Follow the Good Example of the Master
- Baptist Daily Devotional
- Apr 17
- 3 min read
Rev. Tse Amable | April 17 2025 | John 13:13-17
KEY VERSE: “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you” John 13:15 (NIV)
MESSAGE:
Jesus Christ came to teach us a new and different way of leadership. It is called SERVANT LEADERSHIP. He told his disciples who were fighting over sitting positions in the Kingdom of Heaven: “.... whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave - JUST AS THE SON OF MAN DID NOT COME TO BE SERVED, BUT TO SERVE, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:25-28).
Jesus Christ did not only teach. He walked the talk, showing the example of a Servant Leader by practical demonstration. He did that by washing his disciples' feet, a task reserved for only servants in a household. On this occasion, after dinner, the Bible said Jesus Christ “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” (John 13:4-5). Then he told 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. (John 13:13-14).
Washing the feet of his disciples was an example of SERVANT LEADERSHIP, our Master left for us to imitate. The Bible says Jesus Christ left you “an example, that you should follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:21). This is one of the good examples you must imitate. The practice of feet washing emphasises humility, service, and a lifestyle of brotherly love. It is not a strictly obligatory Christian doctrine but a symbolic act, representing a commitment to serving others, mirroring Jesus' example.
Be a Christian who loves to serve and not to be served.
FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE:
Do you enjoy doing the dirty tasks reserved for servants at home, church, or society? Whatever your status in life, you have been called to serve others. Follow the good example of the Master by serving others.
PRAYER:
Father, I confess that it is not easy to be a servant, doing tasks reserved for people below my societal position. Help me to love being a servant of all genuinely. I pray this in Jesus Christ's name. Amen!
THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING.
SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!
The 365 DAILY BIBLE READING Day 107: Joshua 5-6 — Circumcision at Gilgal; Fall of Jericho
DAILY word study: EXAMPLE The Greek word for example in John 13:15 is “ὑπόδειγμα” (hypodeigma), meaning a pattern, model, or demonstration meant to be imitated. It emphasises a visible act set as a standard.
Jesus used the foot-washing moment not as a lesson in ritual but in radical humility. By taking on the role of a servant, He gave the disciples a model that shatters pride. In a world where power seeks visibility, Jesus’ example shows that the way up is down.
Scripture repeatedly calls us to imitate Christ (1 Peter 2:21, Ephesians 5:1–2). Servant leadership is not optional—it is central to Christian witness. It embodies love in action and breaks down status barriers, making room for grace to flow through us to others.
Reflection:
To follow Jesus is to follow His pattern. His example was not just to inspire but to instruct. Service, when done in love, brings Christ’s presence into every space.
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