March 26, 2014 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Mark 14:66-72 “WHAT SHALL I DO WITH JESUS? DENY HIM?

MIDWEEK LENT 4

March 26, 2014

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Mark 14:66-72

“WHAT SHALL I DO WITH JESUS? DENY HIM?

Mark 14:66-72 (NIV 1984) “While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by. 67 When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him. "You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus," she said. 68 But he denied it. "I don't know or understand what you're talking about," he said, and went out into the entryway. 69 When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, "This fellow is one of them." 70 Again he denied it. After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, "Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean." 71 He began to call down curses on himself, and he swore to them, "I don't know this man you're talking about." 72 Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times." And he broke down and wept.”

          Pilate’s question has been guiding us in our Midweek Lenten worship. What shall I do with Jesus? Today our answer is another question: Deny Him? Automatically all minds think of Peter. If you’ve ever seen a play presented as a melodrama you know that it takes the plot lines to extremes. The good guys are very obviously the good guys. When they come on stage there is cheering and applauding. The bad guys are also very obviously the bad guys. When they appear people boo and hiss. If the Passion history of Jesus were presented as a melodrama this is one of those times when you would want to boo and hiss. Peter denying he even knew Jesus. What makes it worse is how Peter set himself up. We have to go back to verse 27-31 of Mark 14. Jesus was with his disciples in the Upper Room and said, "You will all fall away," Jesus told them, "for it is written: " 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.' 28 But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee." 29 Peter declared, "Even if all fall away, I will not." 30 "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "today--yes, tonight--before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times." 31 But Peter insisted emphatically, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the others said the same.” Boo! Hiss! Such cockiness.

          And then this. “While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by. 67 When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him. "You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus," she said. 68 But he denied it. "I don't know or understand what you're talking about," he said, and went out into the entryway.” Boo! Hiss! Things were getting a little hot around that fire so Peter went out by the entryway to courtyard. That’s when things got worse.  “When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, "This fellow is one of them." 70 Again he denied it.” Boo! Boo! He was warned directly, just a few hours ago. He’s not going to do it, is he? Deny that third time? “After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, "Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean." 71 He began to call down curses on himself, and he swore to them, "I don't know this man you're talking about."  Groan. Aargh! How could he? That’s the melodrama of Peter’s denial. Easy to boo him. Kind of fun too.

          But what would it look like in our lives? You know there’s something to say about Peter. At least people knew he was a follower of Jesus. Do they know  we are followers of Jesus? Are we easily identified? Peter was seen with Jesus. He talked and perhaps dressed like a Galilean. Do people see us with Jesus? Not visibly but maybe with His word or a devotion book at lunch break. Does the way we talk, the words we choose to use and refuse to use, how we say the things we do give indications that we follow Jesus? Can all the people watching how we carry out work and play that we must follow Jesus? How about the clothes we wear or don’t wear? We are not talking about wearing some Christian uniform or a head covering like the Muslims but are the parts of our bodies that are supposed to stay covered, covered? You wonder if Peter had this idea of being identified as a follower of Christ in mind when he wrote, “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:15) Set apart Christ as Lord in your heart. People will identify you as a follower of Jesus. They will ask you for the reason for you hope. But if we can’t be identified as followers of Jesus haven’t we already denied Him?

          If we are identified as followers of Jesus, if we are known at our schools as those who follow Christ, or the goody two shoes at work then we will get other opportunities to deny Jesus. Normally that comes like it did with Peter. The Devil tempts you to be afraid of what others will think. Let’s apply Peter’s reaction to our own. Peter relied on his own strength. He thought he knew better than Jesus. If he had taken Jesus’ warning to heart he would have locked himself in a closet, any place, except where there were people to whom he could deny knowing Jesus. But no, Peter did not do that. I will never deny! I’m so strong that I can go right into the thick of things. And today Christians think they can try drugs just this once and not get seduced, that they can look but won’t touch, mess around just a little without it going too far, tell just a little lie. Peter learned. Later in life we see a Peter who relies on Christ for strength so that on another time when he was given the opportunity to deny Christ he boldly confessed even though that meant death.

          And that’s the third thing we can learn from Peter’s denial. How to handle our own.  “Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times." And he broke down and wept.” Peter was overcome with sorrow for his sins. He wept bitterly. Do you remember the last time you wept bitterly over sin? I’m sad to say I don’t. Our denials of Jesus don’t seem as blatant to us as someone else’s does.

          But we need to remember that crying over our sins doesn’t fix our sins, or take them away, or free us from the punishment we are due. Only Jesus does that. Remember we were watching this as a melodrama. When the bad guy comes on you boo and hiss. But then there is the hero. You clap and cheer. Jesus is the hero in this story for Peter and for us. Yay! You saw in Luke’s account of Peter’s denial that after the third denial Jesus looked directly at Peter. His look was a call to repentance. Sorrow is only part of repentance. Repentance relies on the forgiveness of Jesus. Jesus assured Peter he was forgiven when three times He asked Peter, “Do you love me.” And three times told him to do His work, “Feed my sheep. Feed my lambs. Feed my sheep!” Peter sure got good at that. Jesus tells us we are forgiven too. He has commanded the Church to announce forgiveness so we do. Yay. We cheer the hero Jesus. He has provided the ongoing forgiveness meal of the Lord’s Supper. Yay! We cheer Jesus.

          What shall I do with Jesus? Deny Him? As much as we say and mean we will never deny Him the sad truth is because of our sinful weakness in our own ways we will. So we need to answer the question another way. What shall I do with Jesus? Stay close to Him. Stay close to Him with daily use of His word. Stay close to Him with regular worship and taking the Lord’s Supper. Then like He did with Peter Jesus will recall us when we fall, lift us up, forgive us, and strengthen us to do His work. Maybe we could even get to be as good as Peter at that. Amen.

March 19, 2014 third Wednesday Lent Service

March 19, 2014 third Wednesday Lent Service
Sermon by Pastor Paul Eckert
Sermon text - Matthew 26:47-56
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    This Wednesday’s sermon has to do with the betrayal of Jesus by
Judas.  But first let’s think of a betrayal hundreds of years earlier, at
the time in history when Israel had judges or leaders, not kings. 
    Samson, as recorded in the Old Testament book of Judges, lived at
that time.  He was known for his great muscle strength.  Regrettably
his brain strength didn’t match his physical strength when it came to a
woman named Delilah.  She is the one who betrayed him.
    It is God who had given Samson his great physical strength, and as
a sign of that had told Samson not to cut his hair.  Here is where
Delilah comes into the picture.  Samson’s enemies used Delilah to try
to get from Samson the secret of his strength.  Two times it didn’t
work.  Then Delilah pouted and said to Samson, “How can you say,
‘I  love you,’ when you won’t confide in me?”  She kept nagging
him until he foolishly told her the secret was his hair.  Then she took
that information and betrayed him to his enemies who came in while
he was deep in sleep, shaved off his hair, took him captive, gouged
out his eyes, and put him into forced labor in prison.
    Let’s go now from Delilah who betrayed Samson to Judas who
betrayed Jesus.  And, thinking also of ourselves, let’s ask:
WHAT SHALL I DO WITH JESUS?
  -  BETRAY HIM?
I    LET’S LOOK AT JUDAS.  (47)
    1. First let’s look at all 12 of the disciples.
        a) Jesus had many disciples.  But He also had prepared a special
            group of 12 to be His eye witnesses to the world after His
            resurrection and His victorious return to His heavenly throne.
        b) Here you might be interested in some trivia facts.  Among the
            12 there were two sets of brothers: Peter and Andrew were
            brothers, as were James and John.  There were 3 pairs who
            shared names: 2 could be referred to as Simon, 2 as James,
            and 2 as Judas.  The Judas mentioned in our text we know
            with the fuller name of Judas Iscariot.
    2. Now let’s look closer at Judas Iscariot.  (47)
While [Jesus] was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve,
arrived.  With him was a large crowd armed with swords and
clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. 
        a) This  Judas is referred to with Iscariot, a location in the south,
            in Judah.  He was the only disciple from the south.    The other
            11 disciples came from up north in Galilee.
        b) Among the disciples he was what we could call the treasurer. 
            But in our text he was functioning as a guide to betray Jesus.
    3. Remember what he had  experienced.
        a) He had spent three years with Jesus, knew Jesus’ love.
        b) He had heard Jesus’ sermons, seen Jesus’ many miracles.
        c) What moved him to betrayal, to do what he was now doing?
II  WHY DID HE BETRAY JESUS?  (48-50)
    1. The fact of betrayal is clear. (48-50)
Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I
kiss is the man; arrest him.”  Going at once to Jesus, Judas said,
“Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him.  Jesus replied, “Friend, do
what you came for.”  Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus
and arrested him.
        a) We know that Jesus had the power to stop all of this.  We
            also know why He did not.  He did not because He had come
            to fulfill everything God’s Word had said about the promised
            Savior, including being an  innocent sacrifice on a cross.   
        b) But why did Judas do what he did?
    2. What prompted Judas seems clear.
        a) In John 12 we are told of an incident where Judas objected
            when a woman showed her love for Jesus with expensive
            perfume.  Judas said it could have been sold instead and the
            money put into their treasury to give to the poor.
        b) But while that sounds noble, the Bible tells us, “He did not
say this because he  cared about the poor but because he was a
thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what
was put into it.”  (John 12:6) 
    3. The reasons for betrayal seem clear.
            a) Judas was a thief, loved money.  Maybe he had hoped, if
            Jesus would be made an earthly king by the people, that he
            could one day have had a job with more access to money.
        b) But things weren’t going in that direction for Judas.
        c) Now 30 pieces of silver from the church leaders had been
            enough for him to betray Jesus, to turn away from Jesus who
            had come to give what money could never buy.  
III   LET’S LOOK AT OURSELVES.  (51-56)
    1. Don’t look only at Judas. (51-56)
With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew
it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.
“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all
who draw the sword will die by the sword.  Do you think I cannot
call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more
than twelve legions of angels?  But how then would the Scriptures
be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”  At that time
Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have
come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat
in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me.  But
this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be
fulfilled.”  Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.
        a) How easy it is to see wrong, sin in Judas and other people. 
        b) But listen again to the last verse I just read: Then all the
             disciples deserted him and fled.  Others left Jesus too.
    2. Might we be like Judas and others?
        a) Could we start out with Jesus, learn about Him in our school,
            be connected with Him by making confirmation promises,
            join a Christian congregation like St. Jacobi, say we will
            regularly worship together and serve our Lord  together?
        b) Might we then start letting money or popularity or job
            advancement and what the world offers become more
            important, so that like Judas we leave Jesus behind and think
            the world’s 30 pieces of silver will take care of our future?
    3.    We don’t want the future that Judas chose. 
        a) Judas knew he had made a terrible mistake.  But, looking only
            to himself and not to Jesus, we are told: “Judas threw the
money into the temple and left.  Then he went away and hanged
himself.”  (Matthew 27:5)
        b) Do we sin, at times feel there is no hope for us?
        c) Yes, acknowledge sin.  But then look where Judas did not.
IV  LET’S LOOK AT JESUS!  (50)
    1. Jesus had come for us too.   
        a) He didn’t come only for the people of His day.
        b) Remember that God so loved the world that He gave His
            Son, so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but be
            saved, have eternal life.
    2. Jesus went all of the way for us. (50)
Jesus replied, “Friend, do what you came for.”  Then the men
stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him.
        a) He permitted His betrayal, His arrest.  He was crucified.
        b) He brought the perfect sacrifice that paid the wages of our
            sins, every one of them, something that thirty million billion
            trillion pieces of silver could never do.  Then He arose from
            death to guarantee all of this.       
    3. Jesus is our Savior!
        a) There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
        b) Betray Him?  Leave Him?
        c) No!  Love Him.  Worship Him.  Praise Him.  Serve Him. 
            And one day, at His right time, be with Him where there is
            fullness of joy forever.

LENT 2 March 15-17, 2015 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Genesis 12:1-8 OUR GOD OF GRACE…

LENT 2

March 15-17, 2015

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Genesis 12:1-8

OUR GOD OF GRACE…

1.     Calls the unworthy.

2.     Equips them to act in faith.

3.     Is publicly worshipped.

Genesis 12:1-8  (NIV 1984) “The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. ²"I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. ³I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." ⁴So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. ⁵He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there. ⁶Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. ⁷The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him. ⁸From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD.”

          It’s the age old question. Usually asked when you have to face something difficult or hard. “Why me?” Why do I have to do this? I wonder if Abraham asked himself that question when he went to talk to his wife Sarai. Why me? Can you imagine the conversation? “Hi, honey, I’m home.” “Yes, dear.” The LORD spoke to me!” How wonderful! What did He say?” “Uh, we’re moving.” “Really? Where to?” “Uh, I don’t know. He’ll show us when we get there.” Why me? Instead of asking that question for the difficult task of telling his wife they were moving to an unknown location, perhaps Abram asked that when the LORD chose to speak with him in the first place. Why me? Why is God choosing me? Grace is the answer. God is a God of grace. He loves those who don’t deserve it. And it’s good for us to see how He acts in the life of Abraham because it shows us how God continues to deal with His people. Let’s see what we can learn about this God of grace.

          First we see that He calls the undeserving. “The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.” If you have your Bible open you notice that God’s call to Abram happens very abruptly. Chapter 11 of Genesis records the tower of Babel incident and a genealogical listing. Then this. The Lord’s call to Abram to move. Why Abram? He’s just a guy like any other guy. In fact as you follow his history in Genesis you find that he sleeps with one of his servants, he shows lack of trust in God’s promises and he deceives the Egyptian Pharaoh. Why does he deserve to be called by God? He doesn’t. That’s just the point. God does not work that way. He calls the unworthy.

          How thankful we can be for that. “Why me?” is a question each one of us should ask, not with a whining or complaining spirit but with awe and wonderment. Why has God chosen us to know Him and believe in Him? Why do we get to believe in Jesus so that heaven is our home when so many in the world do not? Are we better, smarter, wiser? No. In fact just like Abram, we have more knowledge of God’s holy will than others and we still defy God, do our own thing. We more than others should know not to take sin lightly yet we do with our own pet sins of drunkenness, lying, manipulating. But we have a God of grace. He calls the unworthy.

          He equips them to act in faith. What God called Abram to do was not an easy task. Pack up and move to an unknown destination. Leave your comfort zone, what you know, your country, people, relatives. How would he find the strength to do that? God gave Him what he needed. “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." ⁴So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. ⁵He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.” Faith in God does not rest on thin air. There is substance to hold on to. The Lord’s command to Abram is actually not so much a command as a promise. “I will make you a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, I’ll make people want to help you and not hurt you, all people will be blessed by the Savior that will be your descendant.” Who wouldn’t want that? Yes, what the Lord asked Abram to do was tough. What God promised enabled him to do it.

          The same is true for you and me. Whatever God asks you to do He will give you what you need to do it. That’s worth repeating. Whatever God asks you to do, to go through, He will give you what you need to do it. The life of believer is not easy nor should we expect it to be. Throughout life the Lord calls us to act in faith and to journey to our own unknowns. Live the rest  of  your life without your spouse who I’ve now taken to heaven. How will that work? Find another job as I take this one from you. What now? The diagnosis is cancer. Now what? Big picture.  Future. Christians in America who want to stay faithful to all the teachings of Jesus which means calling sin sin. Any use of sexuality outside of marriage, heterosexual or homosexual is wrong, a sin. You see how things are going in our country. Those who practice those sins are applauded. Those who speak against are labeled racist. What does this mean? “Be faithful even to the point of death,” says Jesus. This could be hard. Whatever God asks you to do He will give you what you need to do it. And our acting in faith does not rest on thin air either. I will give you the crown of  life. I will never leave you nor forsake you. I will uphold you with my righteous right arm. I will work all things for the good. I will supply your needs. Out of grace, in His undeserved love God equips us to act in faith.

          That’s why He is publicly worshiped. It’s always been that way that those who recognize God’s grace worship Him. Look at Abram. “Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him. ⁸From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD.” Both times it happened. First when Abram was at Shechem he built an altar to the Lord. That’s the equivalent today of putting up a church. Even though the Canaanites were there. It was marking the turf for the LORD. Then near Bethel where he pitched his tents. Same thing. An altar is built. A “church” put up. Abram calls on the name of the LORD. “Hey people, I don’t know what you worship or if you do but make no mistake I worship the LORD, The Savior God.” Now you don’t need a church building to do that. But as you follow the history of God’s people, from Adam until today, from altars to the Tabernacle, to the Temple and synagogues to cathedrals and church buildings today, people who recognize the grace of God publicly worship Him.

          That’s why our weekly public worship of God is so important. It marks us as those who believe in the only God, the God of grace. We are blessed to have a church building. It is our gathering place to worship God. A full parking lot says something. So does an empty one. While folks might not equate it on Saturday or Monday there is an assumption on where you are going when you pull out of the driveway on Sunday morning. Every decline to an event that would prevent us from worshipping says something. Our God of grace is that important. Come and hear what He does. Praise Him for the way He deals with us.

          It’s all by grace. The life of Abraham shows us that. The rest of the pages of Scripture do the same. He calls the unworthy. Lent is a great time for that spiritual gut check. A time to remove any calluses on our consciences so that we call sin what it is and own up to how far we fall short of the glory of God. But then to realize that it is to God’s glory to treat us with grace. Undeserved love moved God to punish Jesus instead of us. Undeserved love held Jesus to the cross. Undeserved love called us and equips us. The God of grace gets our praise. Why me? Amen.

ASH WEDNESDAY March 5, 2014 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: John 13:1-17 “WHAT SHALL I DO WITH JESUS?” FOLLOW HIM!

ASH WEDNESDAY

March 5, 2014

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: John 13:1-17

“WHAT SHALL I DO WITH JESUS?”

FOLLOW HIM!

John 13:1-17 (NIV 1984) “It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. ² The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. ³ Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; ⁴ so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵ 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.

⁶ He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”⁷ Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” ⁸ “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”⁹ “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” ¹⁰ Jesus answered, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” ¹¹ For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. ¹² When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. ¹³ “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. ¹⁴ Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. ¹⁶ I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷ Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

          It has to be one of the all time most ironic questions. I’m talking about the question raised by Pontius Pilate as he addressed the mob who had gathered to demand the death of Jesus. If you recall, Pilate had tried to get out of the situation by offering them the choice of releasing the prisoner Barabbas or Jesus. The crowd chose Barabbas. That’s when Pilate said, “What shall I do then with Jesus?” As though he had any power. That question takes on new meaning for us Christians though as we review the Passion history of Jesus this Lenten season. What will we do in response to what He has done? Our first answer is to follow Him.

          As we follow Him we see Him serving.  “It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. ² The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. ³ Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; ⁴ so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵ 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.” We join Jesus in the Upper Room on Maundy Thursday, the night before He dies. Jesus takes the time to do those things He wants to do before He dies. He prays for His disciples and all believers. He gives the Church the ongoing blessing of the Lord’s Supper. And what else do we find on Jesus’ bucket list? He grabs a bucket/basin and washes feet. Why does He do that? It’s a lesson on serving. People who live in dusty climates and wear sandals get dirty feet. Jesus served one of the needs of the disciples by washing their feet for them. Not exactly a pleasant task in anyone’s eyes. But one that needed to be done. One that they would remember when they would see Jesus serve them the next day recalling His words, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” As we follow Jesus we see Him serving.

          As we follow Jesus then we’ll serve too. That was the point of the lesson. “When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. ¹³ “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. ¹⁴ Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. ¹⁶ I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.” There are some churches that practice ritual foot washing today. If you belonged to that church you would be expected in some service to wash each other’s feet. Now that might sound kind of yucky. But that’s a relatively easy thing to do. But it’s not what Jesus was teaching.  Jesus’ lesson here was on a way of life for His followers that puts needs of others above self. That’s not easy at all. Peter shows us that. “He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”⁷ Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” ⁸ “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” How easy it is to tell Jesus “NO!” That comes from sin and ignorance. How easy it is to make things all about me. “Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” As soon as Peter learned this was something good he wanted it all—for himself. Here’s the reason Christ-like service is so hard. We have sinful natures that don’t like God’s ways and are selfish. So we don’t always like God’s ways. We are selfish.

          Here’s how it played out for the disciples. They assemble in the Upper Room for the Passover meal. As they enter the room they notice there is no servant, but there is a basin and a pitcher of water. “I’m not doing. You do it. Not my job.” So Jesus did it. Service. A servant is not above His master. Now what are the basins and pitchers of water in your life? What are the needs you see and your sinful nature arrogantly says, “Not my job!” Kids? “Toilet’s dirty. “Mom! Someone’s paper drops on the floor. Pick it up or walk over it? Trash is overflowing. Snow is on the sidewalk. We can go on. Baby’s diaper smells. Someone with a walker having trouble with the door. A sad classmate who’s being left out. Not my job. But it can be your service as you follow Jesus.

          Follow Jesus and you will serve. We don’t just have a sinful nature. We have a Savior who served us by giving his life on the cross to free us from that sinful nature so that we will live our lives guided by love. Jesus’ love enables us to put other’s needs ahead of our own without fear. “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” The way that God built us to find true happiness is to be united with Him and be like Him in serving others. Forgiveness of sins unites us with God. Forgiveness won by Jesus. What shall I do with Jesus? Each one of us needs to answer Pilate’s question for ourselves. I know what I’m going to do. Follow Him. You too? Amen.