Bible Passage: John 13:1-15
Pastor:  Joel Jenswold
Sermon Date: April 2, 2026 – Maundy Thursday

Bulletin April 2, 2026 – Maundy Thursday

There are a number of incredibly profound sentences at the beginning of our text that we might miss if we’re not careful.  In the very first verse, John tells us, Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. (v. 1)  Jesus knew that the rescue mission that had begun with his conception in the womb of the virgin Mary was soon coming to an end and he would be returning to Father in heaven!

Then John tells us:  Having loved those who were his own in the world, he loved them to the end. (v. 1)  Or it might be translated, “he loved them to the fullest extent.”  He had come this far with this group!  And he loved them dearly!  And when Jesus loves, he doesn’t love halfway.  His love goes the distance!

And then John throws this in, just to further blow our minds:  Jesus knew that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God. (v. 3)  All things had been given to him by the Father!  John’s words make us think about Jesus’ own words when he said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (Matthew 28:18)  This is incredible revelation about the Son of God!  He has come from heaven and is returning again to heaven!

That is why what happens next is so unexpected.  Jesus gets up from the table.  He takes off his outer garment and lays it aside.  He ties a towel around his waist.  He pours water into a basin.  He then proceeds to stoop down and, one by one, wash the disciples’ feet.  Can you imagine?  Getting right in there!  Getting the dirt from between their toes!   Why did Jesus do this?  Why would he get up in the middle of this special supper and wash feet?

It is Luke who gives us a little “backstory.”  In his record of this night, Luke gives us this detail:  A dispute arose among the disciples about which of them was considered to be greatest. (Luke 22:24)  So the disciples are arguing about which of them is most important, or most influential, or most popular, or what-have-you.  And maybe the whole matter of foot-washing had started it.  You see, it was customary at that time to wash your feet when you entered a home.  Made sense.  Footgear was open sandals and the roads were dirt.  So the first thing you did when you entered a home was wash the grime off your feet.  Often there might be a servant on hand who did “the dirty work.”  Certainly the “important people” didn’t do the foot-washing!  It seems there was no one on hand that night to wash the disciples’ feet when they arrived.  Perhaps each one looked around at the others and thought, “Don’t look at me!  I’m not the foot-washer of the group!”  So Jesus becomes the foot-washer of the group.

When he comes to Peter, Peter objects.  Lord, are you going to wash my feet? (v. 6)  Peter is incredulous!  He would have been fine with James or Thomas doing it.  He might have even liked to see his brother Andrew down on his knees washing his feet!  But Jesus?  Jesus tells him, You do not understand what I am doing now, but later you will understand. (v. 7)  Peter, there’s a larger lesson to be learned in this!  Then in the strongest possible language, Peter blurts, You will never, ever, wash my feet! (v. 8) 

And now comes lesson #1 in this.  Jesus says, If I do not wash you, you have no part with me.  (v. 8)  What does Jesus mean?  If Peter doesn’t let Jesus wash his feet, Jesus is kicking him out of the group?  No.  It’s bigger than that.  The point is this:  Jesus MUST serve us.  We must be served by Jesus.  This is why he came.  Jesus himself said, The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. He MUST serve us!  There is no other way!  If we can’t abide Jesus washing our toes, how can we endure him carrying our sins?  Either Jesus serves and washes us, or we remain dirty.  Our plea must ever be that of the hymn writer who said, “Wash me, Savior, or I die!”

We must be careful with this feeling of “unworthiness.”  Oddly enough, it can be a form of pride.  It can become fixation on self.   “I am so bad!  I’m such a bad Christian!  I’m the worst!  There’s no one worse than me!  I’m so unworthy!”   I become arrogant of my unworthiness!  Yes, you’re bad!  There!  We got that out of the way!  Now, enough about you!  Look upon Jesus!  Spend more time focusing on his blood and righteousness than you spend on your sin!  “Wash me, Savior, or I die!” Let him serve you.  Let him wash you.

Do you want to know another startling place where we find Jesus serving us?  In the Supper he instituted after he washed Peter’s toes.  Tonight we remind ourselves of this Supper.  Jesus takes the unleavened bread at the table, Take, eat, this is my body given for you.  The cup of wine passes from hand to hand, Take, drink, this is my blood of the new covenant poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins.  It is at this supper that Jesus does all the serving.  At this Table, he serves!  He serves us himself!  I bring nothing to the Table but my sin and guilt.  I come to the Table with one plea, “Wash me, Savior, or I die!”  And he washes.

We cannot come away from tonight, cleansed and served by Jesus, inert and unmoved.  Jesus himself makes an application of this event.  Now, if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.  Yes, I have given you an example so that you also would do just as I have done for you. (v. 14-15)   Jesus doesn’t want us to have the argument the disciples had that night.  He wants you to be the one willing to humble yourself to serve!  Willing to serve your spouse, your parents, your siblings, your friends, people you have just met.  Willing to be the “foot-washer” of the group.  And service isn’t so difficult…not when you have been washed by Jesus!

Amen.