Servant Love Demonstrated part 3

Take your Bible and turn with me to John chapter 13. John chapter 13, we will be in verses 12 through 17, just a short portion of Scripture. But it is the passage that I believe the Lord has for us this morning. Now in our study in the Gospel of John, I really feel like we've gotten a foothold in chapter 13. We transitioned from chapter 12 into chapter 13. We have learned that Jesus has left his public ministry to the nation of Israel. Now he is devoting intimate personal teaching to these disciples.

I really want you to get that in your mind because it'll help you understand why Jesus is doing what he's doing, what he's teaching, the purpose behind it all. This is intimate personal time with his disciples. Now chapters 13 through 17 are what some have called the farewell discourses. The cross is right around the corner. He will be leaving the disciples very soon. I shared with our Wednesday night prayer meeting crowd that I call these chapters the sanctifying or persevering discourses as well. Not only is he saying goodbye physically, but he is sanctifying his own. He is persevering in his own.

Now the theme which runs through these chapters is found in the second portion of verse 1 in chapter 13. If you would glance at that or look at that verse with me, Jesus really introduces this transition right here and he says having loved his own who were in the world. That's the disciples. He loved them to the end. Highlight that, mark that, remember that because we're going to see that theme all the way through till we reach chapter 18. Notice two times that he uses this word loved, which was directed to those disciples. So he loves them. He desires to prepare them, work in them, sanctify them, and this is a farewell to them.

Now for two weeks we have been in what I have called servant love demonstrated. You know by now many times we'll have a part one, part two, part three, just because we need to take our time in the verses. This has been a part one and part two so far. We covered verses one, two, and three in our part one, and then we covered verses four through eleven last Sunday. Now all of these events are right in the middle of the Jewish Passover celebration. There's a highlight on the calendar of the Jewish people, the nation of Israel, but this was a picture. This was a picture of Christ. This was a picture of that substitutionary death on the cross.

If you do an in-depth study on the Passover, you will see that it is nothing more than a type and a shadow of what was to come, which was the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. But within that celebration, John records what the other gospels do not give us, and that is Jesus washing the disciples' feet. This was utterly shocking to the disciples. We learned that last Sunday because this was the lowest job, the lowest job of the lowest servant. This is not a task that anyone would desire. Now for me personally, just in my own study, what has stuck out for me was Peter's impetuous response here. He boldly questioned the Lord.

The original language shows us that it's in the emphatic. He just bursts out in this question. Then he boldly refused the Lord. It's almost like he's causing a scene. Then he dictated to the Lord what he would do and what he wouldn't do. And if that was not enough, he then requested something totally absurd. It's almost Peter is just bent on disrupting what the Lord was doing. But that was Peter, this impetuous behavior. Now for you, for me, we need to see that we are far more like Peter than we know. What I mean by that, many times we are shocked by what the Lord does in our life. We think to ourselves, "Why me, Lord?

I can't believe these circumstances." We question Him more than we know. We come in our prayer closets. We come as we complain maybe to other people, brothers and sisters. And we question the Lord, question the Lord. And then sometimes if we're really honest and we really see it, we can dictate to the Lord. We learn, and this really spoke to me, that this comes out of self-reliance. It comes out of disobedience. It comes out of pride because what we're saying is, "We know what's best." And what Peter really needed to do was be quiet, be submissive, die to himself, and get what the Lord was trying to do.

Now in moving on further into this intimate time with Jesus in the 12, we will see Jesus move away from washing, the physical act of washing the disciples' feet, to applying this servant love demonstrated to their lives. That's the title of these messages, "Servant Love Demonstrated." And now He takes that demonstration of that great love and He teaches on His actions. So that brings us to the title of the message. You've probably guessed by now, this is a part three. This is a part three. "Servant Love Demonstrated," part three, will be in verses 12 through 17. We're going to look at three major truths out of these verses.

And this is just a continuation of what we have been learning. Let's look at these verses together, starting in verse 12. "So when He," that's Jesus, "had washed their feet," that's the disciples, "and had taken His garment," that's that outer garment He had taken off, "and He reclined at the table again." Remember He had gotten up from the table, removed that outer garment, took the basin, and He began to wash the disciples' feet. Now He's going back to the table. He's through.

"Then He said to them, 'Do you know what I have done to you?'" Verse 13, "You call Me teacher." Some translations could say, "Rabbi and Lord," and "You are right, for so I am." "If I then, the Lord and the teacher, wash your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you." "Truly, truly, or verily, verily, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, neither is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him." And then this is our last verse, verse 17.

"If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them." Now you see, before you, the main truths we're going to divide. So let's look at our first main truth. Number one, the great service completed. The great service completed. We find that here in verse 12. Jesus had completed the washing of the feet. He took that outer garment back up and He put it on, and He went back to the table. And then He asks them a very probing question. So here we see the conclusionary statement by John. Jesus is completing His foot washing service with His disciples.

He has washed all of their feet, including the one who would betray Him, Judas, including Peter, who really disrupted what was going on. Now, other than Peter, they have all been speechless from the beginning to the end. Now we see Jesus put on the outer garment, and He went back to the table, the table where they were celebrating the Passover feast. Now, we see Jesus take this event into what I call phase two. I call this phase two. Phase one was servant love being demonstrated. The foot washing service that we studied last week. Jesus never spoke a word except to Peter. Everything Jesus spoke was in response to Peter's bold behavior.

And now in phase two, Jesus begins to teach on top of the great event of washing the disciples' feet. Now, I want you to notice this question. Go back to the verse. "Do you know what I have done to you?" Now, He does not seem to give them time to answer. This is a probing question, and it is meant to make them think of what they have just experienced. He did not want them answering as much as thinking. He wanted them to think and ponder what was meant. And this was greatly, this was meant to greatly impact their own lives, their own hearts, and their own thinking. But there's something I want us to ponder here.

Could it be that Jesus was aiming that question more to Peter and to Judas? Remember, Peter and Judas were a lot different than the other disciples. There's a lot of difference between Judas and Peter as well. Now, think for a moment how they related to Jesus and their actions here. So let's take just a moment and let's examine these individuals. First of all, think how this question might have been aimed at Judas. Jesus knew that Judas was the Betrayer. Now, I do not believe that the other disciples knew that. I believe if Peter would have known that Judas was the Betrayer, he would have stepped in and tried to intervene.

Remember there in the garden, when they came, the religious leaders came to arrest Jesus, Peter took out the sword to defend his Lord. And I do not believe that the disciples knew anything about Judas. But think about Judas. Secretly, he was conspiring to betray Jesus. We know that he sold Jesus out for 30 pieces of silver. Later, he was seized with remorse and there's a big difference in remorse and repentance. But what we see in Judas is the ultimate sellout, the ultimate Betrayer. He was a liar. He was a thief. He used to help himself to the money bag. He was a hypocrite in every way. But what do we see? Jesus washed his feet as well.

And I believe he aimed the question right in him. Do you know what I have done to you? Jesus extended grace, mercy, and love even to Judas. That question must have been a dagger straight into even the heart of Judas. But second, think of how this question might have been aimed at Peter. Remember Peter in this bold behavior, these questions which really indicted him in a great way, even maybe in front of the other disciples. Maybe those disciples thought, Peter, if you would just be quiet, we might can get what the Lord is trying to do. But this question, I believe, was aimed at Peter. What does he say? Do you know what I have done to you?

Surely, this must have been a dagger in the heart of Peter as well. Maybe Peter still struggled to understand all that was being done and said. But this question was meant to make them think. It was a probing question, an examining question. Because whether it was Peter or Judas or the other disciples, there was much that they needed to learn. So what do we see here in this one verse? Jesus has completed his humble servant love demonstrated to his very own. This was a very, very personal lesson. Now he is returning to the table in the teaching position, and he starts off with the question.

And I believe most likely aimed at Peter, aimed at Judas, and of course, the rest of the disciples. Now for you, for me, an application. How will this question impact you? How will this question make you think? Go back to the verse. Do you know what I have done to you? Those of you who are lost here this morning, maybe you are beginning to understand that you are lost and without Christ. Maybe you are beginning to feel the weight of your sin and your rebellion. Maybe you are feeling more and more that you are outside of a peace of God and the security of God. How might that question pierce your heart? Do you not know what I have done to you?

And what has Christ done? Christ has died. Christ has provided the substitutionary death on the cross. And Christ has provided a church where the gospel could be preached for you and to you. How might this affect you as a lost individual? In deep down, whether or not you have told a soul or not, you know that you are not right with God. What is the Spirit of God saying to you? How has this impacted you? Not just this verse, and not just chapter 13, but all that you have heard out of the gospel of John. No doubt many times the Word of God has pierced your heart. And now this question, do you not know what I have done to you and for you?

But how might this affect you if you are an apathetic Christian? Apathy can creep in. Prayerlessness can creep in. A lack of devotion to our personal time with the Lord can creep in. You know our Bible study time can just get pushed aside. And apathy towards the things of God, the church, and fellow Christians, and our relationship to the Lord is just one step away. How might this speak to you? Could this convict you? Could the fact that Christ is there facing the cross and also pouring into His disciples remember Jesus was faithful to give His disciples just what they needed.

And the Lord could be showing you that He is giving you a church and giving you a minister who would preach the Word just for you because He does not want you to stay in your apathetic state. But what about you as a committed Christian? How might this speak to you? What is the question? Do you not know? Do you know what I have done to you? Jesus has not washed our feet, but He has provided so much for us. So this great service is completed. And for you and for me, we must see that the great service of the cross has been completed.

And we have the opportunity to be empowered as born-again Christians to live our Christian lives in victory and do the work of the church. This great service has been completed. Let's move on. I want us to notice our second main truth. The great example that is before them. The great example that is before them. Notice how Jesus transitions in verse 13. "You call me teacher and Lord, and you are right for so I am. If then the Lord and the teacher wash your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet." Verse 15. "For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you." Now, a curious question here.

Does Jesus give them time to answer? Was this an obvious rhetorical question? One that they would have known they should not answer? Or did He ask and pause, waiting for a response? Whichever is the case, Jesus begins to answer the question here, but He answers His own question in a very powerful, powerful way. Now, I want to show you how He answers His own question by making three observations just out of these verses. First of all, He exalts Himself as the teacher. That might sound strange to you, but He exalts Himself as the teacher. Look at verse 13.

"You call Me teacher and Lord, and you are right for so I am." Here He is reminding them of how they called Him teacher. In their day, they would have called Him rabbi, which meant teacher. We've already learned that in that day, a disciple would attach themselves to a teacher. They would follow that teacher, live with that teacher, eat and sleep with that teacher. Why? Because that teacher relationship to the student was great. And it was common for Jews to call their spiritual leaders rabbi or teacher. But also notice that John uses the word "Lord" as well. "You call Me teacher and Lord." He uses this word "Lord" as well.

This word was not used as much, and it communicates a high reverence, maybe even divinity. This was not a casual word. The King James translates this a little different, but it is accurate. The King James reads, "You call Me master and Lord." Then He commends the twelve for addressing Him this way. Go back to the verse. "You call Me teacher and Lord as you are right." So He is commending them for how they addressed Him. That is why I said He exalts Himself as the teacher. He is saying, "I am your teacher. I am your master. I am your Lord." Second, I want you to see His direct command. Look at verse 14.

"If I then the Lord and the teacher washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet." Now He gives them a direct command after He has exalted Himself and His authority. Jesus, being a master teacher, knew that exalting Himself as Lord and teacher would help drive home this command. Now what is the command? "Follow My example towards each other." Go back to the verse. "If then the Lord and the teacher washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet." Now remember that this is in stark contrast with how the disciples had been acting. They had been arguing over who was the greatest among them.

This was a command aimed at their pride as well as teaching them to serve one another. And then third, notice His command is reiterated. His command is reiterated. Verse 15, "For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you." Here Jesus brings up again how He served as an example. In so doing, He is driving home the lesson that should correct the disciples' misunderstanding and pride. Now here is where some make the mistake which leads to foot washing as an ordinance. And that is not the case. This was to be a lesson, a teaching example.

This was meant to teach them to serve one another even in the lowest and even most demeaning ways. So what are we seeing here? "If Jesus, being the Lord and Master, would wash their feet, they should be willing to do the same for each other." Remember, this is for the disciples. They were prideful and they were maneuvering for the best position among themselves. We see this in Luke 22, verse 24. Let me read the verse. "A dispute also arose among them," that's the 12, "as to which of them would be regarded as the greatest." Do you see that pride? See that maneuvering? We see this in Matthew 18, verse 1 as well.

"At the time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, 'Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?'" There's that pride. There's that maneuvering. And Jesus is squashing that with His great example that is before them. Now an application, how might this apply to us? What can we learn? I'll bring this into our own laps and minds and hearts by asking a question. And the question is, do we have a pride in us that hinders us from service? Do we think that we are someone? Do we think that we are above certain jobs and tasks? Pride can sneak into our lives in many forms.

And if you look at certain tasks, if you look at certain people, if you look down on certain things, it could be that you have a prideful, arrogant spirit. Do you feel like you're too good to touch certain people to perform certain tasks in the lives of the church? Jesus did not feel that way. As a matter of fact, He attacked that over and over again in their lives because pride and maneuvering for the best position had crept in. And then notice our third main truth, the great rule that is set before them. The great rule that is set before them.

Verse 16, "Truly, truly," the King James says, "Verily, verily, I say to you, "a slave is not greater than his master. "Neither is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him." If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. Here we finally, if I can say it like this, get to where Jesus is going. This is His ultimate destination. If Jesus was on a teaching journey, He has finally reached the teaching destination. Now, I want to give you an important reminder here. His disciples were the object. They were the recipients. They were the ones who had a bull's eye on their hearts for this lesson. They needed it desperately.

In His great love for them, He is aiming something in them. He is aiming at the pride, the arrogance that is in them with this great lesson, this great rule that He will set before them. Four observations I want to make here, make of this great rule. First, Jesus elevates His next statement. He elevates His next statements. Look at verse 16. Here we have "truly, truly." The King James reads "Verily, verily." This is a familiar saying for us as we've been in the Gospel of John for quite some time. We saw this for the first time back in chapter 1.

I believe it was verse 51, "And periodically since then." Now, this is Jesus adding emphasis to what He is about to teach. Now, think about this for a moment. Everything Jesus taught was truth. Everything Jesus taught came from the Father. Everything Jesus taught was necessary. He did not have one idle word. But when we see this truly, truly, we must see that He is even raising the bar even more. He is saying this is really, really, really important. And for us here, it means that Jesus is getting to the point of the entire lesson. Second, I want us to see Jesus explains His standard.

"Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master. Neither is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him." Here, Jesus is reminding His disciples that His disciples, they are slaves and they are sent from Him. Note the text again. "I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master. Neither is one who is sent greater than the one who has sent him." I use the word reminding here on purpose because this teaching is found in other places in the Gospels. Matthew chapter 10, verse 24. Luke 6, verse 40. John 12, verse 20.

"All teach the same truth." It appears that Jesus had to drive this home again and again and again and now with an added emphasis as He says, "Truly, truly." The object lesson was forceful. He is teaching very forcefully. He is trying to raise the bar and I believe He is saying, "You're just not getting it." And what is He telling them again? "You are slaves. You are not you own. And you were sent from Me." This is the standard for you. This pride, this dignity, this jockeying for position, it is crept in and it is a result of self and it must be driven out. So He explains the standard.

And then third, notice, He reminds them of this standard. Look at verse 17. "If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them." Notice the first portion of the verse. "If you know these things." This is the direct implication that they did know these truths. He was teaching them again and again. Again, He had taught them that they were servants and slaves many times. So He explains the standard and He reminds them of the standard after He had elevated the standard. And then fourth, Jesus reminds them of the blessing. Look at the second portion of verse 17.

"If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them." The King James reads happy while the modern translations read blessed. Jesus is saying that they will experience two blessings in this obedience. First of all, they will be blessed by obedience. Obedience always brings the blessing of walking in fellowship with Him. Now think about that for a moment. When we walk in fellowship with the Lord, we are blessed. And Jesus is saying, "If you will obey Me, you will be blessed." And second, they will be blessed with an inner satisfaction of kingdom work.

There is an inner work that God does in them when they are obedient to the teachings of Christ. So what are we seeing here? Jesus is having to remind them again of this teaching that they seem to have forgotten. They have no right to maneuver for position. They have no right to puff up with pride. They are to be slaves. They are to be servants. They are to be sent out men, sent by the one who served them to the very end. And I call this the great rule set before them. But it could have been called the great reminder of the great rule that had been set before them previously, time and time again, because they were really not getting it.

Now a question for you in the application. Do we need reminding of this rule? Do we need reminding of this standard as well? Does the Lord need to say to our hearts, "Truly, truly, you need to perk up because I need to tell you something that is very important"? Do we need reminding that we are simply slaves, bought off of the slave block of our own sin? Do we need reminding that we are supposed to be sent men and women and young people because the Lord owns us?

Or has pride in maneuvering position, self-sufficiency, all those things that self brings to the table, how those things come in, I think from time to time, we really do need the Lord to remind us, emphatically, truly, truly, you are to be a servant and you are sent by me. So this is the great rule that is set before them. Now in conclusion, and what I mean by conclusion, we are concluding these verses, verses 12 through 17, but really these verses are just part of one message because this message really starts here in verse 4. Because it was at verse 4 when He rose up, took up the towel, and washed their feet.

But in conclusion of this one large message, I want to point out theological lessons and practical lessons. Theologically, what do we see? Theologically, we see a picture of Christ cleansing the disciples once and for all in salvation. That is why Jesus told Peter, "You are clean," in verse 10. But then, theologically, we see the work of sanctification because periodically, we just need to be cleansed. So theologically, we see two things, two truths being communicated. Conversion and sanctification. Conversion, which is a one-time event, and sanctification, which is the process of persevering in Christ and Christ persevering in us.

But practically, we see Jesus teaching humble service through a great love. And that is the primary lesson Jesus is teaching here. He is teaching very practically. He's sitting down in an intimate setting with His disciples, and He's giving them very practical teaching. A humble service through a great love for His own in giving them practical teaching. And that is the example. He is the example. And this great lesson was meant to impact their life, the lesson and the teaching. Now, some application for us in the conclusion is we close out this portion of Scripture. Two questions.

First, are we serving one another personally in an intimate way? Isn't that what the Lord told the disciples? Did He not say that to them? Did He not say, "You should do as I did"? Verse 15, "For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you." Now, that's not evangelism. That's service among the believers. And are we serving one another personally in an intimate way? Are we getting close to one another and meeting personal, private needs in the body? Second question. Are we willing to serve others who may not be like us?

Because what we see is God brings many different types of people with many different types of needs into the church. And they may have different needs than us. They may be completely different than you and I in life. And are we willing to serve others who just may not be like us? Now, you need to see how important this is. You need to see the context. The context of this service is the church. What's the context there? This is the 12 and Jesus. And He is saying, "I did this for you. You do this for each other." And the context for us is service in the church. This is not outreach to the community. This is within the family.

And as your pastor, I want to remind you of something. Anything that keeps you from serving others in the church is keeping you from being obedient to this command, this example, and this teaching. Could our hobbies keep us from being committed to each other as we should? I mean, could our hobbies pull our affections and our time, our resources, many different things that can distract us from our service to the church and each other? Could our hobbies distract us and pull us away? Could our jobs? Now, we must work, sure. We saw that there was a problem in the Thessalonican Church of people not working. And they were burdens on the church.

And we must work. But there are some jobs that just completely take us out of the life of the church and do our jobs, keep us from committing to the church, committing to one another, and serving one another. And what about our families? We can have unhealthy family relationships. We can worship our hobbies, worship our jobs, and worship our families. And our family structures and commitments cannot pull us away from our commitment to the church and our commitment to one another. And what about self? Sometimes we can boil it right on down to pure selfishness. I don't want to serve others because I want to serve me.

Isn't that what their problem was? Wasn't that the root of their problem? Pride and arrogance and maneuvering for self? Now, this is an incomplete list. But what am I trying to show you? I'm trying to stir in you and help you see that there are different things in our lives that can pull us away from the commitment to the church. Now, when I say commitment to the church, you automatically think of programming. That's not what I mean. I mean a commitment to each other. But think about it like this. These things can pull you and distract you from being in the church so others can serve you as well. It's not always about you serving.

It is you being in a position where others can serve you because some of you have needs and you need to be served because there could be somebody in the life of the church who can minister to you and walk with you like no one else on the face of the earth. It's called the body of Christ. Now, I want to close by going back to verse 14. "If I then, the Lord and the teacher, Master, Lord, deity," is what he's saying, "wash your feet. You also ought to wash one another's feet." A service in the body. Loving one another, serving each other, giving of ourselves. It's very practical.

And I guess I have to believe there's some of us here who need the Lord to say truly, truly, and remind us of where we should be in relation to this message. What's the title of the message? Servant, Love, Demonstrated. I believe that if we will receive this and let the Lord form this in us, that title will fit our lives. Servant, Love, Demonstrated. Amen. Let's pray together.