EXPOSITION:
Jesus Christ our Lord set many examples for us to be bondservants. Even though He was God, He laid aside His divine nature and took the form of a bondservant by dying a shameful death on the cross for our redemption.
In John 13, Jesus knew that His hour of glorification had come. He then taught His disciples how they could serve each other and demonstrated it by washing their feet and cleaning with a towel.
In the Jewish tradition, washing someone’s feet was seen as a menial work and it was the Gentile servants who would do that, yet Jesus did it. He was their Lord and Master, yet He served them.
In fact, Jesus knew that among His disciples there was a spirit of competition of who should be the greatest among them, and to deal with this unhealthy competition, selfishness and arrogance, He taught them that whoever wants to become great must first serve and whoever wants to be first must be a servant of all (Luke 22:24-28).
LIFE APPLICATION
Do you want to become great in the Kingdom of God? Then you must serve. We must lay aside all forms of pride and unhealthy competition and serve both our superiors and subordinates, just as Jesus Christ our Lord did. Having known this truth of humility and service, blessed and happy are we if we do them (John 13:17).