Sermon Tone Analysis

By Pastor Glenn Pease

After the Russo-Japanese War in which Japan gained a great victory on the sea, the commander of the Japanese fleet visited the United States.

William Jennings Bryan was the secretary of state, and it was his duty to toast the visiting commander.

Bryan was a staunch prohibitionist however, and never touched champagne, and so he had a problem.

He rose from his table at the formal dinner and held up a glass of water, and he said, "Admiral Togo has won a great victory on water, therefore I will toast him in water.

When Admiral Togo wins a victory on champagne, I will toast him in champagne."

Whether the Admiral was impressed or not, Bryan was able to gain a personal victory in that situation with water as his weapon.

Kagawa, the great Japanese Christian leader, tells of another victory with water.

A man was brought to the hospital with a rare Oriental disease that was rapidly taking his life.

The only remedy available was a chemical solution to relieve the suffering.

His body had to be completely submerged, and so with even his arms pinned beneath the water he had to spend seven solid years in a bathtub.

He had heard the Gospel, but had not responded.

He requested a New Testament, and by means of string it was hung on a level with his eyes.

He began to submerge his inner being in the water of life.

He found Christ in a bathtub, and that pathetic tomb became a temple.

Many came to hear the testimony of this man whose life was spared by water until he could drink of that water that gives life which never ends.

I suppose there are numerous stories of victory that have been won by water.

God certainly gained the victory over the Egyptians when the water of the red sea closed in on them.

It was by means of water that he cleanse the polluted world in the days of Noah.

Jesus saved a couple of great embarrassment at their wedding by turning water into wine.

Water has been the primary weapon by which fire fighters have gained their victories over the destructive flames.

Scientists tell us that if it was not for water valor in the air all around us we would be burned up by solar rays.

The victory of life over death is going on all the time, and water is the weapon of victory.

Doubtless, numerous volumes could be filled with the victories gained with water.

We are examining one that is the Niagara of them all.

The paradox is that the great victory that Jesus wins with water is done so quietly that we tend to miss it, like a quiet little stream which runs so noiselessly we fail to detect it.

This text seems so quiet for several reasons.

First of all it is quiet because Jesus has finished His public ministry.

He will never preach to the multitudes again.

He will no more walk among the crowds teaching and healing.

Jesus had only one more night to live, and He knows it.

He is eating His last supper with His disciples, and He knows they have so much to learn before He leaves, and so He has taken them apart.

This leads to the second reason why it seems so quiet.

The disciples are somewhat stunned by what Jesus is doing and saying.

The disciples ate many meals with Jesus, but never on like this.

They did not know it was the last supper, but Jesus did, and He speaks to them in these last chapters of John like He never spoke before.

There is depth and mystery here as no where else in Scripture.

A. W. Pink says, "We are now to enter upon what believers in each age have regarded as the most precious portion of this Gospel."

John R. W. Stott writes, "If Scripture may be liken to the temple, then these chapters are the enter sanctuary of the temple."

We are on holy ground when we enter chapter 13, but we must recognize it is a battle ground.

The very flames of hell are burning fiercely, but only Jesus is conscious of the danger, and the presence of powerful enemy forces.

Verse 2 tells us that Satan already had put it into the heart of Judas to betray him.

He was working hard on Peter also at this very point, and Luke tells us in 22:31-32 that Jesus said, "Simon, Simon, behold Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail."

In there blind innocence, none of the disciples could see that there Lord was soon going to face the forces of hell and darkness in a direct head on encounter.

They were so blind and self-centered that Luke tells us even after Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper, "A dispute arose among them, which of them was to be regarded as the greatest."

There attitudes were all wrong, and Jesus knew He had to convince them of what true greatness was before He left them.

The time was so short, and there minds and wills so stubborn.

What could He do?

John makes it clear in verse 3 that he could do anything.

Any weapon available to an all powerful Deity was His, for the Father had given all things into His hands.

Jesus could have blasted His disciples into submission.

By shear force Jesus could have made Judas forsake his evil scheme, and He could have compelled the others to apologize and respect each other.

He did not chose to do this, however.

But, rather, with the whole world in His hands, knowing that in a matter of hours He will be in the presence of His Father, as the Lord of glory, He pours water in a basin, and stoops to wash His disciples feet.

In so doing, He won a great victory with water, and demonstrated that love is the supreme weapon which conquers all.

Jesus had His choice of any weapons in the universe, and He chose water and a humble act of love.

What Jesus is teaching here, by this incomparable condescension is so precious and manifold in its implications that it is like a diamond with many surfaces sparkling, and each calling our eye to closer examination.

We want to glance at a few of these sparkling facets before we plunge deeper into the inner sanctuary.

Washing 24 dirty feet does not sound like the most exciting experience in the world, but the more we examine it, the more exciting it gets.

Jesus is revealing in this act that there is only one effective way to deal with sin.

Sin is like dirt.

Whoever heard of taking a hammer to your hands to get dirt off them.

Whoever considered using a file to rub their hands clean.

There are all kinds of violent and radical means by which you can try to blast and burn dirt to get rid of it, but all such battles are pure folly, when you can gain the victory easily with water.

There is no point in fighting dirt-just wash it away.

Pounding it will get you no where, but water will get you clean.

This is just one of the lessons that Jesus teaches us about dealing with sin.

You can't fight it with force and drive it out of your life.

This is a futile and frustrating battle because you always lose.

Sin needs to be cleansed and washed away by the water of forgiveness.

John says in his first Epistle that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and cleanse us form all unrighteousness.

Water is used as a symbol of the Word.

In Eph.

5:26 Paul is writing of Christ purifying His bride and says, "Having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word."

Jesus is dealing with very specific sins which Satan is using to bring the disciples to defeat.

The primary sin was that of pride.

They were all so worried about being great, but Jesus should them that true greatness was in performing loving service.

The way you overcome the great sin of pride is by gentle acts of service to others.

John emphasizes the full knowledge of Jesus at this point.

He knew His full dignity as the Son of God.

Knowing that, He did not demand that His disciples wash His feet.

He, as the King, took off His garments and washed the feet of the servants.

The King serves the servants, and by this act declares all human dignity, which prevents a man from performing a lowly act of love for another, is not dignity, but dirt.

It is sinful pride, and is clearly un-Christlike.

Jesus was heavenly minded, yet so down to earth.

He was conscious that He would soon return to the Father.

Imagine all the angels in heaven singing the King is coming even before the cross.

From heaven's perspective the return of Christ took place when He left the earth.

The mind of Christ was full of these glorious thoughts of His return to the Father.

It seems like going to the sublime to the ridiculous to have Jesus, with this hope, stooping to wash His disciples dirty feet.

But there is nothing ridiculous about giving all men the chance for greatness and dignity.

That is the victory Jesus won for us all with that basin of water.

The towel Jesus used should be our flag as Christians, for it represents the greatness we can all attain.

Jesus said the greatest among you is the servant of all.

If greatness depends upon magnetic personally, than most men can never be great.

If greatness can be achieved only by doing deeds which gain great publicity, and if one must be charming, witty, dashing, or rich to be great, then greatness is reserved for the few.

If, however, greatness before God can be achieved by acts of service, then no child of God is eliminated from the competition.

Has there ever been a believer so ungifted he could not wash another's feet?

The only talent God requires for any of His children to be great is the talent of the towel-that is, the talent to stoop and meet another's simple needs in lowly service.

In 1878 William Booth started the Salvation Army, and men came from all over the world to join it.