Jesus' Great Lesson

"He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist." (John 13:4). These statements serve as a transition, namely a transition from the first roughly 33 years of His life to the last hours of His life. When we begin reading John 13:1, we start with the reading of a day that will then span to John 18, where Jesus is found and arrested in the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus, on this last day, undoubtedly recognized a significant time for instruction - His last day. The last day of the life of another is often the day that rings through our minds for the remainder of our lives. Though we learned much throughout our time with one another, the things of that last day echo much more strongly - I believe Jesus understood such and used it to His advantage. Jesus capitalizes on "last day awareness" by beginning with laying a foundation - the foundation of discipleship in His kingdom.

It is astounding to consider how confused we become in the Church despite clear teachings such as what Christ gave on this occasion. When we read John 13:1-20, Jesus washes His disciples' feet and provides for them, by His illustrating, the foundational principle of being His disciple - service. How many have this passage in their Bibles, can even recall it in moments of convenience, but neglect it from practice? We are not talking about the actual washing of feet; we are speaking of the service. The Bible is replete with the idea of serving God and others above self, but still, most "God-professing men" prefer to have it backward.

If you read the words of Jesus in John 13:13-16, do you know what question, if honest with yourself, you will ask? "How dare I, one of far lesser account of that than my Lord, consider myself above the emptying of self which He did offer for me?"

Not a day can persist in which we begin to make discipleship about us and our glory. A disciple was never meant to be a title-bearer. He was meant to be a towel-wearer. John 13:15, “For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.”