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John – From the Upper Room... (1 of 12)
Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet
John 13:1-17
John 13-17 records Jesus’ final interaction with and instruction to His disciples immediately before His arrest and crucifixion.
John 13:1 (ESV) –
“Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.”
John 13 begins recounting Jesus washing His disciples’ feet.
This significant event – Jesus washing His disciples’ feet – paints a picture that compels us to humility before God and humble service of each other.
John 13:1-5 (ESV) –
“Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. ”
1. Displaying the depth of His of love, Jesus washes His disciples’ feet.
John 2:4 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“...Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.’”
Jesus knew that the hour had come for Him to go to the cross and die as the once-for-all time sacrifice for our sins.
John 12:23 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“And Jesus answered them, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.’”
John 13:1 (ESV) –
“...when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.”
John 13:3 (ESV) –
“Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God...”
Jesus got up took off His outer garment, wrapped a towel around His waist and began to wash the disciple’s feet – one by one. This includes Judas.
John 13:3-5 (ESV) –
“Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.”
Genesis 18:4 (ESV) –
“Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree...”
Can you feel the shock that the disciples must have felt?
Jesus, the Son of God serves and takes upon Himself the most menial of tasks. It’s a vivid display of self-sacrificing, self-giving, humble love!
Where is self-sacrificing love most fully and completely demonstrated? The answer of course is at the cross. Jesus washing His disciples’ feet foreshadows the cross.
Philippians 2:5-8 (ESV) –
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
John 13:6-11 (ESV) –
“Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
2. Peter’s objection to Jesus washing his feet is understandable and Jesus’ reply shows that this is about more than foot-washing.
John 13:6 (ESV) –
“Lord, do you wash my feet?”
John 13:8 (ESV) –
“You shall never wash my feet.”
A Rabbi washing His disciples’ feet was unthinkable. Jesus took on the role and posture of a servant and thinking about it in these terms, Peter’s objection is more understandable.
John 13:8 (ESV) –
“If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.”
John 13:10 (ESV) –
“Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!”
John 13:10 (ESV) –
“The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.”
Every person who has ever walked this earth and everyone who ever will, needs to be cleansed (to be washed) because the stain of sin is universal.
Praise God cleansing is available! There is one and only one way to be saved from our sins, through Jesus Christ and Him alone.
John 13:8 (ESV) –
“If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.”
John 14:6 (ESV) –
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Acts 4:12 (ESV) –
“...there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV) –
“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Unless we are cleansed from our sin there is no hope and cleansing is available only in Jesus Christ.
John 13:12-17 (ESV) –
“When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”
3. Jesus’ radical demonstration of love and humility in washing His disciples’ feet is a compelling example for all who will ever follow Him.
John 13:12 (ESV) –
“Do you understand what I have done to you?”
John 13:14-15 (ESV) –
“If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.”
Jesus provides us with an example of radical love and humility that we are to follow. Servants are not greater than their master and our Master stooped down and picked up the towel.
Jesus calls us to follow His supreme example of love and humble service toward one-another. He showed us the way by His supreme example. This is our model for Christian conduct.
Galatians 6:2 (ESV) –
“Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
1 Peter 5:5 (ESV) –
“Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’”
Philippians 2:3-4 (ESV) –
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
• The self-sacrificing love Jesus demonstrated as He washed His disciples’ feet ultimately points forward to the cross.
• The stain of sin is universal and cleansing is only found in Jesus Christ.
• Jesus supremely models how we should humbly serve one-another.
Remember that the Passover celebrated God’s mighty deliverance leading His people out of slavery in Egypt. During the final plague when all the firstborn of Egypt were struck down in one night, doors marked with blood were passed over and the household spared.
God has made a way for us to be saved from the penalty of our sin, to be saved from His wrath which we justly deserve. The only way to be cleansed of our sins is through personally receiving Jesus Christ as Savior!
Christ’s body was broken and His blood was shed on the cross, paying the penalty for our sins. He did this to freely offer rescue to all and secure it for all who receive Him.
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (ESV) –
“For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.”
John 13:7 (ESV) –
“What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.”
John 13:8 (ESV) –
“If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.”
Jesus washing His disciples’ feet points to the cross and through Christ’s blood we’re cleansed of our sins!