April 18, 2019
John 13:1-17, 33-35 New Living Translation (NLT)
Today is the thirty-eighth day of our 40-Day Lenten Series, “Praying for a Kingdom Heart.” Lent should be a time of prayerful reflection, repentance, and restoration as we draw closer to the heart of God. This is Holy Thursday and it is a perfect time to focus on the loving heart of Jesus; a pure Kingdom heart. Jesus is God in the flesh and he came to teach us the ways of love. He came to serve us and make us ready as fellow servants for the work of the Kingdom. Do you have a servant’s heart?
There are a lot of people who want to be leaders in this world, but according to Jesus a true leader is a humble servant who knows how to love others. To love sacrificially like Christ requires action. Jesus was a living example of God’s love and now we are to be living examples of Christ’s love. So, the kind of love Jesus commissions his disciples to share sets them apart from the world. Christ did not call just some of his disciples to be servants; he calls every one of us to take a humble posture and be a blessing to others.
During Lent, we will be using the acronym P.R.A.Y. as we pray for a Kingdom Heart. P=praise, R=repent, A=ask, and Y=yield. May God bless you as you spend time in God’s Word and in prayer today.
John 13:1-17, 33-35 Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet
13 Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. 2 It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. 4 So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.
6 When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.”
8 “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!”
Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.”
9 Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!”
10 Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
12 After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet.
15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. 16 I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. 17 Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.
33 Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going. 34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
Prayer: Father, I praise you for serving and washing me so I may belong to you. Thank you for teaching me more about humility. I repent for any pride that has kept me from deeply serving you by loving others. I ask you to make me strong in your love. I will yield to your love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
NOTE: Tonight at 7:00PM is the Maundy Thursday Tenebrae Service. I hope you are planning to come, as it is a meaningful way to bring yourself into the Holy Week story.