PREPARE

John provides more details to the passion week than the synoptic gospels, giving us glimpses into intimate interactions of Jesus. Headed to the cross, Jesus loves his followers to the end and shows them the full extent of that love. He washes feet, he lets them know what to expect, he warns them about their own weaknesses and failings, he prays for them.

Prepare for this week’s message by reflecting on the events in John 13 and how Jesus is loving people well.

LISTEN

Verses: John 13:1-38

Main Point: Jesus loves his people to the utmost.

1. Service and its Source (13:1-20)

“Humble service flows from the gospel. The power to serve one another is not found inside of us. We don’t tap into inner strength or discover secret power reserves. We fall on our faces before Jesus and beg him to help us serve others. We rely on the Holy Spirit to enable us to love others and put their needs before our own.” —Matt Carter and Josh Wredberg (Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in John)

2. Seeds of Betrayal (13:21-30)

“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” —Joseph (Genesis 50:20, ESV)

3. Death and Glory (13:31-38)

“Lord, stamp eternity on my eyeballs.” —Jonathan Edwards

REFLECT

1. What impacted you most from this week’s message? What challenged you or encouraged you?
2. Have you ever received a severe prognosis, or lived through a near death experience? How did (or would) you respond? How did Jesus respond, knowing that his hour had come?
3. What do you think God thinks about you?
4. Why did Jesus wash the disciples’ feet (Hint: read v. 8 and v. 14-15)?
5. Why didn’t the disciples know who would betray Jesus?
6. What is glory? How are the Father and the Son glorified through Jesus’ death?
7. Who does Jesus command his disciples to love? Should Christians love non-Christians any differently than they love fellow Christians?
8. How does loving one another show the world that someone is a disciple of Jesus? Are there any Christians that you don’t love? How does that impact your testimony to the world?

ACT

- What is one specific thing you can do this week to put into practice what you learned in this message?
- Who is someone you can share what you learned with?