AN
EXAMPLE FOR YOU: Devotion for Maundy Thursday March
24, 2016
Text:
John 13:1 – 17 Memory verse: v 15
Feet were usually washed before the
meal. But Jesus waited until during the supper (13:2) to make the act stand out
as noteworthy. Jesus knew that He could take a servant’s role without losing
anything (13:3). The purpose of this action was to fix in their minds the
nature of true greatness. This could be traced to the event in Lk. 22:24–30
when the disciples were in dispute over who was going to be the greatest in the
kingdom. Jesus had taught them that greatness in the kingdom comes through
serving others (Matt 20:26-27), but they had not learned the lesson. Thus, He
gave them this unforgettable illustration. According to Brunner, “When a man
turns to God desiring to serve Him, God directs his attention to the world and
its need.” Have you realised this truth?
At first Peter rejected Jesus’ foot
washing (13:6-11), which pointed toward Jesus’ cleansing work on the cross. But
when Peter saw that this foot washing was symbolic of cleansing from sin, he requested
to be washed from head to foot. He misunderstood Jesus the Messiah’s servant
role and therefore his own role as disciple. In 13:10 Jesus came back to the
literal point. The spiritual point had already been understood. They were
already clean. Jesus was also showing His
disciples what it meant to serve; what it meant to be great in the kingdom of
God. His challenge in 13:15 is for us today. Are you serving God in others?
Food
for Thought:
“When a man turns to God desiring to serve Him, God directs his attention to
the world and its need” – Brunner.
Prayer: God teach me humility and service for humanity in Jesus name.
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