Love goes low, like Jesus (John 13)
Group Guides | Sharing the gospel, sharing our lives (1 Thessalonians 2:8)
By way of introduction: What are the reasons we find serving one another a challenge?
Read John 13:1-17
Look closely at John 13:7-11. Jesus uses the washing of his disciples feet as symbolic of what is about to happen (John 13:7, “afterward you will understand”). Here we see what Jesus is doing, as he illustrates the gospel - so what is Jesus point in verse 8?
Read John 13:18-30
As Jesus speaks of who is clean and not clean, we have in view Judas and the fulfilling of Scripture in John 13:18. Read Psalm 41 and discuss how this fulfils Scripture, and why it happens in the context of Jesus washing his disciples feet.
Read John 13:31-35
The Old Testament had commands to love God and to love our neighbour (Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and Leviticus 19:18). Yet the “newness” of this command that Jesus gives is in the way we are to love. Look closely at John 13:34-35, and discuss what sort of love is Jesus’ church to be know for?
Christ Counselling our Hearts
How does Jesus change everything for the way we see the gospel give us joy to go low, with love?
Our Lord Jesus teaches us by way of example in (John 13:13-17). What will this sort of loving service mean for those reasons we find serving one-another a challenge?
There are of course sections of Scripture that speak about spiritual gifting and the varieties of service (1 Corinthians 12:4-5). Does this mean unless we are gifted for going low with love we don’t serve in some ways of church life?
Discuss what are some of the “washing feet” ministries of our church
and how we could be more like Jesus in serving in those ways?
how would it help if more us served like this for our church-life? Discuss if it would it make things harder or easier.
What real difference would it make for our church and our neighbours looking on, for us to love like Jesus does here?
Pray that we would go low like Jesus, and see that truly change how we love and serve others..