Sunday 232, March 27, 2005
TEACHING:
Foot Washing John 13Easter is a Christian holy day remembering the resurrection of Jesus three days after He was crucified. It was the first day of the week. That is Sunday on our calendar. Very early in the morning -- before sunrise. This fact separates believers who are Christian and believers in something else. The Apostle Paul makes it clear in Romans 10 that the confession of faith includes the resurrection.
Romans 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
And resurrection means the body comes to life. This is not a spiritual or mystical ghostly appearance. If it was, it would not have been called a resurrection. Lazarus came out of the tomb. The people saw him and had dinner with him. The Jews wanted to kill him again. Jesus came out of the tomb, too.
Peter saw the resurrected Christ. Judas did not. Both had their feet washed by the Son of God.
Psalms 69:6
May those who hope in you not be disgraced because of me, O Lord, the LORD Almighty;
may those who seek you not be put to shame because of me, O God of Israel
.
Before the resurrection, the crucifixion, the phony trial and the agony of Gethsemane, Jesus and his disciples were celebrating the Passover meal. Since the Exodus from Egypt, the Israelites had been celebrating the Passover when they remembered how the death angel killed the firstborn of Pharaoh and all of Egypt. But the Israelites were protected because they had put the blood of the Paschal lamb on the doorpost and lintels of their homes. "When I see the blood, I will pass over you."
During the Passover, the children were taught -- and all of Israel remembered -- the meaning of the Passover. "Why is this night different from all other nights?"
This tradition has been passed down since that time through Jewish tradition. It is an organized feast with lots of symbolism and there is no reason to think it has change much in the last 200 years. The organization of the Passover feast in the Seder -- there are about 15 distinct parts of the Seder. We have covered them before, but since we are not Jewish, we probably don’t remember too well.
Jesus told his disciples to go into the city to get ready for the Passover meal. Jesus was going to take them through the teaching of the Seder.
A Seder Outline
The Seder can perhaps best be described as a "talk-feast." The word "Seder" means order. The tradition understands the Passover table ritual as a fixed progression, 15 steps. The Pesach Seder is a talk-feast in four acts. Four is an all-important number in understanding the Haggadah.
Act I: The Beginning
The Prologue
: Formal preparations can include ridding the house of chametz, "kashering" the kitchen for Passover, setting the Passover table, and preparing the meal.Hadlakat ha-Nerot
(Lighting the Festival Candles): Before the seder begins, the Yom Tov (festival) candles are lit.Scene 1:
Kadeish (The First Cup of Wine): The festival Kiddush is chanted.Scene 2:
Ur'chatz (Wash Hands):Scene 3:
Karpas (Appetizer): A green vegetable is dipped in salt water, a reminder of the tears.Scene 4:
Yachatz (Break the middle Matzah): The matzah is introduced silently. We break the middle matzah in order to hide one portion as the afikomen, the "dessert" of our meal, a symbol of the redemption yet to come.Curtain:
Ha Lachma Anya (Invitation): We uncover the matzot, calling them the "bread of affliction," for as we are about to begin our story, our ancestors are enslaved in Egypt.Act II: Maggid (The Telling)
Act II is the heart of the seder experience. We tell the story of our Exodus from slavery to freedom in four ways, in four different tellings.
Scene 1:
The First Telling. The first telling begins with the famous Four Questions..Scene 2:
The Second Telling. The second telling begins with the question of the Four Children.Scene 3:
The Third Telling. The third telling offers the learner the core story of the Exodus as related in four verses in Deuteronomy.Scene 4:
The Fourth Telling. The fourth telling returns to concrete symbols with questions about the Pesach (paschal lamb), matzah, and maror, the central symbols on the seder table.Curtain:
Kos Sheini. (the second cup of wine) : Act II comes to a close with the sanctification of the second cup of wine.Act III: The Feast
The third act of the talk-feast is the feast itself.
Scene 1:
Prepare to eat· rochtza) (Washing) --we wash our hands
· Motzi/Matza (Motzi/Blessing of the Matzah)--we praise God,
· Maror--we eat the bitter herbs, symbol of our former slavery.
· Koreich--we bind the matzah and maror together,
Scene 2:
Schulchan Orech (Set the Table): The festive meal is eaten.Scene 3:
Tzafun (Dessert): We find or redeem that which is tzafun--hidden, the afikomen. It is our dessert, the last morsel of food eaten at the seder, a symbol of redemption.Scene 4:
Bareich (Blessing after the food): We praise God for providing us food, ...Curtain:
Kos Shli'shee (The third cup of wine): The meal concludes with the third cup of wine.Act IV: Redemption
We have told the story of the Exodus. We have eaten the symbolic foods and the festive meal. Now, we celebrate our redemption.
Scene 1:
Eliahu ha-Navi (Elijah the Prophet):Scene 2:
Hallel (Songs of Praise):Psalm 113-118
Scene 3:
Songs:Curtain:
Kos R'vi'i/Nirtzah (The fourth cup of wine/acceptance): The seder now draws to a conclusion, marked by the fourth cup of wine and a prayer that our seder be accepted and the promise of our redemption be fulfilled.This seder outline was adapted from The Art of Jewish Living: The Passover Seder by Dr. Ron Wolfson, published by the Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs and the University of Judaism, 1988.
During the Seder, there are two distinct times when hands are ceremonially washed. For one, at least, there is no reason to think hands are dirty. There is symbolism there. And someplace I read that just before the hands are ceremonially washed, the person touches their head or feet to make the hands unclean so they "need" to be washed.
Jesus used the Seder to teach His disciples. I suspect -- I do not know for sure -- that during one of these ceremonial washings, Jesus took the opportunity to teach His disciples the concept of servanthood in the church. He touched their feet making his hands dirty. Look at the scripture.
John 13:1-30
13:1 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.
18 "I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture: 'He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me.'
19 "I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He. 20 I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me."
21 After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, "I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me."
22 His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. 23 One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. 24 Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, "Ask him which one he means."
25 Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, "Lord, who is it?"
26 Jesus answered, "It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish." Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon. 27 As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.
"What you are about to do, do quickly," Jesus told him, 28 but no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. 29 Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the Feast, or to give something to the poor. 30 As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.
This is what gives me the hint when Jesus did the foot washing:
-- the evening meal was being served (verse 2)
-- it is the one I give this bread after I have dipped it (verse 26) Matzah and maror together
Judas was still there. He had not gone out. In other words, Judas had his feet washed by the Master and the conversation with Peter was aimed at Judas also..
PETER, JOHN, AND JUDAS HAD THEIR FEET WASHED BY JESUS.
Easter Sunday is usually the day of greatest attendance at church. We jokingly talk about CE Christians who attend on Christmas and Easter only. Then there are those who attend at baptism, confirmation, marriage, and burial. What is missing is the regular teaching of the apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher. This is found in church. Burt church won’t save you.
Judas was involved in the teaching of Jesus for 3 years. He was there when the blind were given sight. He was there when the paralyzed walked. He was there when the thousands were fed with a loaf of bread. He was there then all the people lined the streets with palms branches. He was even there when Jesus with the backdrop of juggling torches declared that He was and is the I AM. "Before Abraham was, I am." He was there and was involved. There is no reason to think that Judas did not go out when the twelve were sent out two-by-two. He did his share of miracles, too. And he had his feet washed by Jesus.
We know that Judas denied Jesus -- but so did Peter and all the others. Even John, the youngest one there denied Jesus. (The youngest always sits by the master at the seder and John asked Jesus who would betray Him.) All denied -- all betrayed Christ, but what is the difference? Peter became the leader of the church. Judas committed suicide. Both had their feet washed by Jesus. Both were actively involved in the Passover meal and this was at least the third Passover meal with Jesus, the Son of God, being the master of the seder.
Apparently footwashing doesn’t save a person -- and doesn’t make them humble.
Apparently even being a witness of the miraculous will not save a person.
Someone can go through all the ritual of Christianity or the Passover and still not be saved.
Someone can go through a life time of religious teaching and still not be saved.
And footwashing and even taking communion will not make one bold enough to be a Christian on their own power when adversity comes.
PETER SAW THE RESURRECTED CHRIST, JUDAS DID NOT
Even though just weeks before, Peter, Judas, John, Martha, Mary, and others had a feast with Jesus and Lazarus -- a former dead man -- there was a lack of understanding of the resurrection. Martha gave an early hint when she said she knew her brother would rise in the end. But that was sometime in the distant future. The apostles were in the same viewpoint apparently. Resurrection, even with Lazarus sitting in front of them, was something in the future.
At that party, Mary poured some perfume on the feet of Jesus. This got Judas bent out of shape. He was thinking on the immediate political scene and with this obvious power struggle that was going to happen. He wanted his cut even though the Sons of Thunder were trying to take over. But the fact of Lazarus in front sitting in front of him was missed.
He had already been in communication with Caiaphas. Motivation? Many have declared different things. We know for sure that Satan entered him after his feet were washed and Jesus handed him the bread dipped in the food symbols of slavery and bondage. When possessed by Satan, reason leaves. He betrayed Jesus for money. Then he throws the money back at Caiaphas. And goes out and hangs himself during the most sacred Jewish festival.
Peter took a sword to defend. Later that early morning, he denied Jesus three times. We know the story. He also went out and wept in despair, but he looked toward Jesus. To whom should we look?
From the scriptural account, the only one who believed that Jesus would actually rise from the dead in three days was Caiaphas. He is the one who arranged for the guards. Did he really think the disciples could fake a resurrection? Or did he recognize the importance of the Lazarus bodily resurrection? Why else would he want Lazarus dead?
Some denominations practice footwashing to try to teach the leadership and each other humility. We don’t. It may or may not result in a meaningful symbol. But still -- it does not save.
SALVATION IS IN THE RESURRECTION
The importance of Easter is the resurrection of Jesus. This is the basic confession of faith and the belief that must be in your heart. Quoting Paul again:
Romans 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
There is no footwashing or even baptism in that formula. What is in the formula is a heart-belief that the resurrection happened. Judas would not believe it and would not even give himself a chance just because of his commitment to Satan and money. Caiaphas probably had a head knowledge and the frustration of a living dead man, Lazarus. Martha had already expressed her thoughts. Mary poured out perfume. But at least they were there early in the morning. However, they were not there to see a resurrected Jesus. Peter and John were in hiding. I don’t know where Lazarus was.
Later in the day, Peter and John saw the resurrected Jesus. Judas did not.
Ritual and ceremony and even teaching did not save them. The resurrected Jesus did. That is what Easter is about – the resurrection of Jesus. Judas had been taught the resurrection. Peter and John had been taught the resurrection -- and believed.
Because Jesus lives right now, we too will live.
John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die . Do you believe this?"
Today, believe in your heart what Jesus taught.
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But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called
Today,
so that none of you may be hardened by
sin's deceitfulness.
Hebrews 3:13
NIV