If you would, turn over to John
chapter 13. John the 13th chapter. Once you get there, John 13,
just pick up there in verse one. Now before the feast of the Passover,
When Jesus knew that his hour was come, that he should deport
out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were
in the world, he loved them unto the end. And supper being ended,
the devil having now put into the hoard of Judas Iscariot,
Simon's son, to betray him, Jesus knowing that the Father had given
all things into his hands and that he was come from God, and
went to God. He riseth from supper, laid aside
his garments, and took a towel, and girded himself. After that
he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples'
feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.
Then cometh he to Simon Peter, and Peter saith unto him, Lord,
dost thou wash my feet? Is this right? Jesus answered
and said unto him, what I do thou knowest not now, but thou
shalt know hereafter. Peter saith unto him, thou shalt
never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, if I wash
thee not all by myself, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter
saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands
and my head. Jesus saith to him, he that is washed needeth not,
save to wash his feet, but is clean every wit and you're clean,
but not all. For he knew who should betray
him, therefore said he, you're not all clean. So after he had
washed their feet and had taken his garments and was set down
again, he said unto them, and pay attention to these words,
know ye what I have done to you. You call me master and lord,
and you say, well, for so I am. If I then your lord and master
have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet.
For I have given you an example that you should do as I have
done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, the servant is
not greater than his lord, neither he that is sent greater than
he that sent him. If you know these things, Happier
ye if you do them. Let's pray. Our Father in heaven, Lord, we
come to you this morning in the name of your son, the Lord Jesus
Christ, and we ask, Lord, that you would meet with us here this
morning. Lord, that you would walk amongst us, that you would
send your spirit to bless us, Lord, that we might see your
son, the Lord Jesus Christ, high and lifted up in all his glory,
and we might be drawn to him, that we might cling to him in
faith. Lord, may everything that is done here today be to the
glory of Jesus Christ. We ask, Lord, that you would
direct our footsteps in all things and be with those who travel
this day and be with our pastor and his wife as they're gone.
And we ask these things in Christ's name. Amen. Now, when you examine a passage
of scripture like this one, here's a good hard and fast rule. Somewhere
inside that passage of scripture, there is a word sometimes, phrase,
maybe something someone said, maybe even a question that is
given somewhere in that passage of Scripture and it will give
you the overall meaning of what that passage of Scripture is
relaying. And that holds true in this story right here. If
I had to pick one statement, one thing that is said in this
passage of Scripture that gives the whole meaning, you don't
have to look any further than verse 12. When the Lord said
this unto His disciples, know ye what I have done to you. Why would he ask that? What was
he saying? He's saying, gentlemen, did you get the illustration?
Do you understand what I just showed you? And I think that's
interesting. Know ye what I have done to you. When we use that
in common terms, if you're talking about what someone has done to
someone else, it's always in a negative. What did they do
to you? Were they disrespectful? Did
they hurt you? What did they do to you? But this is actually
in a good way, the only good way it's used. This is the story
and illustration of what the Lord Jesus Christ has done to
his people. Know ye what I have done to you. The Lord knew that his hour had
come, that hour that this whole world was created for, the whole
hour he was sent for to die on that cross and to ransom his
people back to the Father. And he was saying, you don't
see it now, but I'm giving you an illustration. I'm giving this
type. It'll all make sense in a few
days, but what I'm doing to you here now, washing your feet,
this is a picture, it is a type of what's going to happen in
just a couple days when I hang on that cross and I make all
of you clean, all my people. Now, he gives two reasons in
this passage of scripture, they're hidden here, that our Lord Jesus
Christ went to that cross. Look back down at verse one.
It says, now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew
that his hour was come that he should deport out of this world
unto the Father. Here's the first reason that
he went to that cross. It has something to do with the
Father. Look at verse 3. Jesus knowing
that the Father had given all things into his hands and that
he was come from God and went to God. This is the very first
reason he went to that cross, because his father sent him there. He is the anointed Christ. His
father sent him to that cross. And this is what he says in John
639. You all know this scripture. And this is the father's will
which has sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should
lose nothing, not a one of them. raise them all up again at the
last day. That's why He went to that cross
in obedience to His Father. His Father gave Him His people,
His elect before the world ever began. And He went to that cross
to single-handedly redeem every one of those people His Father
gave Him back to the Father. And this is the standard, the
standard of success. You can't lose one of them. If
you fail to pay for even one sin that one of my people commits,
if you leave something undone, if you lose any one of them,
you leave anything undone, it's an absolute failure. The only
success is if this task I've given you, you bring them all
back to me safe and sound, completely righteous, completely holy, completely
perfect to where I can exceed, accept them with gladness. Now
here's what I'm thankful for. I'm thankful that John 640 comes
out after John 639. And this is what John 640 says. And this is the will of him that
sent me that everyone which seeth the Son and believeth on him
may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last
day. Everybody, everybody who seeth
the Son and believeth on him. And I have a question for you.
How do you see the Son? Some see him as a great prophet, a
great teacher. Some see him as someone to be
emulated. Some see him as a martyr. Some
see him as someone who helps. You have to do your part, but
he helps. But here's how I see him. This
is how every believer sees him. He is my salvation. In every
way, in every shape, in every form, in every demand of God,
He did it. It is Him. My reliance is completely
and utterly on Him. And because of that, folks, we
don't have to wonder whether the Father gave us to Christ
before the world ever began. If that's how you see the Son,
if He's everything in your salvation, your only hope, you're one He
was charged with. He said you can't lose him, not
a woman. That is the very evidence of
your election. And I love the certainty of what
he says here. He says he knew he was come from
God and went to God. What was the only way that he
could go back to the Father and be received, to be accepted was
thrown, His great glory being known. How is the only way He
could go back to the Father if He was successful? That is the
only possible way. He would have had no reception
if He wasn't successful. But He said before He physically
went to that cross in time, I came from the Father and I'm going
back to Him. It's a sure thing. Why? Because
all the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
because he was the lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Salvation was a done deal before the world was ever made. All
these things that had to happen, it's just God's purpose and will
playing out in time, but all of them were already done. And
he says with full confidence, I know where I'm going. I'm going
back to my father to be received and I'm bringing all of his people
along with me. The second reason. First one
again. It's the last part of verse one,
it says, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved
them unto the very end. Was this about obedience to his
father? Was this about him getting glory
for himself? Absolutely. There was another
reason. He loved his people. Those ones
the Father gave Him, they were eternally united to Him. And
when He was loving them, He was loving Himself. It was love that
brought Him to that cross. And the Lord gives us a very
small illustration that gives us, and I can't find a better
word for this than this, His attitude about going to that
cross. Turn over just a few pages there.
Look over in John 16. John 16 and look down at verse
21, this is the illustration the Lord gives his attitude toward
going to that cross. It says, a woman when she is
in travail has sorrow because her hour is come but as soon
as she is delivered of the child she remembereth no more the anguish
for joy that a man is born into the world. He says it's just
like this, you women, You get pregnant, and you carry that
child. That child is a part of you. They are in you. And you
love that child before they ever come out, before they are ever
born. You carry that child for nine months. And finally, the
time of birth comes. And what happens? Pain, suffering,
travail. I've seen it a couple times now.
It's nothing I don't want to go through. I'm happy you women do it. All that
suffering, all that travail, all that pain until until that
baby comes out and they clean him up and they sit him on your
chest and you hold that one, that one you've loved but not
yet seen this entire time, who's actually been a part of you,
and you hold that one and you count all that pain and all that
suffering and all that travail as a light thing. That's why
you do it so often. That's why women have multiple
kids. It's a light thing. No problem. It was all worth
it just to have my child here. And he says, that's exactly how
I feel about you. the pain of the cross, emotional,
physical, the shame of the cross, his father actually turning his
back on him and him not having his father smile. All these things
he counted a light thing for this, for the joy of having his
people. That's how much love. He gives
us that worldly example of that type of love. Now we've seen
why he went to the cross. Let's see the illustration of
it. Go back to your text and look at verse four. Verse 4 of John 13, "'He riseth
from supper, and laid aside his garments, and took a towel, and
girded himself. After that he poureth water into
a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe
them with the towel wherewith he was girded.'" Now I want you
to imagine for a second you're there. All the disciples are
sitting around this table, and maybe you're positioned between
like James and John, somebody like that. Peter is on the other
side, right? Everybody's fat. Everybody's happy. Everybody
is eating. All of a sudden, the Lord gets up from the table.
Mind you, he does not say a word. He's completely silent. He will
give no explanation for what he's about to do. And in that
very same room where everyone is sitting around that table,
he takes off his clothes. He strips down in front of them. Now you can imagine, John's looking
over at James like, what's he doing? What's going on here? Everyone has questions, but no
one's willing to speak, not yet. Peter will here in a minute.
But no one's willing to speak. And then he takes this towel,
this common and ordinary towel, and he takes it and he wraps
it around himself, he girds his loins, and then he gets down
on the ground. This is where people walk. This
is a place of a slave. This is where a servant goes.
He gets down on the ground, hands and knees, and he comes to each
one of them, and he actually washes what is probably one of
the most disgusting parts of the human body, the stinky, dirty,
disgusting feet of all these 12 men. What do you see there? It's very simple. You see condescension, you see
humility, and you see humiliation. Scripture, Philippians 2 verse
6, "...who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery
to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and
took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness
of men, and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself,
and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."
the stoops, the condescension of the Lord Jesus Christ, God
was made man. Altogether God and yet altogether
man. So much man that the scripture
says he knew something. Jesus knowing that the Father
had put all things in his hand. The Father had to show him things
because he was a man. He was altogether God and yet
altogether a man. The great God of glory, the deity,
became a person. inhabited human flesh. He was a carpenter. He was a
homeless person. He was a preacher. Humble things,
lowly things, despised things. That's what he became, that he
might be a high priest who is touched with the feelings of
our infirmities. But the illustration doesn't
stop there. He comes with the first disciple. He pours that
water on the feet and he takes that towel that he's girded with
and he wipes the feet of that disciple. And when he got done,
that was the cleanest feet anybody had ever seen in their entire
life, not a speck of dust on them. Where did all the filth
go? It was all over that towel he
wore. And then he went to the next one. And he washed his feet. And the transfer happened again.
That towel took the dirt and he wore it on his body. And then
he went to the next one and he cleaned those feet. And he got
through everybody. And when he got done, they were
the cleanest feet you'd ever seen in your entire life. But
how would the Lord look? He'd have looked an absolute
mess. All that dirt was transferred
to him. For he hath made him sin for
us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of
God in him. That is the second stoop, the
God of glory, that holy one who knew no sin being made the sins
of his people. I can't even comment on that
because I don't know what that's like. That's how terrible it is. But it doesn't
stop there. The last two, he died. The God
of Glory gave up the ghost and voluntarily died. What happened
when he died? I would ask you this question.
This towel that contained all that filth, where does it end
up in the story? Did you see? You didn't because nowhere in
this story, nor anywhere else in the scripture, is that towel
ever mentioned again. He took our sins. of all his
people, everyone the Father sent him for, and he removed them
so far that they're removed as much as the east from the west
is. And I'm thankful for this. It doesn't say he took that towel
and he threw it in a garbage can to be found again. And he
doesn't say he took that towel and went out to the wilderness
and dug a hole and buried it in the earth. It could be found
again. It simply doesn't say where it's at because it is gone
from existence. And that's a state for every
believer. Your sins, they're gone. They never happened. They have been removed from time. It's over and now you have complete
and utter peace with God because of our Lord Jesus Christ. Isn't
that what this is illustrating? Could it be anything else other
than that? No, it's that right there. Now, let's look at Peter's
reaction to this. Look at verse 6. saw before, none of these disciples
wanted to say anything. Everybody was silent, but you
can always count on Peter to have something to say. Verse
six, then cometh he to Simon Peter and Peter saith unto him,
Lord, does that wash my feet? And let's give him the benefit
of the doubt, right? This is the same man who said, depart
from me for I am a sinful man. Oh Lord. We can give them the
benefit of the doubt and say this is coming from a place of
reverence, a place of respect. Lord this isn't right. It isn't
right that the God of glory should condescend to become a servant
to do the task of a slave. Lord is this right? We'll give
them the benefit of the doubt on that. We can understand they
probably all had this question. This doesn't seem right. It doesn't
seem right for the king to wash a slave's feet. But look at how
the Lord answers them. Verse 7, Jesus answered and said
unto him, what I do thou knowest not now. But thou shalt know
hereafter. Peter, you don't understand because
in time it hasn't taken place yet. In two days after you deny
me three times, after I've given up the ghost, after I've died,
when you're stewing on all these things, this is all going to
make sense to you. But it doesn't now. He's being
patient with him. I'm so thankful for how patient
the Lord is with his people. We just don't see things as they
really are. We would never worry and we would never fret if that
was the case. We just don't see things as they really are. But
every day he's patient, long-suffering. But Peter's going to reveal something
here. He's got a bad motive. Look at verse 8. Peter saith
unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him,
If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. We thought maybe
this was reverence and respect but this is not. This is resistance
and this is pride. Thou shalt never wash my feet. I am not content to sit down
and to shut up and simply wait on the Lord to wash my feet and
make me clean. I'm not content to do that. I
want to be a doer. I want to help. I want some glory
in this thing. The doer gets the glory. Now,
let me give you a physical example here. I've done this, so I'm
not ragging on anybody. I've done it several times. You
ever go into a, maybe dinner out with a bunch of people, right?
Mixed bag of families. At the end, the waiter brings
one chick, right? And two guys, opposing families,
they get in an argument over the chick. And not in a bad way,
like, you pay. No, you pay. No, it's, I'm paying, right?
I got it. No, it's my chick. No, no, I
got it, right? I'm going after it. And that seems nice, and
that can come from a good place. I'm not saying that. But really,
what's at the heart of that? I'm the doer here. Everybody
eats because I provide it. Everybody's going to thank me,
right? Because I'm the one who provided the meal. I paid the
debt. I got the check. I pay, you eat. That's how it works, and that's
how Peter views it here. I'm not content to do this. I'm
not content to just sit here and be served. I want to do. And the Lord says, if you want
to do, you'll have no part with me. If you want to get involved,
if you want to add something you do to my salvation, if you
want to take away from my glory in any way, if you want to inject
the flesh anywhere in this, fine. You are a debtor to do the whole
law. Christ is made of none effect
to you. This is where we have to be brought
to where we are content, only the Lord can bring us here, to
sit down and to shut up and simply trust Christ to wash us and make
us every whit clean. All works excluded. That is easy
for only one type of man. A lame man who can't get up.
A man with a withered hand who can't reach down. A blind man
who can't even find his feet. That type of man? He's completely
and utterly content to be cleansed by somebody else because he can't
cleanse himself. This salvation is for sinners.
That's it. But a man who can help, he wants
some glory in the deal. So he wants to get his hands
dirty as well. Now, look at how fast the Lord
can bring a man to repentance. Look over here, verse 10. I lost my place. It's here somewhere.
Verse 9, Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only,
but also my hands and my head. The Lord said, if I wash thee
not, you'll have no part with me. And just like that, when
the Lord willed him to be brought to repentance, all of a sudden
there's a complete change of mind. He said, what I meant was, Lord,
Not my feet only, but get my hands and get my head. And I
imagine Peter being kind of a dramatic guy and he's just laying back
in the chair. I'm not moving. I'm not helping. I'm not moving
at all. Every single part of me, you
wash every single part of me. You make me clean. My hands are
off of this thing. And the Lord gives him a hopeful
reply. This is a hopeful reply to all of us. Verse 10, Jesus
saith to him, he that is washed, needeth not to save to wash his
feet, but is clean every whit, and you are clean. He said, you're clean, Peter.
Every whit, I made you clean. Now all I gotta do is wash your
feet. What did he mean by that? That's an interesting way of
putting it. This is something David said in Psalm 51. Y'all
are familiar with that. That's a petition David made.
He just asked for stuff the entire time. This is what he said in
verse two. He said, wash me throughly from
mine iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. He uses two words
there, wash and cleanse. And when you first glance at
that, you say, well, he's just saying the same thing. He's just saying
it twice, right? He's not. Those are two separate words
and they have two separate meanings. This is what cleanse means, the
original word. Something that is done once.
never to be repeated, an accomplished task. And that's what the death
of the Lord Jesus Christ, His shed blood did to His people.
He made all His people clean. Once and done, clean every wit,
all sin being taken away. But the word wash is used here.
You know what wash speaks of? It speaks of something that is
perpetually done. every hour of every day, every moment, just
a constant washing. Let me see if I can make this
simple. Paul says this, he puts it this
way in Ephesians 25, or Ephesians 5. He said, husbands love your
wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for
it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of
water by the word. What does that look like? I belong
to Christ. He died for me. Because of that,
God the Holy Spirit comes in time, and he crosses my path
with that gospel. That word of sinner, you're clean. It's done. It's over. There's
nothing left to do. Simply trust Christ. That's it. And God the Holy Spirit gives
me that new man, and he raises up the head, and I am pointed
to Christ, and I walk out. And I go out into this world,
and I do the exact same thing you do. I muddy up my feet. I sin. I have wicked thoughts. I have wicked motives. Because
the old man is still there, and he loves mud puddles. He will
step in them all day long. He tries to find them. I muddy
up those feet, and I come back. And I hear the exact same message
again. Sinner, it's over. It's done. Christ secured your
cleansing. It's all finished. Just rest. And the head is picked up again.
And I come to the Lord Jesus Christ all over again. I believe
on him again. And I'm washed all over again. My conscience is washed. My person
is washed. Washed all over again. And this
is the point. It is a perpetual washing. It
is a perpetual believing. It is a perpetual coming. All
these things are perpetual until the very day that we laid down
this old man. this man of sin. And we see our
savior face to face and we are perfectly conformed to his image. It's all done. It's all been
finished. But this is why we come back
over and over again to hear what is the exact same message. You're cleansed every way. Go
out and then come back and hear it again. Now, I'll leave you with verse 13. The Lord said, you call me master
and Lord, and you say well for so I am. If I then your Lord
and master have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's
feet. For I've given you an example that you should do as I have
done to you. Now we can use this and we can
talk quite a bit about how he treated these men and how we
are to treat one another. He acted in their best interest.
He took the lowest seat and sought to serve them, not to be served.
What he did for them was necessary, and what he did for them, he
didn't silence. Asked absolutely nothing from
them in return, and didn't tell one soul about it. We can extrapolate
all these different things, and we should, folks. That's how
we should treat each other. But here's what he did. He said,
follow my example. To these men, he pointed them
to himself. He told them one more time what
he had done to them, made them clean. If you ever take a notion
to wash my feet, if you ever take a notion to wash one another's
feet, do it in this manner. Point me to Christ all over again.
Tell me about him all over again and tell me it is finished for
sinners all over again. That's how we follow the example.
I'll leave you there.