Next Step Christian Church
Worship 6/6/26
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  • Forever
  • No Not One
  • Lay Me Down
  • Let It Be Jesus
  • Jesus takes one last night with his disciples to teach them explicitly how to be his disciples when he is physically gone. What will he focus on? What will he start with? Jesus starts by washing their feet. This is an explicit example of how to love, but also a model of discipler to disciple. It is not superiority, honor, respect, praise or appreciation we seek. It is feets. Service. Demeaning and Messy... but First in the Kingdom. 

    Logan’s Last Night

    This past Saturday night was his last “official” night living under the roof of his Father. (בֵּית אָב). Maybe, like me, there may be times or seasons where he stays with me again for short stints, I’ve had those… and home is where you are always welcome. But it will be different then, this is a major change, a new season of life.
    This was a little welcome to the house cookout we did at the new Discipleship House on Sunday evening.
    So, what should we do on Logan’s last night? Not all the crazy celebration I might want, because life is crazy and there’s a lot going on, and he’s packing up. But we made time for one of his favorite games, Monopoly… and we carefully conspired to make sure he won.
    Important discipleship lessons in there. He who ends with the most money wins.
    But more importantly, the whole family gathering to play what may or may not be their own favorite game… but it isn’t about us. It is serving and loving and celebrating Logan… and letting him win. ;)
    Before 2026 we were walking through the book of Matthew, watching the life and teaching of Jesus, taking it as a Masterclass on how to live the good life, how to be human. And, picking that back up, we have come to Jesus’ last night.
    Now, I would love to tell this story of Jesus’ last night through the eyes of Matthew, continuing our series through the book of Matthew.
    But Matthew has a very specific lens and his focus tells us TONS about Jesus’ teaching in Galilee, but the time in the upper room is really focused in on a few key events:

    Matthew’s Telling of Last Supper

    Jesus is anointed (Matt 26:6-13), as for burial.
    Judas gets 30 pieces of silver (Matt 26:14-16)
    Passover (Matt 26:17-29)
    Just a few verses about the setup
    A few verses about “one of you will betray me”
    A few verses instituting the Lord’s Supper “this is my body… this is my blood…”
    … And then off to the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane
    The focus is on the betrayal and the Lord’s Supper, and Mark and Luke do the same. That’s a good focus. That is the main event, the pivotal turn, leading straight to the Arrest, Judgment, Crucifixion, Tomb, Resurrection… and then Ascension of Jesus, Son of God, Amen and Hallelujah!!!

    John’s Passover

    Thank God for John, the beloved. This is where the four gospels are such a gift to us, by seeing the life and ministry of Jesus from these different angles, we get to so much great stuff.
    John gives us from John 13-17. That is 4 Chapters of Sweet Sweet Goodness.
    John was locked in. Paying SO much attention, and he captures the details. Where Matthew and Luke capture Jesus’ teaching of the crowds in Galilee, John captures the most of Jesus’ teaching in the upper room.
    If you had one last night with your disciples… what would you do? What would you tell them? What would you teach them?
    If you had one last night with your best friends, what would you do?
    If you had one last night on earth in this body, this lifetime, what would you do? What would you say?
    Did Jesus know this was the end? John is careful to set the stage with what he knew:

    Washing Feet

    John 13:1–3 ESV
    1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God,
    So, Jesus knows his hour has come. This is his last supper.
    There’s a Tim McGraw song. “Live Like You Were Dying”.
    "I went skydiving I went Rocky Mountain climbing I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named Fumanchu … "Someday I hope you get the chance To live like you were dying"
    Jesus knows he has one day to live this earthly life.
    He’ll have appearances after resurrection, he’ll show that he can eat, but it is going to be fundamentally different… and then 40 days later he will ascend to the Father.
    What will he do?
    Especially, what will he do first? How does one start a “last supper?” What you do first and what you do last would be most memorable.
    … and remember, we aren’t just watching to see what Jesus will do because that is interesting or fascinating. We are learning from our Master how to be and how to do. We want to echo him, walk in his footsteps. In all things, and in the way he disciples.
    So, knowing all these things, knowing he was “going back to God”, knowing their is a traitor in the room, what did Jesus do?
    John 13:4–5 ESV
    4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
    Behold our King.
    This is a necessary thing for folks walking dirt roads in sandals all day. Sometimes wives and children would do this for the head of household. If one could afford servants, that’s a servants job. You might do this for yourself as a necessary act of hygiene.
    And so far beneath the dignity due a Rabbi, much less their Rabbi. Far beneath the respect due their Master… and they are coming to recognize that Jesus is not just an exceptionally wise man and gifted Rabbi, not even just the long awaited Messiah as they expected him to be… He is God Himself in the flesh.
    Peter is rightly offended at the indignity, at the social reversal, and being Peter… he can’t keep his mouth shut. I don’t think he is the only one offended, just the first to say so:
    John 13:6–8 ESV
    6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.”
    There are layers here. Is Jesus talking about the “washing” to come, washing in his blood, salvation and forgiveness and all that? I think there is foreshadowing here, yes.
    But also, simply, in the moment, “Peter, will you let your social expectation rule the day? Will you let “respect” and “honor” and “dignity” be Master… or let Jesus be Master?”
    When Jesus serves you, let him. That’s a good principle. When Jesus goes to do something in your life… he is right. It is inherently right, appropriate, good, honorable, respectable, all the things.
    The King’s Dominion, literally the definition of KingDom, no matter how surprising or out of the ordinary it may seem. In this case, letting your Lord and King, your God… touch and wash your dirty toes. Weird. Hard. Ticklish maybe…
    But let’s always give Peter his due, once he gets it he is all in:
    John 13:9 ESV
    9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!”
    John 13:10–11 ESV
    10 Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
    Jesus is dropping hints about the coming betrayal. There will be more as the evening progresses.
    Note, they don’t know who he is talking about yet. It isn’t obvious. Which means Jesus washed all the disciples’ feets. Including Judas. That’s wild. That’s humbling, maybe even humiliating for both of them. Judas knows he has 30 silver pieces in his purse. Jesus knows what’s in his heart and what’s coming… and washes his feet anyway.
    Just as he knows Peter’s betrayal is coming. And perhaps that almost all of his disciples will fail and run away to one extent or another.
    John 13:12–17 ESV
    12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
    How much more explicit could Jesus be? I am the Teacher. I am Lord. I do this… so you do this. I wash your feet. You wash each other’s feet.
    And then, again, to underscore… “I have given you an example”… do just as I have done.
    You aren’t too good to do this, a servant is not greater… if you know that, blessed are you if you do them.
    Repeating, and underscoring, and making sure they know he is actually saying and modeling and commanding that they do this. Why?
    Because they won’t. Or, larger, we won’t.

    Disciples Wash Feet

    I don’t mean literally washing feet. This happens, now, in some churches as a beautiful ceremony, enacting the act of Jesus. We have done this at camp before, we have considered doing it here at church, that’s not crazy.
    But at this point in life, it is a distant metaphor rather than a menial necessity that we associate with lowly service.
    So I prefer this one:

    Disciples Clean Toilets

    I picked up this parenting lesson from Pastor Rod, every one of my kids their first “real job” has to be fast food. One, they will teach you to hustle, perhaps to cook, hopefully to treat people in service well for the rest of your life. But more than anything, I want them to learn this:
    To clean a toilet. Not your toilet, not your bathroom, clean a toilet that someone else has destroyed. Because you are not too good to clean a toilet. Roll up your sleeves and get to it.
    I’ve told this story before, but it was meaningful to me… and I mentioned to one of the kids the other day and they didn’t remember it. Which means I need to pick on Kelly again.
    She came over for Advisory Board back in the day. I’m a single dad at the time, 3 kids, she noticed that my bathroom was gross. You know what she did? Came out and gave me shade for having guests over with a dirty bathroom? Nope. She cleaned it. That is love. Humble and beautiful service.
    We have our camp meeting this evening and I know Mark Green has already volunteered to be in charge of cleaning the bathrooms. Same reason. Humble service.
    This is how we are to love each other. This is our explicit example, called out as something we are supposed to do. Not just washing feet, but finding the humblest practical necessities, especially the ones that seem or feel or are demeaning and humiliating and maybe gross. That is a moment you absolutely know you are loving like Jesus loved.

    Washing Disciple Feet

    And in particular, as we are commanded by Jesus to make disciples, and we are taking that seriously, discipling folks by name. I hope and pray you have some names. I expect that if you do not, you are praying that God is leading you to folks. Someone you can invite to follow you as you follow Jesus.
    Almost everything about the “disciple” relationship is going to elevate you and subordinate them. Almost all the words we use in this space do that.
    Leader and follower
    Mentor and Mentee
    Coach and coached
    Counselor and Counseled
    Teacher and Student
    Master and Apprentice
    And in everyone of those words, the first one gathers respect, honor, dignity, poise. There might be an outfit or uniform associated with it. There are literal accolades, and it is very easy to fall into a trap. It sounds like this:
    “You will give me the respect I deserve!”
    “You will honor the dignity of my position.”
    Or at least “You will be grateful and appreciative for what I am doing here!”
    Now, a teacher, a master, a coach, all those things are worthy of honor and respect. Jesus says “You call me Teacher and Master and that is right!”
    But the heart, his heart… and therefore our heart if we walk in his footsteps, is quite the opposite of seeking or protecting our dignity. It is intentionally finding ways to humbly serve, in ways that offend honor, dignity, respect and position.
    Jesus intentionally serves in a way that offends honor, dignity, respect and position.
    How do I know? Peter is offended. I expect all of the disciples were offended. But also, moved, and loved, and led.
    This is how Jesus begins his last night of discipleship. Not skydiving and Rocky Mountain climbing. Washing his disciples feet.
    So we are to go and do likewise. Find ways to humbly serve those you disciples. Those you lead. Those you have authority over. Those that culture or society might say you are “above”… crush that, find ways to intentionally reverse that nonsense.

    Practice "Offensive" Humility

    Wash the dishes. Clean the bathroom. Take out the trash. Scrub the floor. Flip the Script.
    Intentionally find ways to serve that place you below. That communicate lowliness, humility… and selfless and practical love.
    Here is an antidote to pride and arrogance.
    Here is a recipe for undeniable love.
    Here is a model for right discipleship.
    We end by beholding our King. Because it wasn’t just the washing of the feet. From beginning to end, Jesus did this for us. In incarnation:
    Philippians 2:6–7 ESV
    6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
    Jesus humbled himself from the beginning to serve us. To love us. To rescue us.
    He served every day of his life on earth, living out perfect humanity.
    He served every day of his ministry here on earth, teaching and loving and showing the Kingdom and the good life in it.
    He literally washed the feet of his disciples, even one who would betray him.
    He served, obedient even to lay his life down on a cross of execution.
    And He says, this is the way, do as I do, be as I am. In the way that we disciple, in the way that we walk, in the way that we love.

      • John 13:1–3NIV

      • John 13:4–5NIV

      • John 13:6–8NIV

      • John 13:9NIV

      • John 13:10–11NIV

      • John 13:12–17NIV

      • Philippians 2:6–7NIV

  • God Of Justice
Next Step Christian Church
pastordusty@nextstepchurch.org
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