John 13:1-3
Why Church?
John 13:1 Now before the feast of the passover,
when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he
should depart out of this world unto the Father,
having loved his own which were in the world, he
loved them unto the end.
2 And supper being ended, the devil having now
put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s
son, to betray him;
3 Jesus knowing…
Jesus gathered His disciples for a last supper before the
crucifixion.
Question: Why did Jesus need a special fellowship with His disciples?
He had been with them nearly all the time. These men had just
completed what I am thinking was a very long journey together. From
the farthest point away, Tyre and Sidon, they came down to, around
about, and through the Sea of Galilee area. Then they seemed to move
north to Caesarea Philippi before moving further south into Samaria.
Then east, back over the River Jordan to eventually end up in
Jerusalem. A straight line from Tyre to Jerusalem would equal a
distance of 100 miles; but the way their journey appears to have
gone, it would have been many, many more miles than that. All of it
seemed to be on foot
You would think by the end of that much time together, each would be
ready for a break from the other’s company. Instead, they dined
together that night and went on to stay together until Jesus’
arrest, either in the late hours of the night or the early hours of
the next morning. More than 5 of John’s twenty-one chapters (25%)
record Jesus’ time with the disciples that evening.
What was Jesus’ purpose in having that supper with His disciples?
There were probably several reasons, but I suspect one is that Jesus
KNEW. Knew what? Knew everything. Jesus knew what was going to happen
to Him. He knew what was going to happen to them. And He knew that
the disciples still needed somethings. I believe Jesus wanted to
spend the last hours of His earthly life giving the things He knew
the disciples would need to them. These are, I believe, the same
things we need this evening from church, from revival meetings, for
devotions, and from the Bible.
What did the disciples need?
I. The disciples needed feeding.
John 13:2 And supper being ended….
A. The New Testament sums up the meal Jesus and the disciples
ate with those four words.
1. The meal that they ate together was the Passover.
2. I personally do not think it was the official Passover
meal, but a meal in honor of the Passover with friends.
3. If the meal was the official Passover, we know what they
ate:
a. The meat for the Passover lamb, which was an
unblemished and beloved lamb. It represented the
Savior.
b. The sides would be bitter herbs. The herbs
represented the bitterness the Jews had endured by
their Egyptian oppressors during their Egyptian
captivity.
c. Jesus took a loaf of bread and break it so they had
bread to eat.
d. Jesus took juice of the vine to drink so they had
something to drink.
4. This was probably an early Passover meal, probably done by
many who wanted to remember this holy event with their
second tier of family and friends.
a. The official Passover meal was commanded to be
celebrated by each individual household, unless the
family was too small then two households could eat
together.
b. I suspect that meal was less formal, less ritualistic.
(1) For example, \\#4\\ "He (Jesus) riseth from
supper…"
(2) Most believe the actual Passover was eaten with
the family standing because of God’s
instruction.
Ex 12:11 And thus shall ye eat it; with your
loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your
staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste:
it is the LORD’S passover.
5. Why would they have a meal like this?
a. The same reason we have so many different
Thanksgiving and Christmas meals.
b. We get hungry, and we like to celebrate such
occasions with friends and family.
B. Why do we have church, revivals, Bible studies, and devotions?
1. Just like the disciples needed their hungry appetites fed,
so do we.
a. Our souls should be hungry for the preached Word of
God.
b. Our souls should be hungry to see God high and lifted
up
c. Our souls should be hungry to hear from God.
d. Our souls should be hungry to fellowship with other
believers.
2. Unfortunately, I am not like Jesus. I don’t know what is
going to happen to you this week or even tonight.
a. So all I can do is fix smorgasbord and brown bag it.
b. But I do know whatever you are facing and whatever you
are going to face, the Word of God has the answers;
and we’d better load up cause we need to be fed.
II. The disciples needed cleansing.
John 13:4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside
his garments; and took a towel, and girded
himself.
5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and
began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe
them with the towel wherewith he was girded.
A. Why did Jesus take a basin and towel and start washing the
disciples feet?
1. Because their feet were dirty and needed to be cleaned.
2. The style of eating for these people was sitting at a low
table with no chairs, perhaps with their feet crossed in
front of them but perhaps also with their feet pushed up
against one another.
3. Regardless, when you are sitting on the ground, barefooted
after wearing sandals on dusty, dirt roads, it made sense
to clean your feet before sitting to eat.
4. However, the pride of the disciples had kept each of them
from washing the others’ feet before the meal.
5. So once the meal was finished, Jesus rose to do the task;
and in so doing, He taught the disciples and us several
lessons.
a. \\#6\\ One lesson was taught when Peter objected to
Jesus washing his feet.
b. \\#8-10\\ Although Peter first object, before Jesus
was finished, Peter was asking for a whole bath.
c. Jesus answered Peter:
John 13:10 Jesus saith to him, He that is washed
needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean
every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.
B. We, like Peter, have been walking in a dirty world.
1. There is soot and slime everywhere in this world, and that
the cleanest dirt you can find.
2. You can’t walk in a dirty world without getting dirt on
you.
3. Some are better at walking through dirty places than
others.
a. I am the worst.
b. I come inside and Kathy asks, "What did you get that
grease on your pants?" I answer, "I don’t know. I
drove Helena today on the back roads and came within
5 miles of Leroy’s garage. I must have gotten it on
me then.
c. Whereas Leroy can work all day in the shop, wash his
hands, and drive to church in his work cloths and
look like he stepped out of the dry cleaners.
C. In is a dirty world, we like the disciples need to a regular
cleansing.
1. I am not certain we appreciate how essential this is in
our daily lives.
a. This world gets on and in us without us realizing it!
1John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the
things that are in the world. If any man love
the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
b. Let’s take the first two times "love" is used in this
verse and replace it without something less
dramatic, like "preoccupied with."
2. I also notice that that the basin, water, and towel was
in the room the whole time, but it did not clean the
disciples’ feet until Jesus went and got it.
a. You are in the right place to get the world’s dirt off
your feet but that doesn’t mean you will.
b. We just had revival meetings but that does not mean
you are right with Christ.
(1) The place to get right is on the altar not in the
pew.
(2) The position is on your face not on your bottom.
(3) The activity is repenting and listening.
(4) The one to be talking to is God not a friend.
D. We need church tonight because we need to be cleansed.
III. The disciples needed prayer.
A. All of John 17 is a prayer, and look who Jesus prayed for.
John 17:6 I have manifested thy name unto the
men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine
they were, and thou gavest them me; and they
have kept thy word.
9 I pray for them….
B. Why did Jesus gather the disciples?
1. Because they needed prayer.
a. Although they did not know it, they needed to be
prayed for.
(1) The disciples did not know it, but they needed
Jesus to pray for them.
(2) These men had no idea what was in store for them
before the night was over, but neither do we!
(3) Jesus was praying for these eleven men and those
that would come behind them that they would be
faithful and stick with it to the end!
(4) Why are we gathered here? Because we need
someone to pray for us like that!
(a) I think we got a little glimpse of the altar
this week. (young adults came down to pray
for each other, Cross family came to be
prayed for, Melany Hickey came to pray for
herself then we prayed for her, Brother
Mike and Brighton asked for prayer)
(b) Several nights, people chose to come—mostly
on their own—to pray for one another.
(c) Some of the sweetest times of fellowship
with God was during those times when we
were praying for each other!
b. Although they did not do it, they needed to pray.
(1) And even if there is no one to pray for us, we
need to pray.
(2) As I have said so many times before, half of
praying is listening to God for a reply.
(3) I don’t know that the disciples did much praying
that night.
(4) Jesus attempted to get them to pray, but they
kept falling asleep.
2. We need to be prayed for, and we need to pray.
a. I heard one fellow challenge another to pray once.
He said if you don’t pray for anyone else, pray for
me. We need the prayers, and we need the practice.
b. Our praying changes our circumstances.
c. Our praying changes us.
IV. The disciples needed preparation.
Luke 22:33 And he said unto him, Lord, I am
ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to
death.
34 And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock
shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt
thrice deny that thou knowest me.
35 And he said unto them, When I sent you
without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye
any thing? And they said, Nothing.
36 Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath
a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip:
and he that hath no sword, let him sell his
garment, and buy one.
37 For I say unto you, that this that is written
must yet be accomplished in me, And he was
reckoned among the transgressors: for the things
concerning me have an end.
A. The disciples needed to be prepared, and Jesus gathered them
together to spend one last night doing so.
1. The disciples thought they were ready from the first day.
2. This was the last day (to have Jesus with them), and they
still weren’t ready.
a. Jesus was talking about faith, and they were talking
about feelings.
b. Jesus was talking about crosses, and they are talking
about crowns.
c. Jesus was talking about sacrifice, and they are
talking about swords.
d. Jesus was talking about giving, and they were talking
about getting.
3. These men weren’t ready. They needed preparing!
B. I have new for you.
1. I am not prepared either.
a. I am not prepared to the pastor of the Green Pond
Baptist Church.
b. I am not prepared to the father of six grown children
or 19 grandchildren.
c. I am not prepared for what is happening to this world
or what is going to happen in the days ahead.
d. I am not super-spiritual!
(1) I am not afraid.
(2) I am not quitting.
(3) I am not doubting God.
e. But I am not prepared.
2. That is why I keep coming back to church, to the Bible,
to revival meeting, and Christ Himself. I don’t know
what is going to happen or what I am going to do about
it, but I know this is one of the place where I can be
prepared!
C. There are crowns coming but before most of us get them we will
have to learn to bear the cross!
1. Are we ready?
2. Probably not.
a. To be honest, none of us ever will be until we get
better acquainted with "walking by faith."
b. Walking by faith focus on one-step-at-a-time.
c. That means do what God is telling me to do at this
very moment, and God take care of every other step,
both the ones we have already taken and the ones
remaining in our future.
3. But things like that are why we have gathered here!
4. We are here to get ready.
Let me close by saying the first step is salvation. The second step
is surrender.
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