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Love
Teaching Texts: John 13: 1-17
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.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one 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.
Themes
Consider these themes and ask your group what else they see in the passage:
Joy Complete
Formation
Thoughts and notes you can use for discussion:
God wants your joy to be complete and Jesus is showing us The Way
Look at how Jesus understands His identity
“Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 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. “ – John 13 v 3-5
He takes up the job reserved for the lowest servant
He moves to the humble place. He takes the job no one wants to do.
He washes the real-life grime out from between the toes of His friends.
What are some irrefutable truths of your identity?
How could understanding our identity affect how we respond to those we love? Or those we are called to serve? Or even our enemies?
Later in these upcoming hours, He is going to say multiple times I want you to have My Joy. I want your joy to be complete.
One of the secrets of Joy that God knows and we are invited to learn is that power is for service, the truly happy life is one of service and love …
What are the paths to joy that you recognize the world around you offers?
Jesus is showing us the shocking truth of how God uses power. To serve.
“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.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.” – John 13 v 6-11
Peter shows us a bunch of reasonable responses that all miss the Kingdom of God
You are the King, you shouldn’t wash my feet - Peter is seen several times trying to talk Jesus out of taking the low road of humility
I am not worthy of this act - it is easy for us to let our sins and failures swell so we imagine them larger than God’s mercy
OK fine but the rest of of me also needs this - we struggle to receive. We struggle to believe that God can make us clean without us directing the process.
thank you for you sentiment, let me show you how to fix me
We want to control God and how God is seen
We want to control our lives and how we are seen
We imagine our current mood or feeling is the truest thing about us
What are some reasonable responses you can recognize in your life that also might miss what God intends in His kingdom?
What areas do you desire to control how you are perceived?
What areas do you try to control how God is perceived?
“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.” – John 13 v 12-17
But we aren’t blessed if we understand that concept.
We are blessed if we do this.
Our world says power is having the upward mobility to never have to do the inconvenient things, thats the dream
God is showing us when you are truly secure and full of love you can serve others.
To be like Jesus is to grow in the ease and spontaneity with which we do the little, annoying, messy things, the things we always secretly hope someone else will do so we won’t have to waste our time, to demean ourselves.
It is a pattern we can follow - it shows us the way of Love
Learn the mysterious God-type Joy of love expressed in service
The world’s vision of power is so much more alluring in the surface, but once you get into it, you realize it is empty
The apostle Paul shows us the pattern in his letter to the Philippians
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, He made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the Name that is above every name,
that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” – Philippians 2 v 3-11
Jesus trusted His identity and future to the Father so He was able to take the nature of a servant
And God exalted Him
Can you trust God that way?
