Footwasher or Footwashee?

With the end of chapter 12 we see the end of the “book of signs” (chapters 2-12), which traced in successive stages the humiliation of the Son of God. Now we enter the “book of the passion’ (chapters 13-20), which will complete the path to redemption by Christ Jesus' ascension to the Father.

In these last chapters of the book of John a great reversal takes place, a reversal of rejection. This reversal takes place in three stages. The 1^st is the preparation of the disciples for the cross and the coming of the Holy Spirit. The 2^nd stage is the crucifixion of Christ Jesus as the lifting up of obedient love. And the 3^rd and last stage is the resurrection of Christ Jesus, which strengthens the faith of His followers and empowers them for their mission.

Did you notice that this turning point is located before, rather than after the crucifixion? By doing this John shows us that the cross is not the final indignity suffered by a defeated martyr. Instead it is the coronation of a triumphant King who redeemed the world from a tree of shame. In the coming resurrection God did not rescue Christ Jesus from the disgrace of a scandalous death; rather, He confirmed that the crucifixion was itself the victory that had finished the work of redemption (John 19:30).

This transition in John’s Gospel not only marks a major shift in Christ Jesus’ ministry, but also a shift the role of the disciples. Up to this point after a brief introduction the disciples play a strikingly small part in John’s Gospel. Throughout the great debates in chapters 5-10, when the Jewish authorities demanded witnesses who could testify on Christ Jesus’ behalf, the disciples were not called on nor did they volunteer any defense for their leader. Whenever they did play a modest role, it was usually marred by lack of insight. By contrast, the disciples occupy a prominent place in John 13-21.

There is another contrast that we see between the first 12 chapters and the last 8 chapters of John’s Gospel. In chapters 1-12 the emphasis is on the contrast between light and darkness that judged Israel’s response to the offer of life. In chapters 13-21 the emphasis shifts to the love between the Father and Son that is to be reproduced in the lives of believers. It is this shift that gives the personal and ethical character of what is to become the fellowship of the church.

All these changes start here in chapter 13, as Christ Jesus’ public ministry has drawn to a close. He knows His hour has come, and that His time to teach His disciples is also coming to an end. While the disciples still do not understand what is about to happen Christ Jesus models His love for them.

Czar Nicholas I of Russia assigned a young soldier to a military border fortress and put him in charge of the payroll for the soldiers.

The young man gambled away all his own money and a significant amount of the payroll. One day he heard that a government official was coming to inspect the books, and he knew he was in serious trouble. He totaled the amount he owed and wrote on the page for examination in large letters, “A GREAT DEPT; WHO CAN PAY?” He could not face the terrible dishonor the next day held, so he determined to kill himself at midnight.

Nicholas had acquired a habit of putting on the uniform of a common soldier and visiting his troops. He did this that night, particularly looking for the young friend he had appointed. He came to the barracks shortly before midnight and saw the light on and the door open. He found the young officer asleep, looked at the books, and read the note. Moved by a generous impulse, the Czar leaned over, picked up the pen that had fallen out of the hand of the young officer, and wrote just one word, then tiptoed out.

The man who slept well past midnight, suddenly jerked awake, and reached for his revolver. As he did so, he caught sight of the note - “A GREAT DEBT; WHO CAN PAY? - and under it he saw the one word that had not been there before: Nicholas. He rushed to the files to find the signature of the Czar and compare it with the signature on his note. It was genuine. He said to himself. “the Czar has been here tonight and knows my guilt; yet he has undertaken to pay my dept; I need not die.” - Harry Ironside

John 13:1-5
13:1 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.

1. Love's Hour Had Come (vs. 1-3)

Christ Jesus, knowing that “His hour had come,” or that “His time had come,” shared one last meal His disciples before He left this world. It was a tender, but painful moment.

“this world” - kosmos (kos'-mos) appears 185 times in the New Testament. In the Gospels it appears 8 times in Matthew; 3 in Mark; 3 in Luke; but in the Gospel of John it appears 78 times. When you add in John's epistles and Revelation, 105 of the 185 New Testament uses of kosmos comes from John's pen. John wanted us to know that Christ Jesus has a people in this world that are His own; He has purchased us, and paid dear for us, and He has set us apart for Himself. 

We should devote ourselves to Him as a singular people. He is our God and we are His people. Jeremiah 7:23 says, "But this is what I commanded them, saying, "Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, that it may be well with you.' 

Are you singularly devoted to Christ Jesus? Are you walking in His ways? Those whom Christ loves, He loves to the end or in the Greek; to the limit. Nothing can separate a true believer from the love of Christ. Romans 8:35; 38-39 ~ Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? …For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. There is no limit to God's love for you. You don't know when your hour will come, therefore you have to be ready. You should never become complacent or found lacking in your spiritual life.

Christ Jesus' unconditional and eternal love would bring Him to the Cross. The one who would hand Christ Jesus over to His death was at the table with Him. Even before the beginning of the meal the intention of betrayal had already entered the heart of Judas, who then came under the dominion of the devil. 

Judas was a willing perpetrator whose betrayal of Christ Jesus originated with supernatural sources. “What way of access the devil has to men's hearts we cannot tell. But some sins are so exceedingly sinful, and there is so little temptation to them from the world and the flesh, that it is plain they are directly from Satan.” - Matthew Henry Concise Bible Commentary.

During the meal, the purpose of God was being worked out. The Father had not become a bystander, removed from the evil which was closing in on His Son. God was with Christ Jesus and had given Him authority and power to finish the work that He had come to do.

“The Father had given all things into His hands” (v. 3). Therefore, Christ Jesus was a free man, knowing who He was, why He had come, and what would be the end of His earthly journey. You too are free this morning. Will you choose Christ Jesus and eternal life or will you choose anything else and eternal death.

It was the Passover and Christ Jesus and His disciples were sharing what He knew would be His last meal before His time on earth was up. His betrayer and betrayal were at hand and yet He did something totally unexpected.

2. Love Exemplified (vs. 4-5)

As the supper ends, there is the voluntary humbling of our Lord, Christ Jesus. What volumes the humble action of washing His disciple's feet spoke. 

Let's start with the words “laid aside” (v. 4) and “taken” (v. 12). Notice that they are identical to those He uses when He earlier speaks of His own death as the Good Shepherd: “I lay down my life that I may take it again” (John 10:11, 15, 17, 18). It was an act of incredible humility that Christ Jesus voluntarily did the menial work of a slave, but even more, it is a parable in action of the sacrifice of His own life. 

The other thing I want you to see this morning regarding the garment “laid aside” is this. You must lay aside every thing that would hinder your service and walk with Christ Jesus. For Christ Jesus to stoop to such a piece of drudgery as washing feet should be a humbling experience for us.

Christ Jesus teaches us that nothing is below us wherein we might be of service to God's glory and to the good of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Christ Jesus' actions speak louder than words, “It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many," Matt 20:26-28. 

Christ Jesus put His money where His mouth was so to speak in washing the disciples feet. “I love you this much,” is what He was saying. Christ Jesus washed His disciples' feet, so that He could show them the value of spiritual washing, and the cleansing of the soul from the pollution of sin.

Folks we still need spiritual washing today, and if we are honest about it we need it pretty regularly. If you have not experienced the cleansing of your sins, the washing away of your inequities why not do so this morning? Christ Jesus is still in the washing business.

Conclusion: After the Passover Supper, Christ Jesus reversed normal roles. He knew love's hour had come and knowing this He showed love exemplified. His act of humility in washing the disciple's feet was as unnecessary as it was surprising. It was simultaneously a display of love, a symbol of saving cleansing, and a model of Christian servanthood.

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Phil 2:5-8