Servant Status

We regularly follow the instructions Jesus gave us when we partake of the Lord’s supper and ordinance of humility. Today I’d like us to go back and experience just a little bit of that first day through the eyes of one of His disciples and get a feel for the atmosphere and thoughts going on during that first evening.

It was was Thursday, passover day. Lots of exciting and troubling things had happened that week. Jesus made His triumphal ride into Jerusalem. That royal entry, we thought, was the beginnings of our dream come true. We just new that this was the start of a new beginning. We saw in our imaginings the Roman armies driven from Jerusalem, our King placing himself on the throne and we would be an independent nation again. Those thoughts continued as we were amazed when He so effectively cleansed the temple of all the greed and avarice that had been so long a part of passover at the temple. Everything was happening as we had hoped and dreamed.

As we stood in the presence of the temple , Jesus passed on to us things that would happen in the future that made no sense to us. How this temple of ours would be torn down. This beautiful building destroyed, not one stone left upon another. He added to that instruction about the end of the world and the His second coming. Where was He going? He was setting up in His kingdom here,… now. Why should we thinks about such things as these. What did all this mean?

Passover day for us with the Master had always been a high day full of interesting discussions with new thoughts and ideas that had never occurred to us before. How we looked forward to those times. From the earliest times of our nation this was one of the most sacred times of the year. So when the first Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread came, Jesus stated what would happen next.

Luke 22:8–13 NKJV

And He sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat.” So they said to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare?” And He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house which he enters. Then you shall say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?” ’ Then he will show you a large, furnished upper room; there make ready.” So they went and found it just as He had said to them, and they prepared the Passover.

This was new. There must be something special Jesus had planned for us for this evening.

The evening came and we where all there. The couches were all arranged around Jesus, we all took our places. Peter was there as well as John and James. John was on the right and Judas on the left of Jesus. Andrew, Phillip and Bartholomew were present. Thaddaeus, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, Matthew, and of course me Thomas. Looking back, this was last occasion when all 12 us where together in 1 place at the same time. Strange how things work out isn’t it. How I look back with longing that we could all be like that together again with the Master. As I reflect back on our meetings together, I want to encourage each one of you to make the the most of your times together with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus will always be with you, but you may not always be together , never take these moments together for granted.

We knew that something was troubling the Master when He came in. He was responsive with like He always was, but there was a look of concern and sadness on his face. It was like a heavy weight was pushing on Him. We had no idea at the time what that might be. We tried to sympathize and lift His spirits but they would not be lifted. He told us with a touch of sadness, Luke 22:15-16

Luke 22:15–16 NKJV

Then He said to them, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”

There was a very uncomfortable silence at that point. You see just before we entered the room, we had had another discussion about who would be the greatest in Jesus’ new kingdom that he would be setting up now that he was going to crown Himself king. We were still upset over the request of James and John wanting to be on the right and the left of Jesus when he sat on His throne. We were indignant. It was all we could think about. Because of these thoughts going through our minds, none of us were going to perform the task that was our responsibility to do. The pitcher and the towel were there, but because of our pride none of us would consider stooping to do that job.

Jesus waited to see what would happen. No one moved, so He got up from the table, took off His robe, picked up the towel and adjusted his clothes. We were so surprised that all we could was watch as

John 13:5 NKJV

After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.

That action so opened our eyes. We were struck with shame and humiliation. To think that we had actually forced our Lord, by our inaction, to wash our feet. The love I saw in His eyes that day, I will never forget. Peter will never forget it either. Peter impetus to his very core, drew back in revulsion at the thought of the Lord washing his feet. Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” When he found he might loose his Lord because of it, his response was “Lord, not only my feet but my head and my hands as well!” It’s a wonder the Lord loved us at all. We troubled Him so by our actions or lack of them.

Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”

When he found he might loose his Lord because of it, his response was “Lord, not only my feet but my head and my hands as well!” It’s a wonder the Lord loved us at all. We troubled Him so by our actions or lack of them.

We began to prepare to eat as we mentally digested this latest happening. Jesus took up His cup, gave thanks and passed it around to us saying

Luke 22:17–18 NKJV

Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

He then took up the bread broke it and passed it around the same way stating

Luke 22:19 NKJV

And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

At this point, everyone was at a loss for words. What He had said hadn’t made sense to any of us. It didn’t tell after the rest of the events of that terrible weekend ran there course.

I could gone and tell you what happened with Judas and what happened in the garden on the Mt of Olives. Those things are for another time. But what the Lord did for us that evening and what I learned from the things He said and did will forever by burned my memory. The Lord was our master, savior, friend and companion. But what He wanted us to realize, was that to be apart of His kingdom we need to by servants to our fellow man. Humble enough to get down on our knees an wash another persons feet. Willing enough to do what ever it takes to show God’s unfathomable love to our fellow man. Because until we can do that, we will never have a part in His kingdom. We followed His example from that time. You today if you follow His example, you will always be assured of you own place in His kingdom.

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