As we continue our study of the Gospel of John, we pick up at Chapter 13, verse 1. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, John writes:
“It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God and was returning to God; so He got up from the meal, took off His outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist. 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)
The Passover Festival was one of, if not the most important Festival of Celebration for the Jews. This celebrated the fact of the angel of death Passing Over the Israelite’s First Born as the Lord was dealing with the Pharaoh’s heart to let His people go. (Exodus 12:) This was to show the power of God to protect, and deliver those who look to Him in faith. The Lord instituted a new celebration from the Passover that night for those who believe in Him: the celebration that we call “The Lord’s Supper”, or “Communion”. More on that beautiful act of worship later that is ours to live life abundantly in, but before He introduced this, and many other things that He would teach that night, He modeled for them, “Servant Leadership”.
Father had put “ALL things under the authority of Jesus when He came to earth to live as a man. Jesus had come from Heaven as The Son of God. He walked on earth as The Son of Man. The incredible miracles He performed of raising people from the dead, feeding thousands with five tiny loaves of bread, and two small fish that were available, healing the blind, and diseased and the those crippled for years, the love that He showed in forgiving sins and setting people free, were about to be sealed with the greatest of them all; the power of His body and His blood, and His Love. The greatest power ever given to man was His. But He wanted to show that power that is given to each of us comes from serving. He came to serve. He came to save. So did we. As the greatest man that ever lived took the role of a servant, one that would wash another person’s feet, He showed that we never put ourselves above anyone else. Pride and Position can take charge and overshadow the message of Love. Taking the role of a Servant when necessary can put everything into perspective.