This message teaches us why it’s important to love and serve others, what the significance of a renewed spirit is, and how to follow Jesus’ example.

Has the love of God touched your heart and motivated you to the love and service towards others? We will be blessed as we know and experience the truth of the gospel, and allow the Spirit to clean us and follow Jesus’ example to love and serve others.

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The why, what, and how to love and serve like Jesus.

Did you know Jesus washed the feet of his disciples? It is only a few days until the Passover. Jesus has already told his disciples that time was short and he would soon be crucified and taken up to his Father in heaven. Jesus will soon have accomplished the Father’s will and all that the Father had sent him to do.

Last week we learned that Jesus is the living bread of life, and the reason Jesus came was to do the will of the Father, and the will of the Father is that whoever believes in Jesus shall have eternal life.

We also learned that not one who believes in Jesus would be lost (John 6:39-40)! This is the good news of the gospel.

The highest expression of love and service is to obey the Lord. To give of oneself and take the punishment that another deserved. This is what Jesus did for each of us. Jesus took upon himself the punishment we deserved and paid a debt that we could never pay.

Jesus shows us what it means to love and serve.

Jesus obeys, loves, and serves his heavenly Father and, in doing so, Jesus also loves and serves his disciples and all who will call on the name of the Lord.

‘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.

2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 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.

6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” 9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

10 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 every one was clean.

12 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. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them’ (John 13:1-17, NIV).

Here we learn the full extent of Jesus’ love: obeying the heavenly Father and loving and serving others. Jesus displayed his love by washing and drying the feet of his disciples.

Washing feet was a servant’s job. It was a lowly, dirty job. A job that Gentile slaves were often tasked to do. It was not the job that a master or teacher would ever consider. It was a demeaning job, and a master or teacher would not lower themselves to do such a job. However, Jesus was no ordinary teacher. Jesus is the Son of God sent to do the will of the Father.

Jesus chose to lead and teach by example. It was said that he taught as one with authority. His teaching was often in stark contrast to religious and worldly thought. Jesus is teaching the way of the Spirit.

Jesus’ actions of washing of the disciples’ feet was an act of love and humble service towards his disciples.

Jesus knew what was before him in just a few days. It was the cross. Jesus was aware that he would soon leave the earth and return to his Father in heaven. Jesus knew time was short and that he would soon be betrayed by Judas, one of the twelve disciples. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power.

Jesus, knowing all this, chose to take the position of a servant and he stooped down to wash and dry the feet of his disciples. Yes, even the feet of Judas, the one who would soon betray him. What an act of love and service Jesus displayed by taking the place of a servant and to love and serve even the one he knew would soon betray him.

How do you think of love?

Consider for a moment: Jesus kneeling before Judas and washing the feet of the one who will betray him to the religious authorities who hated and wanted to kill him. Jesus also washes the feet of the eleven other disciples who will scatter and walk away for a time after Jesus’ arrest. Jesus washed Peter’s feet, the one who will deny him three times that he even knew Jesus.

Some of the disciples must have felt discouraged and lost all hope seeing Jesus had died and was buried in a tomb. Some followers would leave and return home to their previous professions. The disciples and followers who had been with Jesus three years and seen him do mighty miracles, those who earlier proclaimed that Jesus was the son of God, for the moment lost all hope.

Some followers wanted to make Jesus king and lead a physical revolt to overturn the Roman government. But Jesus would have nothing to do with that. The people anticipated that Jesus would deliver them from the physical oppression and bondage; but that was not Jesus’ purpose in coming.

Jesus came to save the spiritually lost, to redeem the sinner from sin, to fulfill the will of the Father even if it meant going to the cross.

Jesus’ focus here, in John 13, was on his disciples and on all who will believe.

Jesus was focused on:

• Serving his disciples and all who believe.

• Loving his disciples and all who believe.

• Being an example for each of us to follow. A selfless, humble and loving example to serve others, even those who stand against us.

Do you understand?

• Jesus, in love, looks past the stench of sin.

• Jesus, in love, looks past the ugliness of hopelessness.

• Jesus, in love, looks past the act of willful disobedience.

• Jesus, in love, looks past the pride and the denial of knowing him.

• Jesus, in love, looks past the fear in our hearts to who we can become when we place our faith in Jesus and believe in Christ the Lord.

Love is more than a word. It is a decision and an action.

• It is an act of love and action of serving another.

• It is loving and serving both the lovable and unlovable.

• It is loving and serving the one who betrays you along with the one who will one day stand by you.

• Love is a decision to serve and love without an expectation of return.

• Love is freely given away.

• Love can breakdown the attitudes of hate, neglect, hurt, distrust and much more.

• All types of unchristian-like attitudes can melt away and the person be forgiven and restored in fellowship with Christ by a simple act of loving kindness. Love covers a multitude of sins.

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:8-10).

When we show love, it can open doors and change hearts. Showing love and serving a person who may have hurt you in the past can be a way of opening a door for them to accept and believe such love is possible for them to experience and be able to love and serve others. It can change the spiritual direction a person is headed. So long as the person is willing to be open to receiving love.

How is your heart?

Have you ever seen or experienced a foot-washing service? Having your feet washed by another person, especially by someone of authority, is often intimidating and humbling. The act of service and humility of the one in authority who is willing to do such a humble task will touch a person’s heart, so long as the recipient’s heart is not prideful, hard or calloused by sin.

How is your heart this morning?

• Has the love of God touched your heart and motivated you to love and service towards others?

• Is your heart tender and open towards spiritual instruction and the example of Christ from the word of God to love even the unlovable?

• Are you humble in heart to serve and give of yourself to see that others come to know Jesus as savior?

I am not suggesting you wash one another’s feet but, rather, to love and serve one another in different ways. Serve and express acts of kindness and love to individuals both in and outside the family of God.

Remember, people will know we are Christians by our love.

Are you loving and serving like Jesus?

In my study, I learned that it was a custom to bathe before attending a feast. Thus, being clean, the person attending the feast will simply need their feet washed to remove the dust from having walked along a dusty path to the feast they were to attend. Refusing to allow one’s feet to be washed would have been an act of pride. Usually, the washing of feet would be done as the person enters the house, and before the feast. But here in John 13, no one offered to do the job and wash the feet of those attending the feast.

Jesus, knowing what needed to be done, both physically and spiritually, washes the feet of each disciple. Yes, even Judas’s feet. Jesus displays his love and service to his disciples, and for us, as he takes the form of a servant and serves where needed. He made himself nothing—a servant on earth, and later God exalted him to the highest (Philippians 2:6-11).

I believe these verses make it clear that what Jesus did was more than a physical act to teach physical hygiene or to follow a custom. It was a spiritual teaching moment that the disciples would understand later.

‘Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”’ (John 13:7).

‘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. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him’ (John 13:12-16).

Jesus is not only the one sent by God, but he is also the one who sends.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil” (John 3:16-19).

Jesus has now risen from the dead and appears to some of the disciples and says this:

‘On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”’ (John 20:19-23).

Church, we are to love and serve others. We are to share the good news that Jesus is alive. We are to proclaim Jesus is the Son of God and that who so ever believes in Jesus has eternal life.

When was the last time you felt renewed?

Unless we allow Jesus to wash away the filth and sin in our hearts and lives, we can have no part with Christ. Jesus told Peter, unless I wash you, you have no part with me.

Culturally it was somewhat understandable that the disciples did not volunteer to wash one another’s feet. The task of washing feet was demeaning. It was a job for a servant, a gentile slave and not a job for a disciple of Jesus. But thank the Lord, Jesus lovingly washed the feet of the disciples. Jesus used this act of love and service to his disciples as a teachable example of how they were to humbly love and serve others.

I am not saying that we need to wash one another’s feet, however, loving and serving others is also not a job for a select few. We are all to display the love for God as well as love and serve others.

Jesus chooses to lead and teach by example, taking the form of a servant.

Many times, the way Jesus lived and taught was in stark contrast to what the world thought and taught.

Consider a few of the beatitudes found in Matthew:

• Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5).

• Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled (Matthew 5:6).

• Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:10).

• Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you (Matthew 5:11-12).

Much of what Jesus taught made no sense to the mortal man, but to the person of the Spirit they were words to live by. That is because Jesus calls his followers not to live according to the world’s way, but rather according to the Spirit of God. The world does not understand the things of the Spirit.

You see, unless we allow Jesus to wash the daily filth of sin and disobedience from us, unless we submit to what Jesus wants to do in our hearts and lives, we will have no part in him.

Every believer must become humble and admit our need for a savior. We must recognize our need to be washed spiritually clean from the dust of everyday living. Every day we find ourselves surrounded by the grime of a fallen world. The dust and grime of this world will attach itself to us much like dust on the feet of the disciples.

We need the Holy Spirit to refresh us. We need our hearts washed clean so we will not become weighed down by the cares of the world and stray spiritually.

We will be blessed as we know and experience the truth of the gospel, and allow the Spirit to clean us and follow Jesus’ example to love and serve others.

How to love and serve others like Jesus

Jesus on the cross prayed: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).

We were all once spiritually blind. We were all once living in spiritual rebellion. We were all once living spiritually dead, in sin. Remember, someone shared the love of Christ with you, then you placed your faith in Christ.

With humility say yes and allow Jesus to wash your feet and wash away the dust of daily life.

Will you love and serve others? In doing so you are loving and serving Christ. As you share Christ’s love, the Spirit of God can wash souls clean as they place their faith in Christ.

How do we love and serve others?

• Pray, love, and serve those around us each day.

• Share the gospel with those who have hurt us.

• Humble ourselves and serve one another, even those who may think themselves superior or over us.

Be his hands extended and love and serve others as we love and serve Christ.

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