Welcome to Day 2157 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

The Gospel of John – 25 – Humility Personified – Daily Wisdom

The Gospel of John – Part 4 Confirmation Of The Word – Humility Personified

Today we continue our series, the Good News according to John the Apostle. Last, we saw Jesus end his public ministry to focus his final three days before the crucifixion with his disciples to prepare them for the pivotal event. Jesus’s hour, His purpose for coming to earth, was nearly here. In 12:24, he declared, “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives.” We begin the 4^th segment of John’s narrative today. That is Confirmation of the Word, which covers John 13:1 – 17:26. Today, we join Jesus behind closed doors with His disciples and see him take on the role of the lowest servants as He washes His disciple’s feet. Our scripture for today is John 13:1-17. Follow along as I read today’s passage.  It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” ¹¹ For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not everyone was clean. When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. As he often does, John only shares select snapshots of the timeline. In this chapter, he takes us to the final evening when the Passover meal is served. As the “hour” of Jesus’ Passion approached, He took the opportunity to spend this final evening with His disciples. In chapters 13-17, he will give them his final instructions until after the resurrection. He knew they were unprepared for the challenging and confusing time they were about to face. Like most people in first-century Israel, the disciples expected the Messiah to claim the throne, rout their enemies, lead Israel to unprecedented power and prosperity, and bring the entire world under His dominion. He had predicted His death and resurrection; nevertheless, His arrest, trials, torture, crucifixion, burial, resurrection, and departure from earth would be a terrible shock, like a perfect dream turning into a nightmare. As the evening passed, Jesus spoke of life and ministry on earth without His physical presence. The disciples quickly began to understand the gravity of these moments. And the same forsaken dread orphans soon gripped their “troubled” hearts once they realized they were alone. They couldn’t imagine life without Him. Jesus often stated His identity and even used vivid metaphors to describe His relationship with humanity (John 6:35; 8:12; 9:5; 10:9, 11; 11:25), but He rarely spoke of Himself directly. Only once in all of Scripture did He describe His inner self. That occurred as a congregation of Jews gathered to hear Him preach: He invited all weary of trying to satisfy the impossible demands of religion to find rest in Him in Matthew 11:29, Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. The Greek adjective translated as “humble” derives from a verb that means “to make low” or “to make small or insignificant.” Humility was expressed physically by bowing the head, kneeling, or prostrating oneself. Isn’t it significant that He used this term to describe Himself? Humility is the essential posture of the believer. It does not mean being bowed down in defeat or shame. Our pattern is Jesus. The humble Son of God cannot be defeated, and He has no reason for shame. Though he was “humble and gentle,” the omnipotence, He laid aside for the sake of becoming like us/ could be taken up again in a moment. Humility is not for the down-and-out. On the contrary, authentic humility is only possible for victorious men and women! Only those confident in their relationship with the Lord can be genuinely humble. As evening fell upon the upper room, Jesus had many lessons to teach; before anything else, He would teach them the all-important, noble art of bowing low. 13:1 John opens this narrative section with a summary of Jesus’ ministry among the disciples. While His “hour” was at hand, He had loved “His own” during his entire ministry; now “he loved them to the end;” “eis telos”—literally, “to the final goal.” He had loved them to completion, to the fullest, all the way to the end. He had completed their training. During this final evening with the Twelve, He needed only to review their most important lessons and reveal their immediate future. John takes great care to note the timing of Jesus’ last meal with His disciples and His subsequent ordeal. Before the end of this section, he establishes a clear connection between the Passover lamb and Jesus, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (1:29). 13:2–5 Verses 2–4 form one very long compound sentence. The simple form can be seen by pasting together the first phrase of each verse: “The evening meal was in progress…Jesus…got up from the meal.” The supporting clauses establish the timing and describe Jesus’ inner thoughts so we will understand the full significance of His next act. Verse 2 reveals that Judas was determined to betray the Lord as he reclined at the table with the other disciples. According to Luke, he had already received the money (Luke 22:3–6) and was looking for an excellent opportunity to hand Jesus to the temple authorities. Verse 3 reveals that Jesus knew He was about to endure great suffering, die, rise from the grave, and receive glory as the ruler of all creation (see Dan. 7:13–14). Verse 4 tells us that, despite His knowing all of that, Jesus slipped away from the table and silently traded His robes for the attire of a slave. But not just any slave, the lowest rank of a slave, a slave who washes road grime from the feet of houseguests. When a host family invited someone to dine in their home in those days, they customarily stationed a servant by the door with a basin, pitcher, and towel. As each guest arrived, the servant removed their sandals (see John 1:27), rinsed each foot, and then wiped away the dirt and water with a clean towel. (Bowl, Pitcher, Towel, Sandals - Dummy) John most likely assumed his readers were familiar with the other three Gospel accounts of this final evening. We know from Luke 22:24 that the disciples had been quarreling again over who among them was best suited for the most prominent positions in the Lord’s new government. Even on the eve of the Lord’s crucifixion, they still expected Jesus to topple the Romans and establish a new monarchy, leading to their promotion. But Jesus came to establish a new kind of kingdom. In the kingdom of God, one receives greater authority through humble service. If anyone in the room deserved to be treated like a king, it was Jesus. If anyone was worthy of devotion, it was the Lord. Yet He took it upon Himself to become the servant of all. Jesus washed the feet of the disciples…all of them…all twelve…including Judas! 13:6–11 Jesus had already washed the feet of several disciples before coming to Peter. The brash disciple protested, saying, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” The Lord reassured His pupil that the significance of the washing—and the whole evening, for that matter—would become clear in time. But Peter protested again, “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Today we might say, “Never! Not in a million years!” At first glance, Peter appears humble, saying, “Oh, Lord, I should be washing Your feet instead!” But this was not his meaning. Instead, this was self-assertive pride that refuses to accept grace from another, the kind that will not be vulnerable in front of others. If Peter had dirty feet, he would wash them himself! “No charity needed here, thank you very much!” Jesus reminded Peter that eternity is not his to enjoy apart from grace. Not being a man of moderation, Peter ran to the other extreme, requesting a bath! But Jesus rejected his interpretation of foot washing. Because Peter believed in the Son of God and had received salvation from sin by grace, he was already clean. (Perhaps we could say, “Once bathed, always bathed!”) However, God’s grace continues throughout our lives as believers, whose feet collect dust from the world. Jesus’ predominant themes throughout the evening were the need for continual communion with God, the help of the Holy Spirit, love and unity within the body of believers, and the danger posed by the world. His opening illustration brought these themes together. While the believer has been cleansed of sin in the legal sense—past, present, and future sins will not be counted against them in eternity—the believer will continually struggle to remain clean experientially before entering eternity. That is why we go before the Lord daily in prayer. John’s editorial comment reminds us that Jesus knew Judas was looking for an opportunity to betray his Master, yet even he received this touching act of grace. 13:12–17 Once Jesus finished His opening act of humility, He began to teach. First, he explained His purpose. Then, in classic instructive fashion, He posed a carefully crafted question to His students. He asked them to interpret the meaning of His washing their feet. I suspect He entertained some creative responses, which were undoubtedly funny. Then He established two principles of humility that were to become foundational to His kingdom. (Bulletin Insert) First, humility doesn’t discriminate; humility is expressed equally to all. Jesus didn’t ask His students to wash His feet in return, but to wash the feet of one another. Let’s face it; most of us would stand in line to wash the Savior’s feet because He’s worthy! But how many are ready to wash the feet of another person in the church, particularly someone we don’t like very much? This lesson hit the disciples even harder when they recalled that Jesus bowed before Judas to wash his feet and the others. Second, humility turns the structure of authority upside down. Earlier in His ministry, Jesus stated flatly in Mark 9:35, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.” Jesus, as the King of the new kingdom, reduced Himself to become the least of humanity, taking on Himself the sin of the world—becoming sin, as we are told in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” He was then suffering the most humiliating death ever devised by man. While no other human can possibly match His humility, we have been summoned to imitate our Master. We do not become “great” in the new kingdom by suffering crucifixion; the need for sacrificial death has been completely satisfied by Christ. Instead, we become “great” in the new kingdom by bowing low to serve one another. Let me be completely transparent with you. I find the idea of foot washing—literal and figurative—much easier to teach than practice. But Jesus didn’t promise to release blessing upon those who teach foot washing, but to those who do it. Humility isn’t learned in a classroom or even a Bible study. Humility is a behavior one chooses to make habitual, even to the point of forgetting about “greatness” or becoming lowly. The people I remember as genuinely humble rarely thought about themselves at all. They didn’t need to. The blessing they received while serving others provided all the contentment any man or woman could desire. Jesus taught humility through His example; He personified humility. Let us resolve to learn humility as He taught it. Application: John 13:1–17 Cultivating the Noble Art of Bowing Low When Jesus laid aside His outer garment, dressed Himself like a slave, and bowed low to wash His disciples’ feet, He taught the disciples several important lessons about humility, not the least of which is that humility is an action, not simply an attitude. One does not feel humble or think humble thoughts. A person of genuine humility has no thought of self at all. Humility is a behavior, and in its purest form, involves little emotion, except perhaps affection. With that in mind, allow me to draw a few principles from Jesus’ lesson on humility. First, humility is unannounced. Jesus didn’t rise from the table and boldly announced, “I am now going to demonstrate humility.” He simply began washing feet. Once someone calls attention to their deed of service, it becomes contaminated with pride (Matt. 23:1–12). Therefore, one doesn’t announce a humble act before or after it is done. (Jesus broke this rule after washing the disciples’ feet for the sake of instruction, but it was the only time He did.) Second, humility is being willing to receive service without embarrassment. We usually feel embarrassed by deeds of service and kindness from others because we perceive that the normal “rules” of status or rank have been breached. In Peter’s mind, the lesser should serve the greater. Jesus inverted this worldly norm. The “greatest” in the kingdom of God serves and receives service without considering status, worth, or rank. Third, humility is not a sign of weakness. Jesus did not serve His disciples because He was weak, needed their goodwill, desired approval, or coveted their loyalty. On the contrary, Jesus, none other than almighty God, bowed low to serve the people He loved. He washed those twenty-four feet because they were dirty and needed washing. This practical task also served as an ideal teaching opportunity. We must look for opportunities in everyday life to be a teaching moment. Fourth, humility does not discriminate. Jesus washed the feet of every disciple in the room, including those of Judas, the man He knew had already made plans to betray Him. Jesus didn’t line up the disciples in order of closeness, loyalty, or any other standard. He didn’t wait for the traitor among them to depart on his evil mission before washing their feet. Instead, he washed the feet that needed washing without favoritism or prejudice. I saw a quote online a couple of weeks ago, which made me stop and think. If you say you love Jesus, then you must also love Judas. Fifth, humility includes serving one another, not just the Lord, because they are the same. Serving the Lord is the greatest delight in the world. Helping one another may not seem as rewarding, but it is impossible to separate them. We may think the Lord is worthy of service and easy to love, while our fellow soiled and sinful brothers and sisters are not always lovely and frequently fail to express gratitude. Nevertheless, genuine humility doesn’t seek reward other than the joy of service itself. Matthew 25:40 And the King will say, “I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” Sixth, the joy of humility can only be experienced through humility in action. Humility comes through doing, not merely reading about it, hearing others talk about it, or seeing others practice it. Jesus demonstrated humility and then urged His disciples to follow His example. Humility is serving, and being served, without regard for status or rank, will define our mutual experience in heaven, so why wait? God has encouraged us to create a little bit of heaven on earth. Humbly serving is part of that rich and satisfying life we should live each day. We are citizens of His kingdom. He has given us the ability…so what are we waiting for? We are to build God’s kingdom until Christ returns to finalize the kingdom and restore a Global Eden. Next, we will see Jesus betrayed by Judas, but Jesus teaches us what true acceptance consists of in a message titled, How High is Your A.Q. (Acceptance Quotient)? Please read John 13:18-30 in preparation for next week’s message. Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and, most importantly, your friend as I serve you through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal. As we take this trek together, let us always:

1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
2. Love Unconditionally
3. Listen Intentionally
4. Learn Continuously
5. Lend to others Generously
6. Lead with Integrity
7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great