Philippians 2:3 says, Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
Paul illustrates this truth by the humility of the Lord Jesus who left the glory of heaven in order to serve us by saving us from our sins by his life, death and resurrection. And having done so, has been exalted again to heaven (Philippians 2:5-11). He has empowered his church to continue his mission by proclaiming the good news of the Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit in a way that reflects this same humility of mind, service and sacrifice.
Surely, the preeminent mark of the disciple of Jesus will be this humility, which finds its deepest satisfaction in knowing God in an experiential way by doing the will of God in dependence on the Spirit of God for the glory of the Son of God and for the blessing of the church of God.
Jesus illustrated this great truth of serving and saving in his upper -room teaching in the Gospel of John. It was John Calvin who observed that if the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke), reveal Christ’s body, John’s Gospel reveals his soul. And so beginning in John 13 we have Jesus washing the feet of each of the disciples to illustrate the centrality of his saving/serving work. He did not do it to shame them, but to show the necessity of his saving work (if I do not wash your feet, you have no part with me), and how serving with humility is the way that the saving work is communicated to others.
Jesus asked his disciples if they understood what he had done for them. I wonder if we have thought deeply today about what he has done and is doing for us? If we have, we will see the clear application:
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 also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. (John 13:14-17)
