Jun 04, 2023

Do Whatever He Tells You: Week 1 – John 13:1-17

In John 2:1-5, we see the story of Mary and Jesus at a wedding where Jesus performs his first miracle. In verse 5, Mary says to the servants, “Do whatever He tells you”. Mary knows who her son is, and she knows what He is capable of. This is the background for this summer series, which will focus on the words of Jesus from John 13-17. These chapters are the last words of Jesus to His disciples, and this Upper Room Discourse happened in the span of one night. It is all about love to one another. When this happens, the world takes notice. Jesus begins by washing the disciple’s feet. This would normally be done by someone else as the guests entered the house, but Jesus did it at the dinner table as the disciples were reclined around the table. Not only that, but He used the water for washing hands to wash their feet, which was another “odd” choice to them. It would seem backwards for the Creator to wash the feet of the creatures, but that is because Jesus understood:

1. All things were given into His hands
2. He came from God
3. He was going back to God

Knowing who He was and understanding His identity freed Him to love and serve others. When we know our identity, it frees us to live differently. We are more than our labels. We are sons and daughters of the most High God, and we don’t have to live for the approval of others. When Jesus approaches Peter to wash His feet, peter initially refuses, but after explanation from Jesus, Peter want Jesus to wash all of him. Jesus told him, and the others, that they were already “clean” and didn’t need to be ceremonially washed as was the custom (but He did acknowledge that one would betray Him). Instead, He was giving them an example of servant-leadership. Ultimately, Jesus’ life was the example of humility. Verse 17 says, “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” We should live out what we know. The life of a servant is only possible if we know our identity, and we never look more like Jesus than when we are giving our lives away for the sake of others. And when we obey, we will be blessed! So…who has God placed in your life to serve?