”
Let me begin this morning’s message with a story
A story about
· two men with
· two bowls and
· two towels!
The stories both happened within a week of each other but both had very different meanings
and a very different impact on the world!
Read with me from the book of John 13 beginning in vs. 1
John 13:1-5
1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He should depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.
2 And during supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, {the son} of Simon, to betray Him,
3 {Jesus,} knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God, and was going back to God,
4 rose from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself about.
5 Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.
There can be little doubt that here Jesus is just working out a parable for the instruction of his disciples.
He is simply showing for them the truth of his own ministry, and his own redemptive mercy.
He is showing them by doing this what he had come into the world to do.
You can see the parallel in the events which John records:
First, Jesus "rose from supper," just as he had previously risen from his throne of glory.
Then he "laid aside his garments." Paul tells us that he laid aside his glory when he came into the world as a man.
He laid aside his own deity.
He didn’t come to act as God; he came to act as man indwelt by God.
And he "girded himself with a towel," just as Paul also records that he "took the form of a servant," and "humbled himself and became obedient unto death," {Phil 2:7-8}.
So here he humbles himself, taking the role of a slave, girding himself with a towel.
"Then he poured water into a basin," just as in a few hours he was to pour out his own blood in death,
the blood which would be for the cleansing of human sin, and human guilt of every kind and source.
So he pours water into the basin as a picture of that.
Then he "began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded,"
picturing the very act of applying the cleansing of his own blood to human lives.
And if you were to skip to Verse 12 you would see the end of the parable.
"When he had washed their feet, and taken his garments," he "resumed his place,"
just as the writer of Hebrews records for us that "When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high," {Heb 1:3 RSV}.
So in these few short verses we have this remarkable, beautiful story worked out for us, teaching us the meaning of his whole ministry.
A man and a bowl and a towel!
Only a week before Jesus had been in the home of Simon the leper for dinner.
You remember the story
That is where Mary brought the expensive perfume and she broke it and poured it out on Jesus feet and wiped them with her hair!
Some of the disciples didn’t understand and even got angry with Mary for wasting the expensive perfume.
But Jesus told them she is just preparing me for my burial!
It was the next day that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the colt.
The people lined the streets singing His praises and calling Him the Messiah.
The next day was the day that He cursed the Fig Tree for not bearing any fruit
And the next day while He was in the temple they were trying to trick Him, but it didn’t work
It was during that time that the widow brought the small offering that she had yet Jesus said it was worth more than all the others because she had given everything!
much like He had done and was about to do
That same night was when Judas went before the Sanhedrin and sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver
About $20.00 today the price of a slave then
The next day Jesus and the disciples spent the day resting in Bethany
And the following day Thursday was the day that He ate the Passover with His disciples
It was during that meal that we read about in our text this morning
When Jesus rose up and begin to wash the disciples feet did you notice that He didn’t just wash the feet of James and John
Even though they were two of those closest to Him.
He went to Judas, the one that He already knew had sold Him out
He went to Peter who He already knew was going to deny Him three times that night
And He washed their feet
He took the bowl
He took the water
He took the towel
And He begin to wash their feet!
The Most High had taken the role of the lowest slave and servant and begin washing their feet!
Imagine with me for just a minute if you will!
Jesus, God’s only Son
Kneels down before you to wash your feet!
He was trying to show you something!
(Go get Andre’)
Bring him to the platform and set him in a chair!
Remove his shoes and wash his feet!
Pastor, why are you washing feet?
To simply show you the same thing that Jesus was trying to show His disciples.
We are to serve one another.
You know what happened after Jesus had done this?
I wish I could tell you that it changed their lives and that they were never the same.
But listen, Jesus went to the garden of Gethsemane to pray because He was hurting
So He took along with Him some of those very guys that He had washed their feet
And He asked them to wait and pray with Him.
He went a little ways further and He prayed and when He returned the disciples were asleep,
· not once
· not twice
· but three times.
God himself became a servant for them yet they couldn’t do a simple little thing for Him.
He took the Bowl
He took the Towel
He took the Water
And He washed their feet
He took the Beatings
He took the Cross
He took the Pain
And He died for us, you would think that we could do a simple thing for Him
Yet too often He returns to find us asleep!
It was that very night that they came for Jesus and they arrested Him
One of the very men that He had knelt down before and wash his feet had sold Him out for 20.00.
They took Jesus to before both the religious and civil authorities that night and had court even though it was illegal
That next morning is when they brought Him before Pilate!
But Pilate saw no crime and sent Him to Herod, who mocked Him and sent Him back to Pilate
Pilate had hoped that the crowds would allow him to release Jesus
They had a deal that they would release one prisoner so Pilate picked Barabbas who was a murderer and a thief thinking surely they wouldn’t let him go
But they did, they shouted Crucify Jesus
Mt 27:
19 And while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, "Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him."
20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the multitudes to ask for Barabbas, and to put Jesus to death.
21 But Pilate the governor answered and said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" And they said, "Barabbas."
22 Pilate said to them, "Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" They all said, "Let Him be crucified!"
23 And he said, "Why, what evil has He done?" But they kept shouting all the more, saying, "Let Him be crucified!"
24 And when Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of this Man’s blood; see {to that} yourselves."
2 Men with a bowl of water and a towel!
JESUS – Serving Others
Jesus washed the feet of the disciples
PILATE – Serving himself
Pilate washed his own hands
Mk 15:
15 And wishing to satisfy the multitude, Pilate released Barabbas for them, and after having Jesus scourged, he delivered {Him} to be crucified.
Mk 15:15 Pilate wanted to satisfy the crowd
Jesus wanted to serve the crowd
What are you going to do are you going to
· satisfy or
· serve?
Let me close with this
Gal 1:10
10 For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.
Prov 3:5-7
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil.
There are two bowls and two towels for you to chose from this morning which will it be?
The bowl of Jesus was filled with
· Compassion
· Forgiveness
· Serving Others DOING GOD’S WILL
The result was the overflowing with Living Water
The bowl of Pilate was filled with
· Apathy
· Cowardice
· Self-serving selfishness DOING MAN’S WILL
The result was stagnant water
Which Bowl will you chose?
You stand with me as we turn to Page 315
There’s Room at the Cross
