Living to Love
There are three pictures of love in this passage
One is a False Love. Judas shows us this -
It is a selfish love - He looks like he is part of the movement Jesus has just started. He talks the talk, looks like he walks the walk, but his heart is miles away.
He is a betrayer - and Jesus is the only one who knows it.
He is the one who in a few hours will confirm his false love with a kiss.
He thinks he is doing the right thing, the noble thing, but it is all about him. He is getting what he wants out of this deal.
To be a betrayer is
1. to deliver or expose to an enemy by treachery or disloyalty: Benedict Arnold betrayed his country.
2. to be unfaithful in guarding, maintaining, or fulfilling: to betray a trust.
3. to disappoint the hopes or expectations of; be disloyal to: to betray one's friends.
4. to reveal or disclose in violation of confidence: to betray a secret.
5. to reveal unconsciously (something one would preferably conceal): Her nervousness betrays her insecurity.
6. to show or exhibit; reveal; disclose: an unfeeling remark that betrays his lack of concern.
7. to deceive, misguide, or corrupt: a young lawyer betrayed by political ambitions into irreparable folly.
8. to seduce and desert.
The false love wants those around them to think they love but in reality the one they love is their own agenda, their own desires.
The second love in this passage is the simple love that Peter shows.
He spouts off what he will do, with all his noble intentions and ignorant ambition. He doesn't know what is really involved. He thinks that to love Jesus is to refuse his service and restore his dignity.
Like getting married or having a baby - people speak nobely about it without having a clue about the day by day living it out
Like the old "Coke Song" if we could all just come together and hold hands and sing together the world will be a better place. It sounds good, sells songs, movies are made by the millions - the essence of a "chick-flick" that always turns out with the underdog on top with the cute person and all the world is right again.
Peter says John 13:37 Peter asked, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you."
And Jesus says you don't know what lies ahead for you, you don't yet know what it is to love me or anyone else, but you will learn.
The third love is what Jesus shows us - the Sacrificial love - what it truly means to love one another.
V1 - he now showed them the full extent of his love...
If you would ask some one "how does Jesus show us what his love is" the most popular answer might be "his crucifixion, his death"
But it says here that he shows us the full extent of his love.
The full expression of love is not just to die - but to live lovingly and he shows us how to live in a way to love sacrificially.
It says:
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.
All power was his, all authority - from God the Father - was his, nothing was held from him - he knew his place with God
SO he got up,
The first step in loving sacrificially was taking the initiative. He saw a need, the meal was being served and their was an issue, an opportunity. He saw what needed to be done and took the initiative to do something.
Often we can see a need and think "somebody ought to do something about this"
Sometimes we don't see needs because we don't look
If I don't want to get involved then the easiest thing is not to look.
To love - I have to want to love and look to love and take the initiative
After he got up - he stripped down, "took off his outer clothing,"
He was willing to humble himself. He had all this authority, postion, power, influence and to put it bluntly, He got over himself.
He was there to serve, to love, to care for
Yes he made the world and every thing in it. Yes he knew what people were thinking and feeling about him and not all of it was good, but he got over it. He knew Judas was about to betray him and he got ready to wash his feet. He knew Peter was simple, foolish, weak, and was about ot deny him and he rebuked him to express love to him.
Sometimes I want to love people who are worthy of my love - that is a prideful love - Jesus says "I will love you despite my authority, position - and we are not even going to talk about it"
Then he took responsibility for the complete action.
"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."
He was there for the whole job and till it was finished.
He wasn't looking for the way out
John 13:8 "No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet."
Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."
"I am going to do this"
Even in the midst of serving them He knew he was washing the feet of those that the world would say should be washing his.
For him to teach us what it is to live and love sacrificially meant he had to complete the action, he had to carry it through. Faithfulness.
The same is true for us - for people to see our faith lived out sacrificially, they have to see us committed to getting the job done. We can not be starting something and then looking for someone to pay the price to finish it.
Jesus was committed not only to loving all the way through to the finish line, till the job was done, but these were his disciples, his protoges the ones he was intrusting his ongoing work to, so he wanted to also make sure they got the teaching, that they understood.
Jesus wants us to GET THIS
John 13:12 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.
Understand: means aware, comprehend, taken in the significance. It is possible to know the facts about something and miss the significance.
This particular word carries the root - or idea - of as to "know a virgin". Sometimes in the Bible, to have a sexual relationship was to "know" that person, meaning you have taken this person into your life, you have taken the relationship to a new level - you "know" that person.
There is a difference between knowing about a sacrificial love and knowing what it is to love sacrificially, and Jesus is saying
"Do you UNDERSTAND what I have just done?
You call me Teacher / Lord and that is right
You have held me up in high regard, And as well you should,
There is a thinking today that we should humanize Jesus, bring him down to our level.
Jesus was not saying "I am no higher , no greater than you", but
I want you to step up to where I am - regard one another as high - high enough so you can lower yourself. You are going to have to be the ones people are going to look to and from this role you humble your self and serve.
Jesus wants his followers to get this and DO IT
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 I tell you the truth, 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.
A new command - to live to love
John 13:34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
He makes it clear - and they get it - in a few weeks we find in Acts 6 that there is a problem that arrises - some of the Grecian widows were not getting taken care of as well as the Hebraic widows
Acts 6:1 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word."
Acts 6:5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
Acts 6:7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.
They chose 7 godly men who were called to serve - devote - growing in their faith, men
Not the 7 willing but the seven chosen to humble themselves and complete the job. They chose some of their best to serve the least.
At RCS Justin played on a BBall team that just took the 7 willing to play against teams who actually had tryouts to choose the best, how do you think they did...
They tried hard, they played hard, but they struggled getting the boys not just to play well but commit to the team practices and games.
Jesus is calling us to be the best, we are not going to lower him to the worlds standards but raise him up to God's heights where he calls us to be holy as well so we can humble ourselves to serve - not in arrogence, but love - so we have something incredible to offer - Jesus.
This morning we are going to celebrate communion when Jesus expresses his love for us in his very life
He is calling us to live a life of love - to love sacrificially in the things we do - the ways we live. A living sacrifice.