Jesus Washes the Disciples' Feet

INTRO

In a society in which everything changes, we need something to hang onto that doesn’t change––and that’s the Word of God. At the end of John 12, Jesus stated that He said and did only what He heard and saw His Father do. John 13 was the beginning of His farewell address to His disciples. He began to prepare them for what was coming.

TEACHING

John 13:3: Jesus knew the time had come. He knew His identity, who He was, where He came from, what He had come to do, and where He was going. In Matthew 3:17, the Father spoke identity into His Son. God audibly declared Jesus as His beloved Son with whom He was well pleased. This statement was repeated after Jesus’ transfiguration, with God’s additional command to “listen to Him” (Matthew 17:5). How many times do we think that following Christ is only about having our sins forgiven, so we live the rest of our lives still seeking our significance in so many other things? But He has given us everything we need––our identity is found in Christ.

Peter reminded believers that God has given them “everything required for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:2–4). We are no longer who we used to be; now we walk as one of His children. When we truly understand this, we will walk differently. We will walk with authority. In 1 Thessalonians 4:16–18, Paul said, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout . . . the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are still alive will . . . meet the Lord in the air . . . Therefore comfort one another with these words.” Through Christ, we know where we came from, who we are, and where we’re going. Romans 8:14 emphasized that as children of God, we are led by the Spirit of God. If you’re living under fear and bondage, that’s from your old life. Since our identity is found in Christ, we don’t have to seek it in other places. Ephesians 3:20 states that God can “do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us.” We have to learn how to walk in His power.

John 13:4–5: Jesus washed His disciples’ feet. Normally, a servant would perform this duty for the guests. Jesus performed this task to begin to prepare His disciples for the next part of their lives—to take leadership for what was coming. In Luke 22:24, as they approached Jerusalem, the disciples had argued among themselves about which one of them was the greatest. Now Jesus calmly rose from the table and began to model what greatness looked like in His kingdom. In Matthew 20:25–28, Jesus explained how greatness was found in His kingdom. In this act, Jesus demonstrated His understanding of His identity and Sonship. He also communicated the importance of humility. Through His actions, Jesus showed His disciples how to conduct themselves and how to show they valued another person. Because Jesus knew who He was, He could serve others and show them that they were valued. Peter challenged believers to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). Wiersbe said, “We are growing in knowledge, but not in grace.”¹In support, Wiersbe also quoted Andrew Murray, who wrote: “Humility is the only soil in which the graces root.”²First Peter 5:5–6 states, “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that He may exalt you at the proper time.” God’s grace flows in and through our humility. Although Jesus had everything, He humbled Himself and took the place of a servant.

John 13:6–10: Peter recognized Jesus’ greatness, and because he knew “great” people shouldn’t perform this task, he protested Jesus washing his feet (v. 8). When Jesus said, “If I don’t wash you, you have no part with Me,” Peter responded by asking Jesus to wash “not only my feet, but also my hands and my head” (v. 9). Peter wanted everything Jesus had to offer him. Jesus’ response in verse 10 confirmed that when we come to Christ, our sins are forgiven, and we become the righteousness of God in Christ. That cleansing washes away all of our sins. In 1 Corinthians 6:9–11, Paul explained that all sinners are washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of Christ and by the Spirit of God. Titus 3:3–5 points out, “We too were once foolish . . . but when the kindness of God our Savior . . . appeared, He saved us . . . according to His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” This explains why Jesus told Peter he didn’t need to be washed again completely, but only his feet. Jesus’ statement indicated that as we walk through life, we need to continually confess our sins as they happen, it’s not that we lose our salvation.

This truth was first illustrated in the initial consecration of Aaron and his sons as priests. In Exodus 29:4, Aaron and his sons were washed with water when they were consecrated for service, but that was the only time they underwent that particular cleansing. In Exodus 30:17-18, God commanded Moses to make a bronze basin to place between the tent of meeting and the altar. “Aaron and his sons must wash their hands and feet from the basin” whenever they entered the tent or meeting to minister (Exodus 30:19–21). When we have unconfessed sin in our lives, we don’t hear from the Lord. By confessing our sins, our relationship with Him remains strong.

John 13:12–16: Jesus gave His disciples an example of serving others that they were to follow. Jesus wanted them to have a heart of humility to serve others. Jesus wasn’t after outward expression without heart transformation. That’s why He called out the Pharisees in Matthew 23. Jesus calls us to take on humility as the very foundation of everything we do. If we want to be everything Christ has called us to be, we have to know who we are and walk in humility.

John 13:17: “If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.” The blessing comes when we do these things. Donald Carson said: “There is a form of religious piety that utters a hearty ‘Amen!’ to the most stringent demands of discipleship, but which rarely does anything about them.”3 James 1:22 emphasizes that believers should “be doers of the word and not hearers only.” Jesus said the one who does the Word would be blessed.

CLOSING

Jesus wants you to know you’re a child of God, and He wants you to walk with humility as one of His children.