1. It was the last night before our Lord’s crucifixion and He was alone with His twelve disciples in the upper room.
2. If you study the NT, you will notice that this upper room discourse (John 13—17) is not in the other three Gospels.
3. It was the Passover season and great throngs were gathering in Jerusalem to observe this ancient feast. Passover commemorated the deliverance of Israel from death in Egypt, when the blood of a slain lamb sprinkled on the door had spared the occupants from the angel of death.
4. The Passover lamb pictured redemption of sinners by the death of a substitute. The apostle Paul said, "For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us" (I Cor.5:7).
5. One day Charles Haddon Spurgeon rented out a huge music hall and decided to drop by one afternoon to check out the acoustics. A painter was way up in the balcony working but Spurgeon could not see him. Spurgeon walked over to the podium and shouted, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). The painter dropped his brush, got on his knees and got saved.
6. This upper room discourse took place right before the Passover (John 13:1). Passover is during the end of March, a few days before Easter Sunday.
7. As we look into this passage of Scripture, I would like to focus your attention on three important lessons: humility, holiness, and happiness.

I. A LESSON IN HUMILITY (13:1-5).

1. If there is one thing God hates it is pride (cf. Pro.6:16-19).
2. Bro. Sawyer, Bro. Wohner, and I were driving over to the radio station Friday night and we were talking about how pride is like a cancer in the church. And then we arrived at the studio and Bro. Sawyer preached I Peter 5:5,6.
3. God says, "Humble yourselves" (I Peter 5:6).
4. The Lord Jesus Christ is our great example of humility (cf. John 13:4,5).
5. I read one time that D.L. Moody was leading the singing at a meeting and he saw a man walk in whom he had offended. Moody stopped the singing, ran down off the platform and down the aisle to get things right with the man. As the man saw Moody approaching, he went out to meet him in the aisle. R.A. Torrey, and other preachers that knew Moody well, said that was the key to Moody’s success.
6. Let me give you three reasons why our Lord washed His disciples’ feet:

1. Because our Lord knew that He would soon "depart out of this world unto the Father" (13:1). This world is full of sin and rebelliousness and wickedness. It is under the judgment of God. People are proud, arrogant, stubborn, cold, hard, sneaky, two-faced, and hypocritical. So before our Lord left, He washed the feet of His disciples.
2. Because our Lord "loved His own" (13:1). The word "love" is found about 30 times in this upper room discourse (cf. 13:34,35).
3. The third reason our Lord washed His disciples’ feet is because an uninvited guest had entered the room – Mr. Devil himself (13:2). Mark it down, whenever God’s people get together to try and do something Mr. Devil will show up unexpectedly. People think the devil is hanging out in the bars and nightclubs. No, my friend – he goes from church to church. And this is why we need to be cleansed by the Lord.

7. Notice that Satan put it "into the heart of Judas Iscariot" to betray our Lord (13:2). Later the devil actually entered into Judas (13:27).
8. Our Lord taught His disciples a lesson on humility by washing their feet (13:3-5).

1. It was an ancient Eastern custom to wash feet because the roads were dusty and full of garbage (cf. Gen.18:4; 19:2). However, usually the host would provide the water and towels and the guests would wash their own feet.
2. Sometimes a slave or a servant would wash the feet of a guest, but never would the host.
3. But our Lord stooped down to wash the dirty feet of His disciples.

II. A LESSON IN HOLINESS (13:6-16).

1. At first Peter did not understand what our Lord was doing (13:6), and our Lord told him that he would understand later (13:7).
2. There are some things that God is doing now that we cannot understand, but beloved we will understand it better by and by.
3. Jesus said to Peter: "If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me" (13:8). This speaks of holiness. If Jesus does not make you holy you are not His. My friend, if you are in sin and do not feel convicted about that sin, you are not saved.
4. If you do not love the brethren you do not love God (13:1; cf. I John 3:10-15).
5. We were first washed when we were converted, but now we must wash our feet daily (13:10). There is a simple interpretation and many deep applications: People would bathe and be clean but after walking through the dirty streets (wearing sandals), they would need to wash their feet.
6. Application: We are washed the moment we trust Christ but now we need to have our feet washed daily if we want to walk with the Lord in holiness.
7. As we walk through this dirty, filthy world, our feet get defiled with sin and need cleansing.
8. In this passage of Scripture, the feet represent our walk with the Lord. In humility we submit to the Lord; in holiness we walk with the Lord.
9. We are to follow our Lord’s example, and serve one another in love and humility (13:14-16).
10. There can be no holiness without humility. A proud man is not a holy man, no matter how separated he pretends to be. The Pharisees were very separated. Their name means literally, "The Separated Ones" (cf. Jude 19).
11. Separation without humility is an abomination. You may as well join a monastery or a convent.

III. A LESSON IN HAPPINESS (13:17-20).

1. I heard a story about a travelling man who stopped to ask a policeman if he could recommend a church in town. The policeman gave him directions to a church, the man thanked him and started on his way. All of a sudden he stopped and asked, "By the way, officer, there are probably of churches around here. Why do you suggest I go to this one?" The policeman said: "I am not a religious man. I’m sending you to this one because I have noticed that the people coming out of there are the happiest-looking people in town." Are you happy?
2. The world offers happiness through money, nice clothes, sporty cars, fancy homes, exotic vacations, drugs and alcohol, cigarettes, dirty entertainment, immoral sex, etc.
3. But none of these can lead to true happiness. You want to be happy? SERVE OTHERS (cf. John 13:16,17).
4. And by serving others you will be serving Christ. Do you recall what our Lord said to Simon Peter later on? "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? FEED MY SHEEP" (John 21:16,17).
5. True happiness can only follow humility and holiness. If you are not humble you cannot be happy. After awhile your selfishness and pride will make you miserable.
6. If you are not holy you cannot be happy. After awhile your cold heart will freeze up and you will be good for nothing but to be cast into hell like a big piece of rubbish.

CONCLUSION:

1. Our Lord said, "Now I tell you before it come, that, when it come to pass, ye may believe that I am he" (13:19).
2. Notice that the "he" is in italics. Jesus is literally the great "I am," the Jehovah God of the OT (cf. Ex.3:13,14; cf. John 8:58).
3. Do you believe (13:19)? Are you saved?