The Humble Savior

 

Theme: The humble Savior

Scriptures: John 13.1-20

A1 Outline

B1 Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet John 13.1-17

B2 Jesus Predicts His Betrayal John 13.18-30 (we will only deal through John 13:20)

A2 Notes and questions

B1 Passover

C1 Link for more information

C2 Jesus celebrated

C3 This was the day before Passover. (so Thursday by most commentators)

B2 John 13.1.

C1 How did Jesus know that His hour (time) had arrived?

C2 Who are those whom He loves? (His own. I take this to mean those who follow and believe in Him who were alive at that time. The principle would be that He loves all His own past, present, and future. This verse does not address the Calvinist view of God loving the elect only).

C3 The word for love here is agape. We shouldn't make a theological point from this word.

B3 John 13.2

C1 How did the devil influence Judas? Did Judas have some weaknesses to sin? (Covetousness and stealing).

C2 How did Simon Iscariot, Judas' dad, feel about his son? (The text doesn't tell us). How would you and I feel about a son like this?

C3 Why, what, would lead Judas to betray a man who only did good? (He loved other things more and was not interested in the truth).

B4 John 13.3. Why does John write about Jesus knowing these things?

B5 John 13.4-5. Why did Jesus humble Himself this way? Does this tell us something about God's character/personality?

B6 John 13.6-7.

C1 Why did Peter ask the obvious question?

C2 Why didn't Jesus say just "yes?"

C3 Jesus told Peter that he would understand this later. When is later?

C4 Is Peter just asking a question or being obstinate?

B7 John 13.8.

C1 Did Peter understand what a king is supposed to be like? Did he understand God's (Jesus's) view?

C2 Why did Peter reply to Jesus that Jesus would never wash his feet?

C3 What did Jesus tell Peter? What is the significance of this?

B8 John 13.9.

C1 Why did Peter answer this way?

C2 What concern did Peter have that he would want the Lord Jesus to wash more than his feet?

B9 John 13.10-11

C1 The word for bathe (first wash with KJV) is to wash the whole body.

C2 The word for wash (second wash with KJV) refers to washing a part of the whole body, rarely the body itself, so, as here, feet, hands, eyes, etc.

C3 What does the word clean mean here? (Clean from sin. See 2 Corinthians 5.21, 1 Peter 1.22, and John 15.3 (Jesus renders a judgment based on their faith. He is The Judge)).

C4 Who is the one who was not clean? (Judas)

C5 At this meal who were the ones who knew that Judas would betray Jesus?

B10 John 13.12-17

C1 Should we take foot washing literally or figuratively? (Literally, if our teacher and Lord did it, so should we. It doesn't seem to be the idea that only these disciples would be doing foot washing to other Christians. Even if one takes it figuratively, it would be good practice to humble ourselves to wash the feet of other believers. Some object to this practice by labeling it a sacrament. Washing feet does not help earn or retain salvation. It is an ordinance of practice just as remembering the Lord's death with communion and obeying the Lord in baptism. I'm not Church of God in any sense, but this article about foot washing covers the topic and objections well).

C2 Is Jesus just teaching humility or helping others? Which would be harder to do—wash someone's feet or help them cross the street or some other good deed?

C3 We will be blessed if we do _____?

C4 Nevertheless, we are to help others. How can you or I help our neighbor, the grouchy person, the person who cut us off in traffic, the one who cheated us, or the one who lied to us?

C5 How did the Lord Jesus treat the betrayer?

B11 John 13.18-20

C1 Why did Judas turn against Jesus?

C2 What would make anyone turn against Jesus?

C3 Is there anything that would make us turn against Jesus? How can we avoid this?

C4 Does Jesus genuinely know the future, guess the future, or decree the future?

C5 Fulfilled prophecy shows what about Jesus?

C6 What is the principle taught in John 13.20?