A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

John 13:34-35

On September 18, 2007, a professor named Randy Pausch delivered his Last Lecture. Around 400 people gathered to hear what he had to teach. That lecture went on to be turned into a best-selling book which was translated into 35 languages and the video of the lecture itself was viewed by millions of people on the internet. His lecture also inspired other schools to begin a Last Lecture series on their campuses. That one lecture made a huge impact.

So what’s the big deal? Why did Randy Pausch’s lecture have such a big impact on the world? He delivered that lecture just a few months before he died of pancreatic cancer. He was dying, and he knew it, but there was more he had to teach his students and goodbyes he needed to say to his colleagues, so he gave one last lecture.

It was the fact that he was dying that touched so many people. No one would have blamed him if he’d retired quietly and focused on trying to enjoy the little time he had left. No one would’ve blamed him if he’d declined the invitation to speak once more because he was too upset about his circumstances, but when it came down to it, he cared about the legacy he would leave behind with his students. It was an incredibly selfless act, by the truest definition, an act of love toward his students.

I never knew it when I memorized John 13:35 in Bible Drills, but these verses are part of Jesus’s last lecture. Just like Randy Pausch, when Jesus saw His time approaching, He didn’t shrink away from His students; He taught them one last time.

The thing about this kind of last lecture is that they get to the core of who that person is and what they believe is important really quickly. It’s their very last chance to make sure the message gets across, so there’s no time for rabbit trails or beating around the bush, which is why the start of Jesus’s last lecture is so interesting.

Jewish rabbis often taught through stories and parables, but they also taught through their example, and their disciples were expected to imitate them. So when Jesus decided to get down on the ground and begin washing His disciples’ feet—something a servant would have been expected to do—what He was doing was an act of teaching. He was starting the lecture. 

It’s pretty amazing to think about the Creator of the universe getting down on His hands and knees to wipe all the dirt and dust off a dozen smelly men’s feet, but that’s only scratching the surface—literally because a whole lot was going on for Jesus mentally and emotionally that night.

The four verses before Jesus started His Last Lecture give us some insight. First of all, Jesus knew His time had come. He knew He was going to suffer and die. He knew He was going to have to leave the disciples that He loved so much and be separated from them for a while. He also knew that one of those close friends had already decided to betray Him. He had a lot going on in His mind and His heart when He decided to pick up the towel and serve His disciples. 

It would have been completely understandable if He had chosen to go for a walk to clear His head or just sit quietly at the table for most of the meal, but He chose to teach instead. One by one, He performs His demonstration, He patiently answers questions and deals with Peter’s knuckleheaded misunderstanding, and at the end of the chapter, after He has sent Judas to do what he’d decided to do, He explains the lesson they should learn—love each other.

Of all the lessons, of all the truths Jesus could have chosen to teach to His most trusted friends and students, He chose to teach them both in word and in deed to love each other. It’s a perfect demonstration, encompassing all five love languages. Service and physical touch are easiest to recognize when He washes their feet, but He also speaks kindly and lovingly to them, spends the evening engaging with them, and is on the verge of giving them the biggest gift in human history. Oh, our God is so good!

Now there’s an inspirational lecture! But here’s the thing about the culture in which Jesus was teaching this lesson—it was about action. You didn’t just listen to the rabbi when he delivered a message; you actively made an effort to imitate what he was teaching you. You didn’t just pray the Shema every day (one of the foundational prayers of the Jewish faith); you lived in a way that reflected that belief, so how do we do the same?

To answer that question, I think we have to look back at Jesus’s ministry. At the woman at the well, at the lame man who got lowered through the roof, at the woman with the 12-year-long period, at the blind man who shouted for Jesus to help him, and the countless other sick and injured. Any time Jesus came in contact with someone who called to Him, and many times when people did not, He stopped. He made time for them. He made them the priority

This has been a focal point of what God’s been teaching me recently. I spend so much time learning about Him intellectually (which is a good thing), but when it comes to others, I don’t always live out His most important lesson—to love them. I pray that will be our goal this week. There’s no denying that God is on the move around the world. Let’s join in by building relationships and imitating our Rabbi’s love for those around us.