C, Maundy Thursday - John 13:1-38 "It's Faith at the Foot that Counts"
Jesus, Judas, Peter — even Pilate, St Paul, and Pharaoh; these men enter the stage as we look at the events surrounding Jesus’ — Last Supper, foot washing of the disciples, crucifixion as his exodus, and the celebration of the Lord’s Supper in the Christian Church since his resurrection from the dead, and exodus from our eyes into faith and eternity. And if Jesus takes centre stage with these other men then love and faith, are the pivotal two points around which hope, salvation, sin, unbelief, betrayal, and damnation swing.
In the three bible readings for Maundy Thursday we hear of the Passover in Egypt, written in Exodus 12; Saint Paul passing on what Christ gave to him, the Lord’s Supper with its call to discern Christ’s body and blood in bread and wine, in 1 Corinthians 11; and in John 13 we hear the Word incarnate knowing he would be lifted up in glorified brilliant light, when Judas goes out and it becomes the darkest night.
Each year as Holy Week arrives and we hear the passion narratives, we don’t just hear the story of Jesus’ death but also the stories of Judas, Peter, and Pilate. It seems Judas and Pilate, get a bad wrap, whereas Peter escapes the inevitable scorn poured out upon Judas and Pilate. One might be tempted to think the eternal fate of these three was preordained a long time before these events ever happened. But if we believe this to be the case, then for whom did Jesus die? All people or just some? And if for just a few, what makes you think you’re included too?
On the night when Jesus was betrayed — Judas deceived with a kiss, Peter denied with lies, and Pilate decided to overlook the truth of Jesus’ innocence, in favour of winning the crowd’s approval. These three men all sinned, so what is it that separates Peter from the other two?
We hear in John 13… It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. 2 The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. (John 13:1-5)
It’s interesting to note Jesus knows it’s time to leave this world. The word “leave” comes for the Greek word meaning — to be debased, or pass over from one place to another, or to completely change state, and this word is related to the words “base or foot”. Here Jesus is about to be walked out of this life through death on the cross, and yet he gets down to wash his disciples’ feet. Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Yet Jesus takes their burden on himself, washing their feet so they might be clean, and then gets up and steps foot on the cross.
This was the full extent of his love, and he showed it to all at the meal, even he who was about to betray him, Judas. Judas was prompted here by the devil, but then again didn’t Jesus also rebuke Peter saying, “Get behind me, satan. You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” (Mark 8:33) So here we see neither Peter nor Judas, are any different to each other, both are susceptible to their sinful human nature and the devil’s distractions.
This sin comes to the fore again, when Peter’s pride and lack of understanding, or perhaps guilt, seeks to have Jesus not wash his feet. But then again who of us would feel right about letting God wash our unclean bodies? Judas, however, is silent with the other disciples and does not protest against Jesus washing his feet. But then again if you didn’t believe he was the Son of God, who was to take away the sin of the world, you’d probably let the one you were about to betray wash your feet too. Imagine how Judas must have felt while Jesus stooped to wash his feet. Perhaps he felt powerful as he kept his churning conscience hidden.
However, Jesus knew exactly what was going on, and in fact it was he who held all the power as he knelt and washed the disciples’ feet. He knew he was going to be lifted up so all people might be drawn to him, and he also knew the betrayer had lifted up his heel or foot against him. As he calls Peter to allow him to wash his feet he says, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. (John 13:10-11) Later on a second time Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me.” (John 13:21)
And then the third time we’re left with no doubt as to who is going to betray him, As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. “What you are about to do, do quickly,” Jesus told him, but no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night. (John 13:27-30)
This is the hour of darkness, “it was night”. And when the darkest hour had begun, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once. (John 13:31-32)
Here Jesus speaks of his exodus. Just as all those years earlier when Moses ate the Passover and the destroyer passed over them, so they could walk out of Pharaoh’s slavery, Jesus prepares to be walked out too, but innocently into the most unimaginable bondage anyone could face. The eternal Son of God, was bound to the cross and his feet were nailed to one place and point in time; he died for the sins of all people. Knowing this exodus must come first, he says, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.” (John 13:33)
With absolutely no understanding as to what was going on, Peter foolishly says, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” To which Jesus answers, “Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times! (John 13: 37-38)
In fact, later on Peter does exactly what Jesus said he would do. This happens after Jesus’ betrayal by Judas, and just before Jesus is led into Pilate’s presence. So Peter is the sinful fool sandwiched between the betrayer Judas who sinned against Jesus and was later filled with hopeless remorse, so much so, he hung himself because of his sin; and between Pilate’s pride, who despite knowing Jesus was completely innocent, sinfully trivialized the truth in order to be Mr. Popularity!
But earlier after Jesus had washed the disciple’s feet, Jesus reveals just what it is that separates Peter from Pilate and Judas as he announces the betrayal that’s about to take place. He says, “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He. 20 I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.” (John 13:19-20)
When Jesus says “you will believe that I am He”, he is saying, “I AM the betrayed, I AM the one who will be walked to the cross, and crucified. I AM who I AM, I AM God the Son, hear my word — believe me!”
And with this belief comes a trust in God’s complete love. In hearing the Word Made Flesh, we too are called to know — God is love, the beginning and the end, all-powerful in complete control of every situation — and we are called to know and believe that because he die for our sin, all people’s sin, we must live in hope of eternal life, despite knowing we are completely sinful in nature.
Therefore, Jesus said to the disciples, and he says to you his disciple too, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35) But at the same time he also says of his disciple Simon Peter, and knows we too are same, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:31-32)
We now know from what we’ve heard it’s not the sin or the sinful nature that separates. If this was the case, Peter or the other disciples would have no chance, and nor would we! But rather we are required to have faith in God the Son, the one who shows the full extent of his love, who washes feet, and then steps foot on the cross.
Also the good news is he doesn’t leave us alone to believe, he has sent the Holy Spirit to plant faith in us and strengthen us as we hear his word. The Spirit gives us faith to believe and love, so we might be strengthened and live in hope.
Notice in all the Maundy Thursday bible readings, it’s not sin that separates. Rather it was unbelief that killed
If it was sin that separated — Saul, the most hideous of sinners, might not have been visited by Jesus on the road to
It’s the loss of faith, hope, and love in unbelief which separates and gives sin back its power. So during Lent we have examined the depths of our sin which led our Lord towards his innocent suffering and death, and tomorrow (Good Friday) we will do the same. But as we do also know the full extent of God’s love for you — how perfect it is, how complete it is, how forgiving it is, and how victorious it is over your sin and the sin of all who believe in him. Amen.
