Dear Christian friends:

The general theme for our Lenten Wednesday services is "The Man of Sorrows." That name perfectly describes the suffering Savior. That name we find in the prophet Isaiah 53:3, "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief."

God chose this Man of Sorrows to do His greatest work, the Salvation of sinners. God uses strange ways and people to do His great work. The smart worldly-wise people despise God's way. "We hid as it were our faces from him, he was despised, and we esteemed him not." (Isaiah 53:3)

If proud man wants to do a great work he uses money, force and power, all things that men here in the world respect and honor. But God uses the weak things and lowly things and the things that men mock and despise to do His great work.

So the mighty Son of God became a weak, humble man, full of sorrows, mocked, rejected, betrayed, scourged, crying in prayer, collapsing under the cross, crucified, dead and buried. And in this humble way He won salvation, the greatest victory and glory!

We Christians also forget and often despise God's humbly way of salvation. We need to attend to Jesus, here in our text and see:


Jesus' humility impresses on us God's one way of salvation. We read here that after eating Jesus washed the disciples feet. The Lord and teacher humbles himself and washes the disciples feet! Worldly-wise teachers never do such things. They expect their pupils and followers to bow before them and respect their every word and deed. Kings are the same. Who ever heard of a King kneeling to wash someone's dirty feet?

Why did Jesus do this? We read in John 13:1-3, "Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;"

Jesus knew He came from God to take the disciples sins and all men's sins on Himself and then suffer that punishment for them, mocked, scourged, rejected and despised. He knew that the disciples will be surprised and displeased with that strong humble way. They expected Jesus to establish His kingdom and rule like earthly kings do, using soldiers, the sword force, the things that proud men respect and praise and boast about.

But Jesus knew that was not His Father's way. He must humbly suffer mockery and shame and death. That was the only way. The disciples must begin to accept this way. But it was hard for them.

When Jesus came to wash Peter's feet, Peter didn't want that and said, "Lord, dost thou wash my feet?" He meant I can wash my own feet. "Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me." (John 13:6-8)

So you and I often wish to help our self and suffer our own way and pay for our sins. Like Peter we don't want to confess them and give them to Jesus. We do not think we are that bad, that only Jesus can pay for our sins. So Jesus says also to you, "If I wash not, you can't be mine."

So don't think you can become clean by self-suffering or self-righteousness. Confess your sins, put them on Jesus. As the hymn writer says in the hymn, "I Lay My Sins On Jesus":

"I lay my sins on Jesus,
the spotless Lamb of God;
He bears them all, and frees us
from the accursed load;
I bring my guilt to Jesus,
to wash my crimson stains
white in His blood most precious,
till not a spot remains."

Don't be displeased with Jesus' suffering and humility. It is for you, for your forgiveness and salvation. Don't think this preaching of Jesus baptism and the Lord's Supper are of little worth. They are God's strange and humble way of bringing His greatest blessings to you. Humble yourself and use them and rejoice in them!

We also study Jesus in His humility that we may ourselves be kind and humble to one another. Jesus shows this in John 13:12-17:

"So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them."

We should not be proud with one another, but humble, kind and ready to forgive. "By love serve one another." (Galatians 5:13)

If someone happens to quarrel with you, try to make peace, be first to forgive and shake! Suffer wrongs without complaint as Jesus did. Don't always demand your rights and your way.

Risk your life and money to help people! Some of you refuse to give rides in your car to other church members. You say, "If we get in an accident they will sue me!" But we should risk our money and life to help someone. Jesus risked His life and died for us. So also the Good Samaritan (explain).

Also in your lay visiting. Some of you don't want to, because it may give you trouble. You say, "I don't want any trouble." Well, Jesus got plenty of trouble because He loved us and came to help us! So we must expect trouble too. Many whom we love and help will not thank us and they may even hurt us. But we should gladly and humbly suffer all this as Jesus our Lord and Savior.

Jesus says, "Happy are ye if ye do these things" (John 13:17)

Amen.