Loved to Love Part 1 - Christ’s Love for His People - John 13:1-11

1:53Jesus said to him, He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not all of you. For he knew the one who was betraying him. For this reason, he said, Not all of you are clean. I want to take a moment just to pray as we approach these words. Heavenly Father, come to this passage. Confess my heart is so full of what you have revealed in these few verses that we have before us. And Father, it is my desire that the truth of these words would come forth, would penetrate hearts, would change the way we think about the degree of your love for us. Father, that John 13 would be a monumental Moment in this church's life.

3:05We look to you to accomplish all this by your Spirit. In Christ's name, amen. Well, here we come to John chapter 13. Very different place in Scripture, very different place in the Gospel of John. First 12 chapters are really focused on the light that's being shed. The crowds are in view, and they have rejected his light. Chapter 13 and on focus on the disciples. Except, I mean, there are no more crowds. He doesn't speak anymore to the crowds. He speaks a few words to those who arrested him and a few words to those who tried him. But other than that, the words are all directed to his disciples. In fact, if you look at the time sweep that these represent, the first 12 chapters really represent the first two, three years of Christ's ministry, depending on how you organize the feast. This last 13 and on really covers about a week, except for the epilogue, which shows up a little bit later. But we're talking about all these words that we're about to embark on and study.

4:31This really takes place in a final week, and it's really all directed to Jesus preparing his disciples for his departure. Final words, final thoughts, and he turns his attention to his disciples. And so that's what we're going to be looking at. We're going to take this, be in here several weeks in chapter 13, and I pray that it will be a time of great treasure for you. While we're talking about treasure, I'm going to ask you a question: What is the greatest treasure that you have?

5:19Now, let me get more direct. As a follower of Christ, how would you answer this question? What is the greatest treasure that you possess? I want you to be thinking about that as we work our way through this text this morning, and I'll come back and speak more directly to it at the end. But here we are: the light has been presented, it has been rejected, but there are those who did receive him. And in chapter 13, Jesus issues his followers a new. Commandment. All of this foot washing event is going to culminate in verse 34 with a new commandment. A new commandment I give to you that you love one another even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this, all men will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.

6:22So here is an example of love. Here is a commandment to love each other. And when you start processing it and really take these words at their true meaning, you realize he's talking about us loving each other to a degree that is beyond human comprehension. To love each other in the way that he loved us is truly beyond our ability. And the question is, how can we love like this? Well, that's the answer we're going to find in chapter 13. Jesus washed his disciples' feet. This whole section of scripture begins with this foot washing ceremony, this foot washing event.

7:17And then, what are we to make of it? Well, let me suggest to you a couple of interpretations that miss the point. There is this concept that what Jesus is. Is trying to do here is institute another ordinance or some kind of ritual. There are a number of denominations that teach not just two ordinances, and I'm talking Protestant circles. We would affirm two ordinances: the ordinances of what? Baptism and Lord's Supper. Well, there are those who would affirm foot washing needs is also an ordinance. There are other many traditions that see the importance of a yearly ritual, right? And if you are in some of those traditions, you will recognize the word Maundy Thursday, right? Maundy Thursday.

8:14The word Maundy comes from the Latin word mandatum, or where we would get the English word mandate, and a Monday. Bring that to Maundy Thursday. And it refers to this foot washing event ceremony that is something that Christ here in John chapter 13 intends for his disciples to do. And so if we look at some of the just some pictures from this last year, there is a priest. If you'll notice what's taking place in the picture on your left, there is a priest. They bring in some of the poor. In the area, and then they come up on the platform and they have this great ceremony of foot washing. There, the other picture shows a picture of the Pope. He is in a prison, and he has gone to the prisoners and he is washing their feet. A lot of pomp, a lot of media, a lot of theatrics.

9:27But there's several things wrong with both of these pictures. Number one, the people that Jesus refers to that are to be washed are not the poor, not the prisoners, but the brethren, that you will love one another. Yeah, I mean, there's plenty of scripture about how we are to treat the poor, how we are to love the poor, how we are to reach out to those in prison, how we are to minister the gospel in certain, but not here.

10:05To reduce this to a ministry outside of the body of Christ is to miss the plain expression, the plain commandment. Also, if you notice, there's a lot of flowing robes on there. Both priests depicted have all their robes on. Let me tell you what this scene probably looked like in John 13. Jesus. Stripped down almost to what we would consider embarrassing. He didn't do anything indecent, of course. He certainly was covered, but there was probably a lot more skin. He took the form of a household slave. He wasn't dressed in robes, and there's, and this wasn't just an event. Another thing wrong with the picture is that somehow we can orchestrate this theatrical event and somehow think we are honoring the commandment here. When the commandment is very clearly, this is the expression of love that God has for his people and how his people are to express love towards one another. It is a daily action. It is not a one-time event once a year or whatever.

11:31And listen, I don't want to say anything that is, you can misunderstand here. I have nothing against rituals so long as they serve to remember the realities that they were intended to teach. And there can be much condescension in a humble ceremony, right? Which completely misses the point. We are to be ready all through our life to wash the feet of our brethren and all that that implies. Well, that's one interpretation that reduces this down to something a lot easier than what Christ has commanded his disciples. Second intention or interpretation is that Jesus is simply giving us a moral mandate, simply an ethical virtue to be praised. And this is an ethical virtue that's to be praised. It's to be admired. It's to be obeyed. It's to be emulated. In fact, if you look at verse 15, Jesus says, for I gave you an example that you should do as I did to you. And often we come away from this text with this new moral principle that we must live up to.

12:54So fathers, love your family like this. Each time that you do anything out of self-interest, you are exalting yourself above the throne of God. So therefore, when you leave here today, I want you to always be loving your people around you, in your family, and everywhere in the body like Christ. Be ready to humbly be crucified for their benefit if that's what it comes to. Go do that. Happy Father's Day. As you really understand the commandment here, it's more strenuous than anything that has been revealed in the Old Testament law. Excuse me. So, what is Jesus doing here? Well, he's giving us, I believe, a paradigm. He's giving us a paradigm to understand his love for us. And then the natural thing to do is to go and love like this. So, oftentimes, if you just come away with a moral principle to obey here, you're going to completely lack the power to do so, because you first must realize that this is an expression of his love before you can go out and love like this.

14:26I see this foot washing display as a wonderful expression of Christ's love and really the greatest treasure that his followers possess. And this paradigm sets the stage for everything that's going to come in John 13 and the rest of the book. You're really not going to understand the cross outside this paradigm. This paradigm says a lot about what's coming. You really can't understand his priestly ministry until you understand this paradigm. And this foot washing event was a gift of revelation to his disciples that they might know the heart of Christ who has ascended into heaven.

15:16What a gift he gives them and gives us. And so I want you to understand the degree to which you are loved so that you will love each other in the like manner. If you will understand the principles here, you will be satisfied in him. Your heart will be full. So I hope you're ready to go and listen. Well, first of all, I want you to see the one who loves, and then I want to look at the nature of his love. So, first of all, I want you to see the one who loves. And there are three truths, I'm sorry, four truths that I want to bring to your attention here. Actually, three truths. I'm sorry. Three truths. First of all, I want you to see what he knew. What he knew. And there are four things in which he knew. Look back at verse 1. First of all, he knew that his crucifixion was near. Verse 1. Now, before the feast of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that his hour had come, that he would depart out of this world to the Father. So he knew his hour had come, speaking of the hour of crucifixion. He knew that he was going to the Father, and all the horrors that this crucifixion involved, he knew it was near. Second thing he knew, he knew that his betrayal was imminent. Look at verse 2. During supper, the devil, having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray him. So he knew he was at that very moment that the devil had already put into Judas's heart the idea, the notion, the will to betray him. So he knew the horror that was waiting, and he knew the betrayal that was at hand. And by the way, let me say something about Judas here. Judas is not an innocent victim.

17:32Look at the text. The devil put this in Judas's heart. He sowed something in his heart that became a conviction, a plan. But Judas was not innocent here. It's not like Judas is saying, you know, I think I'm going to follow Christ. Can't wait to get to Jerusalem. And then all of a sudden, the devil's like, oh, no, I'm going to crucify. I'm going to betray. No, it's not like that. Judas all along had followed Christ with ulterior motives for what he could get out of it. And listen, when you walk, when you play games with Christ, when you play games with religion, and when you play games with Scripture, you're putting yourself in a very precarious situation.

18:28So Jesus knew that crucifixion was near. He knew betrayal was imminent. He knew that he possessed all authority. He knew that he possessed all authority. Look at verse 3. Jesus, knowing, and he understood this, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hand. So here is crucifixion is near. Betrayal is imminent, but he also knows that all things are in his hand, all authority. Going to the cross isn't going to increase his authority status. He's not trying to go and accomplish something that increases his authority. All things are already put under, are already in his hands.

19:18He has power to redeem. He has power not to. He has all authority. And look at the fourth thing he knew. He knew that he was returning to the seat of glory. Look back at verse 3. Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hand and that he had come forth from God and was going back to God, he knew he had come from glory and that he was going back to glory. He knew this.

19:51Even his glory, he's going to, it's not going to change his seat of glory. He is still going to be seated at the right hand of the Father. He knows. He knows. So, what he knew is significant. He knew that his crucifixion was near. He knew that betrayal was imminent. He knew that he possessed all authority, and he knew that he was returning to his seat of glory. He had all power, all glory. He didn't need anything else. And he also knew the horrors that awaited him. So, in light of what he knew and what he possessed, what he did is truly remarkable and voluntary, completely in his authority, with no diminishment of who he is.

20:46So, that's what he knew. Second thing I want to look about: this one who loves, I want you to see who he loved, who he loved. Look back. At verse 1, now before the feast of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that his hour had come and that he would depart out of this world, look at that next clause, having loved his own who were in the world. So here's Jesus about to depart, and that the crucifixion, burial, resurrection is all part of his ascension back to glory. He knows all this, and as he's about to depart this world, he has one eye fixed on the Father and one eye fixed on his own.

21:43And notice, he does not have his eye fixed on the whole world, but his own. And who are his own? Well, John has already told us about this. Remember John chapter 6, verse 37? Who are his own? All that the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will certainly not cast out. They are the ones who have been given by the Father. They are the ones who have come.

22:11Verse chapter 1, verse 12, you remember, or in verse 11, you remember, it said he came to his own, and those who were his own did not receive him, speaking of the Jewish nation. But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in his name. Who were born not of blood, nor the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God. So, who are his own? The gifts that he has given, who have come in faith, and he loves them. He loves these.

22:50Make sure you get this. There is a distinction. Yes, God loves the whole world. I believe you have scripture that yes, he loves all humanity, but not like his own. And don't let that truth ever be taken from you. He loves his own. This text speaks about your greatest treasure. Third thing about I want you to see about the one who loves, I want you to see how he loved them. How he loved them. Look back at verse 1, the very end. How did he love them? He loved them to the end. You see that? Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. That speaks of how he loved them.

23:51He loved them. And the word is chaos. It's not just to the end of an event like. Like to the end of his earthly stay. Now, it's a word that speaks to the extremities. He loved them to the utmost. He loved them beyond human comprehension. Because we can't even fathom limitless boundaries. But this word expresses this length, this breadth. He loved to the utmost. And it's important to understand: his love is a fundamental component of who he is.

24:50His love is a fundamental component of who he is. He loves his own, and he loves his own to the absolute utmost. That's who he is. He can't help but do that because that's who he is. And such love is beyond our capabilities. And it's the way that we're going to be known to truly be his disciples. It is Jesus' express commandment. And he loves them to the utmost. Now, let's understand the nature of this love that is to the utmost.

25:40So, we looked at the one who loves. Now, I want you to see the nature of his love. And this is where we go into further detail of what being loved to the utmost looks like. You see, Christ's love is very different from what is popularly called love today. And there are four characteristics of Christ's love for his people that I want you to see here in the time we have. First of all, Christ's love acts. It acts.

26:14It moves him to act for the benefit of his people. Look back, just pick it up in verse 2. During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hand, and that he had come forth from God and was going back to God. Notice what happens in verse 4. He got up from supper. He got up. It's interesting to note that what John does here is he uses this present tense so much. It's like he's taking us in so that we can, in real time, watch this event take place. He, and really, a good translation. Is getting up because it is a present verb and it's passive. Getting up when you're passive or in the middle, something is compelling you to do something. And getting up, something moved him. And what was it that moved him? The dirty feet of his disciples. There was a need, right? There was a need. Something was inappropriate. Something needed to be taken care of. And we just spent some time in Israel, as many of you know, and one of the things that would happen after a long day of walking dusty roads, your feet get pretty messed up. Now, I took some leather shoes, and what I would do is just rinse my leather shoes off. But if you wore sandals, like my wife did, or some of my kids, the first thing you do is when you come into the room, the first thing you're interested in doing is washing your feet before you do anything else. I mean, there's all kinds of limestone powder and clay dust, and then you mix that with sweat and heat, and wow, you can really have some dirty feet.

28:15Now, that's not something, you know, in our world today, you know, we don't relate to that well. It's like my primary need right now isn't to have my feet washed. You know, now some of you maybe, but that may be your need this morning, but. Most of that, that's something then, not now. And what Jesus is doing is he's giving a timeless principle. He's not just saying, okay, this is limited to defeat or empty ceremony, but true need.

28:48And so he was moved to act. And that's what true love does: it acts. True love is moved to act for the benefit of people. And that's Christ's love for his people. Second thing about Christ's love, second characteristic, is that it serves. It serves. Notice in verse 4, he got up from supper and laid aside his garments. And taking a towel, he girded himself. Notice it says he laid aside his garments. So there's some, he may be dressed down very low, and then he takes a towel or a linen cloth, literally. And there would have been a linen cloth that would have had a long end to it that he could tie up, and he girded himself.

29:46So Jesus is possibly down to his skivvies. And this is what's so shocking about this event. He is taken. The form and posture of a household slave. That's the point. And he did so in order to wash his disciples' feet. You see, Christ's love serves. You see, the desire to be served is the very opposite of love. And by nature, love serves. That's what love is: it serves. It's moved for the benefit of others, and it's compelled to serve. So you must take a lowlier posture before those you love. In other words, if you love somebody, or if you serve somebody because they're going to serve you, that's really just a dramatic way to love yourself, is it not?

31:00So if you have the ability to benefit others, you see their need, and you're moved, and you serve, you're compelled by true love. That's what it does. But if you serve so that someone else can serve you or so that you can see, that's just another way of using people, and it's not love. Third thing about the nature of Christ's love is that it cleanses. It cleanses. It always leads to a right relationship with God. Look at verse 5. Then he poured water into the basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wash them with the towel with which he was girded.

31:57He removed that which was inappropriate for the occasion. That's what he did. He washed that which was inappropriate for the occasion. His love is a cleansy love. And it's going to be evident in the next couple of verses that he's talking spiritually here. He's painting a spiritual picture. And this is what Christ's love does. It always leads in a cleansing way. He's got one eye on the Father. He's got an eye on his own. He is that perfect, loving mediator. And he is always going to lead. He's always going to orchestrate events. He's always going to be attentive in your life for the purpose of cleansing that which is inappropriate.

32:51He never leads in a way of shame. You know what love is? Anybody claims to love you and they lead you in a way that causes you to love you. Shame before God. That is not love at all. Fourth characteristic of Christ's love is that it seeks communion. It seeks communion. It seeks to remove those offenses that cause communion to cease or make communion impossible. So Christ's love seeks communion. That's its purpose. Pick it up in verse 6.

33:30So he came to Simon Peter and he said to him, Lord, do you wash my feet? Jesus answered and said to him, What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter. And in verse 6, the emphasis in the Greek is, Lord, you, my feet? That's the end. You, me, you're going to wash my feet? Jesus says, what I do, you don't realize now, but you will later. So Jesus is laying down, he's doing this action for the purpose of communicating a truth that they're going to need and come to realize later.

34:17Look at what Peter says. Never, verse 8, shall you wash my feet. Never. No way, this is way out of order. Never. Are you going? To wash my feet. And look at Jesus' words. If I do not wash you, you have no part with me at all. Peter, if I do not wash you, you have nothing. You and I have nothing to do with each other if I do not wash you. Look at Peter's response. Simon Peter said to him, verse 9, Lord, then wash not only my feet, but my hands and my head. I love that, right? Okay, okay, okay, if that's the case, wash my feet, my hands, my head. You just gotta love Peter.

35:19You know, I've got a son, picture what's happening. You're like, suppose I've got this son who now has got his driver's permit, okay? And he's learning to drive. And suppose we're driving down the road, and I say, son, you need to make a U-turn. He goes, Dad, absolutely. I'm so, I love you so much, and I just want to do, I'm going to do two U-turns. I'm going to do a U-turn, and then I'm going to do a U-turn again.

35:50I'm like, son, you're going to end up going down the same place I sent you. That's basically what Peter does here. Makes two U-turns. You know, okay, well, then. Wash my hands and everything. And Jesus is like, no, let me teach. Let me teach. He may have overcompensated, but he certainly, you see the heart behind it. This is what, and Jesus is cleansing him. We'll look at that a little more next week. But Jesus said to him, he who is bathed needs only to wash his feet. Or literally, the one who has been washed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not all of you, for he knew the one who was betraying him, and for this reason he said, not all of you are clean. So it's possible that they had already taken a bath that night. Certainly you're coming to a Passover meal, or certainly that day, who knows? But the point that Jesus is saying is, look, if you're already bathed, if you're already been washed, you just need to have your feet washed, okay? Because you picked up some dirt along the way. That's going to be life. You're going to pick up some dirt, and you're going to have to, you're already clean. He calls them clean, but you still need to kick the dirt off your feet.

37:14But then he says, but not all of you are clean. And this is how we know he's talking beyond just physical dirt. For he knew the one who was betraying him. For this reason, he said, not all of you are clean. So if you picture this metaphorically, You've got a bunch of, you've got 12 people in the room, 11 of them have been bathed and got a little dirt on their feet. There's one who is completely dirty, filthy, and it's not going to do any good, right? You've got a much more systemic problem.

37:44And so he's communicating the necessity of his cleansing ministry because he wants communion with his disciples. More could be said, and I'm going to save some of that for next time, but it's sufficient now to see that Jesus' love seeks communion and that his washing is necessary for it. So that his love, it acts, it serves, it cleanses, it seeks communion, and that's the essence of true love. That's what true love does. Love that's based in God's nature, at least. Well, we have looked at the one who loves, we have looked at the nature of his love, and he commands us all to love each other like this.

38:39But many of us won't. Why is that? Well, before you can love like Jesus loved, guess what? You have to receive his love. You have to recognize that you're in need of his humble service because you're never going to love like he loves. And the reason you're never going to love like his love is because you're dirty. You're racked with pride, self-interest, and you are going to have to come humbly to receive the cleansing, receive his love before you're ever going to be able to love each other in the same manner.

39:28You know, while we were on vacation, we stopped in Bath, England. That's for your Texans. Bath. Both, England, for all my English friends. So we stopped in Both. And while we were there, we went to the Jane Austen Center. I've got five women in my family. For those of you who know, that is the, I think, quintessential romantic novelist of a couple of hundred years ago. And I learned, so I started watching the movies with them now that I had a framework. Okay, who's this? And so we started watching them. And a couple of points to make. Number one, kind of predictable.

40:20Number two, I understand why the women of the house watch those when the men are gone. But there's something that we love. About the story, the story where the uber-rich and influential finds delight in the simple girl, right? It's all about the girl wants to marry upward, the guy has got all this stuff, all this, what can have anything he wants, but then he is captivated by this girl. And although she has nothing to commend her by way of rank or possession, yet she captivates his heart. And in the end, she marries well, he finds delight in her true love, happily ever after. That's the story. Of course, they never pick up, you know, the next day, your dirty socks are in the floor. You know, they stop the life, you know, the happily ever after isn't so happily ever after.

41:18But we love that Cinderella Ragster Riches story, right? Something we just intrinsically love about this. But let me tell you about a prince in who possesses all authority, all possessions. And let me tell you a story about those who have married well. And let me tell you about the greatest treasure that these people who have no rank or no possession or nothing that would commend them, let me tell you about them. They have captivated his heart.

42:02And not on their own. Do you understand the degree to which Jesus loves his followers? That's why there's so much revelation in John just about Christ talking to his followers. Why did he give them this illustration of love? Why? Because he was about to leave the world. And they needed to know that the same Jesus who washed their feet was now in heaven with no diminishment of his love whatsoever. And the one who loved him, loved them here on earth, loves them there in heaven and is ever mindful of their needs.

42:58And this is why he's going to say something absolutely incomprehensible. It's better for you that I leave. You see, this love is indicative of who he is. And no matter what situation we are in, no matter what is going on all around us, this never changes. We have a high priest in heaven who has all authority, all power, and he loves. Loves us intently with this kind of love that he reveals in John chapter 13. Let your soul rest in this.

43:43His love never changes. The foot washing becomes a whole new paradigm for us to understand the cross, to understand the present ministry. It was given so that we would understand his love. See, the problem with many of us, we just don't believe this. Be done with that unbelief. This is who he revealed himself to be. You are loved. Now you can love. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, I know we've just barely even been able to scratch the surface of this intense, soul-satisfying love that you have displayed here for all your people, for all time.

44:42Father, help us to believe. Father, let this become our mainstay in this life as we await your return or we wait to go to you. Let this truth be settled in our heart. Let us drink deep of this truth and let That shape everything about us. For indeed, we have married well beyond comprehension. Such grace we do not deserve. And yet, here we are. We thank you in Jesus' name. Amen.