Pure, Humble Love: Part 2 John 13:1-17

John 12:37 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him

Life Ch times Ch – 6 times Light Ch – 32 times Ch – 0 times Love Ch – 12 times Ch – 34 times

Luke 22:24-27 A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. And he said to them, “…let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.”

Boice God does some things for all men. But God does everything for some men.

When I Survey Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Carson The object of the love of God in Christ, in these chapters, is therefore not the lost world, but the newly forming people of God, the disciples of the Messiah, the nascent church, the community of the elect. Jesus had loved his own all along; he now showed them the full extent of his love.

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

Pure, Humble Love I. Jesus begins the footwashing, vs II. Jesus is challenged by Peter, vs III. Jesus applies the lesson, vs

Ephesians 6:16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one

Carson But here Jesus reverses normal roles. His act of humility is as unnecessary as it is stunning, and is simultaneously a display of love (v. 1), a symbol of saving cleansing (vv. 6–9), and a model of Christian conduct (vv. 12–17).

Luke 22:27 I am among you as the one who serves.

Simeon What a beautiful illustration does it give us of his incarnation! Behold him laying aside his robes of majesty, and clothing himself in our flesh, and coming, “not to be ministered unto, but to minister” to our guilty race!

Philippians 2:3-11 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

Philippians 2:3-11 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

John 13:12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place

Hebrews 1:3b After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high

Meyer He rose from the throne, laid aside His garments of light, took up the poor towel of humanity, and wrapped it about His glorious Person; poured out His own blood into the basin of the cross; and set Himself to wash away the foul stains of human depravity and guilt.

Titus 3:3-5 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit

Meyer Bathed once at Calvary – cleansed daily in our walk with Christ.

Carson Both the footwashing and the cross would be “supreme displays of Jesus’ love for his own (v. 1b). The footwashing was shocking to Jesus’ disciples, but not half as shocking as the notion of a Messiah who would die the hideous and shameful death of crucifixion, the death of the damned”

Edwards …they should follow his example, because he is their Lord and Master. Christ, as he is a divine person, is the Lord of heaven and earth, and so one of infinite dignity, to whom our supreme respect is due. And on that account he is infinitely worthy that we should regard, not only his precepts but example. The infinite honorableness of his person recommends his virtues, and a conformity to them as our greatest dignity and honor.

John 15:12-13 This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

1 John 3:16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

Lewis Screwtape to Wormwood: “I see only one thing to do at the moment. Your patient has become humble; have you drawn attention to the fact?” Number 14

Carson Christian zeal divorced from transparent humility sounds hollow, even pathetic.

Simeon To those who delight in every office of love we say, “Happy are ye:” for it is a most unquestionable truth, that the more lowly we are in our own eyes, the higher we are in God’s; and the more we delight in doing good to others, the more richly will the blessing of God rest upon ourselves.