ASSASSIN
07-18-2008, 05:58 PM
Sunday School Lesson For July 20, 2008
EXEMPLARY SERVANT -
John 13:1-20
BACKGROUND:
John identifies Jesus early in his gospel as “…the Lamb of God…” (John 1:29). It is a theme that he would pursue throughout his Gospel. The symbolism is great: each year during the Feast of the Passover, a ceremony took place commemorating the Exodus from Egypt many years earlier. It was during that departure that God directed His people – in preparation for the tenth plague (the death angel) to slay a lamb without blemish and scatter the blood on the door posts of the house (Exodus 12:5-7). The effect of this act was that the death angel would spare that household. This act was to be done on a specific day of the month, with the lamb being slain during the previous afternoon...
John, in introducing Jesus as the “Lamb of God” intended to show that Jesus was sacrificed on the Cross at the time the Passover lamb was to be slain. It is here that John appears to differ with the Synoptic writers. To John (who didn’t record the details of the Supper with Jesus and His disciples that Thursday night), it was NOT the Passover, but rather the day before. After all, Jesus, THE Lamb of God, must be sacrificed at the proper hour, making Him the LAST Lamb to be sacrificed for that purpose. Jesus’ blood was spilled on Calvary around mid-afternoon of THE day – Nisan 15...
SPECIAL FEAST (John 13:1-3)
It was, indeed, a special feast. But as John is quick to point out, “…before the feast of the Passover…”, a supper was served. Now keep in mind that one of the main ingredients of the Passover supper was lamb. And lamb is nowhere here mentioned. No, this writer is convinced that Jesus sat down to meat with His disciples one full day before the time for the Passover meal. This would appear to be supported by another report by John when on the following day (Friday), Jesus was brought before Pilate and the Jews who brought Him refused to step onto Pilate’s property because they didn’t want to be defiled for the Passover (John 18:28). This would appear to indicate the Jews were expecting Passover that Friday night...
Two very significant things happened in these three verses: the devil (Satan) entered the heart of Judas, and Jesus knew and accepted the total responsibility laid on Him. It would be a pattern that would continue (and still continues) from that point forward: Satan fights God by manipulating God’s people. Once in the heart, he is in complete charge. People consider doing wrong when Satan is “whispering in their ear”; they commit sinful acts when he enters their hearts...
So Jesus had to act with the full knowledge that the devil’s most dastardly scheme was being played out...
SYMBOLIC SERVICE (John 13:4-17)
In the east, where this scene is set, there is much desert and sand. People in those days wore sandals, and would accumulate sand and dirt on their feet as they walked. A common courtesy would be for a host to offer the service of washing feet as the guests arrived at the home. Hosts with servants would give this responsibility to the LOWEST level servant. He would stand at the door and wash feet. He was doubtless looked down upon by all who came in...
Now those who prepared the setting for Jesus and His disciples should have made preparations for people to have their feet washed (If there were no servant, then water and a basin would be placed at the entrance so that guests could wash their own feet); however, it appears this was an oversight. Normally, this is done before the meal, which may be the reason Jesus Himself didn’t act earlier – He wanted it to be clear no one else would volunteer...
Now this act – to some religious denominations – is an ordinance; that is, it is a ritual that they believe Jesus directed the church to repeat on occasion. It is, in fact, a symbolic act. While the people in the East actually needed their feet washed, people today are usually fully cleansed before leaving home, and simply participating in the ritual...
But Jesus was doing more than simply removing dirt from His disciples’ feet: He was also washing them spiritually. This is probably why Jesus asked them (verse 12) if they knew what He had done to them. Obviously, he had taken a basin and water and washed their feet. But that ELSE had He done? Remember, Jesus never the body without treating the spirit, since it is the spirit that Jesus came to minister unto in the first place...
What does it all mean? It means a completely new set of values. If the MASTER in the Kingdom of God is the one who washes feet, then it should be clear that the high positions in this “society” must be servants, and the greatest servant must be the greatest of all...
SOBERING DECLARATIONS (John 13:18-20)
There is no deed that God does not know about before it takes place. Jesus had already told Peter he was not clean because Peter would deny Him. Now, he predicts the act of Judas. It must have been difficult for Judas to swallow his food while Jesus was “reading his mind” and declaring that he would first eat from Jesus’ table and then sell Him to the enemy...
But are we not all at times guilty of similar acts? If we eat at all, it is from God’s table (cf. Psalm 24:1). So if we “sell” God (by transgressing His commands in favor of the world’s commands), we do so shortly after leaving His table.
A
EXEMPLARY SERVANT -
John 13:1-20
BACKGROUND:
John identifies Jesus early in his gospel as “…the Lamb of God…” (John 1:29). It is a theme that he would pursue throughout his Gospel. The symbolism is great: each year during the Feast of the Passover, a ceremony took place commemorating the Exodus from Egypt many years earlier. It was during that departure that God directed His people – in preparation for the tenth plague (the death angel) to slay a lamb without blemish and scatter the blood on the door posts of the house (Exodus 12:5-7). The effect of this act was that the death angel would spare that household. This act was to be done on a specific day of the month, with the lamb being slain during the previous afternoon...
John, in introducing Jesus as the “Lamb of God” intended to show that Jesus was sacrificed on the Cross at the time the Passover lamb was to be slain. It is here that John appears to differ with the Synoptic writers. To John (who didn’t record the details of the Supper with Jesus and His disciples that Thursday night), it was NOT the Passover, but rather the day before. After all, Jesus, THE Lamb of God, must be sacrificed at the proper hour, making Him the LAST Lamb to be sacrificed for that purpose. Jesus’ blood was spilled on Calvary around mid-afternoon of THE day – Nisan 15...
SPECIAL FEAST (John 13:1-3)
It was, indeed, a special feast. But as John is quick to point out, “…before the feast of the Passover…”, a supper was served. Now keep in mind that one of the main ingredients of the Passover supper was lamb. And lamb is nowhere here mentioned. No, this writer is convinced that Jesus sat down to meat with His disciples one full day before the time for the Passover meal. This would appear to be supported by another report by John when on the following day (Friday), Jesus was brought before Pilate and the Jews who brought Him refused to step onto Pilate’s property because they didn’t want to be defiled for the Passover (John 18:28). This would appear to indicate the Jews were expecting Passover that Friday night...
Two very significant things happened in these three verses: the devil (Satan) entered the heart of Judas, and Jesus knew and accepted the total responsibility laid on Him. It would be a pattern that would continue (and still continues) from that point forward: Satan fights God by manipulating God’s people. Once in the heart, he is in complete charge. People consider doing wrong when Satan is “whispering in their ear”; they commit sinful acts when he enters their hearts...
So Jesus had to act with the full knowledge that the devil’s most dastardly scheme was being played out...
SYMBOLIC SERVICE (John 13:4-17)
In the east, where this scene is set, there is much desert and sand. People in those days wore sandals, and would accumulate sand and dirt on their feet as they walked. A common courtesy would be for a host to offer the service of washing feet as the guests arrived at the home. Hosts with servants would give this responsibility to the LOWEST level servant. He would stand at the door and wash feet. He was doubtless looked down upon by all who came in...
Now those who prepared the setting for Jesus and His disciples should have made preparations for people to have their feet washed (If there were no servant, then water and a basin would be placed at the entrance so that guests could wash their own feet); however, it appears this was an oversight. Normally, this is done before the meal, which may be the reason Jesus Himself didn’t act earlier – He wanted it to be clear no one else would volunteer...
Now this act – to some religious denominations – is an ordinance; that is, it is a ritual that they believe Jesus directed the church to repeat on occasion. It is, in fact, a symbolic act. While the people in the East actually needed their feet washed, people today are usually fully cleansed before leaving home, and simply participating in the ritual...
But Jesus was doing more than simply removing dirt from His disciples’ feet: He was also washing them spiritually. This is probably why Jesus asked them (verse 12) if they knew what He had done to them. Obviously, he had taken a basin and water and washed their feet. But that ELSE had He done? Remember, Jesus never the body without treating the spirit, since it is the spirit that Jesus came to minister unto in the first place...
What does it all mean? It means a completely new set of values. If the MASTER in the Kingdom of God is the one who washes feet, then it should be clear that the high positions in this “society” must be servants, and the greatest servant must be the greatest of all...
SOBERING DECLARATIONS (John 13:18-20)
There is no deed that God does not know about before it takes place. Jesus had already told Peter he was not clean because Peter would deny Him. Now, he predicts the act of Judas. It must have been difficult for Judas to swallow his food while Jesus was “reading his mind” and declaring that he would first eat from Jesus’ table and then sell Him to the enemy...
But are we not all at times guilty of similar acts? If we eat at all, it is from God’s table (cf. Psalm 24:1). So if we “sell” God (by transgressing His commands in favor of the world’s commands), we do so shortly after leaving His table.
A