God Made the First Move

Maundy Thursday, 4/2/26

Ven. John Motis, Archdeacon

Scripture lessons like the ones we just heard are the stories of Our God reaching down into the lives of His chosen people. His Grace, and Blessing to a people who truly didn’t understand the gift that they were receiving. A people that had done nothing to deserve this grace. God didn’t wait for a change of heart from His people; He made the first move.

Come let us imagine that night with Jesus and the disciples as they enter the upper room for their Passover meal. Jesus had sent the disciples ahead to make the preparations. They assumed it would be like the other Passover meals that they had shared with Him in the past. Little did they know, this Passover meal would be different, much different. It would be the last meal with Jesus before He went to the cross. 

The disciples begin arriving ahead of Jesus. I expect there were discussions about where everyone would sit. Who would get the seats of honor. Perhaps even some pushing and shoving. After all, they had been speculating “who was the greatest among them.” James and John had asked Jesus to “Grant us to sit one on your right and one on your left, in your glory.” Certainly, making the other 10 angry. None even remotely aware of what was unfolding around them. No idea what was going to happen over the next couple of hours. Do you suppose that they somehow felt special because they were the ones who would share the Passover with Jesus. Did they remember that Jesus reached out to them in the first place? They were the ones chosen by Jesus; they were the ones He chose to spend His very limited time with. They were the ones that Jesus poured His life lessons into. They were the ones that He would count on to carry His life giving, lifesaving message to the whole world. They had witnessed crowds of people trying to just get near Him., however, He had chosen them.

Since they were all so special, which of them would do the lowly, servant task of washing feet. Did they think, “who forgot to get the servant?” Or, did they think, “If I wait, someone else will do it?” Or do you suppose they thought, “I don’t do that. That’s beneath me.”  One of my pet peeves is the statement, “it’s not my job” or “I don’t get paid to do this” or my all time favorite, “if you want me to do more, you need to pay me more.”

Perhaps, I will give them the benefit of the doubt, with all the scrambling going on to get the chosen seats, it never occurred to them that their feet were dirty. If they had, one of the other disciples just might get ahead of them to the chosen places at the table.

This is the scene that Jesus walked into that night when He entered the upper room, His heart was full of selfless love. Do you suppose that this scene surprised Him? The disciples had clomped into the room with soiled feet and self-serving attitudes. Walking right past the bucket of water. I expect they had remembered the custom of leaving their sandals near the door. Since they were most likely scattered right in front of the door like at my house; Jesus probably had to step over them. 

Customarily, the first guests to arrive washed the feet of the other guests as they arrived if no servant was present. Each man, however, considered himself too important for this lowly task.

These are the same men that Jesus had spent 24 hours a day 7 days a week with, these are the same men that He would trust His church to. While watching the disciples this way, I wonder what His thoughts might have been? Was He thinking about what lie ahead for Him this night. Was He thinking that in a few short hours He would Drink the Cup of God’s Wrath? To endure the punishment meant for all of us.  Jesus was focused on an object lesson that they would need to experience. Jesus would give them a first hand experience of how grace is lived out.

We know that His betrayer, Judas was among them. As astonishing has it may seem to us, Judas had a place of honor at the table that night, right next to Jesus. We might think that Judas had that place because of self-importance. However, since nothing happened that evening by accident, I believe Jesus gave him that place as an expression of love. Imagine that Jesus knew that Judas was His betrayer and He chose to love him anyway.

The disciples had seen many strange things; miracles, healings, the raising of Lazarus, even a man walking on water. Many “great things”. But nothing prepared them for this- Jesus kneeling down like a lowly servant, holding a bowl and towel.

Clearly the disciples had not taken His previous teaching to heart. He said, “I am humble.” The word humble means to bow low, to stoop and to serve. Jesus is the 2nd member of the Trinity, and He chose to bow low with the attitude of gentleness. Our God the creator of the universe stooped down and changed everything.

Humbleness, the beautiful quality that characterizes our Savior, the true Servant. Full of Grace and Truth.

Here we are, in Jesus’ final hours, His humility and grace took center stage.

Without saying a word, “Jesus, got up from the table, took off His outer robe, and tied a towel around Himself. Then He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around Him.” Did you notice that Jesus got up without saying a word? Jesus didn’t call attention to His actions. Jesus didn’t shame His disciples. This object lesson didn’t need words.

Jesus was emphasizing that the ways of God’s kingdom, the kingdom that He came to advance, were not the ways of the world. Most Rabbi’s taught using words and actions, Jesus demonstrated this truth by washing His disciples’ feet. This object lesson applied then and it applies today. Serving without calling attention to oneself.  

We live in a self-centered world that constantly tells us that when you are the boss: “You deserve better,” “You should be treated better,” “You should have more comfort, more recognition, more ease,” The servants or employees are there to serve you. Jesus seems to confirm it with His statement, “Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master.” So, is then the expectation that following Jesus should make life easier, smoother and more successful. Our world says, being master means having authority, control, and being served. Then Jesus flips the who thing by serving His disciples. Then he said, “If you follow Me your life will look like Mine.” That changes everything. The Master becomes the servant. This is not symbolic politeness; it is a redefinition of greatness.

The Key Truth: If the Master serves the servant, the servant cannot demand status. This is a role reversal, status is no longer something to be claimed, demanded, or defended. Instead, it is expressed through humility, service, and love of others. The act of serving does not diminish dignity; rather it elevates it.

When the Master serves, it removes the foundation for entitlement. No servant can demand status, because true greatness is no longer measured by position, but by the willingness to serve.

So, if you say, “What if I am the master?” Jesus’ answer is essentially: Then you are the one who goes to the lowest. In today’s world system, the Master rises above everyone else. In Jesus’ kingdom: The Master goes lower than everyone else. You cannot separate the life of Christ from the path of Christ.

Think about the shock in that room: Peter is confused, the disciples are silent, no one can believe what they’re seeing. Because in their minds Masters are served. Jesus flips the script: The Master serves. Jesus doesn’t deny authority. He doesn’t say there is no master. He says, “You call me Lord. And you are right.” So, authority is real. Leadership is real. Influence is real. But here’s the transformation:
Authority is not for control; it is for care.

Leadership is not for power; it is for people.

Being “over” others means you are responsible for them.

Wherever God has placed you: In your business, In your family, In your church, In your team. You are setting the culture. The question is not, “Do I have influence?” The question is what am I doing with it?

A world master says, “How can I get more out of people? How can I get people to do what I want? How can I become successful?” A Christ like leader asks: “How can I pour more into people?” People may follow authority, but they will be transformed by service. A fire chief who is willing to roll hose after a fire will have more respect from his firefighters than a chief who has every degree and certification.

Serving when it’s unseen, loving when it’s costly, obeying when it’s hard, enduring when it’s unfair.

The words of a poem that I have used before by Ruth Calkins describes the heart and humility that Jesus is calling us to:

I wonder; You know Lord, how I serve you with great emotional fervor, in the limelight. You know how eagerly I am to speak for you at a women’s club. You know how I shine when I promote a fellowship group. You know my genuine enthusiasm at a Bible study (my hand always raised). But how would I react, I wonder, if you pointed to a basin of water and asked me to wash the calloused feet of a bent and wrinkled old woman, day after day, month after month, in a room where nobody saw and nobody knew. (pause)

Jesus’ calls us to imitate Him. We know that we cannot imitate what we don’t know. A parrot doesn’t learn to swear on his own. He imitates his owner’s example. Children repeat what they hear and see at home. To imitate implies that there is an original to go by. Jesus is the original. “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord-and you are right, for that is what I am. So, if I your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet; you ought to wash each other’s feet.  For I have set you an example, that you wash one another’s feet.”

He didn’t say “Watch Me.” He said, “Follow Me.” This is more than foot washing. It’s a call to live a lifestyle of humility, sacrifice, radical love and grace.

Isn’t it ironic that Jesus’ disciples argued about greatness during the meal at which Jesus established a memorial celebration of His sacrifice to redeem undeserving, selfish sinful people?

Jesus and His disciples gathered that night to keep with God’s command to “remember” the Passover, doing so to highlight God’s amazing promises of redemption and relationship in The Exodus. Jesus used the cup and promise of redemption to help introduce the fellowship meal of the new covenant that He instituted that night. Just as God commanded the Hebrews to remember the Passover, Jesus commands His followers (them, you and me) to remember the body and blood of His sacrifice.

Jesus used the elements of the seder to present himself – His body as the “unleavened bread” and His blood represented in the cup as the long-awaited Messiah/Redeemer. Jesus invites us to share in a “reliving” experience when we receive the cup and the bread each time we come to His table. When we receive the Body and Blood may that night be alive in our hearts in a new and fresh way tonight and every time.

Like the first “Passover” in Egypt death stalked in the moonlight. The blood of the Lamb of God would be required to redeem God’s people from the bondage of sin into which all have been born. For this purpose, Jesus entered the world.

Peter James and John had seen Jesus, the divine Son of God, in all His glory during the Transfiguration. This night, they will see Jesus’ humanity fully displayed. This night, the Passover lamb commanded, “Watch with Me,” and they would see their Messiah – our Messiah face His destiny.

God looked down through time and saw all the evil, hate, immorality, deceit, greed, pride and the selfishness of each of us. He knew we would reject Him, ignore Him and worship ourselves over Him, yet in His great love, He humbled Himself and provided for our salvation. His Son fully man, in a body that would suffer, bleed, and die. Atoning for our sins. He stooped down to do all this. He sacrificed Himself.
Because of this grace we can come into His presence. RC Sproul writes, “Not only are we saved by God, but we are saved from God, and that idea is dramatically displaced in the Passover.” God didn’t wait for a change of heart from us; He made the first move.

Jesus has shown us love. He has washed us clean. Jesus told Peter, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with Me.” So, I ask, “What part of you do you need to allow Jesus access to? What part of you needs washing by Jesus?”

He has given us a model. He invites us to go and do likewise. Jesus did not come to start a religion. He came to restore a relationship. He came so you could know God personally, not as an idea, not as a concept, but as someone who is for you, who is near you, and who has already made a way for you. And the most powerful part is this: He did all the work.

Where is He asking you to serve, forgive, or love? What pride needs to be laid down so Christ’s love can shine through you. Where is God calling you to kneel?

AMEN.