(When Pastor Chris prayed for the fathers, Jesse ran over to me. Kathleen commented that he didn’t do that for her. Heh.)
Pastor gave an illustration about missing the point.
What is the core of the gospel of Jesus Christ? What is at the heart of gospel of Jesus Christ? It is the mandate to love.
Mat 22:36-40 Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? (37) Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' (38) This is the first and greatest commandment. (39) And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' (40) All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
Everything hangs on these 2 commandments to love God and to love man.
Mar 12:33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
Those 2 commandments are more important than the others.
Common understanding suggests that the heart of Gospel is believing Christ / accepting Christ. Accepting God reconciles us to God but it is just the means but not the end. We miss the point if we don’t think about this – reconcile to God for what? The salvation we received from God is a means to an end – which is to love God with all our mind / heart / soul and to love our neighbour as ourselves. It transformed a self-centred person into one that is Christ-centred and others-centred.
Joh 13:1-17 It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. (2) The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. (3) Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; (4) so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. (5) After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. (6) He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" (7) Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." (8) No, said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me." (9) Then, Lord, Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!" (10) Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you." (11) For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. (12) When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. (13) You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. (14) Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. (15) I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. (16) I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. (17) Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
It was the final night before Jesus left them. Jesus gave an object lesson on what it’s like to be a servant of God to his disciples who did no get it. He mentioned love many times.
1. The Affirmation of the Mind
It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus, Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God.We need to understand our position in God. Jesus answered two questions we need answers to.
· Who AM I? (identity)
Jesus knew exactly where he is going. He knew he is going home. He is very clear who he is and where is is headed.
· What AM I DOING HERE? (Destiny) · Why AM I HERE?
If we cannot answer this question, we are like a headless chicken. Our lives here on earth is full of confusion.
Jesus did not cling on to life. In John 12, he prayed to the Father. His heart was troubled as he knew the kind of death he was going to experience. He said “it is done.” Jesus died at the age of 33. He was in active ministry for only 3 years. Everything God wanted Him to do is done. In those short years, he knew His purpose and he was very close with the Father.
Do we know the purpose God has for us on earth?
2Ti 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, (17) so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Scriptures can help us know.
First I was dying to finish my high school and start college.
And then i was dying to finish college and start working.
Then I was dying to get married and have children.
And then I was dying for my children to grow old enough so I could go back to work.
But then I was dying to retire.
And now I’m dying suddenly I realized I forgot to live
Don’t let this happen to you
Appreciate your present situation
Enjoy each day
2. The Action of the Body
Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. So he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.Jesus wanted to show the disciples through the washing of their feet the full extend of His love.
Feet washing was a menial task. It has to be done. People walked on dusty paths (or muddy grounds when it rained.) They wore sandals. The slave would wash the feet of the guests.
Jesus didn’t do it for hygienic reasons. He was probably waited for someone to do it but no one did it.
Perhaps the disciples didn’t think they were servants. And he did it in the middle of a meal.
If anyone during that evening that needed to be served, it would be Jesus, who was going to die in a matters of hours and also because he was their master.
It is very humbling to be served. Peter was probably humiliated to be served by his master.
As people of God, if we do not know how to receive, we cannot give.
We may have union with God but if we do not obey Him, we do not have communion with God – we do not have fellowship with God.
Today, Christ is cleansing His church through the water of the Word (Eph 5:25-25, John 15:3). As we daily read the Word, allow the Spirit to search our hearts (Heb 4:12), and then confess our sins, we keep our feet clean and walk in the light. (See Ps 119:9). It is this daily cleansing that keeps the believer in communion with Christ.
Eph 5:25-26 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her (26) to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word
Joh 15:3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
We are already washed once and for all when we are born again. We do not need our body to be washed over and over again – just our feet. There are a lot of symbolism in the Christian faith. We can make right with God when we wash our feet before we sleep.
Pride forbids us from receiving. Only until we learn to receive can we give.
3. The Attitude of the Heart
Php 2:5-8 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: (6) Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, (7) but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. (8) And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross!Joh 14:21 Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."
It’s very humbling to have our feet washed. Pride may come in the way. It is also very humbling to wash other people’s feet because we have to kneel.
A courting couple look at each other when they eat. But love begins when they get married – when they quarrel, they cannot go home and don’t see each other. Like <> love.
Some practical tips:
a. We are commanded to love and not necessarily like.
Agape love Is acting in someone else’s interest
- Unconditionally (no matter who they are)
- Willfully (no matter how you feel)
- Sacrificially (no matter what it costs)
b. Loving each other in the Body.
Joh 13:35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
… not ‘like’ another.
c. Loving those outside the Body who are not like us. Radical righteousness (Sermon on the Mount)
Take away the prejudices in our lives and replace them with the love of Christ which we learn through fellowship with Christ.
Radical is not new. Revolutionary is new. Radical = back to the basics.
Mat 5:43-44 You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' (44) But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
Exo 23:4-5 If you come across your enemy's ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to take it back to him. (5) If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help him with it.
The best thing a father can do is to raise godly children who are servants of God, energy givers and not energy takers. How? Be a servant ourselves.
Application Questions
- 1. In your spiritual life, who is one person who has demonstrated what it means to “wash feet”? What did he or she do?
- 2. What one thing will you do at home, schoo, work, cell group or church this week to follow Jesus’ example of serving? Report back to the cell group what you have done and how that has affected you.
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