“The Servant’s Example"
John 13:1-17
“For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.” [John 13:15]
Our Lord said this right after He “laid aside His garments, took up a towel and girded Himself,” and “began to wash the disciples’ feet” [John 13:4-5]. Can you imagine? Jesus, King of kings and Lord of lords; God incarnate girded Himself and washed feet. It was the lowest work in that day, and probably today as well. It was the ultimate humility for the ages.
Jesus came to serve, and He is our example. It was simply breath-taking. Peter did not even know what to say and so spoke foolishly [ref. vv.9-10]. I suppose we would have done the same.
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” [Matthew 20:25-28]
The disciple’s badge is serving, and Jesus is our example even as He served His life unto death. At the onset of the Upper Room Discourse, our Lord began not with words but service. The way up is down in God’s economy. It is a right side up Kingdom in an upside-down world. As disciples we become square pegs in a round world [ref. John 17:14-19].
Over the next several weeks we are going to be in the Holy of Holies of Scripture. The Upper Room Discourse was our Lord’s final teaching to His disciples before the Cross. It was His farewell address and perhaps His most important word to His church.
Stedman commented that “The Upper Room Discourse takes us into the intimate thoughts of Jesus just before his Crucifixion. If you think of Scripture as a temple, this is the sanctuary, where you come into the very presence of God himself. By means of his words to his disciples, we are permitted here to enter into the thinking and emotions of Jesus just before his own crucifixion.”
My prayer is that we enter the sanctuary over the next several weeks as we meditate on our Lord’s instruction [to us] in His Upper Room Discourse.
