John 13-14: The job no one wants

We slow down in John 13–14 to watch Jesus choose a towel, expose betrayal, and redefine greatness as humble love. We also hear his comfort for anxious hearts as he names himself the way to the Father and promises the Holy Spirit and real peace.
• why the final week in John reveals what matters most to Jesus
• the cultural meaning of foot washing and why Jesus doing it is shocking
• Peter’s resistance and Jesus’ words about cleansing and belonging
• Judas’ betrayal and the heaviness of that moment at the table
• the new commandment to love as Jesus loves and what it signals to the world
• Peter’s bold claim and Jesus’ warning about denial
• “I Am The Way, The Truth, And The Life” and what it means for knowing God
• prayer in Jesus’ name, obedience as love, and the promise of the Advocate
• the difference between Jesus’ peace and the world’s peace

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Transcript

Jesus Washes The Disciples’ Feet

Betrayal Named In The Room

A New Command To Love

Comfort And The Way To God

Obedience Love And The Holy Spirit

Discipleship Guide And Closing Charge

SPEAKER_00 0:11

This is the Out Loud Bible Project Podcast, and I am Mike. We're reading through the book of John today, and there's some longer chapters, so we're just doing two chapters at a time, but man, I wouldn't want to go any faster than this. There is just a lot here, especially in this last half of the book of John, where we zoom in on Jesus' just his final week. You can imagine the last things someone says or does before their death is indicative of what is most important to them. Especially Jesus, who knew his death was coming and he was dying willingly. He was making a statement by what he said and did here in these final days. And we see today in John chapter 13 a powerful, unexpected act. It was custom in that culture and in that time for people to be, well, walking around in sandals. And of course, the streets were not clean, where horses and other animals walked and where there was no sewage. Well, you can imagine, eh, it gets kind of gross as you're walking around. And uh so it was customary for when you entered into a home, especially to have a meal, then there would be someone, a servant, if it's kind of a wealthy home, or the the most humble position of a family, the uh a child or or someone, uh, to the the person ultimately with the least esteem in the family to come and wash the feet of any guests. And so it was just expected that, uh, well, yes, here comes the person who washes our feet. It would never be the person who has the most honor or esteem in the family. It would always be the one with the least. With that understood, you can imagine why this is such a surprising story here in John chapter 13, and we'll read chapter 14 in the New English Translation. Just before the Passover feast, Jesus knew that his time had come to depart from this world to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now loved them to the very end. The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, that he should betray Jesus. Because Jesus knew that the Father had handed all things over to him and that he had come from God and was going back to God, he got up from the meal, removed his outer clothes, took a towel, and tied it around himself. Oh boy, the disciples know what's coming. They can't believe it. He poured water into the wash basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to dry them with a towel he had wrapped around himself. And then he came to Simon Peter. Peter said to him, Lord, are you gonna wash my feet? Jesus replied, You don't understand what I'm doing now, but you will understand after these things. Peter said to him, You know you'll never wash my feet. Jesus replied, If I don't wash you, you have no share with me. Simon Peter said to him, Well Lord will wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head. Jesus replied, The one who's bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean. You disciples are clean, but not every one of you. For Jesus knew the one who was going to betray him, and for this reason he said not every one of you is clean. So when Jesus had washed their feet and put his outer clothing back on, he took his place at the table again and said to them, Do you understand what I've done for you? You call me teacher and lord and do so correctly, for that's what I am. If I then, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you too ought to wash one another's feet. For I've given you an example. You should do just as I've done for you. I tell you the solemn truth, the slave is not greater than his master, nor is the one who is sent as a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you understand these things, you'll be blessed if you do them. What I'm saying doesn't refer to all of you, I know the ones I've chosen, but this is to fulfill the scripture The one who eats my bread has turned against me. I'm telling you this now before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I'm he. I tell you the solemn truth. Whoever accepts the one I send accepts me, and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me. When he had said these things, Jesus was greatly distressed in spirit and testified, I tell you the solemn truth. One of you will betray me. The disciples began to look at one another, worried and perplexed to know which of them he was talking about. One of his disciples, the one Jesus loved, was at the table to the right of Jesus in a place of honor. So Simon Peter gestured to this disciple to ask Jesus who it was he was referring to. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved leaned back against Jesus' chest and asked him, Lord, who is it? Jesus replied, It's the one to whom I'll give this piece of bread after I've dipped it in the dish. And he dipped the piece of bread in the dish and gave it to Judas Iscariot, Simon's son. And after Judas took the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, What you're about to do do quickly. Now none of those present at the table understood why Jesus said this to Judas. Some thought that because Judas had the money box, Jesus was telling him to buy whatever they needed for the feast or to give something to the poor, and Judas took the piece of bread and went out immediately. Now it was night. And when Judas had gone out, Jesus said, Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him right away. Children, I I'm still with you for a little while. You'll look for me, and just as I said to the Jewish religious leaders, where I'm going, you can't come, and now I tell you the same. I give you a new commandment to love one another. Just as I've loved you, you're also to love one another. Everyone will know this, that you are my disciples if you have love for one another. Satman Peter said to him, Lord, where are you going? And Jesus replied, Where I'm going, you can't follow me now, but you will follow later. Peter said to him, Lord, why can't I follow you now? I'll I'll lay down my life for you. Jesus answered, Will you lay down your life for me? I tell you the solemn truth. The rooster will not crow until you've denied me three times. Don't let your hearts be distressed. You believe in God, believe also in me. There are many dwelling places in my father's house. Otherwise I would have told you because I'm going away to make ready a place for you. And if I go and make ready a place for you, I will come again and take you to be with me, so that where I am you may be too. And you know the way I'm going. Thomas said, Lord, we don't know where you're going. How can we know the way? Jesus replied, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you've known me, you'll know my Father too, and from now on you do know him and have seen him. Philip said, Well, Lord, show us the Father, we'll be content. Jesus replied, Have I been with you for so long, and yet you have not known me, Philip? The person who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, Show us the Father? Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I say to you I don't speak on my own initiative, but the Father residing in me performs his miraculous deeds. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me. But if you don't believe me, believe because of the miraculous deeds themselves. I tell you the solemn truth, the person who believes in me will perform the miraculous deeds I'm doing, and will perform greater deeds than these, because I'm going to the Father, and I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I'll do it. If you love me, you'll obey my commandments, and then I'll ask the Father, and he'll give you another advocate to be with you forever, the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot accept because it does not see him or know him, but you know him, because he resides with you and will be in you. I will not abandon you as orphans, I'll come to you, and in a little while the world will not see me any longer, but you'll see me, because I live, and you'll live too. You'll know at that time that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. The person who has my commandments and obeys them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I'll love him, and will reveal myself to him. Lord Judas, not Judas Iscariot, said, What has happened that you're going to reveal yourself to us and not to the world? Jesus replied, If anyone loves me, he'll obey my word, and my father will love him, and will come to him and will take up residence with him. The person who doesn't love me doesn't obey my words, and the word you hear is not mine, but the Father's who sent me. I've spoken these things while staying with you, but the advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and will cause you to remember everything I said to you. Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I don't give it to you as the world does. Don't let your hearts be distressed or lacking in courage. You heard me say to you, I'm going away and I'm coming back to you. If you loved me, you would be glad that I'm going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am. I've told you now before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe. I'll not speak with you much longer, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me, but I'm doing just what the Father commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Get up. Let's go from here. And we will pause from here. Well, I want to bring your attention to the fact that I have another Echo Discipleship Guide available for this last half of the book of John, John 11 through 20, here, uh regarding Jesus' last week. It's available at the website, outloudbible.com. It's a great way to study, go a little bit deeper and echo what we've been reading about. And each day go a little bit deeper with one of the verses that we'll come across here in this last half of the book of John and take some steps, just take a little bit of a step out of a comfort zone to do the brave thing, to do the faithful thing, to maybe even make a big leap for the kingdom and do exactly what Jesus is saying to do here, to love one another in such a way that the world can see that God sent Jesus. Apparently, we got to do more of that because it's not clear to the world yet. So check out the discipleship guide, the echo discipleship guide for his last week, John Part 2, uh, over at outloudbible.com. Because it's not enough to just know who Jesus is, which is exactly John's point of writing the story, but it doesn't stop there. We can't just know who he is. We then have to do what he says, because as Jesus himself said, those who love him will obey his commands. Love is expressed. Love for Jesus is expressed by obeying Jesus and doing what he says. And that starts with loving each other. That's the thinking out loud, thought for the day. Thanks for joining me this time. We'll see you next time as we continue reading the book of John, starting in John chapter 15.