Synoptic Gospels John 13:1-17

We are in the 13th chapter of John. I played with the idea briefly of Since we discussed it so much last week looking at all of the texts It's always good to bring a Bible to Bible study. Okay. All right, that's good looking at all of the texts related to Judas but as you all know, I am rushing madly to finish a book by Friday Saturday morning, I leave for London Berlin and Possibly now again, we had wanted to do this and it fell through and now it's come back as a possibility.

We may need to change flight plans but a Muslim group in Dublin has contacted us and so either By one free day in London I'll fly over and then fly back or we'll have to extend by a day and fly back from Dublin or something.

But anyways for possibly as many as five debates over the next few weeks and so it's could be busy busy busy, but I Trying to finish this book. I've got about 25 26 27 pages left to go maybe something like that and So it didn't have a chance to look at Judas.

It would be interesting. Maybe maybe later on down the road We still have to there's still one other issue that we haven't dealt with and that is We will have to get into it when we finish this section of John and go back to the synoptics the the question of the timing of when Judas leaves the disciple band and the question of The means of Judas's death will all come up then so There may be time to do just a entire Judas study at some point along lines at that point, but We are looking at John 13 Right at the beginning of the chapter now before the feast the Passover Jesus knowing that his hour had come that he would depart out this world the father Having loved his own who are in the world He loved them to the end or completely.

The Sovereign Purpose of the Cross in John 13

During the supper the devil having already entered into the heart of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon to betray him. Jesus knowing the father had given all things into his hands and he had come forth from God was going back to God.

Got up from the supper and laid aside his garments taking a towel. He girded himself now. We've already looked at the the Feast issue and the fact that this was not just one day. It was a week-long festival.

That's going to become important when we look at the timing Of the crucifixion we talked about that and then we talked about Judas so we have taken a few Jaunts out of here, but we need to try to start making some progress or we're gonna be here forever.

So we look at the at the third verse Jesus knowing that the father had given all things into his hands and that he had come forth from God and was going back to God now again, this is the kind of phraseology that Drives a lot of naturalists nuts.

How can this just be a history and this person know this well doesn't claim to be just a history this John has said I've written these things so that you might know that Jesus the Son of God Knowing you might have life in his name.

And so There is the commentary that is given to us that and I think it's very important and this is what a lot of people don't like they a Lot of people do not want a Jesus who is in control who is fulfilling the purpose of God in the crucifixion they wanted Jesus who's I don't know a revolutionary who gets caught up in a bad political situation or something like that.

So so everybody who wants a naturalistic Jesus is gonna find verse 3 rather troubling and you'll notice the word Jesus is in Italics a new American Standard. There is no word Jesus in the Greek text. It's just provided so that you can see who's who's being referred to but He knows that the Father has given all things into his hands and so the I think the point of the of the statement is that Jesus does know that what he is doing is exactly what?

The plan of the Father is the cross is not a mistake. The cross is not plan B the cross is not some type of Synergistic thing that well happened it just happened this way and and look how great God is he manages to make something good come out of it and We have to have to remember that there are all sorts of wild and zany Ideas out there.

I'd always have been on the subject of the cross. It was such a scandal Absolutely such a scandal To everyone that the Messiah would die in this way that Obviously the authors are more concerned about Emphasizing God's sovereign control and that this was his purpose and that this was the fulfillment of prophecy than they were to worry about anything else and So the statement is is really there for our benefit that Jesus Says the things he's going to say he teaches the things he's about to teach in chapters 14 15 and 16 which function together as a unit in regards to the coming of the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit's role in Taking Jesus's place.

That the disciples are not being left as orphans. They're not being left alone and Then chapter 17 the high priestly prayer all the way up to the point of the betrayal That Jesus is is not just being dragged along by some kind of Process that's outside of his control now.

None of the Gospels present it that way even though you'll hear people say that that's not the case Before even even going to mark as we mentioned before before the crucifixion Jesus when the woman Anoints his body.

He says he's annoyed. She's anointing my body for a burial. He knows what's coming if he knew what was coming. He didn't want to happen. There is a lot of different ways He could have avoided it, but he does not he knows the father had given all things into his hands and so we again look at that and I Just sound like a broken record, but put the words and actions of Jesus into the mouth of anybody else and They become blasphemous words.

Isaiah never says that the father has given all things into his hands. Moses never says the father has given all things into his hands. There is no creature To whom this kind of authority can be given?

But Jesus knowing the father given all things in his hands and Jesus had Certainty of Who he was Where he had come from where he was going. Now you might say well duh he's God well That's a simplistic way of looking at things.

I mean, let's face it the Bible gives us some very interesting Insights without going into much in the way of detail. Concerning the fact that what's the God man like and Men have not well avoided engaging in all sorts of speculation concerning the nature of the relationship of the divine and human in Christ and and hence Here Jesus knows where he's come from where he's going to and yet in Luke he grows in in grace and stature and knowledge and wisdom well People want to go which one is it?

Well, it's both it has to be both because Jesus is the God man and How does that work as far as his personal self understanding and all the rest of these things? Only the Gnostic Gospels Delve into that kind of speculation the Gnostic Gospels in the second century just couldn't avoid Going where the scriptures do not allow us to go.

They decided to and and what they came up with not only was a contradictory picture, but it was a mess a royal mess a mass of silliness that again. If you've not heard of the Gnostic Gospels before You will if you talk with almost anyone outside of the Christian faith these days.

They are the primary mechanism in the universities of seeking to overthrow the authority of the canonical Gospels Matthew Mark Luke and John but if you Invest the time it actually doesn't take all that much time.

They're not that many of them and normally they're not that long. You should try to avoid doing it in any place where laughter out loud would cause you a problem, but If you invest the time as I have to read all of them You will find not only massive disharmony and contradiction between them but they just all bear the marks not only of a later period but of pure speculation and bad fiction writing.

Okay, you know if you've ever Remember back in high school, you know creative writing and in English class, you know where everybody had to you know. Write your your own little creative stories your fiction stories.

You know, I wrote some pretty cool ones myself. But sometimes you had to get up and read yours and let's just say that not everyone is given equal talents in writing fiction stories and that's Eminently true when you read the Gnostic Gospels, they are just they're just amazing and so to hear people as I hear often.

Promoting these things as if they should be given Really given almost any voice that all let alone an equal voice of the canonical Gospels. It's just enough to. Well, I'd pull my hair out if that was something I could really do so.

These these these Gospels present a Jesus to us. Who is is either just nasty? Like the the Jesus who has a little boy, you know strikes his playmates dead and Then when the parents complain either strikes them dead or makes them wither up.

It's just I mean just ridiculous. Or as such a heavenly creature, there's absolutely no humanity about him whatsoever. Just this sort of floating Phantasm of something like that. Nothing like what you have in this gospel gospel of John.

Which is emphasized the fact that Jesus grew tired and Jesus ate and Jesus truly became flesh. I mean none of the Gospels emphasize as strongly as John the physical reality of the incarnation the word became flesh.

And yet you have both of these assertions given to us and here going into the crucifixion narrative. Even though it's still a number of chapters away in reality Chapters 13 following goes directly into that.

This is all just a very short period of time prior to the cross. We are told that Jesus knew he had come forth from God and was going back to God now that language that you could I suppose say everything comes forth from God.

God created everything and That would be true in a sense. But It's much more Contextual in John to recognize that Jesus more than once in this next section is going to talk about I'm going away and at one point the Jews go is what they Do commit suicide?

Where can he go? We can't go. Jesus Recognizes this unique origin that is his that he has been sent by the father. He has come forth from God. There is a this is this is a a divine Self-understanding and recognition and No matter what mankind can do.

He knows he's going back to God not just in the sense of yeah Well, we all know he's in a better place, you know, we with that kind of vague empty thing he he cannot be Deflected from or caused to fail in his purposes.

That doesn't turn it into something that means it's automatic. I'm just gonna go through this. I'm not gonna feel anything and There's none of that either Jesus is you have to allow Both those realities or you are emptying the biblical narrative and that's what people want to do.

They want something simplistic they don't want something that is beyond a human experience and so you you just you know, whether you're the Woo-woo Spiritualist who wants to try to basically get rid of the reality of Jesus true humanity or you're the naturalist who?

Just dismisses all of the supernatural element of it. The balance is to be found in listening to everything that the scripture says here. It's very interesting then that having made this strong assertion of Jesus's divine nature.

It says he got up from supper and laid aside his garments and taking a towel he girded himself and so he has Removed the outer garments that would be the nicer public vestments he girds himself with a towel.

Then he poured water into the base and began to wash the disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded now this was the Normative actions of a servant at a well Organized supper shall we say?

Because unlike us, you know, we walk, you know. Where did I walk between? When I got dressed this morning and here I walked in my carport and I walked across the paved Parking lot and then through here and on carpet and Back into here now.

I doubt that my shoes are Hardly any more dusty Now than they were when I put them on this morning. Because I haven't had to walk through a bunch of dust and dirt and sand or anything else. That's not the way things were for the vast majority of human history.

Even to very recent times. When you know, I'll be going to London love. I love London. London's a beautiful beautiful city. I'll get to ride the tube again and and It's just it's it's a great place it really is and If it wasn't filled with British people be wonderful nonsense, oh and I can that's exactly right.

I'll do that when I get back. Thank you, Barry. I appreciate that. Yeah, mind you got 90 gap. Oh, yes all that all the time, but you know, the tubes great and and and it's great. But that's not what London was only a number of decades ago.

You know and you had to have ways when you came into a home of Removing your boots and especially when horses were the primary means of transportation let's just say it smelled really bad most of the time in large cities and That's not the case in all of our cities anymore and for most of them it's not and and So that's been human human experience down through the ages and These men would not have been wearing leather shoes like we would wear they'd primarily be wearing sandals and You're walking on dirt streets and yes there are animals on those streets as well as sheep and pigs and dogs and so on so forth and So when you would come into a home One of the nice things to do would be to provide If you're well off you had a servant to do it.

Or a means for the person to do it themselves or something like that a means of washing the feet. Especially because when you reclined at the table you weren't sitting at a table with those feet safely tucked away out of sight.

Remember the tables very low you're you're laying on one side. I don't know how anybody digested food ever back then to be honest with you, but I guess he got used to it, but But you are literally reclining at the table and that means your feet are fully visible in fact anyone walking around serving or like that you're Right there out in front of everybody to see and so the washing of feet Was not anything unusual, but it was normally done by a servant by a slave and so for the master to begin doing this is An amazing thing and I can guarantee you it it became Absolutely silent out of shock because clearly this had not happened before.

This had not happened before there was something special going on here. It's one of the reasons there are some Christian groups that consider foot washing a an ordinance of The church. There are not very many of them, but there are a couple that view this because of its uniqueness as an ordinance of the church it certainly is a an incredible Illustration on Jesus's part of The role of the servant that he is taking.

I'm not sure how many of you got a chance to hear it, but about I don't know six months ago or so now I had the opportunity about that long of Having as my guest on the dividing line my good friend Michael Brown and Dr.. Brown is a Converted Jew.

He's one of the only Armenians. I know of who doesn't misrepresent the other side. In fact it looks like early next year finally after all these years. We're gonna get to have the the Rockham Stockham drag about debate at a seminary back east between he and I on the subjects of reformed theology, but Some of you may have seen the debate that Michael and I did against two Unitarians on the Jewish voice broadcast here in Phoenix a few years ago, but I Had dr. Brown on with me, and we went through Isaiah 53 primarily based on the Hebrew text and the identification of who the servant is there the suffering servant and the consistent testimony that that Section of Scripture gives to the 700 years in the future crucifixion of Jesus Christ it is one of the most amazing Texts in that in that matter.

Which is one of the reasons we read it so often prior to on the night of the Lord's Supper. Might do that again next week. The idea of Jesus as servant then is here presented in a graphic fashion to the disciples.

The Servant Heart of Jesus and the Foot Washing

To disciples who Are not yet indwelt by the Holy Spirit in the way that they will be after Pentecost. Who will still be asking whether whether Christ is about to establish the kingdom even after his crucifixion and resurrection?

Who it's not until? Jesus Ministers to them in Luke chapter 24 that he opens their minds to even understand the scriptures and so they are truly left befuddled when their master Girds himself as a servant and Begins to wash their feet.

So he came to Simon Peter so obviously He had started somewhere else it seems to me. At least strikes me. I can't prove this but it seems that He had already washed some of the other disciples feet. Maybe all of them.

Maybe he went in order from youngest to oldest. I don't know it would seem that Simon was probably The oldest of the disciples. We can't prove that but it it might explain. Why he speaks so often? It certainly explains why John outran him to the tomb.

But we're not given the specifics on that information. But he comes to Simon Peter, and he said to him Lord. Do you wash my feet? He has answered and said to him what I do you do not realize now. But you will understand hereafter so If Jesus has already Washed the feet of others and comes to Peter Then maybe it's just the silence.

That Peter just can't stand anymore. Everybody wants to say the same thing everyone is very uncomfortable with this. I'm sure some of the disciples are wondering should we have been doing this for Jesus and we didn't do this or is this You know a rebuke for the fact that we're just so often talking about who's gonna be the greatest.

Which in fact they would then pick up a little bit later on anyways even after this. The Gospels record for us that even after this they're going to get 70 and they started arguing about who's gonna be the greatest again.

Who knows but it would seem that once he comes to Peter Peter would have picked up the idea by now that This is something Jesus wants to do and I need to learn from him what it is and then and Jesus says to him What I do.

You do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter. That should be enough. That that that should be enough, but but Peter like us so often I Your promise of my understanding in the future is not enough for now I need to know now and So Peter says to him never shall you wash my feet and Jesus answered him if I do not wash you you have no part with me and so Peter's impetuous response demanding and understanding now rather than accepting Christ's promise that you will Someday understand what I'm doing.

Well, that's not enough his impetuous response is met with Well, if I do not wash you Peter you have no part with me. In other words Peter if you refuse My servanthood then you don't understand who I am.

You will not there there is no. There is no Editing the Messiah so that he's only the conquering King. Rather than the suffering servant that may be more comfortable for you. It certainly would have been more comfortable for them.

The suffering servant was a Scandal not just the means by which he suffered certainly amongst the Greeks and the Romans the the means was a scandal but amongst the Jews themselves The idea of a suffering servant a Messiah who would actually be crucified by the people of Israel themselves total scandal and.

So when Jesus says if I do not wash you you have no part with me. The point is that the only people who are in Christ are those who accept him for who he is and Recognize that his role as servant his role as suffering servant his self-giving Cannot be separated out from whom he is.

You cannot edit Jesus and have a more comfortable Jesus. This is the Jesus who you will be a part of or you will not be a part of him at all. That kind of a rather strong Concept has already been found for example in John chapter 8 unless you believe that I am you will die in your sins.

There's lots of people who want to edit Jesus down and take this part. I don't like this part. I don't like that part. I never worship a God like that. I mean I did you can't tell me I don't love Jesus, but I'll never worship a God that will tell me what marriage is.

It's just so popular and there's so many so many Christians today, they're like oh, yeah. If God's really loving then he just let us worship him like we want to kumbaya. It's not the Jesus of the Bible.

Not only does it not make any sense. It's not the Jesus of the Bible. And so Jesus says to Peter If I do not wash you you have no part of me now of course Peter's Peter. And Peter still just doesn't get the idea that I need to let Jesus do what Jesus does and I don't need to try to improve what he's doing because I just impetuousness of Peter is just So I don't know interesting well There's some people that are just polar opposites from Peter, I think Peter just has No control over that tongue man.

It just it's just it just flaps like the wind and I mean when you can be on the Mount of Transfiguration and the presence of God the Father God the Son Moses and Elijah and still flap your gums. So much so that your fellow gospel writers record for he knew not what he said.

I? Mean don't just think in later years while the disciples are sitting around they Brought that one up more than once to Peter. You know yo Peter remember yeah, yeah. Go off to Babylon and preach the gospel we get rid of you guys.

You know I'd have to hear about that again. Yes. You gotta love me. Simon Peter said to him Lord then wash not only my feet, but also my hands on my head. Now it is part of this I Guess the best interpretation the best spin you can put on this is In Simon Peter's mind then okay.

Well if being washed by you means a part of you then wash all of me. I want to be more a part of you than anybody else. Maybe. Maybe there was because remember the other gospel writers. Tell us not a Matter of hours at most maybe a matter of minutes until they're heading for Gethsemane and What does What are the disciples arguing about who's gonna be the greatest and So maybe he's seeing some of the other disciples.

Well. They only got their feet washed. Okay. Well how about my head in my hands, too and Jesus response is He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet is completely clean, and you are clean. But not all of you.

Which Again causes us if we're just not reading through real fast to stop and to ponder. Because we know he's talking about verse 11. For he knew the one who is betraying him for this reason. He said not all of you are clean.

I Don't know where it started, but sometime over the past decade or so It has entered into our language to use the term awkward you know without any accompanying contacts. Just awkward. And I don't know where it started.

You think your daughter started that okay? I was gas summer if summer knew where and summer is saying no, so She's the only way I can keep up with you know. That kind of stuff, but anyway to say that can you imagine for a moment?

What it was like? When Jesus moves that bowl of water and Kneels in front of Judas. Judas who has been skimming off the top of the Apostolic Treasury. Judas who is already contemplating the betrayal of Jesus for about 30 pieces of silver and What what was that like was that before Peter after Peter don't know don't know but every time Jesus says but not all of you and then he hands you know the sop to Judas and You've got all this going on.

What is Judas thinking what's his heart rate at you know were his ears red? Was that telltale Blushing that that that sweat. We don't know. But we do know he knew the one who was betraying him, and that's why he said but not all of you.

So he says to Peter you don't get it. You don't get it. He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but it's completely clean, and you're clean, but not all of you in other words. It isn't a matter of How much washing you receive you you are clean by means of your relationship to me?

There is this need as you walk through this world to wash your feet but you don't need to be this you know this constant and people have Expanded greatly upon this text and made application to Wealthy this is you know once you're saved you're completely clean but then there's the need for personal confession as you you know your feet get dirty and the things the world and Maybe that's there I'm I'm not a hundred percent certain of that.

Maybe it. Maybe it is. If so then it needs to be interpreted in light of all the rest of Scripture but There is no massive Expansion upon this and an application so when he had washed their feet and taken his garments and reclined the table again He said them.

Do you know what I've done to you, and we looked very carefully between verses 12 and 13 And it was quiet. There's no response even Peters like I think I'll keep my mouth shut now you call me Hercules and Hadidas gloss teacher and Lord hadidas gloss is teacher Hercules Lord you call me teacher you call me Lord and Rightly do you say for I am Both your teacher and your Lord and so in other words I I am in a position To where I should have had my feet washed or I am in a position to where it would not be From the world's perspective my role to wash your feet.

But if I then the Lord and the teacher washed your feet you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you so in other words as the Lord has Certain rights and privileges But does not cling to them and demand them so to Believers are to lay aside The rights and privileges that are theirs in service to one another these are going to be the Apostles they they know That in the years to come well.

They don't know this then Jesus knows that in the years to come. Can you imagine what it was like to be? Peter toward the end of his life. Oh, yeah persecution, but amongst the Christians John He's the last one he saw the resurrected Jesus.

He he was at the last supper. I mean can you imagine? How you were treated? Within the Christian fellowship, and it would have been real easy From the world's perspective to become quite puffed up quite puffed up indeed.

But they are given an example By their Lord on the night of his betrayal if I then the Lord and the teacher washed your feet. You also ought to wash one another's feet for I gave you an example That you also should do as I did to you truly truly I say to you a Slave is not greater than his master nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him if you know these things.

You are blessed if you do them and so. The very same concept that we see brought out with such clarity in Paul's Epistle to the Philippians where he says don't look to your own things look to the the issues of others.

Be a servant. The key to Christian harmony in the fellowship of believers is Serviced one another. I've said So many times before I draw from my experience Being a member of a mega church at one point and being involved in running sound and hence the music ministry we We so often had the perfect example of the opposite of that attitude and those those particular singers.

That we in the sound department wanted to give them a t-shirt that said more me. Because whenever they were singing during the practice I was up more more me in the fullback more me and we're all like no we want less you less you.

But you know they I mean there were just folks. Boy, you knew when they were singing and you had to do everything right and they demanded this and they demanded that and you know that the biggest Problems and divisions were when people like that were Demanding my rights my rights my rights my rights.

The attitude is supposed to be just the opposite of that if Jesus Will put on a towel and wash the disciples feet then we should be willing to take that position of servant and As he says if you know these things you are blessed if you do them, so you know we always say Oh, God bless you.

Well if you want God's blessings if you know these things you're blessed if you do them. You get a tremendous amount out of serving others especially in the in the family of faith but of course. Then we have verse 18 Very quickly.

I do not speak of all of you. I know the ones I have chosen. But it is that the scripture may be fulfilled he who eats my bread is lifted up his heel against me. From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass that when it does occur you may believe that ego I mean I don't want to rush through that because it's a it's a very important fulfillment text and so Oh great keeper of the notes note that we need to start with John 13 18.

I don't know when that's going to be because This time next week, I'll be a zombie in London. Having overnighted it to get there, so Then the week after that. I'm still over. I'll be preaching in London and the week after that.

I think I preach here, so We'll see. But you better write it down because that three weeks I'll have slept between now and then and that means I will never remember it so thank you all right. Let's close the word of prayer.

Father would you thank you for this opportunity this? Tremendous text we thank you for the servanthood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by whom we have eternal life. May we walk in his footsteps? May we serve him and serve one another we pray in Christ's name.