So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.
7 sermons cite this verse
… It's a complete reversal. and then he says this now that I your lord and teacher now that I your boss now that I your king now that I am the person with all power and authority now that I your lord and teacher have washed your feet you also should wash one another's feet and you have no excuse not to because I went first the kingdom of God the kingdom of heaven the kingdom of God that is on planet earth because the king came to planet earth is an others first one another kingdom. and when that saturates the thinking and the behavior of Christians in a community, in a family, in a nation, things changed. Once upon a time, it changed so much that the Roman Empire capitulated and declared Jesus a king. He goes on, he says, I have set for you an example that you should. I have set for you an example that you should. And here it is again, the platinum rule that I talk about all the time, the golden rules, you know, do unto others, you would have others do unto you. …
… All right, here we go. Verse 13. You call me teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to look up. Stop. Now, let's talk about that right now. Jesus said, I am the Lord, I am the teacher. I've washed your feet. Now, if I, the teacher, have washed your feet, you ought also to wash, what would you think it says? Sure, my feet. But he didn't say that. He didn't tell him that. He shot him a curve. You ever had an inside curve when you're ready for an outside? Boy, you draw all kinds of air. He gave them a curve that they weren't ready. Anybody could wash Jesus' feet. I'd stand in line to wash his feet. I'd kiss his feet because he's my Lord. That's worship. But it's tough to wash somebody else's feet. See? It's neat to wash Jesus' feet. But boy, to wash my friend's feet, that's something else. …
Jesus in John 13 in the upper room with his disciples. John 13 verses 12 through 17 we read this. So when he had washed their feet. God incarnate. Think about this. God incarnate. stooping down to wash dirty feet. Speaks volumes. When he had washed their feet, taken his garments, and sat down again, he said to them, Do you know what I have 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 have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. he has given us an example of service and we are to follow in his example we are not greater than our master and so we're to follow the example of our master and we don't get to opt out of it that's not an option but we're told in our text back to joshua 24 we're told to serve the Lord in sincerity and truth. …
You call me teacher and master, and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another's feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do. The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. I'd like you to have a seat. So I remember the very first time I ever met a man named Kirk Cameron. I said, Kirk, I want to tell you three things. and I'll get that back to that in a little bit tonight tonight is it's kind of the conclusion of Lent. We continue it through the next few days, but tonight is the last day. It marks the last, this Mass right now marks the last moments of Lent. In all of Lent, what is Lent? All through Lent, the word is give, right? The word is just give. So prayer and fasting and almsgiving, it's all about giving. …
You call me the Teacher and the Lord, and rightly so, because that is what I am. So if I, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash each other's feet, because I have given you a pattern to follow, so that just as I have done, you all should do for each other. If you see these things, you will be blessed when you do them. from John 13. The pattern Jesus gives us, his followers, is his love. It's not love in a sentimental sense. It doesn't have to do with feelings in the first place, but with actions. It starts with what God has done. It starts with what God has done for us in Jesus. It continues with what God would have us do for others, to lower ourselves, to serve the people around us, like Jesus did for us. That's how we keep watch. It's a Christian leader who stoops down to sweep up a mess, even when he thinks no one is watching. It's a Christian volunteer who sits with a Muslim refugee to teach her how to sew. It's a Christian family who, during COVID, set another place at their dinner table every Tuesday for a single woman from their church so that she wouldn't have to eat alone every night, a practice they continue today, five years later. …
Scripture reading comes from John chapter 13 verses 1 through 17. Hear these words. and now before the festival of Passover Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and to go to the father having loved his own who were in the world he loved them to the end now the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot, to betray him. And so during supper, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, he got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. and then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel that he had tied around himself then he came to Simon Peter who said to him Lord are you going to wash my feet and Jesus answered him you do not know now what I am doing but later later you will understand and Peter said to him you will never wash my feet and Jesus answered well unless I wash you you have no share with me Simon Peter said to him well Lord not only then my feet but also my hands and my head and Jesus said to him one who has bathed does not need to wash except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you. …
… But now listen. And if I then, your Lord and master, have washed your feet, ye ought also to wash one another's feet. I want to suggest, sir, that you find ways to wash your wife's feet. That's the way you show your headship in the home. It is servant leadership. Jesus said, I'm the Lord and master, but a husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church. a leader serves. Your wife is not there to serve you. You're there to serve her. Number two, a leader is gentle. If you're one of these tough guys saying, I'm the boss and all of that, there's something wrong. You're sick. Listen, the apostle Paul was the great leader of the church. He was an apostle, but he said to the church in first Thessalonians chapter two, verse seven, but we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherished her children. How many husbands today are gentle? Gentle with their wives. Do you know what you need to be, sir? …