The Teacher Knows What He’s Doing (John 13:1-17)
Notes
Here in John 13 we have Jesus trying to teach His disciples one of the most important things you can ever learn, how to live in order to be satisfied by God Himself.
But the disciples are unteachable, because each of them are thinking they’re the greatest.
So Jesus does something that communicates exactly what He wants to say, and He humbles His disciples into the ground so they can learn.
But there’s one disciple there who never did learn what Jesus had to teach. He didn’t do what Jesus wanted, he thought he was doing what he wanted, but he wasn’t. Without realising it he was doing what the devil wanted.
Following Jesus and living His way isn’t a way to live, it is the only way to live, because any other way leads to death.
We’re reading in John 13 beginning with verse 1.
1. John shows us something we don’t usually get to see: the thoughts of two minds. We get to see two different attitudes. The first mind we get to see is Jesus’. He is walking in light
A. The time now is the last night of Jesus’ life. He and His disciples are eating the Passover meal.
B. Jesus knows what time it is, what His purpose is, who He is, where He is going.
1. He knows that He is at the end of His earthly life. He is going to die. But look at how He thinks about it: He is departing this world and going to the Father. Down in verse three, it says He knew that He had come forth from God. He came down from God, He was going back to God.
2. Jesus is aware of what He is doing: He is loving His own. That’s the disciples in the room, and all the people of God in every time right down to the present. His purpose is to love them to the end, that is, completely. He is going to fully love His own and do a complete work of it. Not leave anything undone. Love to the uttermost. That’s His purpose.
3. Jesus knows that He is God. He has His own people whom He has purposed to love fully. The Father has given all things into His hands. He is the owner of all things, people, nations, the world, the galaxies, the angels, heaven: all things. He is returning to all glory and honour. He is God.
C. He even knows that Judas is going to betray Him. He knew it when He chose Judas to be one of His twelve disciples.
D. So Jesus is God. He is the light of the world. He is not in darkness, He is in the light. He knows everything. He owns everything.
2. As God, then, Jesus delivers a humbling lesson.
A. The context for this is,
1. They are in the middle of Passover meal.
2. We also know from the other gospels that the disciples were arguing about who was the greatest. Luke 22:24-27 Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.
B. And then Jesus gets up from the table. He takes off His outer garment, and He’s just wearing his undergarment. This is what a slave would be dressed like.
C. He’s dressed like a slave because washing feet is a really menial job.
1. Everybody is wearing sandals. You walk around, your feet get dirty. You come to someone’s house, they have a slave who will wash your feet. Or maybe you do it, because you can’t walk around someone’s house with dirty outdoor feet. It’s not cool.
2. No one at the table washed their feet. This is really inappropriate.
D. So guess what? Jesus is now dressed as a slave and He’s going to wash their feet. Silence. This is really uncomfortable.
E. Then we notice, disciples are proud. Therefore they can’t learn.
1. Peter can’t understand what is going on so he resists. When I understand, then I’ll go along with You. Jesus says you’ll understand later, but Peter still doesn’t get that he is to submit. So Jesus says if you don’t let Me wash your feet, you have no part in Me. Okay, okay!
2. If God is teaching you, many times He will do the practical first and then explain what is going on. It’s a process, He leads you step by step. He will do this because in order to learn you need to be humble.
3. But here is a room of guys who are arguing about who is the greatest. So Jesus humbles them all. Then they can learn.
4. God humbles us in order to teach us because we are proud. If you are perplexed, frustrated, things happen that you don’t like, that humiliate you, why not pray, “Lord, what are You trying to teach me? Help me to understand.”
4. Now Jesus explains His actions.
A. You call me Teacher and Lord, and you’re right. I am. Jesus is saying that He is God. God washed their feet.
B. He says I’m giving you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. This is a pattern to follow.
C. A servant is not greater than his master. You can’t be above this because I am above you, and I’m doing this.
1. In Luke 22: 25-27 Jesus talks about how the important people are served. And those in authority are called “benefactors” when in reality they benefit themselves. “But it is not so among you. Let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader like the servant. For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table, or the one who serves? But I am among you as the one who serves.”
2. Here in John we see how Jesus made His teaching concrete and unforgettable.
3. It’s really defining the true meaning of greatness. We think that greatness means you are on the top and loads of people serve under you. But Jesus shows us who God is: He is the One who serves and makes life better for others. Whoever loves others is great. Whoever loves the most and makes life better for the most is the greatest.
5. Here is the unexpected revelation: this is how you are blessed.
A. With our backwards thinking we go, okay, but that means doing the stuff that no one else wants to do. The short end of the stick. I lose, everyone else wins but me. That can’t be happy.
B. Jesus again thinks differently: if you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.
C. There is a world of difference between happy and blessed.
1. Happy is based on circumstances working out. Largely based on chance and luck. And happiness is temporary because the circumstances in this world are temporary. “And they lived happily ever after” doesn’t exist because all things in this world come to an end. This world will come to an end.
2. Blessed is not chance, but planned. It’s the result of God watching over your life and making all things work together for good. That means the good things and the bad things that happen to you. The Bible proves this with life after life where bad things happen and God works it ALL out for good. That means there is a real satisfaction in this life. God is the one who satisfies our hearts.
3. But there is a condition to this promise: He makes all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. You love God, you are His called according to His purpose, not your own. That’s because His purpose is eternal, given to us in Christ Jesus before the world began. That’s 2 Timothy 1:9. This is the purpose of all creation, that will result in eternal life with God. You respond to God’s call to repent from pursuing your own purpose. You obey Jesus in His purpose, which is, to be like Him, to love those around you completely. Then you will be blessed, and that’s better than happy.
6. The alternative to living Jesus’ life and doing His works is doing our own will, and that can never be blessed.
A. There’s another disciple at the table eating the Passover. Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son. We get to see his unseen attitudes and thoughts as well.
B. We know from the other gospels that at this point he has already gone to the chief priests and made them a deal to betray Jesus to them.
C. He also does not know that he is really doing the devil’s purpose. He is unaware that it’s not his idea, it’s the devil’s idea.
D. Judas has no idea that he is doing the very thing that will lead to his death. And not only his death, but his eternal condemnation. He has no clue.
E. Part of Judas’ purpose is to be among the disciples. But he’s not doing the disciple thing in his mind. He’s not following Jesus in his mind. He is doing his own thing. He is betraying Jesus, he is also betraying all the disciples.
7. So look at these two minds that John shows us.
A. One of them knows exactly who He is, where He is going, what He is doing, why He is there. Jesus is walking in light. He is the light.
B. The other does not know who he really is, what he is really doing, where he is really going, who he is really serving. If you had asked him, he would have told you with confidence, I know exactly what I’m doing. I have a plan. It’s going to work. Judas has no clue that he is in the dark.
7. Here’s how we apply this to ourselves.
A. Jesus is always teaching the world. It’s His world. In order to teach us He often humbles us. I believe He is doing that now with this lockdown. Does Jesus have your attention?
B. Here’s what Jesus is still saying today: I have loved you completely. I have served You and washed you of your sins. Now I want you follow My example to do the same for one another. I want you to look for needs and meet them. If I did it, then you can, too. You are not above doing this. And you will be blessed, just as I was blessed. Are you following Jesus?
C. Following Jesus is the only right way to live. If you are living any other way, you are wrong, and you are under the condemnation of God. “And the condemnation is this, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness because their deeds were evil. For everyone practising evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God,” John 3:19-21.
D. If you know you are not following Jesus, then realise you are in the dark. You are not in control, the devil is. You are doing the work of the devil and you will receive the devil’s condemnation.
E. That’s pretty hard, isn’t it? In this era of fake news how do we know this is true? Because Jesus proved He was God: He came back from the dead. Because Judas did his own thing and found out too late he was deceived by the devil. He got everything he wanted but it didn’t turn out like he thought.
F. If you are following Jesus, then are you following His example that He laid out for you?
1. It’s not washing people’s feet. You never see that in the rest of the whole New Testament. But what it does say is seek the things above, where Christ is. And especially this: love one another.
2. Is loving people your purpose? Loving others is not many people’s purpose because it’s not personally flashy. It doesn’t build your brand or sell more merchandise.
3. Love focuses on the other person. You have to deny yourself.
4. The devil is working to discourage you as you love people. He is always whispering that you’re going to get the short end of the stick. You should try to be somebody, so everybody goes, “Oooooh, ahhhh,” when they see you. It doesn’t matter what people think. What does God think? Loving people is not you being amazing, it’s Jesus loving through you so that Jesus gets the glory. You will be blessed.
Are you living for Jesus, or are you living like Judas? Let’s pray.