THE CROSS AND THE TOWEL
JOHN 13:1-12
Today is the day when we really begin to celebrate the Easter Season. Today is Palm Sunday in which Christians celebrate the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. The people cut palm branches and hailed and praised Jesus as He entered the city. The week began with Jesus arriving to cheers and concluded with Him dying to jeers. Easter is all about the cross.
When I say "the cross"... what sort of things or ideas come to your mind? What sorts of things do we associate with "the cross"? [requires a few props]
Nails and hammer and wood = we associate nails, hammers, and wood with the Cross for obvious reasons. Jesus was nailed to the cross which was made of wood. If we were to visualize the events of the Cross, we would associate the sound of hammering and cries of pain as well.
The Cross is all about nails and pain. In fact, Psalm 22:14-16 describes some of what Jesus went through,
"I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet." The nails and hammer remind us that Jesus was in physical pain on the cross. Jesus endured a most horrific manner of death on the cross that the Romans used for the worst of their criminals... and yet innocent Jesus was also killed in this way.
Isaiah 53:4-6 says, "Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all." You see the pain on the cross was for a very special purpose. Each of the flesh tearing nails that went in was for a reason. Isaiah reminds us that Jesus was suffering on the cross for us... because of our sin. Jesus died for you. He died for me. Jesus died for us all. 1 Peter 3:18 tells us that, "Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God."
So, we associate nails, hammers, and wood with the Cross because Jesus endured pain and agony on the cross in order to give Himself as a sacrifice for us. We could not come to God as the Apostle Peter describes without Jesus Christ and His death on the Cross.
The colors red, purple, and white = As with many things in our world, we tend to associate colors with important ideas or events. When I think of freedom, the brilliant colors of red, white, and blue flash into my mind. We could talk about St Patrick’s Day and green becomes important. So it is with Easter! We associate three main colors with Easter.
We first associate red with Easter. Why red? Red is of course the color of blood and Jesus certainly shed His blood on the Cross. Colossians 1:19-20 shares with us, "For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross."
We also associate the color purple with Easter. Why purple? Purple is a color that is a color associated with royalty and was a special color in Bible times. Also, in John 19:1-3, "Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they struck him in the face." Jesus was wearing a purple robe as he was mistreated by the soldiers. The soldiers were mocking Jesus as the King of the Jews. Little did they know that they were beating, spitting on, and slapping the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
We also associate the color white with Easter. Why white? The color white is one of those colors in Scripture that symbolizes purity and holiness and righteousness. We see that especially in the Book of Revelation. We think of white at Easter time because Jesus was pure and holy and absolutely righteous. Jesus was innocent. In fact, Judas Iscariot, the betrayer, even confesses this in Matthew 27:4, "I have sinned," he said, "for I have betrayed innocent blood." Jesus was perfect and did not sin His entire life. He was the perfect sacrifice on the Cross for us.
So, we associate the colors of red, purple, and white with the Cross. These colors inform us about the identity of the One who was on the Cross. Jesus was the Righteous King of Kings who shed His blood for us.
Thorns = We associate thorns with Easter and the Cross because thorns were one of the ways that the Roman soldiers were torturing and mistreating Jesus. The soldiers twisted together thorns and placed them on Jesus’ head (Matthew 27:29, Mark 15:17, John 19:2). It is important for us to understand a little about thorns in the Bible to understand why they were significant to Jesus on the Cross. Thorns were introduced into Creation (Genesis 3:17-18) as part of the curse of sin. Sin caused thorns. Thorns are associated with sinful traps (Joshua 23:13), trouble (Numbers 33:55), fruitlessness (Matthew 7:16), and worthlessness (Hebrews 6:8). So you see, when the soldiers placed thorns on Jesus’ head, they were not just placing thorns. They were placing all the sinfulness, trouble, fruitlessness, and worthlessness of all of us onto Jesus who was none of those things. Jesus endured our pain for us. Jesus endured our consequences for us. Jesus took on our worthlessness and sinfulness unto Himself for us... and that is why we associate thorns with the Cross.
I want to mention one other thing this morning that I would like you to begin to associate with the cross. A towel. Yes, I said a towel. Towels are one of the most basic items that we use when you think about it. I am not sure how long towels have been around, but I can imagine Adam and Eve probably needing to use a towel sometimes after being put out of the Garden of Eden.
There have been many advancements in the area of what I will call towel-ology. Did you know that a company called A&R Beach towels has invented a towel with pockets at the four corners to help store items or sand to weight the towel down on a windy beach (http://www.arbeachtowels.com/documents/indexar.html)? Scientists have also invented a towel that will not fall down while wrapped in it and in clinical trials the ‘wonder towel’ stayed in place while the wearers brushed their teeth and hair, put on deodorant, and other activities that cause towel slippage (http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/7242_971252,00180007.htm).
It wasn’t any type of fancy towel that I want you to associate with the Cross... just a plain ordinary towel. Now I realize that a towel is not something that is mentioned in the Gospels as part of the crucifixion, but it is mentioned just before. If you would turn with me in your Bibles to John 13:1-12.
READ JOHN 13:1-12
Verse 1 of John 13 shares with us that Jesus is about to show the disciples "the full extent of his love." The disciples must have been shocked when they saw their Master rise from supper, lay aside His outer garments, wrap a towel around His waist, take a basin of water, and wash their feet. Washing feet was the job of servants and slaves. It was a menial task. It was a task of hospitality and servanthood. Verse 3 also tells us that Jesus knew He was the King of Kings and yet He took the place of a servant.
He was Teacher and Master, and yet He served His followers.
He was Lord and Christ, and yet humbled Himself.
He had all things in His hands, and yet He picked up a towel.
(Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, Vol 1, pgs 344-345.)
I want to share another passage of Scripture that ties together everything that we should know about the Cross and the Towel. Please turn with me in your Bibles to Philippians 2.
READ PHILIPPIANS 2:5-8.
You see, the Towel represents the humility, humbleness, willingness, and attitude of Jesus as He went to the Cross. We look at the Cross and think of nails and the pain that Jesus went through. We look at the Cross and might think of white and the purity of Christ or purple and the true royalty of Jesus. We look at the Cross and think of thorns and our sin that Jesus took on Himself. Now, when we look at the Cross, may we also think of a towel and the attitude of humility and willingness that Jesus had to die on the Cross for us.
