Easter Friday
John 13
1 Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him; 3 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; 4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. 5 After that he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.
6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? 7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. 8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.
9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. 10 Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. 11 For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.
12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? 13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
1) We read in verse one that Jesus “loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.”
What drove Jesus to die for us? What moved Him to go to the cross? It was Jesus’ sacrificial Love for you and me.
Let us look carefully at this Love.
Jesus knew that His time had come to drink from this cup of death so that we might be saved. Through His bitter and painful death He brought redemption to us.
In our text we read of Jesus’ last meeting with His disciples. He revealed His great, faithful, selfless, sacrificial Love to us. He wasn’t self-interested – neither did He look to His own affairs. He forgot all about Himself and was thinking just of you and me. He was thinking of our salvation and eternal life.
This was pure unsullied love.
There is no love comparable to Jesus’ Love towards us – whether one looks in the heavens above, on the earth or even the depths of the sea.
Proverbially we say that there is no greater love than that of a mother for her child. She has motherly-instinct to protect and love her child. But God says in Is 49:15, “Can a woman forget her nursing child? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you“. In our day we find evil women who will even rip their unborn child to pieces by abortion.
Yet God’s Love is infinitely greater. He even loved us while we were still His enemies! He sacrificed His whole being so that we might be delivered from sin and death and gain Eternal Life.
There can only be disgust at a person who tramples underfoot such great Love! Nothing is as wicked as a person who rejects Him. That is why Paul wrote in 1Cor 16:22, “if anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed.”
2) Jesus took your sin and punishment on Himself so that you can go free and serve Him. He became sin for you so that your life might be holy; that you may part with anything and everything which hinders you in your walk with Him.
Whether you were a drunkard, an immoral person, a blasphemer or scoffer, a servant of mammon or proud, once you have experienced His Love it will be the end of your sin. You cannot drag the sins of the old life into the new.
It is terrible to drag the things of the past week, months or even years with you, like grudges, bitterness and hatred. They will drag you down. Then you cannot have His Love in you. Throw aside anything that displeases Him and serve Him your remaining years.
3) In verses 12-14 Jesus says, “12 So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.”
When you wash your brother’s feet you do it by humbling yourself and being meek. You take the towel, bow down and wash his feet. When you see a brother sin, you go to help him in a spirit of humbleness and meekness. If he refuses, take another with you and help him in meekness.
However, if you go and speak about his sin, you are slandering. That person will perish because of his sin, but so will you too. So too if you simply ignore his sin and do not help him. You need to help him according to the Word of God and in the attitude God’s Word commands. If he still rejects your help, he will perish, but you have delivered your soul.
4) Jesus said to Peter, “If I do not wash you, you have no part in Me. He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean.“ If Jesus do not wash your feet, you have no part in Him. The disciples were already washed, Jesus said, but now their feet needed to be washed.
Once you are born again, your feet must still be washed regularly by Jesus. As you travel through this world there are things which you hear and see which defile you. And if you refuse Him to wash your feet, you will have no part in Him. If your physical feet are not regularly washed, they will give off a bad odor. So too when you spiritual feet are not washed by Jesus, your life will give off a bad odor wherever you go, even though you’ve been born again. And that odor will even reach heaven and you will have no part in Jesus.