Washing our feet

Footwashing service

John 13:1–17 NKJV

Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. And supper being ended, the devil having 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 to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?” Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.” Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, “You are not all clean.” So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, 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 should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

Knowing His hour had come- Chose to serve

He loved the to the end- Don’t give up on people. Jesus didn’t give up on you.

Jesus washed the feet of His betrayer- Are you willing to serve the people who have hurt you? Have you resisted?

Jesus washing the disciples feet may have more meaning than you have realized.

It is a depiction of His entire earthly ministry.

John 13:3 “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God,”

John 13:4 “rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself.”

Rose from His place in heaven and laid aside His glory. He took on the role of a servant.

Philippians 2:5-8 “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

In their culture if you had guests in your home and you were well off enough to have servants, the lowliest of the servants washed the feet of the guests.

Matthew 3:11 “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

This is what John the Baptist is saying. I’m not even worthy of the being the lowliest servant to take His sandals and wash His feet.

This also goes to show us that there is no job too low for a follower of Jesus. Jesus sought out the lowly jobs. That’s what He came for.

John 13:4 “rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself.”

Jesus didn’t just take the towel. He wrapped the towel around Himself. We will see the significance of this in a moment.

John 13:5 “After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.”

12 disciples. 24 feet. Dirty…smelly…calloused

One after the other puts their feet in the basin and one after the other, Jesus wiped them dry.

The water in the basin represents the cleansing power of Jesus and the living water of the Holy Spirit.

As each foot is placed in the water, Jesus uses the towel wrapped around Him to dry and remove the rest of the dirt from their feet. Literally the dirt is removed from them and remains on Him. With each foot the towel get more and more dirty. Jesus took our sins upon Himself and that towel signifies Him doing that!

2 Corinthians 5:21 “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

John 13:6 “Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?””

I think we misunderstand this. It sounds prideful, but I think he is just shocked that the Messiah would want to do this. It seems wrong to him.

John 13:7 “Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.””

In your life right now there are things going on that you don’t understand. We often have no clue of what God is doing through our circumstances.

Tonight He is saying this to us. “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.”

He’s saying trust Me.

You don’t have to know.

Sometimes we can’t see what God is doing in the present moment, because of our pain, reasoning, pride, or stubbornness.

John 13:8 “Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.””

Here Peter’s reasoning and thinking keep him from trusting.

“I’ll trust You Lord, as long as I know what You are doing.”

“I’ll go where ever you want me to…as long you tell me in advance where we are going.”

We don’t have to know or understand. Our walk is by faith.

Peter out of his lack of understanding tells Jesus “You will never wash my feet”

Where are we telling Jesus never?

Do we know better than He does?

John 13:8-11 “Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, “You are not all clean.””

Peter is quick to repent and change course.

Bathed/clean

John 15:3 “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.”

Hebrews 10:19-24 “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,”

Still needed feet cleaned

We still need to have Jesus serve us to keep us from the dirt of this world:

Hard hearts

Unforgiveness

Depression

Loneliness

Lies of the enemy

Feet= peace

John 13:12-17 “So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, 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 should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”

Do you know what I have done to you?

Jesus came to serve and He wants us to serve too

Jesus came to love us…even the ugly parts of us.

Are we willing to love others…even the ugly parts. “I can’t believe I just told my pastor that!”

We know we are to serve…but are we serving!?