The Way to Greatness (John 13)
Scripture Text – John 13:18-30
I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me. Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake.
Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it would be of whom he spake. He then lying on Jesus’ breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it? Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.
And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly. Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him. For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or that he should give something to the poor. He then having received the sop went immediately out; and it was night.
Introduction
Chapter thirteen of the Gospel of John is one of the great climatic turning points in the Gospel and in the ministry of Jesus. It begins that period of private conference where Jesus goes aside with His disciples – where He begins to talk to them and teach them concerning His going away and concerning their work on earth. From chapter thirteen all the way through chapter sixteen you have the record of what went on when Jesus was in that period of private conference with His disciples.
A. The Setting
This chapter opens with a beautiful setting. It is the time of the supper – the institution of the Lord’s Supper – immediately followed by this great example of Jesus’ washing the disciple’s feet.
1. The Bickering of the Disciples
When Jesus did this, He set an example and did something that no Jew in the first century would ever do. Nobody else would ever think of stooping low enough to wash someone else’s feet. You see, the disciples had come into that upper room arguing among themselves and debating over which one should be the greatest and which one would sit on His right hand or on His left.
2. The Troubled Spirit of the Lord
Jesus came into that room with His heart breaking and filled with sorrow. It is the third time that the Gospel of John talks about that “He is troubled in His Spirit.” You see, when there are bickering and jealousy and expressions of selfish ambitions in the lives of the disciples, that causes Him extreme grief. He acted out a parable to demonstrate to them what humility and love was all about and what true greatness was all about.
3. The Symbol of Slavery
He disrobed Himself and girded Himself with a towel and washed the disciples’ feet. When He did that He did what no Jew would do because in that day you could not even compel a servant to wash your own feet. Nobody would stoop that low to wash somebody else’s feet. Only if you owned a slave, could you compel him to wash your feet. Jesus takes upon Him the form of a servant and humbles Himself and gets down on His knees girded about with a towel and He washes the disciples’ feet. Out of that we get one of the great ordinances of the church and one of the great doctrines that is still worth a whole lot.
4. The Washing of the Saints' Feet
There are several simple reasons why the Church of God still practices this ordinance. In the first place, the Bible says He loved His own and He loved them to the end. Feet washing is an expression of Christian love.
In the second place, it is an act of Christian humility. It is an expression of one’s willingness to be a servant to others and thus a servant to the Lord. Feet washing is an act which follows the Lord’s example.
Thirdly, it follows the Lord’s command and is an act, which adds to Christian joy and happiness. If any of you haven’t been very happy and haven’t had much joy lately, why don’t you get in a feet washing service. It will turn you on to what real joy is when you show expressions of love and kindness and humility toward your brother and sister. Amen!
B. The Lord’s Humility
1. "He Laid Aside His Garments" (John 13:4)
But in performing this act of feet washing, Jesus does some symbolic action that is more than to demonstrate what service and humility is. The Bible said, “He laid aside His garments.” Oh, He would put them back on again shortly. He laid aside that robe of beauty only for a while. After He has demonstrated humility and service, He’ll put it back on again.
2. Symbolic of Christ's Life
This action is symbolic of His entire life and what He has done when He laid aside the glories and splendors of heaven and came to this earth. He came in the form of a servant. St. Paul tells us about it when he describes this humiliation/exaltation theme that is so prevalent in his writings as well as in the writings of John. He said, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”
3. Philippians 2:5-11
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 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. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Notice how Paul says of Christ, “Who being in the form of God tho ught it not robbery to be equal with God.” He sought not a position to be seized and held on to at all cost in his own pride as a robber tries to seize power. “But made himself of no reputation.” We are so busy and so worried and concerned about our reputation until our reputation gets in our way sometimes of really serving God in humility. If we were a little bit more concerned about how we look in God’s sight and how we appear before Him, we might not be so concerned about how we appear in the eyes of men. He made himself of no reputation; but he took upon himself the form of a servant, and was found in fashion as a man. And being found in that fashion as a man even then he humbled himself yet lower and lower. You can just almost see him coming down step by step to lower realms of humiliation. The Bible says he became obedient unto death and finally the death of the cross.
4. The Humility of the Life of Christ
Yes He came and in symbolic actions laid aside His robes – just like He did when He left the portals of glory; just like He did when He disrobed Himself and emptied Himself of great majestic power and honor and glory and left the throne of worshiping angels to come down into a world where there were blasphemies and curses of men.
5. The True Christmas Story
If you want to know the real Christmas story, my friend, it happened in the Gospel of Mark when Jesus is driven out into the wilderness and there He is in the wilderness with the wild beasts. Here’s the Son of God disrobing Himself of glory and power and honor and He comes to tackle the forces of hell in human form and human strength relying upon the power of the Holy Spirit.
Because He was driven into the wilderness by the Spirit and overcame the power of Satan, He came back in the power and the anointing of the Holy Ghost and was able to drive from before Him any force of evil that would stand in His way. Oh, if somehow in these days God could lay His hand upon some of us and drive us into a wilderness of fasting and prayer and self denial we could come back into the wilderness of this world that’s filled with all the cries and troubles and sorrows driving out the darkness and forces of evil that confront the evil of this hour.
C. The Lord’s Exaltation
Remember, Paul did not stop with the humiliation of Christ when writing to the Philippians. He also describes His exaltation. “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:9-11).
1. John 13 and Revelation 1
Let’s look at this self-humiliation – laying aside His robes, dropping on His knees, wetting His hands with feet washing water, taking on the form of a servant to His own disciples. I like to compare that picture with a picture of Him as John later saw Him and portrayed Him in chapter one of the revelation of Jesus Christ.
2. Revelation 1:13-17a
And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; and his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead.
3. The Contrast of Humiliation and Exaltation
Because you see, over here in John thirteen, Jesus has laid aside His garments; but over here in Revelation He is fully clothed. Over here He is girded with a towel about His loins; but over here He is girded with a golden girdle. Over here His hair is its natural auburn color; but over here His hair is like white as snow.
Over here His eyes are filled with tears – testimonies of a troubled and bleeding and breaking heart within; but over here His eyes are as a flame of fire penetrating to the very heart of any man. Over here our Lord’s feet are bare showing the scars of walking the rocky roads in Judea; but over here His feet are like burning polished brass which lets us know that He has the power to triumph and tramp over all enemies and put-down all evil and trample under His feet all powers against Him.
Over here His voice is tender with tones of love and blessing teaching His disciples; but over here His voice is as the sound of many waters driving fear and terror into the hearts of anyone who would try to raise up his voice against the Son of God. Over here His wet hands He hold the feet of a disciple; but over here in His hands He has the seven stars and seven golden candlesticks.
Over here out of His mouth comes words of tender love; but over here out of His mouth proceeds a sharp dividing asunder of the soul thoughts and the intents of our two-edged sword that’s able to pierce to the and spirit, the joints and the marrow, the hearts.
Over here His countenance is sad; but in Revelation one, His face shines like the sun in full noonday strength. John said, “When I saw Him I fell at His feet as a dead man.” You can no more look into the face of the risen resurrected glorified Son of God in your natural state than you could stand and gaze into the blazing noonday sun. You’d be stricken blind in both cases. That’s the reason when the divine glory of God – the heavenly Shekinah – was revealed to people, they would fall like dead men and cover their eyes and couldn’t stand up.
D. The Way to Greatness
This is the way to greatness. This is the way to glory. To disrobe of self – to disrobe and somehow clothe yourself in humility and service – that’s the way to greatness.
1. The Lord's Heart Is Troubled
It’s a price some people do not want to pay because in this situation John said of Jesus, “His heart was troubled.” It’s the third time He has said that. Three times now we’ve heard John describe the Lord and His heart’s breaking and He’s troubled. When he saw Mary and the Jews weeping at the tomb of Lazarus, “he groaned in the spirit and was troubled” (John 11:33). When the Gentiles requested to see Him He said, “Now is my soul troubled” (John 12:27). Here He’s troubled because His disciples are fussing over who would be the greatest. Here He is troubled because one of His disciples is going to soon betray Him. On the hills of that troubled heart experience He is going to turn and give a Gospel for troubled hearts.
2. Greatness Is Not Where You Sit
He teaches them humility and service. They are arguing about who is going to be on the right and on the left. Jesus says, “Greatness is not where you sit – not whether you sit on the right hand or the left – but greatness has to do with how you serve and where you serve and when you serve.” That’s what greatness has to do with. This clamoring for position and power is carnal to the core. Jesus said, “That’s not the way it’s to be for those who follow me. They are to deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”
3. Judas Rejected True Greatness
Judas wouldn’t buy it. He’ll take crowns of gold. He’ll take positions of honor and authority. He’ll handle the money. He’ll be looked up to as the treasurer, but not girded with towels of service. These are days that call for the towel ministry, if you please. These are days even when we live that calls for people who will love God enough that they will deny themselves – that is, deny the flesh and selfish ambitions and designs and fall on their face and their knees before Jesus Christ in surrender to the will of the Almighty God.
4. "And It Was Night"
Judas leaves and he walks out. One of the saddest lines I know in the Bible says, “And it was night.” I don’t like the darkness. I don’t like the nighttime. There is something hideous about it to me. I want to tell you that every time a man walks out on Jesus Christ – especially when Jesus has offered you partnership with Him in His kingdom, especially when He has offered you calling, especially when He has touched you with His hand and blessed you and counted you as one of His own – when a person walks out on Jesus Christ, He always walks out into the darkness. He goes away from divine revelation and illumination and He walks in darkness. That divine spotlight that brings leading and direction – that divine spotlight that brings life and power and illumination – it goes out. Because when you walk out on Jesus, you walk out on the light of the world.
Conclusion – The Way to True Greatness
Jesus demonstrated what He means by humility and by love. He is showing these disciples and showing us that if you want greatness, you can only be great to what extent the glory of Jesus Christ lives in your life. You can only be great in the same measure and proportion that the Holy Spirit dominates and fills your life. You can only be great in the sight of the Lord Jesus Christ in the same measure that you say, “Not my will, but thine be done.”
While they fuss about who’s going to be on the right or the left, Jesus in a sense is saying, “Oh, you want to know whose going to be on my right or my left? Wait a few hours and you’ll see. It will be somebody on a cross that’s going to be on my right and on my left.”
I want to tell you the cross is the message we need to bury in our hearts in these days – in these days of utter selfishness. In these days of pride and haughtiness, in these days of coldness and hardness, in these days when we think so much of ourselves – God help us to let the cross somehow penetrate our hearts and minds until like Paul we can say, “I’m crucified with Christ.” That’s the way that leads to glory.
John in his writings beautifully describes the humiliation of Jesus. Here in the Gospel of John, this is the lowest point of His humiliation when Jesus takes the form of a slave. But he doesn’t stop the Gospel nor his writings. For I see him again as he describes the exalted living Lord – not only in chapter one of the book of Revelation but also in chapter five.
And they sang a new song saying, thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof; for thou wast slain, and has redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation: And hast made us unto our God kings and priests; and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
This is the song of praise – the hymn of worship, of the redeemed who has been washed in His blood. You see, this is the way to glory. This is the way to greatness. This is the way to honor. For when Jesus was upon this earth, He demonstrated His life in weakness; but oh, they acclaim and ascribe to Him that He is worthy to receive eternal power. On this earth He was poor and had no place to lay His head; but they say He is worthy of riches.
On this earth things that He did looked foolish to the world and the preaching of the Gospel still is foolishness to the world; but they say He is worthy to receive wisdom. On this earth He came and stripped of His power and glory and He went around in weakness in a sense; but they said He is worthy to receive strength.
He lived this world in dishonor; but they say He is worthy to receive honor. He died a death of shame and reproach on the cross; but they said because You are slain You are worthy to receive glory and blessing – You who became a curse for everyone, now You are worthy to receive blessing and honor.
Denomination: Church of God
