Sermon March 19, 2025 – Lent 3

Title: Following Jesus, Our Greatest Giver
Text: John 13:1-17

Facebook: Following Jesus, Our Greatest Giver

14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant[c] is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

Following Jesus in humble service

It was the evening before Jesus' death, the evening of the final Passover, and our Lord had made arrangements with His disciples to eat the supper in an upper room in Jerusalem.

This is the setting in which John commented about our Lord:

…having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end,” John. 13:1

Jesus then proceeded to demonstrate that complete love by His actions of humble service.

Our Lord got up and washed His disciples' feet.

John tells us that Jesus:

4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. John. 13:4-5

This menial task was ordinarily done by the lowliest of servants.

But, to wash the disciples’ feet like this was for Jesus an act of loving and unselfish humility

Yet as we listen carefully to Jesus' words in this portion of Scripture, we realize that He intended us to understand His action of washing the disciples' feet also.

Specifically, the foot washing was symbolic of His supreme act of humble service in washing us clean from sin!

Jesus made this clear when He said to Peter,

If I do not wash you, you have no part in Me. John13:8

Now, there's no Biblical indication anywhere that Jesus had ever washed anyone's feet before this, and yet Peter and the other disciples and many other followers surely did have part in Jesus; they truly believed in Him.

So, it wasn't the act of foot washing itself that made the difference.

The washing from Jesus that really counted was the washing from sin, His gift of forgiveness. This was a greater cleansing, which the foot washing very nicely symbolized.

That's how we have part with Jesus: by His humble service of cleansing us from sin!

Jesus reinforced this by saying,

“The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you (plural) are clean, but not every one of you. John 13:10

Jesus had already told his disciples just a bit later that evening,

You are already clean on account of the word I have spoken to you. John15:3

But Judas had other plans for this humble servant.

Jesus had spoken the word of His pardon, the full and genuine pardon that was empowered by His impending death. They had received that word of pardon by faith in Jesus. So, they were wholly clean; all the guilt of all their sin was washed away!

Judas heard too, but refused to believe.

The foot washing was symbolic of the great act of humble service Jesus was about to complete on the cross, where the real cleansing would take place.

Zechariah foretold of it well over 500 years beforehand:

On that day (the day when the Lord would be pierced, that is) a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness. Zech. 13:

And in Revelation chapter 7,

John described his vision of the multitude in heaven, “…who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” Rev. 7:14

Again, we hear from Hebrews chapter 9:

How much more shall the blood of Christ, who offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Heb. 9:14

And then we hear this beloved gem from 1 John 1:
The blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 Jn. 1:7

Dear friends, because Jesus shed His blood for you on the cross, you have been given a cleansing bath!

Your sins are washed away! You too are wholly clean!

Yes, because Jesus has washed you and cleansed you with his holy precious and pardoning blood – you do have part with Him.

You have so much a part with Him that He even invites you to partake of that blood in His holy Supper, even as Peter and the others did that very evening.

And that cleansing comes from Jesus' death, His greatest act of humble service. And all this is beautifully symbolized in the foot washing.

Now, by washing His disciples' feet, Jesus did not merely perform an act of great love and humble service.

He did not merely give a symbol of His even greater service in washing away our sin. Jesus also gave an example of humble service.

John's Gospel continues,

When He had washed their feet and put on His outer garments and resumed His place, He said to them,

'Do you understand what I have done for you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Teacher and Lord, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do just as I have done for you. John 13:12-15

The example Jesus gave us is not so much the specific act of washing someone's feet, but the humble spirit of loving servanthood in which He did it.

This is the loving and lowly attitude that abounds in works of kindness.

Jesus wants us and all His followers to emulate His love and thus to engage in all sorts of acts of humble and compassionate care and service for one another.

This, too, is part of being faithful stewards of what the Lord has entrusted to us. When Jesus said:

I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done for you,” He immediately added, “Truly, truly I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. John 13:16-17

Jesus reminds us very directly that He is our Master and we are His servants.

And as servants, our desire should always be to do the will of our Master.
The attitude of our heart should always be,

 
Lord, what do You want me to do?
What do You want me to do with the time You have entrusted to me?
What do You want me to do with the abilities You have given me?

We have our Master's answer, don't we?

Do as I have done for you. Serve one another in loving humility.

That's the very spirit He wants us to have, as well, the spirit of loving servanthood for the good of others.

Following Jesus' foot washing example means we will demonstrate our humble love by what we do to help and care for one another.

From the 10 Commandments:

We follow Jesus in humble service as we honor our father and mother and other authorities by speaking to them respectfully, obeying them, showing our appreciation by helpful deeds.

We follow Jesus in humble service when we defend other people, speak up for the unborn and, take care of sick and disabled people, help people who are in need of food and clothing, and otherwise support them in their bodily needs.

We follow Jesus in humble service as we live sexually pure and decent lives, demonstrating our true love and respect for each other, and as husbands and wives treat one another with love and honor.

We follow Jesus in humble service when we treat other people with complete fairness, honesty, and integrity in our dealings with them, and when we help to improve and protect what belongs to them.

We follow Jesus in humble service when speak truthfully and well of others, assume the best about them in everything, and do whatever we can to protect and build up their reputation.

We follow Jesus in humble service as we are thankful and content with what the Lord has given us, and therefore we are happy for others in their prosperity, we respect what the Lord has given them, and we do what we can to help their spouse or workers or animals stay with them.

Prompted by Jesus' lowly example, instructed by His Commandments, and empowered by His gift of washing from sin, we follow Jesus in humble service in the ordinary deeds of kindness we do for one another in our everyday callings.

So, once again we hear our Savior's word’s which makes us clean, may we receive His cleansing with thanksgiving, and do as He has done for us.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit!

Amen