"Most Neglected Rite (feet washing, John 13)" - Pastor Doug Batchelor

three or four times a year in our church we celebrate the lord's supper and in our church we celebrate a full communion which means we also include the foot washing service and that's going to be the subject of what we're going to be studying today i remember when i first learned about that i thought well that's a little strange but then i read in the bible where that story is discussed our message titled this morning and our message will be a little shorter today to accommodate the uh the communion service our message this morning is titled the most neglected right because as you look around christendom it's easy to see that this practice that is followed by some protestant churches and even some catholics called foot washing is neglected and and it's hard to explain why and when you see the verses i think you'll understand that better i don't know if you saw in the news this week but um you probably wouldn't expect me to begin a sermon talking about pope francis but uh pope francis did something that he had never done before he had some visitors from somalia i'm sorry from south sudan that had been warring with each other and he called them for like a peace conference to the vatican they had come to some agreement of peace some time ago but they've been postponing implementing it and it looked like it was all going to unravel back into war again and when the the dignitaries all came there to the vatican the pope stunned not only them but also his attendance when he got down on his hands and knees and went from one to the other of these rival leaders and kissed their feet and i don't know if you know but you know the pope is 82 years old now and he struggles with sort of a chronic hip hip and leg pain and uh did they ever put that up on the screen there it is yeah so he went from one to the other and you should have seen there's actually a video of it the the the leaders were mortified uh what the pope was doing as well as his attendance that he got down it was so hard for him to get down then they'd help him back up he'd go to another one he'd struggle down kiss their feet he kissed their shoes and then he got back up again he was trying to basically send a message to them that you've got to humble yourself as long as they're fighting among themselves people are dying and i think that's the message he was trying to send he he gets involved a little bit in world affairs but still i thought that was interesting first time he's ever done that and it was a kind of unscripted now that's because there's a story behind it typically every thursday once a year the pope goes and he washes the feet of some poor people he's done it with lepers he's done it with prisoners and and that is because they're drawing it from something that happened in the bible where a leader took a servant role turn with me we're going to read the story john chapter 13. john chapter 13 we'll begin with the first verse now john dedicates about half of his gospel to the last nine days of jesus life jesus taught for three and a half years about half of john's gospel is dedicated to the last nine days and quite a bit is dedicated to the last few hours or into the things that happened during the lord's supper there john 13 1 now before the feast of the passover when jesus knew that his hour had come that he should depart from the world to the father having loved his own who were in the world he loved them to the end and supper being ended now that actually is an unfortunate translation that actually translates supper time having come and you'll see why i'll get to that in just a minute the devil having already put into the heart of judas iscariot simon's son to betray him jesus knowing that the father had given all things into his hands and that he had come from god and was going to god he rose from supper arose from the separate table and laid aside his garments his outer garments and took a towel and he girded himself he probably tucked this long towel into his belt after that he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel to which he was girded now i'm going to pause right there you remember if you were here last week we talked about at the beginning of this final week of his life there was a feast and mary washed his feet here now you're coming to the end of the week there's another feast and he is washing the disciples feet it was customary in bible times to wash feet before a feast we've been going through a bible study every week here going through genesis and we read where when the angels came to lot i think i've got it in my notes here he invites them in i think this is a chapter 18 of genesis he invites the angels in and he says please let a letter a little water be brought and wash your feet and rest yourselves oh this is where abraham talks to the angels and christ is one of them he says wash your feet and rest yourself and i'll bring food food then you go to genesis 19 lot invites the angels in to wash their feet before a feast then you go to genesis 24 32 this is when eliezer was finding a wife for isaac the man came to the house and he provided straw and feed for the camels and to wash his feet and the feet of the men who are with him and food was set before them so it was the custom to do the foot washing before the feast i just gave you three examples that's one more reason that we know when jesus is washing their feet they haven't eaten yet because a little later they sit back he sits back down and that's when he's dipping bread and giving it to judas the meal came afterward and so um i think it's very significant that he does this now foot washing not only you realize that you're going back to abraham and to the time of christ two thousand years they're still washing feet it's a long-standing custom in that country i think you understand why you know now it's a little different for us because since the invention of pavement and sidewalks and more sophisticated shoes and socks that enclose your feet you can go most of the day and your feet don't get terribly dirty they may not smell very good but they don't get really dirty but in bible times they shared the roads with the beasts who were the primary means of transportation and trucking and uh they didn't have the same sanitation and sewage that we all had and the streets were not clean and when people came to a meat it was a meal it was unthinkable that you would eat without washing your feet and washing somebody else's feet was considered a job for the lowliest of servants now the problem is they've come to this supper with great expectations the disciples are arguing among themselves which of them is the greatest now this was a very important priority but jesus had just made his triumphal entry into jerusalem you read that in matthew 21 and the disciples were once again arguing among themselves which of them was the greatest there was pride and there was division among the church leaders i know that's that would never happen in our age today but uh yep there was they were scrapping in the church they were angry that james and john with their mother went to jesus and said i want these sons to sit on the right and left and they were angry because they thought of it first they were all vying for who would get the position they see in their minds they thought that jesus was going to effect a revolt against the romans that he would be seated as the new king of of uh israel on the throne of david that he would use his miraculous power to feed armies and to do miracles and then he would have of course his cabinet around him that would share this power and this majesty that he would have as the new messiah and they thought here we're on the inner circle i wonder what my position will be and they started thinking well you know there may only be a position for two or three advisers which that's probably peter james and john and they're arguing about who they say oh judas he's the natural treasure they're arguing about who's going to get the position so when they come to this feast he's just rode into jerusalem they're shouting hosanna the king of david they feel electricity or something is about to happen and they come in they got the pieces all prepared the food is there it's covered up and ready to go and there is the basin and the water and the towel for the servant to wash the feet before they eat well they all walk in they kind of look at each other and think not my job i am going to be chief of staff i'm going to be part of the inner cabinet i'm not i'm not the foot washing servant and if i wash the feet of the others they're going to think i have conceded to forfeit my high position that i'm just going to be a servant and so none of them they all saw it there was a real awkwardness in the air jesus sat there at the table for a while and he waited for somebody to take the initiative but they they kind of shifted from side to side maybe they nodded no you no you're not me you no i'm not doing it i'm not who do you think no i'm going to have big position that's going to brand me as a servant i'm not doing that and while they're thinking these kind of thoughts about which of them is the greatest and they've got these big expectations jesus rises and they think what's he up to and he goes and he puts on the robe or the towel he takes off his outer garments and like the lowest of servants he goes from person to person and starts to wash their feet now if you doubt that there was a problem you read in luke 9 46 there arose a reasoning among them which of them should be the greatest luke 24 same gospel luke 22 24 there was also strife among them which of them should be the greatest before the holy spirit could be poured out on the apostles before they could be washed from their sins they needed to be determined in their hearts to reconcile with each other now as we enter into the communion program and service today you want a new beginning amen you know in the lord's prayer christ punctuates the end of the lord's prayer with one statement you realize in the prayer it says forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and jesus said if you will not forgive your brother neither will your heavenly father forgive you so if there is something or someone where you have animosity or there's strife between you and another person they may or may not be here today you can choose today to as far as you can some people you just can't reconcile because they won't accept it but you can choose to make your heart right by saying i'm going to forgive that person i'm willing to be reconciled if there is a brother or sister that you're at odds with go to them pray with them say will you forgive me even if you think you're right that's still the right thing to say and be reconciled and what that does is that makes room for the working of the holy spirit in your hearts and in our church and don't feel bad that there might be those issues jesus had it in his group so he knew he had to settle that first thing so why feet i mean sometimes you might say she's got beautiful hair he's got broad shoulders not too often do i hear someone say they have beautiful feet i've got really big feet which means i have a good understanding we were just at the brawnman's house for a together and we want to thank them for inviting us all over and we all took off our shoes and put them by the door they didn't ask us to but we were doing it out of respect for the new carpet and and when i went to get my shoes i saw everyone else's shoes there and i thought i've got the biggest feet in our church i could have put other people's shoes in my shoes karen was asking me today she says did your father have big feet i said no your mother no nobody in my family it's just a birth defect big feet so no one's ever told me i had beautiful feet why does the bible say feet are beautiful isaiah 57 sorry isaiah 52 7 how beautiful among the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news if you're a christian and your witness you got beautiful feet who proclaim peace who bring glad tidings of good things who proclaim salvation he says to zion your god reigns proverbs 6 18 feet talk about the direction of your life it talks about some things the lord hates and among those that says feet that are swift and running to evil feet talk about your walk your direction the bible says some people break the sabbath and it says with their feet isaiah 58 13 if you turn away your foot from the sabbath means troubling on something because the feats you know aren't you glad god built us away he built us can you imagine aren't you thankful your nose is at the top of your body and not on your ankle can you imagine the things you'd be picking up if your nose was down there but your feet kind of represent the lowest place your feet also represent your direction jesus was willing to bow at the lowest place and to wash the disciples feet it represents a place of humility you know there's an interesting law they have in leviticus also in exodus in exodus it says before the priests went in before the lord they washed their feet as well as their hands in leviticus 14 they went through this ceremony when they anointed the priest where they took some blood from the sacrifice and they put it on the tip of the right ear and the right thumb and the right big toe meaning i'm consecrating to hear god to do the works of god to walk the walk of god that's what's symbolized by this in the jewish mind and so the foot represented your direction it also represented the lowest place it's a place of humility and jesus was willing to bow down and take the position of a servant he says i'm your lord and master but i have come to you as one who serves someone said you know i used to go through life thinking that god's gifts were on one shelf above the other and you had to keep climbing higher to get the best gifts but i've come to learn that god's gifts are on shelves one below the other and you get the best gifts by kneeling not by climbing it's through denying yourself and humbling yourself that you find peace and the best gifts matthew 22 verse 44 the lord said to my lord sit at my right hand till i make your enemies your footstool it was a position of humility psalm 132 verse 7 let us go into his tabernacle let us worship at his footstool are we happy to worship at his feet mary was she stood behind him as we mentioned last week washing his feet now he who humbles himself will be exalted he who exalts himself will be humbled who was it that knelt at his feet and kissed his feet and was happy to be at his feet mary who got the greatest honor of first seeing the risen lord and proclaiming the good news mary the one who humbled himself was the one who was exalted so are you willing to humble yourself you know after jesus washed their feet um it says something else was happening inside as he went from one disciple to another and washed their feet it was melting their hearts at the same time i want to go back to our verse here in john chapter 13. finally verse 6 he came to simon peter and peter said to him lord are you washing my feet he's just indignant he's amazed and jesus answered and said what i'm doing you do not understand now but you will know after this and peter said to him you will never wash my feet now you gotta be careful some people say oh no i don't want to participate in this that seems strange it seems humiliating and what did jesus say to peter if i do not wash you you have no part with me is that still true today if you want to live with him he must wash you first if you want to be part of him and be in that kingdom he must wash you first when peter realized what was at stake he said to him lord not only my feet but if you've got to wash my feet for me to be with you you can wash my hands and my hand now we need them to wash our hands we need them to wash our head you remember what i just said about the priest here's the head and the ear the hand the foot peter's saying wash all three so he peter might be alluding to the ceremony of the priest here wash my hands wash my head wash my feet jesus said he who is bathed needs only to bathe his feet and he's completely clean and you're clean but not all of you for he knew who would betray him therefore he said you're not all clean now it's pretty clear as you read on judas is still at the table a little later in the conversation john talks to jesus and jesus hands a piece of bread to judas so judas is still there the other gospels say judas went out after dinner so dinner hasn't happened yet i know i'm emphasizing that because that one verse sometimes leaves people confused um and he he watches peter's feet and he says unless i wash you you have no part with me and he surrenders he humbles himself he says wash me lord but he says you're not all clean now probably he started with judas i think desire of ages says that that's what happened ended with john peter was just before john because it says peter whispers to john who's on the other side are beside jesus judas came as close as he could possibly come to finally coming clean when he saw jesus washing his feet it broke his heart he thought how could i betray him he's got so much love and he felt a tremendous battle going on in his heart and jesus was praying for judas the judas i mean in spite of christ knowing what the prophecies said judah still had freedom to choose and he felt this longing in his heart but he thought i can't humble myself and confess what i'm about to do everything could have been fine he could have confessed to the lord you could have given back the 30 pieces of silver before he betrayed him but he hardened his heart and then he thought if he was really the devil started talking to him and judas listen if he was really the messiah what would he be doing down here his concept of greatness was not blessed or the meek they will inherit the earth jesus thought it was going to be the strong and the proud he said i've washed you all but you're not clean and it goes on to say in verse 12 so when he washed their feet now this is the part i especially want you to catch he again put on his garments he sat down he said do you know what i've done to you you call me teacher and lord and you say well for so i am if i then your lord and teacher have washed your feet you also ought to wash one another's feet for i've given you an example that you should do as i have done to you now i realize that this is only in the gospel of john [Music] and it's in of course uh matthew mark and luke he makes the same statement about the communion supper this is no less valid a statement christ is a he is as clear and emphatic about telling us that we should wash one another's feet as he is about the bread and the wine are you aware of that and yet it is one of the most neglected rites and but jesus said this is a symbol of what we do that we might receive that cleansing it's a symbol of service jesus said i did not come to serve but to give my life a ransom for many and even afterward after christ ascended to heaven paul says there's some interesting criteria for the widows who were to be supported from the church funds he said if they are reported for good works this is first timothy 5 10. if she's brought up children if she has lodged strangers if she has washed the saints feet so they were continuing to do this and so this is a sacred rite and christ said if i your lord and teacher have washed your feet you should wash one another's feet now when this right was finished something happened in their hearts there was a transformation i'd like to read you a quote from the book desire of ages it's this classic on the life of christ this is page 646 with the spirit they then had not one of them was prepared for communion with christ when they first came to the dinner table they came their hearts were not prepared they didn't understand what it meant to really accept and embrace the cleansing he was going to offer until brought into a state of humility and love they were not prepared to partake of the patial supper that means a passover lamb or to share in the memorial service which christ was about to institute they weren't prepared until they had participated in the foot washing and humbled their hearts their hearts must be cleansed but then after this service pride and self-seeking create dissension and hatred but all this jesus washed away in washing their feet a change of filling feeling was brought about looking upon them christ could now say you're clean they humbled themselves they realized he's doing what i should have done i should have been the one to do that now there was a union of heart love for one another they'd become humble and teachable he had things to talk to him about that night you know that great teaching in john chapter 14 in my father's house are many mansions john chapter 15 i am the vine you are the branches they weren't ready to receive any of that until their hearts had been subdued except judas each was ready to concede to the other the highest place now with subdued and grateful hearts they could receive christ's word so something actually happens there that where their hearts are prepared by this sacred right it really represents you might say a mini baptism you know when a ship is first launched it's all clean and scrubbed and new and it goes off in the water but you realize after just about three months in the water if you were to go a little snorkel dive under that ship karen and i did it we went snorkeling under a ship just a couple months ago or last month when we were in south pacific new boat already had algae and barnacles starting to grow when you're a christian you're in the world but the world's not supposed to be in you but as you go through life and we're surrounded by sin you kind of pick up algae and barnacles and the food washing service is like a mini baptism where we all can get a new beginning some people come to me say pastor dog you know i sinned i lost my temper i yelled at my wife and my kids shall i be re-baptized now i'm exaggerating here and we'll say no this is what the foot washing service is for it's like your feet get dirty going through the world you get a new baptism you get a new beginning how many of you would like to experience that new beginning have our hearts prepared to renew the covenant of having jesus blood wash us from our sin so at this time we're going to have a prayer and then we're going to divide for what we call the the full washing service or the ordinance of humility and in our church we have the men wash men's feet and ladies wash the lady's feet we have two separate places that the deacons have prepared in the back i think the men are to the by the kitchen and the women are on the far side where they should be just kidding and then we'll have prayer after we've completed that we'll come back in together now i'd like to suggest something that while we're in the process of watching each other's feet and you might say well i don't know i don't have a partner we'll just you know whoever the lord leads you'll find someone the pastors or elders might help you pair up with somebody the deaconesses and you find a partner you wash feet you pray together it's great to just take hands together before you wash either feet just take that person's hand and say can i pray for you and just have a short prayer together and ask that you both might experience that that new birth if there's anybody here that you're at odds with and you want to be reconciled you might say can i please wash your feet that doesn't mean if someone asks to wash your feet they're mad at you but if there is any animosity we hope you'll take this opportunity to uh to resolve that and could i ask before we separate for this service if you're able can we kneel again and let's just pray that god blesses with his spirit father in heaven even this time of year we can look back in our mind's eye to the time two thousand years ago where jesus knelt down and he washed the disciples feet we know this is something where you would like for us to re-experience that cleansing of heart that will prepare us to receive not only your word but to embrace and renew our covenant through your body and your blood that you gave for us i pray that we'll all be able to glean from this service today everything that you intend lord that we might have peace in our hearts and peace with you and be empowered by your spirit to do your work bless us now we pray in jesus name amen more about jesus [Music] is [Music] let me [Music] of christ [Music] more about jesus [Music] is [Music] [Applause] more [Music]

Channel: Daily Hymns

Views: 2,173

Rating: 4.8904109 out of 5

Keywords:

Id: nnJjijwhDdc

Length: 31min 4sec (1864 seconds)

Published: Sat Sep 18 2021