John 13:12-17 - An example to follow

13:12-15

Jesus then asked them if they understood what He had done. They probably didn’t. and we aren’t told any of the answers they gave, if indeed they did give any answer. So Jesus explains the significance to them.

They called Him Teacher (or Rabbi) and Lord, and were right to do so. Yet Jesus had washed their feet, this most menial of tasks. In the world we so often people take positions of prominence, authority or power as an opportunity to receive praise, to get their own way, or to lord it over others. In the Kingdom authority works differently, we have authority to serve. So there are two aspects to this, and we need to appreciate both of them. On the one hand we need to appreciate the authority and respect that certain positions have. On the other hand, if we happen to be in one of those positions we must make it our goal to serve. We are to follow Jesus’ example.

13:16,17

Jesus is much more than an example, but He is certainly an example, the supreme example. If we want to know how the gospel works, how the Kingdom works, how Godly authority works then we need to look at Jesus. The church has a nasty habit of going to one extreme or the other. On the one hand some ignore the authority that Jesus has and the real effect He has on our lives, on the other we have “prosperity gospel” (which is actually no gospel at all) preachers talking complete rubbish. If we follow Jesus then we may end up going to a cross!

So we need to appreciate the authority we have in Jesus, and we need to appreciate how the authority works, how we are to be servants, servants of Christ, servants of each other, and servants to the world. If we do this we will be blessed if we do them. So we need to live servant lifestyles if we to experience the true blessings of the gospel. And a fundamental part of the blessing is seeing the increase in kingdom influence in the world.

Note that the word translated “messenger” is “apostolos”, ie apostle. The base meaning of apostle is one who is sent. The equivalent Hebrew word is “envoy” and according to rabbinic teaching the one who is sent is as the man himself, and anything done to the messenger is regarded as being done to the one who sent him.