Purified From Head To Toe
All this week, we’re asking various Buckhead Church staff to share thoughts to help us prepare for Easter and reflect on the events of Holy Week. Today, we’ll hear from Kevin Cargill who works in our Service Programming Department.
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From John 13:1–17 (NIV):
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 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. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.”
For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
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.
Do feet make you cringe? Maybe it’s the memory of having to clean your nasty feet after playing in the yard with no shoes. Perhaps you’re like me and aren’t a fan of touching someone else’s feet. But in the verses above, it’s not just the feet that make me cringe; it’s the fact that it’s Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Emmanuel, washing men’s nasty feet. He has no business doing this. It’s uncomfortable.
Peter would have agreed. Imagine the appalled look on his face as Jesus approached him with the basin. “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” (John 13:6 NIV). This wasn’t right to him. Christ shouldn’t have been cleaning their feet; they should have been cleaning his feet. Why wasn’t that the case?
These disciples were ready to give anything and everything for this man they knew to be the Savior. They trusted his every word and stood true to his side. But this was bizarre. What he was doing was a servant’s job; in fact, it was the least-favored servant who was tasked with feet washing. It wasn’t a dirty job; it was the dirtiest job. It was unfit for Jesus, unfit for the Son of God. Yet somehow it was a beautiful act of service. Jesus humbled himself before his disciples, cleaning them, cleansing them.
Jesus knew what was coming. He knew he was to suffer a criminal’s death, a crucifixion, the dirtiest, and lowliest of executions. Unfazed by the future’s events, he took the opportunity to instruct. “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14 NIV). In one incredibly humble act, Jesus showed us our charge.
This humility would be especially hard to repeat for those first-generation Jesus followers. They had status. They had been one of the twelve chosen to follow Christ. This was surely beneath them. But Jesus addressed this too: “Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him” (John 13:16 NIV). Then the playing field was leveled.
This playing field remains level.
Nobody showers when he’s already clean, so how can you offer cleanliness unless you go where the dirt is? No bath keeps you clean forever, so how can you offer eternal cleanliness with earthly solutions?
The point isn’t that Jesus is offering cleanliness; he’s offering an incomparable purity. He’s offering newness before God, a life free from the bondage of sin. He’s offering cleanliness greater than any servant, master, or king can provide.
So during this Easter week, consider what you would do if Jesus washed your feet. Would you sit and do nothing, or would you try to spread the good news of this cleanliness? Once you’ve made up your mind, snap back to reality and remember . . . he didn’t just clean your feet.
He purified you from head to toe.
Kevin Cargill
Kevin is the Video Director at Buckhead Church, so he is involved with everything video around the church. He maintains systems, builds videos, and schedules our video volunteers for every Sunday service. Kevin grew up in the Atlanta area, where he still lives, but says he is a USC Gamecock at heart!
The Very Reason
All this week, we’re asking various Buckhead Church staff to share thoughts to help us prepare for Easter and reflect on the events of Holy Week. Today, we’ll hear from Mike Tiemann who works on our UpStreet Team.
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From John 12:20–36 NIV:
Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.
Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
“Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.
Father, glorify your name!”
Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.
Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.
The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”
Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.
When I read the events of Easter, what strikes me most deeply is Jesus’ determination in the face of unimaginable pain. We don’t simply get a factual play-by-play of what happened; we get a fascinating glimpse into the emotional turmoil he must have felt inside.
Jesus had come to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival, knowing that his time was drawing near. He had just raised Lazarus from the dead, which had raised the tension to a boiling point. The chief priests and Pharisees wanted him dead; they saw the rising tide as more and more people began to believe and follow him. He and his disciples had gone into hiding, and one more public appearance could very well be the end. The people wondered, “Would he come to the festival at all?”
Of course, he did come. And the people cheered and welcomed him like a king. But as Jesus could clearly see, those cheers were about to take a sinister turn:
Betrayal. False condemnation. Torture. Death.
Soon he would willingly give his life and make the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf. He knew that before the glory of Easter Sunday, he had to face the agony of Friday night. And he chose it willingly.
We should take comfort knowing that his heart was troubled too:
“My heart is troubled. What should I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No. This is the very reason I came to this hour. Father, bring glory to your name!” (John 12:27–28, NIRV)
Or, to use the imagery from The Message:
“Right now I am storm-tossed. And what am I going to say? ‘Father, get me out of this’? No, this is why I came in the first place. I’ll say, ‘Father, put your glory on display.’” (John 12:27–28, The Message)
In our seasons of darkness, we can’t see what’s ahead. Jesus could. He knew “the very reason” he was going through his darkest hour: to put his Father’s glory on display. We can take courage from his willingness to do what God wanted him to do —even death on a cross.
He was troubled. He was storm-tossed. He felt every emotion in his time of trial. And we can lean into him in our seasons of darkness, knowing that he truly understands how we feel, in every way.
When we imagine the anguish he must have endured in those moments, we understand just how much he loves us. He was willing to do whatever it took to restore us to God. And that was what made him willing to face the days ahead.
How can you and I trust God in our darkest times? And if we do, how can our faith put his glory on display?
Mike Tiemann
Mike is the UpStreet Production Director at Buckhead Church. He coordinates the Sunday morning large group environment for K–5th graders. This includes worship and a Bible story that sets the kids up for discussions with their small groups. Mike and his wife, Julie, live in Roswell with their two daughters.
Practicing Faith In The Small Things
All this week, we’re asking various Buckhead Church staff to share thoughts to help us prepare for Easter and reflect on the events of Holy Week. Today, we’ll hear from Sue Bates who works with our single women community groups.
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From Matthew 21:18– 22 NIV:
Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.
When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.
Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
I grew up in an athletic family. My dad worked in collegiate athletics, and my three brothers and I all played sports—a lot of sports.
Needless to say, we spent more than a few hours at games. Of course, what I didn’t realize is that we spent even more hours at practice. Admittedly, I was not a fan of practice. I felt strongly that I was “game-day” material, and I didn’t care too much to piddle around doing drills and exercises when there were goals to be scored and games to be won.
I loved the games. I loved the competition, the nervousness before the game, the exhilaration of scoring a goal, or the thrill of winning a game. Even the losing seemed almost special. While I had a little bit of natural ability, I had a lot of hours of practice under my belt, hours of the seemingly small, repetitive drills that allowed me to practice my skills and talents.
Two big lessons I learned, but didn’t realize at the time were:
First, to have one stellar 2-hour game or to make one great play, I needed about 12–15 hours of practice. Second, I had to practice doing well in the small things (drills) in order to do well in the big things (games).
With sports being such a big part of my life growing up, I’ve regularly seen God use them to get my attention in regard to my faith. So when I read these verses above, I can’t help but picture Jesus teaching the disciples the same lesson that years of sports taught me. I hear him saying, “Do you get it? Practice in the small areas and you’ll be ready for the big areas. If you will practice your faith and believe you can do something to this fig tree, then when you face a mountain, you’ll have faith big enough to move it!”
For most of us, our faith doesn’t begin with the Super Bowl of circumstances. It begins with God asking us to believe and trust in the seemingly generic and ordinary aspects of our lives. It begins small.
For the disciples, while a fig tree was small, the mountain was undeniably big. Jesus challenged them with the truth that if they had enough faith to alter a fig tree, they could have enough faith to move a mountain.
What does that look like for us today? What does it look like for us to practice having faith, practice trusting and obeying God in the small things, so we can have even bigger faith?
For me, maybe it means learning to hold my tongue and not offering my opinion in every conversation . . . so that when a friend is going through a crisis, I know just what to say or not to say because I’ve practiced measuring my words.
For some of us, maybe it means regularly turning off our phones or our computers when we’re with people . . . so we can truly engage in our relationships with others and with God because we’ve practiced being disciplined.
What could this look like for you? With the grandness of what Jesus did on the cross for our faith, I can’t help but ask: What seemingly small area of life is God challenging us to trust and obey, so our faith will be big?
Sue Bates
Sue works as a Singles Groups Director at Buckhead Chuch, where she coaches and trains women community group leaders. She meets with group leaders throughout the week, so she is well known at many of the Atlanta-area Starbucks! She has lived most of her adult life in Atlanta, but grew up in Annapolis, Maryland.
I Love To Tell The Story
All this week, we’re asking various Buckhead Church staff to share thoughts to help us prepare for Easter and reflect on the events of Holy Week. Today, we’ll hear from Melissa Edge who works in our lead pastor’s office.
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From Luke 19: 37–40 (NIV)
When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:
“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”
“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
We begin our Easter week with these verses that take place as Jesus makes his triumphal entrance into Jerusalem. This event is often referred to as Palm Sunday, when the crowds waved palm branches to welcome Jesus into the city.
I remember as a child getting to walk through the aisles at church waving palm branches. I thought Jesus had to be the coolest dude on the block to get such attention. As I grew older and began to grasp what Jesus endured on the cross, it seemed so crazy to me that such a warm welcome could be followed just a few days later by utter depravity.
Still, I love how the verses above describe the scene. The disciples could not help but praise God for the miracles Jesus had done, miracles they had front-row seats to witness. I can only imagine what these eyewitness accounts must have done to grow these disciples’ commitment to follow Jesus. They had seen miracles; how could they not shout out in praise? How could they not tell the stories of what Jesus had done?
I think this same question can apply to our lives. How can we not tell of the great things Jesus has done for us? How can we not tell of how God sent his one and only Son to die on a cross so that we could have a relationship with Him? How can we not tell of how he loves us, how He is with us through triumphs and pain? How can we not testify to the marriages He has restored, the wayward children He has brought home, the illnesses He has healed, the broken and messy lives He has redeemed? We too have great stories to tell.
The old hymn “I Love to Tell the Story” is such a fitting description. I will leave you with stanza 1:
I love to tell the story
Of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and his glory,
Of Jesus and his love.
I love to tell the story,
Because I know ’tis true;
It satisfies my longings
As nothing else can do.
(Text: Katherine Hankey, 1834–1911; Music: William G. Fischer, 1835-1912)
Who can you tell your story to this Easter week?
Melissa Edge
Melissa Edge is the assistant to lead pastor, Billy Phenix, at Buckhead Church. In her role, she coordinates posts for the BC blog and manages all social media. She also assists with staff development and various other projects for the pastor’s office. She and her yorkie, Ralphy, live in Buckhead.
Easter Weekend Details
We are gearing up for a great Easter weekend, and we hope you’ll make it a special time to consider the sacrifice Christ made for all of us. Our Easter services will be a time of celebration as we sing together and hear an Easter message from Andy Stanley.
In order to accommodate our increased attendance, we will be offering an additional Easter service on Saturday evening, April 7, at 6:00 p.m. Some of the other North Point churches have done this in the past, and it has been a great option for those who have family plans or simply want to beat the crowds. The Saturday night service will be the same content as the services on Easter Sunday. We will offer Waumba Land (preschool) only for this service.
Easter Sunday services will be at our usual Sunday times (9 a.m., 11 a.m, and 6 p.m.). The morning services will offer both Waumba Land (preschool) and UpStreet (elementary) ministry environments, but Transit (middle school) will NOT meet on Easter Sunday. Sunday evening service at 6 p.m. will offer Waumba Land only. Just a heads-up that our Easter Sunday crowd tends to be very large, so if you are a regular attendee and can attend either the 9 a.m. or 6 p.m. service, it would help us accommodate most of our first-time guests who will come to the 11 a.m. service.
Also, we’d love for you to log-on to the Buckhead Church blog each day of the week before Easter (April 2–6) for a daily thought and Scripture reading that will help prepare for a meaningful Easter.
We are very much looking forward to Easter weekend and hope that you’ll be able to join us for one of the four services. Just a recap:
Saturday Easter Service | April 7 | 6 p.m. | Preschool childcare only
Easter Sunday Services | April 8 | 9 a.m., 11 a.m. & 6 p.m.
Billy
Billy Phenix ::: Lead Pastor ::: Buckhead Church
