When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.  

John 20:20  

One of the things that made the disciples glad when they saw the Lord was the restoration of fellowship and communion with Him. The people of God thrive on this fellowship with Christ. For the past three years since Christ had called them to follow Him, the disciples had enjoyed unbroken fellowship and communion with Him. Where He went, they went. What He saw, they saw. They heard the gracious words that proceeded out of His mouth. They saw His miracles and how He went about doing good. They experienced all it meant to live in the presence of Christ. When He died on the cross that came to a crashing halt in a most devastating way. When Christ appeared to them on the first day of the week, having risen from the dead, they found themselves in His presence once again. This made them glad. When we have lost the sense of the Lord’s presence, for whatever reason, and the Holy Spirit restores it, by taking the things of Christ and showing them to us, it makes us glad in a way nothing else can. Christ restores our fellowship and communion with Him by His presence. 

Our Gracious Master and our God,  
we rejoice that You restore our fellowship with You.  
We praise You that Your presence makes us glad  
in a way that nothing else can. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.  

John 13:13-16 

We are not greater than the Christ we follow. As Christ was teaching His disciples the heart of servant leadership, He applied the lesson to them in plain language. He had already said, ‘For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.’  To that He added, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.’ Thus Christ declares that we who follow Him, as we imitate Him will serve in the same manner in which He did. This means we will not seek status, position, or preference. His lesson stood out in stark contrast to the religionists of His day. They loved to be recognized, lionized, and preferred to the seats of honor. Their religiosity was full of pride and self-righteousness. Christ’s approach to life and His leadership looked entirely different from theirs. Christ said that those who follow Him would not be greater than Him, but would imitate Him in servant leadership. If we follow Him our leadership will look the same as His did. It will stand out in stark contrast to much of what passes for leadership in our day. If we follow Him, we, His servants, will not be greater than our Lord.  

Our Lord and Our God, 
we rejoice in the humility of Your leadership. 
We praise You, that from You, 
we learn to humbly lead. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.  

John 13:13-15 

Christ leads by example. He does not tell us to do what He has not done, cannot do, or will not do. On the occasion before us, He had assumed the role of the most menial servant and performed the work of washing His disciples’ feet. Our text is His explanation of His actions with the application of it. For our purpose today we are concentrating on His statement, ‘For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.’ The essence of the life of the believer is the imitation of Christ. This is particularly important for anyone in leadership. We only lead well as we imitate Christ. His washing the feet of the disciples is the epitome of that leadership. This is useful for anyone who leads to see and imitate. It is also useful for anyone who is following a leader. By this, a follower is able to evaluate whether the person they are following is worthy of their  allegiance. Some leaders are worthy and others are not. Also, if we desire to imitate Christ, whether we are in leadership or not, His example is for all of us to serve as He served.  

Our Gracious God and our Savior, 
we rejoice that You have done all things well. 
We praise You that You have set before us 
a worthy example. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.  

John 13:13-14 

Christ was the quintessential servant leader. Everything we know about His incarnation, Person, and work leads us to this conclusion. He came to earth to ‘save His people from their sins.’ His whole life fulfilled the law of God for the sake of others. His atoning sacrifice was for the sake of others. His resurrection was for others because it guaranteed their resurrection. His ascension, which paved the way for the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the disciples was for the sake of others. His perpetual intercession is for the sake of others. His return in glory will be for the sake of others. This is the essence of servant leadership. If we want to learn to recognize the highest form of leadership, Christ demonstrates it in every way. In this example He assumed the role of a servant to perform a menial task to set a permanent example. Thus servant leadership is the most important to learn. We can learn it in no better place than at the feet of Christ.  

Our Holy and Wise God, 
we rejoice that You are our Great Example. 
We praise You that as we follow You, 
we learn to lead as You do.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning