POK - Jesus Serves
WEEKLY THEME:
A King Who Kneels: Love, Power, and the Pattern of Jesus
John 13:1–17, 34–35
OPENING SUMMARY
As we continue our Lenten journey toward Easter, we turn our attention to a striking portrait of Jesus in John 13—kneeling, apron-clad, and washing the feet of his disciples. This is no ordinary act of hospitality. It’s a profound disruption of social norms, a voluntary reversal of power and status, and a love-soaked redefinition of leadership and community.
Jesus, fully aware of his authority and origin, chooses to serve in a way that would have shocked his contemporaries. In doing so, he not only reveals the heart of God but offers a pattern for us to live by: a love that is voluntary, communal, and embodied. This kind of love doesn’t just inform our beliefs; it forms our identity.
ICEBREAKER QUESTION
What’s one small but unexpected act of service someone has done for you that stayed with you?
SCRIPTURE READING
Read aloud John 13:1–17, 34–35.
Invite a moment of silence before moving into reflection.
REFLECTION & DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Seeing the Portrait
What details stand out to you in this story?
How does Jesus’ awareness of his authority shape your understanding of his choice to wash feet?
Status and Society
How do you see unspoken expectations of status, success, or importance at play in your own life or community?
In what ways does Jesus challenge those expectations in this story?
Jesus' Disruption
Why do you think Peter initially resisted Jesus washing his feet? What might his response reveal about how we tend to view honor and humility?
Imitating the Pattern
Jesus says, “I have set you an example…”
What might it look like in your daily life to wash one another’s feet—not literally, but symbolically?How might we build communities where mutual service is the norm, not the exception?
The New Commandment
“As I have loved you…”
How is this command different from simply “love your neighbor”?What might shift in our families, friendships, or churches if this kind of love was our first identity?
SPIRITUAL PRACTICE / APPLICATION
Embodied Act of Love:
This week, choose one “mundane” but meaningful act of love to practice:
Serve someone in your household in a way they wouldn’t expect.
Offer encouragement to a coworker who seems overlooked.
Forgive someone—even in your heart—without needing to be acknowledged.
Do something generous or humble without posting about it.
If possible, invite your group to share how it went next week.
CLOSING PRAYER
(Invite someone in the group to read this aloud, or pray from the heart.)
Jesus, you are the King who kneels.
The one who holds all power but chooses love.
Help us to see you clearly in this moment—
basin in hand, apron around your waist,
love poured out like water on weary feet.Teach us to love not in theory, but in practice.
Not from obligation, but from the secure place of knowing we are already loved.May our lives become little reflections of your upside-down kingdom.
In classrooms, kitchens, coffee shops, and courtrooms—
may we carry your love in our words and actions.Make us a people known not by our beliefs alone,
but by our love—
as you have loved us.
Amen.
