One thing that has seemingly occurred in our day is that God's love has become his all-encompassing attribute. People think that hell is not real, judgment unlikely, and sin permissible, all on the basis that God must be a loving God. What is going on in such assessments is that people are forgetting the holiness of God. For because God is holy and just, judgment is sure, sin is not tolerated, and hell is not only real but eternal for those who spurn the Son of God.

Yet one thing we want to guard against (as we see such abuses regarding God's love) is pointing out such abuses only to ignore God's love altogether. For the Scripture does not say that God is holy, not loving, but that he is holy and loving. In fact, it is only in seeing his holiness that demands payment for sin that we see his greatest act of love, sending his Son to die on the cross for us.

As we think of God's great love, we need look no further than John 13:1-30. In these verses we are reminded again and again of how great God's love is as we witness the actions and words of Christ. And I think Christ's love is exactly what John wants us to see in this chapter. For in this chapter as Jesus washes his disciples' feet, John begins the chapter writing in verse 1: "Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end." Thus, I think that the verses that follow simply are a display of that great love.

Therefore, this morning I want us to see two main things in this text. The first is simply the magnitude of Jesus' love. For it seems that John is trying to make sure that the reader understands this point. Then, second, I want us to look at how we should respond to such love from our Lord. Therefore, let's first look at the magnitude of Jesus' love toward his people.

The Magnitude of Jesus' Love

As aforementioned, John begins this section writing that Jesus loved his disciples to this point and he loved the end. But he does not stop there. Rather, John goes on to show just how Jesus demonstrated his love for them that night.

John writes that Jesus "rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 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" (vv. 4-5). That is to say, he took on the dress of a servant, a slave, and washed their feet. This position of service was looked down upon by both Jews and Gentiles. It was simply one of the lowest forms of service of the day.

But was it because Jesus did not realize who he really was? No, he absolutely knew who he was. In fact, John's statement that Jesus rose from supper is prefaced with these words: "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 ..." (v. 3). Jesus knew exactly who he was. He was the Master, Lord, and King, and yet he humbled himself, "adopting the dress of a menial slave"¹ and washed their feet. Therefore, the disciples were shocked and stunned. But by this, they had to have known Jesus' great love for them.

And even Judas is included among this group. I mean, you have the one who has all power and could have destroyed the devil and eliminated Judas with his divine might, and yet he washes his disciples' feet, including his betrayer.

So, John tells us that Jesus loved his disciples, and then he shows us this act of love. And yet there's more. In the midst of all of this, he tells his disciples that he is going to be betrayed by one of them.

But, why? Is it so that they might grieve for him and understand how much he's put up with wondering around three years with this ragtag group? No. He was telling them all of this so that they might believe when all of these surprising and shocking events unfold. Jesus says in verses 18-19, "I am not speaking of all of you [in referring to those who obey him]; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, 'He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.' I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he."

In one of his darkest hours, he is still laboring for the good of his followers.

Finally, however, the greatest way in which Jesus' words and actions in John 13:1-30 display his love is in that they point us to the cross. I think this is clear from verses 6-8. When Jesus comes to Peter to wash his feet, Peter sees that this is a reversal of roles and says to Jesus: "Lord, do you wash my feet?" And when Jesus responds, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand," Peter answers, "You shall never wash my feet." Finally, Jesus answers, "If I do not wash you, you have no share with me."

Now, there are two things in this conversation that lead me to believe that Jesus is doing all of this so as to point them to the cross. First, Jesus tells Peter that he doesn't understand what Jesus is doing now, but afterward he will understand. "After what?" we might ask. And I think the answer is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Second, Jesus tells Peter that unless Jesus washes him, he will have no share with him. That seems to be; unless you are spiritually cleansed from your sins and made holy you will not inherit the Kingdom of God. And because our spiritual cleansing is rooted in Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection, I think Jesus is making clear that this humbling of himself to serve them will ultimately be climaxed in his serving them by laying down his life for them.

Carson writes, "The foot washing was shocking to Jesus' disciples, but not half as shocking as the notion of a Messiah who would die the hideous and shameful death of crucifixion, the death of the damned. But the two events - the foot washing and the crucifixion - are truly of a piece: the revered and exalted Messiah assumes the role of the despised servant for the good of others."¹

Indeed, Jesus was humbling himself for their sakes here, but it was ultimately pointing to the most humbling act for their good - his death on the cross for their life.

Therefore, it seems quite clear in all of this that John wants to ensure his readers of the magnitude of Jesus' love. He came to serve, he cares for our needs, and he was willing to lay down his own life in order that we ourselves might have life.

But what do we do with that? Do we just say, "Okay, that's great!" and go home? No. We must respond appropriately to such love from our Lord toward us. Therefore, I want to spend the second half of our time this morning showing how we should respond to this text.

How We Should Respond to Such Love

We are not given truth in the Scriptures just to be an end in themselves. We are given truth to the end that we might respond to it. So, how should we respond to God's great love for us in Jesus Christ? There are three ways that I want us to see this morning.

1. We should realize and cherish our forgiveness

As Peter refused to have his feet washed by Jesus and Jesus responded, "If I do not wash you, you have no share with me" it reminds us that there was a barrier between us and God. In short, we were a dirty, indeed filthy, people and, therefore, unable to come before a holy God. Yet, Jesus goes on to proclaim (after Peter says to wash his whole body), "The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you [speaking of Judas]" (v. 10). Therefore, for those who have repented of their sins and placed their faith in Jesus Christ as their only hope for salvation, this morning we stand clean.

Now, yes, we do need to continually confess our sins. The Scripture teaches that. Yet it also teaches that once we have placed our faith in Christ, we are forgiven, cleansed, and set apart. We are God's clean and holy people.

Isn't that remarkable?! You know yourself and I know myself. I could say of all of us that if we were even simply to broadcast all the thoughts we've ever had on this overhead screen (let alone, actions and words) then none of us would want to remain in this room. Maybe even today you walk in and are weighed down by the reality of your own sin. Then confess your sin, repent of your sin, and realize and cherish the forgiveness, the cleansing that is made possible because of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection.

One of the lessons I think Jesus wanted his disciples to learn even on that side of the cross was what his death, burial, and resurrection would accomplish. They would be made clean.

Our forgiveness, our cleansing, and the magnitude thereof is something of which we most definitely give too little thought. Therefore, I urge you to contemplate forgiveness and to cherish the reality thereof. Even as this afternoon we will celebrate a baptismal service, let it be a reminder to all of us who know Christ that because we have died, been buried, and been raised with Christ, we are cleansed from and forgiven of sin. And let us cherish that reality.

2. We should humble ourselves and serve others

After washing their feet, Jesus returned to his seat and said, "Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 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. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them" (vv. 12-17).

Service is difficult isn't it? Our flesh tells us that we deserve great things. When we see people living the lifestyle of the rich and famous, we do not say, "Man, if I could serve others the way these are being served" but rather, "Man, if I could be served like that." And even in the church, we are continually tempted to think highly of ourselves. And it all comes back to pride, doesn't it? We simply do not want to humble ourselves in service to the rest of the body unless somehow it is going to result in our pride somehow being lifted up in this life before man.

Yet Jesus gives us quite a different picture. If we think highly of ourselves, then we need only look to Jesus to be humbled. He is God. He holds the world together. There is nothing to which we might compare him. Yet, here he's washing his disciples feet. We are to do likewise. This is the point of Philippians 2:4-9 in which Paul writes, "Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is ours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

We are to have that same mindset. Or to say it differently, just as Christ was sent from the Father into the world to rightly represent the Father [i.e. Jesus did and said exactly what the Father told him so that if you've seen Jesus you've seen the Father, and therein was the Father glorified] so we are to rightly represent Christ to the glory of God the Father. We see that even in our text this morning. Jesus says, "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me" (v. 20). After telling them that they should serve others even as Jesus has served them, he tells them that even as he has been sent, so he now sends his followers.

Therefore, in saying that we should humble ourselves and serve one another, we might also say that we should fulfill our divine mission as ambassadors for Christ. Thus, we should wake up and intentionally seek out ways in which we might serve one another. And only in thinking in those terms will we rightly represent our Master and Teacher who has served us, ultimately with his life.

3. Finally, we should follow and trust our Lord even in dark times

After washing the disciples' feet, Jesus tells them that one of them will betray him. And he says, "I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he" (v. 19). Then, after John asks him, he reveals that it is Judas by giving him a morsel and telling him, "What you are going to do, do quickly" (v. 27).

This would have seemed like a very dark hour. In fact, the phrase that John uses to end this section is: "And it was night" (v. 30), which is probably to point us to the darkness of the sin that was occurring with Judas.

Ultimately this night would lead to Jesus' arrest, trial, and crucifixion. These hours would indeed be dark and Jesus' followers confused. Yet at this hour, this night of the feast, Jesus is preparing them for that time. He is telling them that their cleansing will come through his ultimate act of service.

Therefore, even as there are times in our lives when things are dark, the events of life are dim, and we are wondering what good might come of this (whatever "this" might be), we can trust Christ and obey him in all things.

This idea is probably summed up in words no better than in William Cowper's hymn, "God Moves in a Mysterious Way" in which he writes:
God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.
Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will.
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.
His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.
Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.

Trust the Lord even in dark times. For even this night was preparing the way for our cleansing and forgiveness.

Therefore, this morning, are you cherishing forgiveness, actively seeking to serve others, and trusting Christ at all times? These are some ways I think we can rightly respond to the magnitude of Christ's love for us. Thus, as we come to the table in closing this morning, might we reflect on his love and our forgiveness, and may our participation in this meal be our declaration that we will fulfill our divine mission, trusting our Lord each and every moment. May his grace be with us. Amen.

¹ D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991), 463.
² Ibid., 467.

A MASTER'S SERVICE AND A MESSIAH'S DEATH

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