In this sermon, we move from the basin and towel to the dark reality that often follows sacrificial love—betrayal. After washing his disciples’ feet, Christ makes clear that true discipleship is not measured by ministry involvement or bold declarations of loyalty, but by humble, charitable love toward one another. Yet that love can be tested when it is not returned—when those we serve disappoint, hurt, or even turn against us. Centered in John 13, this message confronts the pain of betrayal, the danger of cynicism, and the pride that blinds us to our own frailty. We will see that devotion to Christ is ultimately revealed in devotion to his people, and that even when love costs us dearly, Christ calls us to serve faithfully anyway.

In John 13 we step into the final week of Christ’s earthly ministry—holy, heavy, and deeply personal. Knowing his hour has come, Jesus doesn’t spend these last moments protecting himself; he spends them loving “his own… unto the end,” even with betrayal already taking root in Judas’ heart. Then the unthinkable happens: the Master takes a towel and a basin and stoops to wash dirty feet—an acted sermon that exposes our pride, confronts our discomfort with his humiliation, and points us straight to the cleansing we can only receive through him. And when he’s done, he turns the basin toward us: in the body of Christ, no one is too high to serve and no one is too low to be served—because real ministry is never just a task; it’s a testimony of love.

As Jesus concludes his final public discourse, he does so by affirming his relationship with the Father. He leaves no ambiguity about his allegiance: his life, his mission, and his words have consistently honored the Father who sent him. Every action, every declaration, every moment has been shaped by that singular devotion. And that raises a searching question for us—if he has done everything to honor the Father, have you done everything to honor the Son? What is it that keeps you from living with the same mission-focused clarity?

After Jesus reveals to his disciples that his sacrifice is the seed of the world’s fruitfulness, he’s immediately confronted by a crowd unwilling to hear it. They push back, insisting that his understanding of the Messiah doesn’t match their reading of Scripture. But Jesus lovingly rebukes them, reminding them that when people reject God’s revelation, they choose blindness. In this passage, we learn powerful lessons about true discipleship—what it means to receive truth with a teachable spirit, and what happens when we don’t.

As Jesus enters Jerusalem in triumph, the crowds swell with excitement. Even the visiting Greeks—drawn by Passover and rumor—long to see him and hear his words. But Jesus’ reply makes one thing clear: the hour for teaching has passed; the hour to lay down his life has come. In John 12, he gives us a pattern to follow, a principle to live by, and a promise to cling to—keys to understanding salvation and true discipleship.

After raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus withdraws from the public eye, no longer “walking openly” among those who have hardened themselves against him. As chapter 12 opens, the scene shifts to a house party at Simon the leper. The room is full—friends, disciples, and curious onlookers gathered to celebrate and to sit with Jesus. And in this setting, the Lord reveals something essential about the heart of true worship.

Two figures stand in stark contrast: Mary of Bethany and Judas Iscariot—each embodying a radically different vision of what worship should look like. Today we’re going to discover, through their example, what it means to enter the place of power in our worship.

What happens when we deny Christ? What happens when he reveals himself, reasons with us, and yet we still resist him?Today we watch the Sanhedrin plot against the Messiah—even after he raised Lazarus. In their response, we see their motives laid bare. And if we’re honest, we see our own exposed as well.