Message: Lessons from the Upper Room pt.1                                                                                                                                   Text: John 13

Introduction: A young man attending a job interview was asked what kind of salary he was looking for, to which he replied, "In the neighborhood of $140,000 a year, depending on the benefit package." "Well”, the interviewer said. “What would you say to a package of 6-week's vacation, 14 paid holidays, full medical & dental, company matching retirement fund to 50% of salary, & a company car leased every two years ... say, a red Corvette?" "Wow! Are you kidding?" "Yeah, replied the interviewer, but you started it." (Source Unknown)

Leonard Bernstein, the late conductor of the New York Philharmonic orchestra, was once asked to name the most difficult instrument to play. Without hesitation, he replied, “The second fiddle. I can get plenty of first violinists, but to find someone who can play the second fiddle with enthusiasm—that’s a problem. And if we have no second fiddle, we have no harmony.” (Today in the Word, January 3, 1997, p. 8)

It’s sad that our society is so enamored with self, so much so that humility is a thing of the past.. And if there is one attitude that will divide a church quicker than anything else, it’s the self-serving, self-promoting attitude of pride. Pride, a “me” orientation rather than a “we” orientation will cause a church fellowship to miss the great blessing of being like minded and sharing the same purpose of love as Philippians 2 teaches us.

Read: Philippians 2:1-8

Paul wrote these words. I believe after hearing from Jesus’ disciples about what happened in the upper room just 24 hours prior to Jesus’ death. Powerful, and challenging words.

You see, the church, this church will not be blessed by God, his presence will not go with us, his grace will not be showered upon us
    •    if ‘we’ deteriorates into ‘me’
    •    if ‘self’ concerns overrule ‘corporate’ concerns,
    •    if ‘my’ needs become more important than ‘your’ needs.
    •    if we seek ‘to be served by others’ rather than ‘to serve one another’ in love.

However, we will grow and mature, together, when ‘we’ learn to truly love one another…when ‘we’ truly learn to serve one another.

John 13 to 17 is a beautiful picture of what Jesus expects the church, his followers to do in his absence. Perhaps there are no more important chapters in all of Scripture than John 13-17 because they speak of the unity of the Body of Christ…you and I…we.
    •    A unity that doesn’t come naturally, or easily…but comes beautifully and powerfully when we, all, surrender our pride at the door each time we enter this
          building.

Transition: Open your Bibles to John 13:1 (pg. 822 in the church Bibles under the chair in front of you). For it’s here that we will learn Jesus’ first lesson from the Upper Room…humility.

I. John 13:1-5      Humility
Read: John 13:1

Jesus’ time had come. He was just 24 short hours from death. He had come to die in obedience to the will of the Father.  

Let me ask…what would you do if you knew you were going to die in less than 24 hours?
    •    Be alone in prayer?
    •    Record some final thoughts to friends and family?
    •    Spend the time with those you loved?
    •    Eat as many cheese steak hoagies as you could?

What we choose to do would speak volumes about who we are as a person…as a Christian. Just as it does for Jesus here in our text.

Jesus’ coming to die was not just to fulfill the Fathers will…it was also an act of love for humanity… especially those who would come to believe in him as their Savior.
    •    In John chapters 1-12 the word ‘love’ appears 12 times or on the average, once in each chapter.
    •    In John 13-17 the word ‘love’ appears 34 times or an average of 7 times per chapter.

It is obvious that God wants to emphasize that Love is the foundation of Christian expression…and love is something very special between Jesus and those who are his own, for Christians, for those who have placed their faith in Him as Savior.

This is important because what Jesus has to say in the next 5 chapters is written solely for those who are already believers in Jesus Christ. Remember, his public ministry is over and his private ministry to his disciples is emphasized in these chapters. Track with me on this.
    •    John 13:1 ‘having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love’
    •    John 17:25-26 ‘Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them
         and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.’

Jesus begins and ends this section of John with his love for his own. This wonderful portion of Scripture, of Jesus’ final 24 hours before his death, is about his great love and the lengths he will willing to go to display his love for those who believe in Him, who have asked him to forgive their sins and be their Savior.

Understand this is not the general kind love Jesus has for humanity as a creation of God. It’s his special love he has for those who are his, who were given to him by the Father. It is about his love for YOU, dear child of God. You have a special love relationship with Jesus Christ.
    •    Even though you don’t always love him back,
    •    Even though you argue with one another as the disciples did,
    •    Even though at times your pride raises it’s ugly head and people get hurt,
    •    Even though you continue to sin, especially those habitual sins you hide from others and of whom you just can’t seem to break free,
    •    Even though he knows everything about you

…he loves his own, he loves YOU. And will continue to love you. Not based on your performance but based solely on his grace…God  loves you Christian. You can be certain of that!

Transition: Love, however, is not just an emotion, it’s an action. And Jesus is about to live out his love in a very practical way. His living illustration of love is an example we all are called to emulate.

Read: John 13:2-3

Dinner had begun but there was more going on than what was seen with the eyes. John tells us that Judas’ choice not to place his faith in Jesus as the Messiah made him an open and easy target for Satan to influence.

But, John wants his readers to know that this was no hidden plot, no secret mission only known to Satan, Judas and the religious leaders…Jesus knew exactly what was going on. The text reminds us that…
    •    Jesus was confident in his relationship with the Father.
    •    He was confident in who he was and what he came to do.
    •    What Judas was scheming  was all part of God’s master plan….a plan that God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit had prepared from eternity
         past.

Transition: Knowing he had only 24 hours to live, knowing he was about to be betrayed, and loving his own in a special and powerful way, Jesus displays that love and uses the time he has left in a most unique way.

Read: John 13:4-5

Let’s set the scene for what is happening.
    •    As Jesus and his disciples enter the Upper Room it’s a somber and crucial time in his ministry. The shadow of the cross looms large and dark over
         the table set up for the Passover meal.
    •    Jesus and his disciples entered the upper room of a home in Jerusalem after having traveled from Bethany. Ordinarily the host would have a servant
          wash people’s feet as they enter the home because the streets were dirty and the footwear of the day was sandals w/o socks.
    •    However, the meeting was intended to be secret so there was no host and no servant to wash the dirt off the feet of Jesus and his disciples.
    •    Luke’s account of that evening tells us that once there the disciples began to argue among themselves as to who was the greatest.
    •    So not one of the disciples volunteers to wash the feet of the others…why? They were too busy arguing over who was the greatest in the Kingdom of God.
        And to wash the feet of another was to admit your inferiority in the group.

Sidebar: It’s unfortunate but this attitude exists, even flourishes in many churches today…perhaps even here.
    1.    Who is going to clean up this mess? Where is the custodian?
    2.    The wind blew a lot of dead branches all over the church grounds, when is some one going to pick them up. It doesn’t look good to the neighbors?
    3.    The space under the back stairway is so cluttered I can’t get anything I need. When will someone straighten it up?

Unfortunately this sounds all too familiar. It’s not my job. I did it last week. I am too old to be doing this. I am too new here to be doing this. All excuses, none very good. And not too unlike the argument of the disciples.
    •    As the disciples go to the table, arguing over who was the greatest, can you imagine the discussion on where they  would sit? Remember, in that day,
         where you sat at a dinner table reflected your social status in that group.
•    Sometime during the meal, perhaps even during the argument over who was the greatest, Jesus quietly gets up from the table, and from their squabbling,
     removes his outer robe, tied a towel around his waist and began to perform the work of the servant who was not present.

Sidebar: In my opinion the fact that the text says that Jesus “Began” is very significant. Notice:He didn’t pray about it. He didn’t seek counsel from others. He didn’t wait till someone else said something. He just did it… he “began”. I’m not saying we shouldn’t plan, but sometimes some things don’t require a lot of preparation, they just require action. Jesus “began”…he did it. And sometimes we need to stop waiting and complaining for others to do something and just do it ourselves.

    •    Jesus voluntary humbled himself to rebuke the pride of the disciples. Especially as they had just been arguing over who was the greatest.
    •    At this critical moment, less than 24 hours before his violent death, Jesus doesn’t think about himself, he thinks about his disciples…whom he dearly loved.
         And he met their need to have clean feet.
    •    As Jesus begins to wash the first disciples feet, the room grows hushed, all conversation about why one disciple was  more important to the group than
         another ended, the argument as to who was the greatest was over when Jesus took on the role of the least of them…a servant.
    •    As Jesus poured out water to wash the dirt off the disciples feet, he must have been thinking that in just a few short hours he would be pouring out his
         blood for their sin.

Conclusion
Next week we will look at how the disciples, particularly Peter reacted to Jesus act of love and servanthood. But to close I want to ask how do we develop humility? There are many ways and I have included some in a hand out in your bulletin this morning. But let me give you two of the most important ways we can develop humility.

    1.    Exalt God. Lift him up. Constantly think of and speak to the greatness of God. Sing and shout praise to Almighty God. Remember and tell others of his great
           works in history and in your life too. Make God bigger in your life, magnify his importance, in all you do.

    2.    Serve others. Be truly concerned about others and let that concern move you to action. Truly learn to love others and make that love practical by helping and
           caring for others on a regular basis…not just when it’s convenient. As Paul commands us in Romans, give preference to one another, in honor.
           Play second fiddle to someone else and don’t resent it, rejoice in it.

Humility and a passion for praise are a pair of characteristics which together indicate growth in grace. The Bible is full of examples of
    •    humility (people bowing down before God) and
    •    doxology (people giving praise to God).

The healthy and blessed heart, the healthy and blessed church is one that bows down in humility to God and to one another and rises up in praise and adoration to Almighty God.