Exodus 12:1-14; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32; St John 13:1-15, 34-35
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
"Here might I stay and sing. No story so divine. Never was love dear King, never was grief, like Thine.” Suppose you where there. Suppose you heard Him say the words. Suppose you stood there with the others, mourning the death of a brother, a friend. You saw the men roll away the stone with a look of puzzlement and uncertainty. He said something to Martha. Something about resurrection and life. He prayed aloud, everyone heard Him. He addressed God as He taught you to address Him, Father. Then He cried out in a voice as you only heard when He rebuked demons, the wind, or the sea. Now He rebukes death itself. Lazarus come out! And you couldn’t believe your eyes. The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound. Jesus released him from death; He commanded others to release the linen strips.
You stayed with Mary, Martha, and the newly resurrection Lazarus for a few days. You couldn’t take your eyes off the man. He was dead. Four days. But is fully alive. Eating and drinking with Jesus; conversing with his sisters. One of the sisters, Mary - she was always welcome at the Lord’s table with the disciples, the men - came and anointed Jesus’ feet with a pound of expensive ointment. And she wiped them with her hair! Maybe it was just her way of saying thank you, of showing her appreciation for Jesus having raised her brother from the dead.
But before you could ask, Judas the son of Simon complained that this was such a waste. The ointment could have been sold for a year’s salary and the money given to the poor. But Jesus said to not trouble her, for what she has done she did for the sake of His death and burial.
Whatever righteous indignation Judas was feeling, the crowds reaction was very different. Many came down from Jerusalem, looking for Him. The next day, when they heard He was coming up to Jerusalem, they went out to meet Him. Two of the disciples were sent to find a special donkey and her colt. Jesus rode into the Holy City to a massive uproar from the crowd of Jews come up for the Feast - children and adults, young and old shouting songs of Hosanna! Singing Psalm 118, the old Israelite song of national deliverance. This was a promising sign, you thought. Maybe Jesus would take His rightful place as the King of Israel. You never were in favor of the Zealots like Judas was, but maybe the rebellion is coming.
But then the Day of Unleavened Bread came and Jesus sent Peter and John to go find a house in which to celebrate the Passover together. It was a little strange, kind of like being sent to find the donkey. It was there, just as Jesus said. And it wasn’t that uncommon to celebrate the Passover with Jesus. For a while now He didn’t celebrate it with His family.
In fact, none of you did. Jesus and your fellow disciples had become a new family, of sorts. You had been through a lot together. Not just the past week, but the past three years. Ever since He called you away from your previous vocation. Matthew from the tax booth. Peter, James, John, Andrew, Philip from fishing. No one quit knew where Judas came from. And you. Called to leave behind your former life. Say goodbye to your father, kiss your mother. Peter had his wife back in Capernaum! For what? You’d been on the road so long now you didn’t know any different. Never sure where you'd sleep, where your next meal came from, afraid of robbers, crowds, Pharisees and their scribes, sometimes up all night because the whole village heard Jesus was in town. It wasn’t easy.
But somehow, someway with Jesus it all seemed to work out. He always provided. He always served. He never worried about food the way you did. He fed thousands. You saw it. You were there. He wasn’t afraid of storms. He walked on water and stilled them. Even when Lazarus had died and He wanted to go back to Jerusalem He wasn’t afraid. You agreed with Thomas - lets go that we may die with Him! But so far it seemed safe. At least celebrating the Passover was normal. Stable. Unchanging. Until it wasn’t.
Sometime during supper Jesus quietly got up from the table, took off His cloak, tied up His tunic, and rolled up His sleeves. He took a towel and tied it around His waist. Poured water into a bowl and began to wash all of your feet.
Do you remember thinking, “What is He doing?” “Is this an object lesson?” “Some kind of parable?” “Whatever it is its gross. Why is Jesus doing this miserably humiliating job? This is slave’s work!” You were astonished at Mary’s anointing of Jesus’ feet, now He’s washing yours! You must have been stunned, astounded. Offended?
Oh good, He’s at Peter now. Simon will say something. He usually does. Lord, do you wash my feet? There, that’ll stop Him. This is degrading. Jesus shouldn’t be doing this. He’s the greatest. But after Him, which one of us is next greatest? Maybe we can get an order going and figure out which one is the lowest. That guy should do the foot washing. Not Jesus. He’s King of kings, God of God, Light of Light. Jesus created the cosmos and all things hold together in Him. If anyone should be served, its Jesus.
Peter, what I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand. Hmm. Afterward. After what? Jesus is always so cryptic. Why couldn’t He have just said, “Peter, if you think washing feet is humiliating, just wait until tomorrow! If you think its horrible that I am here wrapped in a town, wait until tomorrow when I am striped and hung on the cross for all to see. If you think pouring water is too lowly for Me, wait until tomorrow when I pour out My blood. If you are troubled by the humility of My washing your feet, you will be appalled at My dying for your sins.” You didn’t know it then, but Jesus had an even greater humiliation coming. The humility of washing feet is only a prelude to the great humiliation of the cross.
But Peter said back to Him, You shall never wash my feet. Peter was always kind of absolutist. Jesus answered him, If I do not wash you, you have no share with Me. Okay! If that’s the case, then wash all our feet! Wash our heads and hands too! If you, Jesus, are going to serve us, then make sure it’s like this; if you’re going to take the role of the Servant, I’ll be the master. I’ll tell you what I need.
Sound familiar? Is this the content of your prayers? Is this desire of your heart? To get what you need from Jesus? This is wrong. Jesus is a servant. He is the Master who serves. He is the Master. He will determine what you need. Jesus serves not according to what you want, but gives and bestows upon you what He knows you truly need. He served you in His suffering and death. He served you in the shedding of His blood for your forgiveness. He continues to serve you and bring you forgiveness.
Maybe you weren’t there at the tomb to see Lazarus brought back from the dead; you didn't smell the fragrance of the blame Mary poured on Jesus’ feet. You weren’t there, palm branch in hand and Hosanna on your lips as Jesus rode into Jerusalem; the roar of the crowd, the bustle of the Holy City at Passover, the laughter of the children singing Psalms to Jesus. You weren’t there in the upper room, reclining at table when Jesus the Master took the servant’s role to wash the disgusting feet of the disciples.
You weren’t there, then, but you are here now. You can smell the wine that is His Blood, poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins. You can taste the bread that is His Body, given into death for your life. You hear His Word, spoken into your ear, which forgives all your sins and cleanses you from unrighteousness. This is how Jesus continues to serve you.
Like with Peter He has bathed you in His Holy Baptism, you are completely clean. But if He does not continue to wash you with, to cleanse you with His Blood and feed you with His Flesh, you shall have no part in Him. If He does not continue to teach you by His Word, you shall be consumed and destroyed by the angel of death on account of your unbelief.
Judge yourself truly, consider your station in life according to the Ten Commandments. Do not be like Simon Peter, questioning and resisting and demanding how the Lord serves with His means of His Gospel and grace. Rather, hear and heed the Word of Christ. Trust in Him to discipline and serve you in divine Love.
For here He sits at Table with you, serving you in love. He removed the unapproachable glory in which you would be consumed, and stoops down, putting on the humility of Man. He wraps Himself in bread and wine, His Body and Blood, in order to serve you. This is true worship. This is the fulfillment of the Passover and the fruit of His exodus. Here, at the Table of the Lord, is where and how you learn to love and serve your neighbor as a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ; because here is where and how He loves and serves you as His own, sustaining you with His Body and Life throughout your pilgrimage.
Afterward - that is, after His Cross and Passion - you now understand, though not by sight, but by faith. He has loved you to the end. And here is where the Glory of His Cross, His victory over sin and death and the power of His bodily resurrection are all give to you, and poured out for you, for the forgiveness of your sins.
Here the devil cannot have you or tyrannize you anymore; not while the Word of Christ rings in your ears, in your heart, in your body and your mind. Nor can your sin accuse you or harm you; not while you cling by faith to the forgiveness of the Gospel. And even death cannot touch you forever; not while you rest and remain in the Body and Blood of the Lamb.
It is the Lord’s Passover, and you are His Israel indeed, among His chosen disciples, whom He sets free from bondage and brings through the wilderness into the good Land that He has promised; that you may live with Him in His Kingdom and worship Him and serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness all your days, even to the close of the age, to the resurrection of your body and eternal life in Him.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
"Here might I stay and sing. No story so divine. Never was love dear King, never was grief, like Thine.” Suppose you where there. Suppose you heard Him say the words. Suppose you stood there with the others, mourning the death of a brother, a friend. You saw the men roll away the stone with a look of puzzlement and uncertainty. He said something to Martha. Something about resurrection and life. He prayed aloud, everyone heard Him. He addressed God as He taught you to address Him, Father. Then He cried out in a voice as you only heard when He rebuked demons, the wind, or the sea. Now He rebukes death itself. Lazarus come out! And you couldn’t believe your eyes. The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound. Jesus released him from death; He commanded others to release the linen strips.
You stayed with Mary, Martha, and the newly resurrection Lazarus for a few days. You couldn’t take your eyes off the man. He was dead. Four days. But is fully alive. Eating and drinking with Jesus; conversing with his sisters. One of the sisters, Mary - she was always welcome at the Lord’s table with the disciples, the men - came and anointed Jesus’ feet with a pound of expensive ointment. And she wiped them with her hair! Maybe it was just her way of saying thank you, of showing her appreciation for Jesus having raised her brother from the dead.
But before you could ask, Judas the son of Simon complained that this was such a waste. The ointment could have been sold for a year’s salary and the money given to the poor. But Jesus said to not trouble her, for what she has done she did for the sake of His death and burial.
Whatever righteous indignation Judas was feeling, the crowds reaction was very different. Many came down from Jerusalem, looking for Him. The next day, when they heard He was coming up to Jerusalem, they went out to meet Him. Two of the disciples were sent to find a special donkey and her colt. Jesus rode into the Holy City to a massive uproar from the crowd of Jews come up for the Feast - children and adults, young and old shouting songs of Hosanna! Singing Psalm 118, the old Israelite song of national deliverance. This was a promising sign, you thought. Maybe Jesus would take His rightful place as the King of Israel. You never were in favor of the Zealots like Judas was, but maybe the rebellion is coming.
But then the Day of Unleavened Bread came and Jesus sent Peter and John to go find a house in which to celebrate the Passover together. It was a little strange, kind of like being sent to find the donkey. It was there, just as Jesus said. And it wasn’t that uncommon to celebrate the Passover with Jesus. For a while now He didn’t celebrate it with His family.
In fact, none of you did. Jesus and your fellow disciples had become a new family, of sorts. You had been through a lot together. Not just the past week, but the past three years. Ever since He called you away from your previous vocation. Matthew from the tax booth. Peter, James, John, Andrew, Philip from fishing. No one quit knew where Judas came from. And you. Called to leave behind your former life. Say goodbye to your father, kiss your mother. Peter had his wife back in Capernaum! For what? You’d been on the road so long now you didn’t know any different. Never sure where you'd sleep, where your next meal came from, afraid of robbers, crowds, Pharisees and their scribes, sometimes up all night because the whole village heard Jesus was in town. It wasn’t easy.
But somehow, someway with Jesus it all seemed to work out. He always provided. He always served. He never worried about food the way you did. He fed thousands. You saw it. You were there. He wasn’t afraid of storms. He walked on water and stilled them. Even when Lazarus had died and He wanted to go back to Jerusalem He wasn’t afraid. You agreed with Thomas - lets go that we may die with Him! But so far it seemed safe. At least celebrating the Passover was normal. Stable. Unchanging. Until it wasn’t.
Sometime during supper Jesus quietly got up from the table, took off His cloak, tied up His tunic, and rolled up His sleeves. He took a towel and tied it around His waist. Poured water into a bowl and began to wash all of your feet.
Do you remember thinking, “What is He doing?” “Is this an object lesson?” “Some kind of parable?” “Whatever it is its gross. Why is Jesus doing this miserably humiliating job? This is slave’s work!” You were astonished at Mary’s anointing of Jesus’ feet, now He’s washing yours! You must have been stunned, astounded. Offended?
Oh good, He’s at Peter now. Simon will say something. He usually does. Lord, do you wash my feet? There, that’ll stop Him. This is degrading. Jesus shouldn’t be doing this. He’s the greatest. But after Him, which one of us is next greatest? Maybe we can get an order going and figure out which one is the lowest. That guy should do the foot washing. Not Jesus. He’s King of kings, God of God, Light of Light. Jesus created the cosmos and all things hold together in Him. If anyone should be served, its Jesus.
Peter, what I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand. Hmm. Afterward. After what? Jesus is always so cryptic. Why couldn’t He have just said, “Peter, if you think washing feet is humiliating, just wait until tomorrow! If you think its horrible that I am here wrapped in a town, wait until tomorrow when I am striped and hung on the cross for all to see. If you think pouring water is too lowly for Me, wait until tomorrow when I pour out My blood. If you are troubled by the humility of My washing your feet, you will be appalled at My dying for your sins.” You didn’t know it then, but Jesus had an even greater humiliation coming. The humility of washing feet is only a prelude to the great humiliation of the cross.
But Peter said back to Him, You shall never wash my feet. Peter was always kind of absolutist. Jesus answered him, If I do not wash you, you have no share with Me. Okay! If that’s the case, then wash all our feet! Wash our heads and hands too! If you, Jesus, are going to serve us, then make sure it’s like this; if you’re going to take the role of the Servant, I’ll be the master. I’ll tell you what I need.
Sound familiar? Is this the content of your prayers? Is this desire of your heart? To get what you need from Jesus? This is wrong. Jesus is a servant. He is the Master who serves. He is the Master. He will determine what you need. Jesus serves not according to what you want, but gives and bestows upon you what He knows you truly need. He served you in His suffering and death. He served you in the shedding of His blood for your forgiveness. He continues to serve you and bring you forgiveness.
Maybe you weren’t there at the tomb to see Lazarus brought back from the dead; you didn't smell the fragrance of the blame Mary poured on Jesus’ feet. You weren’t there, palm branch in hand and Hosanna on your lips as Jesus rode into Jerusalem; the roar of the crowd, the bustle of the Holy City at Passover, the laughter of the children singing Psalms to Jesus. You weren’t there in the upper room, reclining at table when Jesus the Master took the servant’s role to wash the disgusting feet of the disciples.
You weren’t there, then, but you are here now. You can smell the wine that is His Blood, poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins. You can taste the bread that is His Body, given into death for your life. You hear His Word, spoken into your ear, which forgives all your sins and cleanses you from unrighteousness. This is how Jesus continues to serve you.
Like with Peter He has bathed you in His Holy Baptism, you are completely clean. But if He does not continue to wash you with, to cleanse you with His Blood and feed you with His Flesh, you shall have no part in Him. If He does not continue to teach you by His Word, you shall be consumed and destroyed by the angel of death on account of your unbelief.
Judge yourself truly, consider your station in life according to the Ten Commandments. Do not be like Simon Peter, questioning and resisting and demanding how the Lord serves with His means of His Gospel and grace. Rather, hear and heed the Word of Christ. Trust in Him to discipline and serve you in divine Love.
For here He sits at Table with you, serving you in love. He removed the unapproachable glory in which you would be consumed, and stoops down, putting on the humility of Man. He wraps Himself in bread and wine, His Body and Blood, in order to serve you. This is true worship. This is the fulfillment of the Passover and the fruit of His exodus. Here, at the Table of the Lord, is where and how you learn to love and serve your neighbor as a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ; because here is where and how He loves and serves you as His own, sustaining you with His Body and Life throughout your pilgrimage.
Afterward - that is, after His Cross and Passion - you now understand, though not by sight, but by faith. He has loved you to the end. And here is where the Glory of His Cross, His victory over sin and death and the power of His bodily resurrection are all give to you, and poured out for you, for the forgiveness of your sins.
Here the devil cannot have you or tyrannize you anymore; not while the Word of Christ rings in your ears, in your heart, in your body and your mind. Nor can your sin accuse you or harm you; not while you cling by faith to the forgiveness of the Gospel. And even death cannot touch you forever; not while you rest and remain in the Body and Blood of the Lamb.
It is the Lord’s Passover, and you are His Israel indeed, among His chosen disciples, whom He sets free from bondage and brings through the wilderness into the good Land that He has promised; that you may live with Him in His Kingdom and worship Him and serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness all your days, even to the close of the age, to the resurrection of your body and eternal life in Him.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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