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      "A Lesson in Humility"
      John 13:1-17
      Theme: Jesus example of humility has produced a privilege to obey and an obligation to imitate.

        1. The Excuses for the Avoidance of Humility – 13:1-3

          1. Self-Love – v. 1

            1. This section begins the next major portion of the book of John – chapters 1-12 teaching about how the people rejected Christ.
            2. Now we have private teaching going on with his disciples – this is referring to the Thursday of Passion Week – or the day before He died – "Now before the Feast of the Passover,"
            3. We are told here that Jesus is very much aware of what is happening around Him – "Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father …"
            4. At a time when many would be absorbed with their own final moments, Jesus clearly possesses an orientation that prioritized those he had come to serve – "… having loved His own who were in the world ..."
            5. Instead of displaying a self-love that would cause Him to demand that He be focused on and served, Jesus became all the more intense in His commitment to those who had been given to Him by God – "He loved them to the end."

              6. This portrays first that Jesus never took His focus off the object of His affection – those whom God had given Him.

              God possesses love for the whole world that brought Christ to die – and a special love for sinners; but, He loves "His own" with a perfect love that is eternal.

              Thus, the phrase "loved them to the end" implies that He loved them with a perfect and intense love

              "’His own’ are the objects of His love; ‘unto the end’ is the extent of His love. He loves us unto ‘the end’ of our miserable failures, unto the ‘end’ of our wanderings, and backslidings, unto the ‘end’ of our unworthiness, unto the ‘end’ of our deep need."

            6. Thus, Jesus was able to demonstrate humility because he was not guilty of any self-love but made others and their needs the object of His deepest affections.

          2. Satanic Opposition – v. 2

            1. This love is all the more dramatic when we understand that it was a deliberate choice in the face of tremendous opposition – "During supper the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him."
            2. Most of us when faced by those who treat us treacherously, exclude them from the favor and love we possess.
            3. It is interesting that Jesus poured out His love toward Judas just as much as He did toward any of the other disciples.
            4. The phrase, "before the Feast of the Passover" provides us with a reference to the entire period of Christ’s ministry – throughout it all, He had loved Judas – despite the knowledge of what Judas would do.
            5. This reference does not exonerate Judas from any responsibility – as though the "Devil made him do it" – the only reason he was susceptible to the devil’s control was because of a heart that had slowly but surely "given place" so as to become vulnerable – cp. Ephesians 4:27
            6. Jesus was able to demonstrate humility because His heart was in no way compatible with the designs of Satan – He wasn’t vulnerable to the pride upon which Satan preys and feeds.

          3. Superiority – v. 3

            1. This invulnerability of Jesus existed because of the presence of genuine humility.
            2. This is demonstrated in the next verse – "Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God," – took it upon Himself to exhibit the greatest level of humility.
            3. Many people consider their station in society as the great determinate in what is appropriate for them to do – is something below me? … if I do this, will it harm my respectability? … isn’t there someone who could handle this who is more suitable?
            4. Jesus’ accomplishment of this "menial" act was not in forgetfulness of His divine origin, but in full consciousness of it.

        2. The Examination of the Accomplishment of Humility – 13:4-11

          1. The Attitude of Humility – vv. 4-9

            1. Because of the tremendous love that God the Son possessed for those who had been given to Him by the Father, He willingly takes up the demeaning task of washing the feet of His disciples – "[He] got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself. Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded."

              2. This task was an event that customarily had to happen before supper was served.

              Normally the host would have slaves who would perform this menial task.

              To have to perform this task would be tremendously humiliating and none of the disciples wanted to be associated with the task – cp. John 1:27; 1 Samuel 24:41

              The context of the moment was that the disciples were arguing who would be the greatest in the kingdom – having already jockeyed for position as to where they would sit around the table – cp. Luke 22:24

              None of them was about to stoop so low as to concede that they were not in line for greatness – which in their minds, washing another’s feet would be inconsistent with such a station.

            2. It is in this context that Jesus quietly rises from the table and begins to associate Himself with the most menial task possible in the moment.
            3. The implication is that he "began to wash" – He was involved in doing so to others prior to His coming to Peter who assertively disallows the idea – "So He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, ‘Lord, do You wash my feet’?"
            4. Jesus appeals to Peter to trust Him – "Jesus answered and said to him, ‘What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter’."

              5. Jesus is clearly referring to the time when the Holy Spirit would lead believers into an understanding o what Jesus taught – cp. John 14:25-26

              This allows us to understand the importance of obeying the objective truths of God’s Word even when we don’t understand them – we must rust God that His Word is best.

            5. Peter continues in his objection – completely dismissing the prospect of having to come to an understanding. He believed he perfectly understood right now – "Peter said to Him, ‘Never shall You wash my feet’!"
            6. Jesus’ reply was that if Peter would not submit to the sovereign plan of God that the Messiah serve men by cleansing them – then he would have no ability to fellowship with Him – "Jesus answered him, ‘If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me’."
            7. Peter then replies that if allowing Christ to wash him was a pre-condition to fellowship with Him, then he wanted a full bath – "Simon Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head’."

          2. The Application of Humility – vv. 10-11

            1. The washing of the feet was clearly a symbolic act which emphasized the need that exists for the ability to have the daily accumulation of "filth" removed through the cleansing offered by Christ.
            2. Since people in this day would bath prior to traveling to their host’s home, the only portion of their body needed cleansing were the feet that gathered the dust through their o9pen sandals.
            3. In response to Peter’s hyperbolic statement regarding a bath, "Jesus said to him, ‘He who has bathed needs only to wash him feet, but is completely clean’."

              4. Here Jesus begins to open the window allowing us to understand the symbolism of what He is doing – He is indicating that there is a need to pay attention to the daily accumulation of "filth" that every one of us gathers as we walk through life.

              He further clarifies this by stating: "… and you are clean, but not all of you."

                1. Through their faith in Christ Jesus, they are clean and only in need of the cleansing from their daily sins.
                2. However, not everyone was "clean" through faith in Christ – one remained in their lost and unregenerate condition.

          There was one who was not clean because of a lack of faith in Christ – a clear reference to Judas – "For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, ‘Not all of you are clean’."

        3. The Example of the Application of Humility – 13:12-17

          1. The Pattern for the Example – vv. 12-15

            1. Jesus continues to wash the feet of all of them – even Judas – "So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, ‘Do you know what I have done to you’?"
            2. He doesn’t want them to miss the importance of what He has done:

              3. The humiliation of washing the feet of the disciples was an essential element in the preparation of the Messiah for Calvary.

              His ministry to them – that protrayed His tremendous love – was to serve as a pattern for their own treatment of one another.

            3. He first dispels any misconceptions concerning His own greatness – "You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am." – that is, my humbling myself to do what none of the rest of you were willing to do in no way indicates that I was not worthy of the greatest of honor.
            4. He then allows a clear understanding: "If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed 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."

            This is not implying that "foot washing" was to become an ordinance of the church like observing the Lord’s Table or Baptism.

            His point is that if the very Lord of Glory was able to humble Himself to serve each of them, it ought to be easy for mere disciples to render loving service to one another in the spirit of genuine humility.

            He is emphasizing here not an outward ritual but an inner attitude – humility and eagerness to serve.

          2. The Premise of the Example – vv. 16-17

            1. The basic issue here is that if it is not below the dignity of the Lord, it is certainly not below the dignity of the disciple – "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."
            2. If we follow the example that the Lord has provided us, we are promised great blessing – "If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them."
            3. That is, the practice of humility imparts blessedness – the condition of being the objects of God’s favor, whether or not they are considered such by other men or even by themselves.

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