Last Words Group Study - Part 1 - Rock Point Church · Rewind

Last Words Group Study - Part 1 - Rock Point Church · Rewind

Pastor Mark Collins · Mar 11, 2019

Big Idea

Jesus spent His last hours before the cross not securing His own comfort but washing feet, pursuing His betrayer, and patiently correcting His impulsive friend — showing that true greatness is found in humble, persistent service and love.

On the night before He died, Jesus had every reason to focus on Himself, yet He knelt to wash dirty feet, reached out in love to His betrayer Judas, and patiently corrected Peter's overconfidence. His example shows that serving others, even those who fail or betray us, defines true dignity rather than diminishing it — and that following Jesus depends not on our own strength but on His shepherding care.

Key points

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1Jesus washed the disciples' feet when no one else would
Pastor Mark sets the scene of the Passover meal, noting that the disciples had been arguing over who was greatest and that no servant or disciple volunteered for the lowly task of washing feet. Jesus, the Creator of the universe, stripped down and did the demeaning job Himself, setting a precedent that service defines dignity rather than diminishing it.
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2Jesus loved and pursued Judas even as he prepared to betray Him
Pastor Mark describes how Jesus washed Judas' feet too, looked into his soul, and quoted Psalm 41:9 about a trusted friend's betrayal, essentially pleading with Judas to turn around. Even the seating arrangement gave Judas a place of honor beside Jesus, showing Christ chasing him to the bitter end.
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3Judas willingly partnered with darkness while Jesus remained the light
Pastor Mark explains that Satan 'entering' Judas doesn't necessarily mean possession against his will, but that Judas became a willing partner with darkness understanding the consequences of his betrayal. He ties this to John's Gospel theme of light shining in darkness that cannot overcome it, as Judas leaves the meal and disappears into the night.
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4Peter was a walking contradiction whom Jesus treated with patience
Pastor Mark walks through Peter's character across the Gospels — impulsive, outspoken, corrected more than any other disciple, yet also praised more than anyone. He notes that Jesus consistently responded to Peter's lack of self-awareness with patience and kindness rather than rejection.
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5Peter overestimated his own strength to follow Jesus
Pastor Mark recounts Peter's bold claim that he would lay down his life for Jesus even if the other disciples wouldn't, and Jesus' gentle but direct response predicting Peter's denial before the rooster crowed. He notes Peter measured everything by his own natural strength rather than by dependence on Christ.
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6Following Jesus is a matter of weakness and dependence, not strength
Pastor Mark draws out that true discipleship isn't about our own resolve but about depending on Jesus as the Good Shepherd, who sometimes uses His rod and staff not just to comfort but to forcefully pull sheep back from self-destruction. He closes noting Peter had more wandering ahead but was eventually restored and recommissioned by Jesus.

Application

Pastor Mark frames the charge around Jesus' own example at the table: serve like the foot-washer, love like the one who chased Judas, and depend on the Shepherd rather than your own strength.

Serve the least of these
Following Jesus' example of washing feet, be willing to do the demeaning, unwanted tasks of serving others in your community, even at inopportune times.
Pursue those who are drifting toward betrayal or darkness
Like Jesus with Judas, keep reaching out in love toward people who are pulling away, rather than writing them off.
Trade self-reliance for dependence on the Shepherd
Recognize, as Peter had to learn, that following Jesus isn't about your own strength or resolve but about trusting Him to guide and even correct you when you wander.

Take it into your week

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7-day devotional

A personal reading plan from this message — scripture, reflection, and prayer for each day.

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Day 1

Related passage

There is something almost jarring about this scene. The night before the cross, knowing everything that was about to happen — the betrayal, the trial, the nails — Jesus got up from the table, wrapped a towel around His waist, and started washing dirty feet. He didn't delegate it. He didn't use it as an object lesson first and then hand it off. He just did it. The sermon pointed out that Jesus chose to spend His final earthly hours serving others. Not rallying His followers. Not rehearsing His legacy. Serving. And John is careful to tell us why: because Jesus knew where He had come from and where He was going, He was free to go low. His identity wasn't threatened by the basin and the towel. That's worth sitting with. So often what keeps us from humble service is a quiet fear that it will cost us something — status, respect, time we think we deserve. But Jesus shows us that the most secure person in the room is the one on his knees. Service doesn't demean dignity. According to this passage, it defines it. Today's invitation is simply to notice: where in your life might Jesus be handing you a towel?

For reflection

What does your instinctive resistance to a particular kind of service reveal about where you're still finding your sense of worth?

Pray

Pray for the freedom that comes from knowing who you are in Christ — freedom to serve without needing recognition.

Small-group discussion guide

For leading a group conversation about this message.

Open

Think of a time you watched someone do something unexpectedly humble — a moment that made you stop and reconsider what greatness actually looks like. That tension is right at the heart of what Jesus does in John 13.

Discussion questions

1
In John 13:1-17, Jesus chooses to spend His final hours before the cross washing His disciples' feet — a job reserved for the lowest servant in a household. What does that choice tell us about how Jesus defines dignity and greatness in His kingdom?
Related passage
2
The message points out that Jesus washed Judas's feet and quotes Psalm 41:9 — 'Even my best friend, the one I trusted completely, the one who shared my food, has turned against me' — knowing full well what Judas was about to do. What does it reveal about Jesus that He extended that act of honor even to the one who would betray Him?
3
The sermon describes Judas making choices that opened the door wider and wider to darkness, and John frames his departure from the upper room as a movement from light into darkness — drawing on the theme he introduced all the way back in John 1:5. What do you think John wants us to understand about what it looks like when someone gradually turns away from the light?
Related passage
4
In John 13:36-38, Peter insists he is ready to die for Jesus — and Jesus tells him he will deny Him three times before morning. What do you think Jesus is trying to show Peter about the difference between self-confident boldness and the kind of strength that actually sustains a person through hard moments?
Related passage
5
The message connects Jesus' correction of Peter to the image of the shepherd's rod and staff in Psalm 23:4 — tools used not to punish, but to protect and restore. How might that image of a shepherd's correction change the way we as a community think about receiving hard truth from others?
Related passage
6
The message lands on a contrast between Judas, who resisted Jesus' pursuit to the end, and Peter, who — despite his failures — was ultimately restored. What does that contrast invite us to consider about what it actually means to belong to Jesus and stay close to Him?
Related passage

Pray together

Receiving Jesus' servant heart with open hands — and the grace to extend that same humility to the people around us

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Topics

Correction and Restoration Discipleship Humility and Dependence Jesus as Good Shepherd Servant Leadership

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