John 13:1-17 (NIV)

1It 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.
2The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. 3Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
6He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
8“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
9“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
10Jesus answered, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
12When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13“You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 15I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
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John 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."

With this verse John begins the final section of his Gospel.
What follows is the detailed account of the full extent of the love of Jesus Christ.

This is Palm Sunday.
It’s also called Passion Sunday.

Today we begin Holy Week, which leads up to Good Friday and then to Easter. Our lesson paves the way for all that is to come.

John 13: 1-17 tells us of some remarkable things that occurred the night before Jesus died.

In the Upper Room, Jesus and the twelve disciples had gathered to celebrate the Passover Meal. Jesus took that meal and turned it into the Sacrament we call the Lord's Supper or Holy Communion.

John also tells us that Jesus rose to His feet—laid aside His outer garment—wrapped a towel around His waist—poured water into a basin—and began to wash and dry the disciple's feet.

John is very slow and deliberate and clear in his description of this event.
It’s an event of tremendous significance.

Why is it so significant?

There are many reasons.
But, before we go into that, it will help to have some background.

First, the custom of washing a guest's feet was an important one. The roads of Palestine were dry and dusty. As guests arrived it was customary for the host to have his slave refresh the guests by washing their feet.

This was an important custom but a menial task. Feet weren’t considered the most pleasing part of the body. Only the lowliest slave would do such a job. The host would never stoop to that kind of humiliation.

And yet Jesus took it upon Himself to serve the disciples in just that way.

Another important background point is what was going on in the disciple's lives at that moment.

The other Gospels tell us that the disciples had been arguing amongst themselves as to who was the greatest.

Pride, selfishness, ego—these were very much a part of the dynamics of the evening.

And there was another dynamic going on—the dynamic of betrayal as Judas Iscariot pondered what he was about to do.

As Jesus rose to serve the disciples, the dynamics of pride and betrayal were there and Jesus knew it.

Jesus knew it and Jesus served them anyway!
Jesus served them anyway!

He washed the feet of the men whose egos were bigger than the room.
He washed the feet of the man who was to turn Him over to the authorities who would crucify Him.

Jesus rose and became a slave for men whose own needs came before anything or anyone else.

What was happening here went far beyond a ritualistic action.

Jesus was, in fact, acting out a parable.
This living parable has eternal meaning for us all.

After Jesus was finished He asked the disciples if they understood what He had just done for them. The parable came with a clear explanation to drive the point home.

The essence of the lesson comes in two thoughts.

First, in verse 13 Jesus said to the disciples that they called Him "Teacher and Lord."

In verse 14 Jesus referred to Himself as "Lord and Teacher.

A subtle change with an incredible impact.

The title teacher or rabbi was one of honour. It meant a great deal in those times.
The title "Lord", though, meant much, much more.

It meant "Master."
It meant supreme.

It brought with it a sense of duty, not just to learn from but to follow.

Jesus was Lord first—Master first—God first.

In emphasizing His divinity, Jesus put even more meaning into His act of service.

This wasn’t simply a noted teacher serving his students.
This wasn’t just a respected leader serving his troops.

This was God stooping down and taking the role of slave for a bunch of proud and undeserving men.

John Brodie, former quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, was once asked why a million?dollar player like him should have to do such a menial job as holding the ball for field goals and converts.
"Well," said Brodie, straight-faced, "if I didn't hold the ball, it would fall over."

Somebody had to do it.
Why not him?
The humility of a famous athlete.

How much more significant to see the humility of Christ acted out so incredibly.

The impact of this must have been earthshaking to the disciples—utterly earthshaking!

The second point Jesus' living parable sought to make comes in verse 15:

Jesus said, "I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you."

Jesus' act of service wasn’t just for them to remember and appreciate. It was to be expressed in and through their own lives, over and over again.

The disciples weren’t just to follow Jesus on earth, but were to follow one another with a spirit of humility and co-operation.

They were called to serve!

We are fast approaching Good Friday.

When we come together to worship on that day, the Cross is very much on our minds.
Jesus was nailed to the Cross on Good Friday.
He died on Good Friday.

Our Scripture lesson might seem removed from the events of Good Friday but it isn’t.

If there are two symbols of Jesus' ministry we need to burn deep into our minds and hearts, they are the towel and the Cross.

The towel used to wipe the disciple's feet speaks to us of humility, obedience and sacrifice.

It gives a concrete example that we are called to follow.

The Cross, on which our Lord gave up His life for us, speaks of the same things—humility, obedience and sacrifice.

And so, when we remember the towel and the Cross, we realize that they are entwined together for a reason. They help us understand our Lord and realize our necessity to respond to Him with commitment, love and self-sacrifice.
In the shadow of the Cross we are challenged to take up the towel.

A sculptor named Brianto was desperately poor. As he worked on a statue of Mercury the last of his fuel ran out. It was bitterly cold outside.
Brianto feared the cold would damage the damp clay so he took all the blankets he had, his outer garments—everything he could find to wrap around the statue.
It was three days before someone realized they hadn't seen him. When they entered his workshop they found Brianto frozen to death.
In spite of the artist's efforts one of the arms of the statue had fallen away. It was decided to commemorate the artist's sacrifice by casting the statue in bronze just as it was. That statue remains to this day in a Paris museum—a silent yet eloquent tribute to the sacrificial devotion of Brianto to his work.

In the shadow of the Cross we are challenged to take up the towel!
We are challenged to serve with self-sacrifice.

As Christians we have work to do.

We have the work of the Kingdom of God.

That means work within this congregation to strengthen it.
It means work outside this congregation to strengthen God's influence in our community, country and world.

The work that we have is costly.

To be effective we need to keep our focus on the towel and the Cross.
In God's Holy Spirit we find the resources to be obedient to God and humble before others.

Jesus told the disciples that the washing of their feet wasn't just an isolated event.

It was an example.

That example remains as real and vivid and demanding for us as it was for the disciples.

This Holy Week, as we contemplate the Cross and what Christ has done for us, let us also contemplate the towel and what we are to do for one another.

Service,
self-sacrifice,
humility,
love.

These are the lessons of the Upper Room and Good Friday.

If we make them a part of our Christian journey, we will make every day a good day for ourselves and everyone else!
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© The Rev. Dennis Cook, St. Timothy’s Presbyterian Church, Ajax, ON, Canada