A Peek Inside Jesus’ Mind

Jul 30 2024 - Eric Buresh

Back in March, Pastor Tim preached a sermon as part of the Love One Another series on Jesus’ act of washing the disciples’ feet out of John 13. It was a fantastic sermon with tons of powerful imagery. You can find it here: https://visitgracechurch.com/watch/973. 

Today, I want to take a closer look at the moment just before Jesus began that lowly act of service. What was going on in the mind of Jesus to prompt the God-man to stoop to the lowliest of lows and begin washing dirty feet? What motivated the “Teacher and Lord” to give up His dignified place at the supper? What thoughts fueled His unparalleled humility? 

I would never attribute thoughts to the mind of Jesus based on my own musings, but here, John gives us a peek inside Jesus’ mind. In John 13:3-4, we see that “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself.” 

Jesus knew that the Father had already given Him all things. Put another way, Jesus understood His fullness in God. With this knowledge in mind, He had no reason to fight to preserve some position or prestige. He was free to go as low as low could be in service to others because it would have no effect on His actual position -- He was rich in God no matter how low He might look from the world’s perspective.   

While we are most definitely not Jesus in authority or power, we are like Him in that God has given us everything in Christ. “The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, [] has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” Ephesians 1:3. Our position as sons and daughters of the Most High, and all the inheritance of blessings that comes with that position, are totally secure. Like Jesus, there is no act of service that is so low as to have any impact on our position. God has given us every spiritual blessing, and, like Jesus, we are free to go as low as low could be while staying totally secure. 

Jesus also knew that He was going back to the very presence of God where there would be fulness of glory. He knew where He was going. This knowledge freed Him from the need for earthly recognition or validation. Jesus’s knowledge of His future gave Him a perspective that transcended temporal concerns. He had no earthly need for status or honor in the eyes of men, and that too freed Him to go low in service.  

Like Jesus, we too know that we are going to the very presence of God and that we too will enjoy a fulness of glory in Christ. Colossians 3:4. This eternal perspective is crucial for us as well. When we are secure in our identity in Christ and our eternal destiny, we too are freed to go low in service to others. Like Jesus, our actions need not be driven by a desire for approval or fear of loss, but by the love of God that compels us to love others. The certainty of our heavenly future gives us the confidence and freedom to serve in the present.