- Gospels and Acts(NT) John 13:1~17
JESUS' EXAMPLE OF HUMBLENESS AND LOVE
Question
Study Questions
* JESUS WASHES HIS DISCIPLES’ FEET (1-5)
1. Read verse 1. What was the time? What did Jesus know? (1) What was involved in his going to the Father? Who were his own who were in the world? How had he showed them his love?
2. What does it mean that he showed them the full extent of his love? (The RSV says, "He loved them to the end.") Why is this important?
3. Read verse 2. How had Satan already attacked Jesus and his disciples? What happened to the one who did not love Jesus nor receive his word? (Jn 6:67-71; 12:4-6) What can we learn here?
4. Read verses 3-5. What did Jesus know about himself? How did Jesus demonstrate his love? What was Jesus teaching his disciples by washing their feet? How is this act an expression of love?
* PETER’S SURRENDER (6-11)
5. Read verses 6-11. What did Peter say when Jesus came to him? Why? Why did Jesus insist that he wash Peter's feet? Why did Peter surrender?
6. Why must one accept the grace of Jesus in order to have a love relationship with him? What does verse 10 mean? (Jn15:3)
* YOU SHOULD ALSO WASH ONE ANOTHER’S FEET (12-17)
7. Read verses 12-17. How did Jesus explain the meaning of what he had done? How did he want them to express their love for him and for one another? How can we show Jesus’ love to others practically?
Manuscript
Message
Lesson 36: JESUS' EXAMPLE OF HUMBLENESS AND LOVE
John 13:1-17
Key Verse: 13:15
John 13:1-17 #36
Key Verse: 13:15
This chapter begins Jesus’ conversations with his disciples. These are the ones who received him, who believed in him and were given the power to become children of God. They had accepted his word and based on Scripture, they believed that he was the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus calls them “his own.”
* JESUS WASHES HIS DISCIPLES’ FEET (1-5)
Jesus and his disciples were together in the upper room. They had gathered there to eat the Passover meal together. This was to be Jesus’ last Passover with them. He knew that the time had come for him to die on the cross as the Lamb of God. It was the time when he would be raised in glory and it was the time when he would return to heaven to claim his throne. Jesus must have had many personal matters on his mind, but first of all, he was thinking about his disciples. He loved them when he called them and they responded. He loved them by giving them God’s word and revealing God to them. Now, according to John, he loved them to the end and he showed them the full extent of his love.
They were eating the evening meal together. Suddenly, Jesus got up, took off his clothes and wrapped a towel around his waist and began to wash his disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel. Why did he do this? For one thing, their feet were dirty. It was the custom for someone, usually a slave or servant, to was the feet of those coming in from the street. There were evidently no servants, so one of the disciples should have done it. No one thought of himself as the lowest. Perhaps the disciples were still struggling over “who is the greatest.” So Jesus did it. It was an act of love. It was an act of grace.
Jesus was troubled. He was leaving them soon. In his mind was the problem of Judas. Jesus had been aware of Judas’ double mind from Chapter 6, when he fed the bread to the 5000. At that time, Jesus refused the crowd’s scheme to make him king. He was not a king of bread. He taught the crowd about their need for the spiritual bread of forgiveness through his body and blood. Judas’ mind was like that of the crowd who left. He did not leave, but he did not accept Jesus’ word. Later, he is the one who protested when Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with perfume. John reveals Judas’ materialism and greed and his lack of love for Jesus. Judas made himself vulnerable to Satan. He opened his heart to the devil’s prompting. Now Judas was in the room. Satan had already prompted him to betray Jesus. Jesus loved him too. Jesus washed his feet. Jesus wanted to give Judas another chance to overcome the prompting of Satan. Jesus did not expose him. He only loved him. The other disciples’ vertical relationship with Jesus was clear. He loved them and they loved him. But their horizontal relationship with one another was not clear. They had not realized the importance of loving one another.
Jesus knew that he had come from God and that he was going to God. He knew that the Father had put all things under his power. He was King. He was Lord and Ruler over all. The kings of the Gentiles lorded it over others. They exercised their power to rule and oppress others. But Jesus did not use his power in that way. He used his power to heal. He set prisoners free. He came not to be served but to serve and to give his own life as a ransom sacrifice for many. Knowing that he was the Lord and King, he got up, took off his clothes and wrapped a towel around his waist and began wash his disciples’ feet. John emphasizes the contrast between who Jesus is and what he did. And the deep inner motive in his heart was love. It was unconditional love, poured out on undeserving men. It was the kind of love which they must have and which they must reveal to the world.
* PETER’S SURRENDER (6-11)
Then, Jesus came to Peter. Peter was incredulous. “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus understood his heart. Jesus told him, “Peter, I know that you don’t understand what I am doing now. But one of these days you will understand.” But Peter would have none of it. He said, “No. Never, Lord. You shall not wash my feet.” humanly, Peter’s words are easy to understand. But when we realize that he is talking to Jesus, we are shocked that he could say “No” to Jesus so boldly. It looked like humility, but it was pride. Jesus told him plainly, “Peter, if I don’t wash your feet then I have nothing to do with you from now on.” So, Peter surrendered. He still did not understand, but if it jeopardized his relationship with Jesus in any way, then he he was ready to comply. “Lord, if that’s the way you feel, then wash may hands and feet and body and head as well.” Peter loved Jesus. He could die to his pride for Jesus’ sake. He extended his dirty, smelly feet and Jesus washed them. The disciples did not need a bath. They had been washed clean by the word of Jesus which they had received. They were forgiven sinners. But their feet were in touch with the world and needed frequent washing. We are sinners cleansed by Jesus’ forgiveness and love, cleansed by his word which dwells in our hearts.
Jesus told Peter that he did not need a bath. He was already clean. Only his feet, which were in touch with the world needed washing. Jesus’ disciples, except for Judas, had accepted Jesus’ word. They were clean by the word he spoke to them. Only their dirty feet needed daily washing. How hard it is to stick our dirty feet out for Jesus to wash. Lord, wash me and I shall be clean. Cleanse my heart of the dullness of sin and pride and laziness. Help me to do what I should do and refrain from doing what I should not do.
After he had finished washing their feet, Jesus told them that as their Lord and Teacher he had done this. Now it remained for them to wash one another’s feet. Lord help us -help me–to do this. Help us to love one another as you have loved us.
This chapter begins Jesus’ conversations with his disciples. These are the ones who received him, who believed in him and were given the power to become children of God. They had accepted his word and based on the word of God, they believed that he was the Christ, the Son of God.