“Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.”
John 13:1
The drive was getting tedious. A van full of kids, a long, boring straight stretch… I know, let’s play, “What would you do?” For those that haven’t heard of the game, it is a great conversation starter. You take turns. One person starts by asking a question with the phrase, “what would you do?” Everyone answers. The following person in line would then ask a new, “what would you do?”
The first question was, “What would you do if you were the first person on Earth?”
My favorite answer from one of the teens was, “That’s easy, not eat the apple! Next question.”
“What would you do if we got into a fiery car crash right now?”
“Garret is a good driver; he wouldn’t let us get into a crash.” Thanks, kid. I’ll pay you later!
Next question.
“24 hours,” the voice behind me asked.
I checked my rearview mirror and met the blue eyes. “What was the question?”
The van got quiet as the small voice asked, “If you knew you only had 24 hours left to live, what would you do?”
Here are some of the answers:
· “I’d eat all the junk food my mom says I can’t eat.”
· “I’d rob a bank and give the money to my family.”
· “I’d sit in my room and cry.”
· “I’d assassinate all the bad guys.”
· “I’d do all the things that I have been scared to do, like swim in the ocean.”
I love these teens! Rob a bank?! Assassinate bad guys?! Do everything they had been scared to do? It gets you thinking; if you had 24 hours to live, what would you do?
As many of you know, on Sunday’s we are going through the Gospel of John. Shh, I have been reading ahead, and I’m in John 13… It hit me: Jesus knew. Jesus knew He had 24 hours to live, and what did he do? He washed feet.
Jesus knew he was about to be the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2), and he slows down to serve. Timothy Keller said it this way, “Even if our own troubles are great, we should still serve. Jesus washed His disciple’s feet on the way to the cross.”
At the last meal Jesus and His disciples would have together before the cross, the Messiah, the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and the Creator of the universe, takes off his robes, wraps a towel around himself, and washes the disciples’ feet (John 13:1-20). Mind you, not just a select few feet, but even Judas’ feet.
This act of service humbles me. Jesus knew. Jesus knew he was going to be betrayed by Judas. Jesus knew that he would be beaten, tortured, and crucified. Jesus knew that Judas would be a pivotal point in fulfilling the Father’s will. Jesus knew Judas’ heart. So, Jesus humbled himself and served His enemy.
I don’t know about you, but I am selfish. I have a hard time serving people I love, let alone my enemy! Yet, that was me, His enemy. I’ve betrayed Jesus. I’ve lived selfishly. I have turned from God’s grace. It was for my sin that Jesus went to the cross, his enemy.
Jesus washed his enemies feet; this is encouraging. I am encouraged because it shows the love that God has for us (Romans 5:8). I am encouraged because it means He changes us from enemies to friends (Romans 5:10). I am encouraged because we now have that same love to show others, even to our enemies (John 13:15).
I am floored by His love, not that I can love others, but that He first loved me (1 John 4:19). So now we ask, what do we do with that love?
Soli Deo Gloria,
Pastor Garret
