Feb 21, 2021 John 13 - How should we View the Power of Being a Christian?

The last week of Jesus’ life occurs in the last half of the gospel of John.

John 13: 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.

First - Theological teaching is taking place.

The footwashing – practical – yet theologically, it points to the cross – Jesus washing us of our sins and His blood being shed. Our sins are washed away by the blood of Christ.

Second – life lessons – practical. It is the life-lesson of service – self-sacrificial service. But even deeper than that – Jesus is going to demonstrate the proper use of power and authority.

Jesus regularly redefines leadership and authority.

I use the term leadership and authority – but for some, they feel like they are off the hook because they are not in a position of leadership and authority. We all have power. Even at the lowest position – we use it and abuse it! We love to abuse power.

Jesus flips the way the world views power on its head.

The rulers of this world lord it over one another – they exercise authority. The world’s way of power is the desire to influence outcomes to my preferred end and it always entails controlling and manipulating others!

Jesus said – Not so among you. Not so for the Christian. Not so for the church. The one with power is to become the youngest – the servant – the least.

Our world is full of the abuse of power and it affects the church.

Because of that – there may be a tendency to pendulum swing. That is not the solution. The challenge is to exercise power the way that Jesus did and the way Jesus taught.

This passage is the perfect example of true power and authority.

If anyone could have controlled the outcome of this situation – it was Jesus. He could have come down from the cross. But He said – Not My will, but Thine be done.

The trap we have as Christians – is to use power the way the world used power in order to accomplish God’s kingdom. The outcome I want is the kingdom of God. Whether that is true or not, that does not give us the freedom to use the world’s methods. Jesus reconceptualizes what power is.

John 13

Jesus kept saying his hour had not yet come. Now He says it has.

His greatest power is found in the weakness of the cross. Hanging on the cross was the most powerful thing God could have done – totally vulnerable, totally in the hands of others. It is the most powerful thing that has ever been done! We would not go about using power like THAT! You’ll get nothing done hanging on a cross.

Love – He loved them to the end of His life – to the giving up of His life. It is a self-sacrificial love.

Giving up one’s right?! This is ‘murica! You should never do that.

John 13: 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.

Now we will see what/how the all-powerful God lives and acts – we would think – parting seas, creating worlds, smiting enemies. Here is what happens.

He had come from God/returning to God.

Towel

What does He do? He has all power – so what does He do? He takes off His outer-garments – like the least-servant of all – to do the most menial task of all.

The symbolism is obvious. Scholars are quick to point out – this is parallel to Philippians 2

Though He was God, He did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself.

He let go of His rights – His position – His advantages – He let them go. He took off the privilege clothes of being God and revealed under those clothes what it really means to be God at the heart. He is a being of self-sacrificial love. We want to see God as a being of power – kingdom power empties itself of world power.

It does not try to possess it, control it, or hold on at all cost. That is what the world does. Jesus rejects it ultimately, completely, and without question. He says, give it up and let it go.

John 13: 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!"

We see this throughout John – they don’t get the theological importance. Jesus doesn’t explain it at this point – He realizes they will realize it eventually! This is about Me washing your sins away.

Peter is focused on how worldly power works.

You shall never wash my feet!
He was the Rabbi – Peter was the student – wouldn’t allow the teacher to serve

Who do people say I am? You are the Christ! Great job, Peter. I have to go to the cross! May it never be!

Same thing here – Peter rebukes Jesus – looking at things from the perspective of the world, and Jesus is saying – you have to flip power on its head!

…

Typical Peter.

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.

We have this going back to all the stories – a bath – water and bathing – then a spiritual bath that Jesus is talking about all along.

There is practical real-life stuff of Jesus serving others. We have spiritual truth and personal caring – all wrapped up in Jesus.

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.

I am the person in charge – now that I your Lord and teacher have washed your feet, you should wash one another’s feet!

Practically – contrast of Jesus’ way and the world’s way.

Worldly power requires an ego out of control. Seeking greatness – vainglory – the desire to be great is natural and human – we all have that desire. At some level, all of us are an ego out of control.

The issue is, the proper way to fulfill that need – if you want to be great, which we all do – He gave us the solution – become a slave – the youngest, a servant, the least – and then you’ll be great.

The second characteristic of worldly power – needs to get its own way. We can use the fact that we are trying to do what is good to justify getting our own way – and that is a danger. This is the product of fear and insecurity. Even if they believe it is the best, it is a demonstration of a lack of trust. Control doesn’t come from confidence and security. When you see someone who tries to control things – there are childish things happening inside. We all have it at some level. We are all learning that.

Third – the worldly power attempts to control the narrative. We want people to think a lot of us – that we are great – and we want them to hear what we want them to hear about us – to gain approval and praise.

We all need that at some level, but the key to doing it well comes to our relationship with God – if God approves of you – and He does – it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks of you! If the owner thinks you are doing a great job, you don’t have to worry about what the other employees think!

Real, practical life situations – two ways it works out – aggressive – and passive aggressive.

We think this is a personality thing – we know the bombastic arrogant person – and we think that is what He is talking about. But there is a quiet person who does the same things – controlling through pouting or withdrawing – I can say this, because it is me – talk to my wife, she will affirm this message.

Subtle hints of displeasure and disappointment – being vulnerable to get our way – quiet condescending attitude – using words and tones to get our way. Having to get our way is the problem . Decisions have to be made at times. Things have to get done. How do we take this form of leadership and make it work?

In the context of controlling the narrative – one thing we practically do – we make our story so convincing – that when we share it – if anyone disagrees with us, THEY ARE REJECTING GOD! That is wholly unhelpful. That is a problem. I have seen this done in theological discussions.

People will debate a theological issue – and they use these words – if we lose this truth, we lose the gospel! There are some things like that. Like, the gospel. The rest, no, it is just a control mechanism.

The other is the slippery slope argument. Usually, when someone uses it as an argument, it is a control issue.

The other thing we do – we create a voting bloc – to get everyone on our side, behind the scenes. That is the world’s way of power, not the kingdom way.

What would Jesus Do?

¹⁵ I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. ¹⁶ Very truly I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. ¹⁷ Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Jesus exercised all power and authority in the proper way – and He says – go and do the same.

You can go to a cross. You can wash feet.

Go to a cross – lay your life down. Metaphorically – only God can decide that we will literally lay our lives down. He may decide that at some point – you will literally die for the love of others.

BUT – we have all kinds of ways to die to ourselves for others – Paul said he daily crucified.

Or to wash feet – turning our need for control over to God. To trust Him with the outcome.

And then – we need to begin to engage in service. We need to become a servant. It must become a part of who we see ourselves – the image of ourselves – I am a servant – that is my identity. That is hard in our world. We want to be the boss! But servant as an identity?

Servant leadership became a thing a couple decades ago. Books were written. Good stuff came out. However, servant leadership can become another way to manipulate and get your way!

Become a servant.

Listen to know needs

Look to see their need

Feel compassion with your heart so we meet the need.

Then we must become spontaneous servants. Most of our service is planned. We serve in a ministry at church – that is good and important.

A servant is spontaneous when she sees a need and meets it. He meets it – immediately.

Then we need to wash feet – doing the lowly, menial, service jobs that no one else wants to do.

And doing that as a habit of who you are – that’s what I do – lowly jobs.

Become people who do that.

Lord, thank You – help us to learn from Your example – a great example. We are so far from even imagining You, the Lord of all – standing up from that table, washing disciples’ feet, even the one who was about to betray You. You came down to earth – laying aside your privilege, and You became a slave – serving us on the cross – suffering for us on the cross – blood shed on the cross – love poured out on the cross. We thank You for that. May we learn to follow that example – in Your name we pray.