The Upper Room – Week 1 (9-7-25)

The Upper Room
The Servant King
September 7, 2025

John begins with a creation narrative:
John 1:1-5
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
…The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Jesus is making some audacious claims.
John 8:58 — “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”

Exodus 3:14 — God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”

Jesus’ 3 Passovers in John

• Cleanses the Temple
  John 2:19 — Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”
• Feeds 5,000
  John 6:35 — Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
• The Passion
  John 11:55 – When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover.

John 13:1–2
“It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.

Jesus stands in the presence of darkness — not just physical darkness but a spiritual darkness that has haunted humanity since Eden.

John 13:3–5
Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.”

John 13:12–17
When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. ‘Do you understand what I have done for you?’ he asked them. ‘You call me “Teacher” and “Lord,” and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.’

John 13:19
“I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am.”

The Great I Am stoops low to wash feet — and calls us to do the same.