Maundy Thursday 2026: His Hour
In this message, we see the effect of the long shadow of a good man on his family and spiritual community, both now, and in the distant future.
Click here for the recording of this 4/2/26 Service, and you can fast-forward to 26:06 to get to the start of the sermon.
Our text is from John 13. 1-11
1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that His hour had come that He would depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. 2 And during supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had handed all things over to Him, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, 4 got up from supper and laid His outer garments aside; and He took a towel and tied it around Himself.
5 Then He poured water into the basin, and began washing the disciples’ feet and wiping them with the towel which He had tied around Himself. 6So He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, “Lord, You are washing my feet?” 7Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing, you do not realize right now, but you will understand later.” 8Peter said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “ If I do not wash you, you have no place with Me.” 9Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head!” 10Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet; otherwise he is completely clean. And you are clean--but not all of you.” 11For He knew the one who was betraying Him; it was for this reason that He said, “Not all of you are clean.”
V1-
John is careful to plot the time of this event as just prior to Passover- some see it as the beginning…
Jesus was aware of His own portion of time (hora), what He was facing
He was certain of His destination- “to the father”
He knew who “His own” were and
loved them to the end
V2-
It is fitting that he would spend his last evening with the twelve at the evening meal
It is also telling of the character of Christ that He would sit with, break bread with, wash the feet of, the man whose actions would set in motion Christ’s crucifixion- how you treat those who abuse you says much about you
The impetus for the betrayal was nothing short of satanic- “the Devil having already put into the heart”; What did Judas tell himself in order to do what he did?
V3-
Jesus, aware of His own power
Aware of His origins
Aware of His final destination
He was settled in his identity with the Father
In what do you get your identity, and how do you react when that is threatened?
V4-5
Gets up from the table
Strips to His loincloth
And girds Himself with a towel
And begins to wash their feet
What is it like to see the Lord of all, in a loincloth, washing feet? His humanity…
V6-10
As Jesus navigates from man to man, he comes to Peter and tells him he will understand the full import of the event only later
Peter refuses, to which the Lord responds, “if I do not wash you, you have no place with me”
Peter, a man of extremes, asks for a complete bath, which Jesus politely refuses
“you are clean, but not all of you…”
V11-
Jesus perceived the one who would hand him over; hence the phrase, “not all of you are clean”
John mentions Judas’ betrayal in v2, 11, 18, 21, 26-27
Why does john, who was at the table of betrayal, focus so much on Judas, more so than the other writers?
Questions about Judas
Did Jesus see worth in Judas in spite of his betrayal?
What motivated him to do what he did? The why question…money, jealousy, pride…?
Why didn’t he repent like Peter?
Betrayal was part of God’s plan, but Mt and Mk state that it would have been better for Judas to have not been born
What was his legacy among the remaining 11 and Matthias?
What was Judas’ last thought before he hanged himself?
Questions
Do you know what hour of life you are in?
Do you know who “your people” are, and will you love them to the end?
Do you know your ultimate destination?
To whom are you giving heart access? Christ, or satan?
Do you know who your betrayer is, and can you wash his/her feet?
Are you willing to have your foot filth washed by Christ?
Can you proactively serve the one who will go ahead and betray you?
