27th July 2026

27th July 2026


Pray (ACts)


Read (John 13:1-17 focus )


Message (Alan Burke) 


In what seems like a lifetime ago, and to be fair, it was, I worked in Bishops Coleraine, mainly in the children’s department. Just in case any of you don’t know about Bishops, it is a shoe shop, and at this time of year, they have their summer sale on. Working in the men’s department was easy; you just had to go get the right size shoe, and if they fitted and they liked them, make sure that the pair was in the box and then make the sale. But in the children’s department, it’s not quite as simple. You have to measure their feet, yes, but a lot of the time, the children didn’t like their feet being touched, and they might have liked a pair of shoes, but when they weren’t in stock, there could be tantrums and tears. Added to that, there were times that you had to deal with some quite smelly feet. I especially don’t envy people like chiropodists. 


 Here, as the final hours unfold before the crucifixion, Jesus gives his disciples the ultimate object lesson; he gives an example of humility, what it is to be one of those who claim his name, that they are in Christ. He shows some of what it is to be a servant. Before he washes their feet, John wants us to see that what Jesus was doing was showing them the full extent of his love. It is a love that underlies his mission, a love that would be seen in its fullness as he laid down his life so that we might be forgiven. Here, Jesus demonstrates that love to those who were with him, illustrating it for them all so vividly. As the Passover meal was being served and during which he would institute the Lord’s Supper, he knew that the heart of Judas had been moved by the Devil and that it would see him betrayed and nailed to a cross. Yet God was at work. For in all that took place, God was no idle spectator, helpless to foil the Devils schemes. Rather, from the very beginning, from the fall in the garden of Eden, he had been working his eternal purposes. So that in all that is unfolding, even with the betrayer among them, Jesus here powerfully demonstrates to his people what it is to love one’s enemies (Matt 5:44). He gets up from the meal, takes off his outer clothing, wrapping a towel around his waist. His actions were that of a servant, and he began pouring water into a basin and washing their feet. This was an act of humility that is as unnecessary as it is stunning, a display of his great love, moving from disciple to disciple. 


Who is this Jesus who washed his disciples’ feet? He is the only begotten Son of God, the one who in the beginning was with God and was God, who gave up the riches of glory and condescended, that is, he lowered himself and made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant (see Phil 2:6–8). Do not miss the wonder of what unfolded here in this passage, do not let it be lost on you, because of familiarity as Jesus washes the feet of his disciples. Our saviour is the servant saviour, who became like us in every way so that he could make an atonement for our sin (Heb 2:17). To his disciples, he showed them the full extent of his love in what he did, doing what only a servant would have done. Reflect on the wonder of who our saviour is and what he has done, that he who being in the very nature God took the form of a servant so that we his enemies by our nature might become the children of God and we should imitate his humility, serving one another as we have been served by him (see Phil 2).


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q23 What offices doth Christ execute as our Redeemer?
A. Christ, as our Redeemer, executeth the offices of a prophet, of a priest, and of a king, both in his estate of humiliation and exaltation.
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