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Story of a man who had a rare foot disease. The man’s feet was consumed by the disease that it started to effect his whole body with skin rash and pain. The man’s wife takes her husband to the doctor and after review the doctor prescribes the care and cure. The doctor takes the wife aside and privately explains that the man has low blood circulation in his feet and requires multiple foot massages each day for at least the next several months, if not for the rest of his life. The doctor notes that if he doesn’t have his feet massaged then it’s highly likely the disease will spread to the rest of his body to experience significant pain and emotional damage that would threaten his mind and eventually his life. After the doctor instructs the wife on her husband’s prescription she returns to her husband. He asks, “Sweetie, what did the doctor say? Am I going to be ok?” She responds, “I’m sorry honey, but he wants me to massage your feet every day and I told him that you both were going crazy and must want to die.”

• Sounds like the wife may have had a foot in mouth disease of her own.
• Moving on, today we are walking through John 13 to understand an important last lesson from Jesus’ life as He serves the disciples.

EXAMINE      Leading By Serving (John 13)

¹ Now before the Feast of the Passover,

• Jn 12 has meal with friends and woman washing Jesus’ feet
• Jn 13 has same except this time Jesus is washing feet
• Meals are memorable opportunities… family / friends / church / mission
• Passover was annual festival remembering God’s salvation from Egyptian slavery. After Jesus, this meal would take on new meaning and remembrance!

when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father,
³ Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God,

• Jesus’ hour (Jn 2:4; 7:8; 12:23) symbolized His glory thru death & resurrection
• Jesus was near return to rightful spot on the throne of God the Father. For 33-years, Jesus lowered self (Php 2:1-10); ~we find it hard to do for 1-moment!
• Illus: “Short-timers Disease” for the day or if you were moving on…
• Jesus knew the Father had a plan, victory was assured, the Spirit would sustain Him, and Heaven was on the horizon. ~We can know this too!

having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

• Those in world – we love based on qualifications or conditions. We create contracts; establish terms & fine print. Or, if an agreement no longer benefits us, we find something better & end a relationship. Ghost. Walk away.
• Not Jesus. While the world was about to be at its worst, Jesus gave His best ~agape! Jesus shows love is not based on emotion but devotion. His love is telos – a complete end OR the fullest degree
• These last moments of Jesus are spent with meaningful conversations and memorable deeds.
  >>What convos/actions are you putting off that should happen sooner?

While the world was about to be at its worst, Jesus gave His best. His agape love is in the fullest degree on the cross.

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² During supper,

• The meal had started, but technically the cleaning should have been performed. Yet, Jesus was unafraid to speak or act when necessary.
• Today, many Christians and Churches are busy… feeding and satisfying self, and we have neglected seeing people thru the eyes of Jesus.

when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him,

• Many believe the devil is a fake idea to get us to behave; he’s a deceptive and dangerous presence who is actively working against your life and your trust in God.
• “Satan works on the assumption that every person has a price. Often, unfortunately, he is right. Many are willing to surrender themselves and their principles to whatever [idol] will bring them the greatest short-term profit.”[1]
• Judas was not an innocent bystander. He viewed Jesus as a disappointment for not pressing a political agenda against Rome. So Judas betrayed Jesus for a bag of silver. Pride, power, and greed are like growing kudzu that are impossible to remove without a refining fire.

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.

• At this time of history and culture, washing feet was an expected custom.
• Walking was necessary and normal, and the roads did not have clean sidewalks or paved smooth. Walking with dust, dirt, pollution, animal waste was typical. TH4, washing feet was essential, especially before a mealtime.
• Jesus assumed the lowly role of a servant.

⁶ He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” ⁷ Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” ⁸ Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” ⁹ Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” ¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you² are clean, but not every one of you.” ¹¹ For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

• Good old Peter. Seems the only time he opened his mouth was to change feet!^[2]
• Honestly, Peter gets a negative reputation here. He appears as the only disciple who understands that the Master and Supreme Savior should not be washing feet: “You shall never wash my feet.” Peter uses emphatic language – literally “NEVER shall you wash my feet, even if it were the end of the age.”  
• Jesus responds that Peter will miss “μέρος”  – an eternal inheritance^[3] if he doesn’t submit to being washed by Jesus.
• Next thing you know, Peter’s singing:[4]
  “And I’m clean. Sin was stained on me. And shame was running deep. Your love was spilled on Calvary, Oh Hallelujah, I’m clean! And God, how can it be? I’m ransomed and redeemed. I’m standing in Your victory; Oh Hallelujah!!!  
• Jesus’ footwashing symbolized salvation. We are unclean and cannot wash ourselves. We cannot erase sin or earn salvation. Even today there are disciples believing they deserve heaven w/o being washed by Jesus. But Jesus says: every person needs the cleansing water of the gospel.

¹² 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 to you? ¹³ You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, 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. 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 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.
³⁴ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. ³⁵ By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

• Jesus washed all the feet of the disciples, including Judas’.
• Jesus explains His actions were an example for the disciples to serve others.
• Christian service, especially to those who are undeserving is a display of the immeasurable grace of God.  

Christian service, especially to those who are undeserving, is a display of the immeasurable grace of God.  

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APPLY/TAKEAWAY

Every Christian is a servant in general; every church member is a servant in specifics. IOW, for the Christian, serving is not just something we do but part of our identity under the Lordship of Jesus. Further, every Christian is called to be a member of a local body of believers; caring for and contributing toward the good of the family. And, like Jesus washing feet or even His sacrificial death, nothing is beneath anyone to serve.

Reasons we don’t serve

• Busyness: We don’t have make the time.
      God has ways of slowing us down if we choose to be too busy.
• Boredom: We don’t feel like it, or highly value our tranquility.
     But God is whispering to you people who are missing out… even lost!
• Burdens: We feel overwhelmed or have been hurt, so we sit back.
      But this shows we don’t trust God to use all things for His glory.

Every Christian is meant to receive service. God’s plan for His people is not to be exhausted and emptied without ever being encouraged, supported, and filled up. We strive to be a body where every member not just gives but receives care. We recognize that we are human beings not human doings. Therefore, we must follow Jesus’ pattern to
a) spend meaningful time with God to operate in His strength and wisdom, not our own (John 15:5),
b) operate in pairs and partner teams, so that we are apprenticing others, but also not burning out. Frequently reflect on what is energizing or exhausting.
c) communicate when we need help or to pause from our service.
d) permit others to pray and care for you; self-sufficiency is not strength but foolishness; allow yourself to be known and not just needed – vulnerability is a reality and necessity.

Every service receives a blessing. In v.17 Jesus notes you will be blessed if you serve others. God’s blessings are better than the world’s pleasures. There is an eternal treasure that is being accounted for us to make investment. Paul said, “I thank my God in all remembrance of you, making my prayer with joy; for you are my joy and crown” (Php 1:3; 4:1). And Jesus served and sacrificed on the cross for the joy set before him (Heb 12:3). You cannot outgive God’s blessings, but it starts with a surrendered heart to Jesus.

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[1] Randy Alcorn, Money, Possessions, And Eternity, p.41.

^[2] R. Kent Hughes, John: That You May Believe, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1999), 314.

^[3] George R. Beasley-Murray, John, vol. 36, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1999), 233–234.

[4] “Washed” Elevation Rhythm. 2025. CCLI: 7263433