Washing the Betrayer

Jesus Washes Judas

Read John 13:1-17

John 13:1–17 NIV

It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

When we think of this week, we most often think towards and speak of Easter in terms of Friday and Sunday. We look at the cross and the empty tomb and they immediately become symbols of God’s love toward us. These two symbols who both have their origin in death - the cross as an instrument of death and the tomb as the place where death resides - and yet in just three days those symbols that marked death’s presence because symbols of God’s victory over death. They have become symbols of God’s faithful, never ending love for us. And we need those symbols. We wear them, we put them around our homes, our cars, and all over our life to give us that constant reminder of God’s presence. We surround ourselves with symbols daily and we even partake in things like Communion and Baptism as much for their significance as it is for the symbolism of what they represent - a oneness with Jesus as God’s people.

There is something personal about these symbols, but for the most part we relate to them as symbols that stand for many. Christ died for all of man’s sins. Christ rose again so that all could rise again with him. There is a universal nature to the forgiveness and grace we experience and, I think, for some people it they can have the opposite effect of what they were are supposed to mean. Instead of being God’s child who is know and seen by him, I just become another one of God’s many many people. I get lost in the crowd. For some people that’s a blessing, for others, we want to be seen and known more by Christ. We don’t want to just be one of the many. We want to know that He sees us.

We draw nearer to personal relationship as we approach the table because we become one of the 12 who were surrounding Jesus there that night. We can feel ourselves entering into his inner circle and drawing near to him in a powerful way, but - even then - we can become just another person in the line, waiting for it to shuffle forward so we can receive our bread and dip it in the juice.

Either by routine or weariness on our own part, we can lose the meaning of these incredible symbols. All of them remind us of this week. Of this very night even, and they remind us of God’s resilient, saving love.

But there is one symbol that we don’t do near often enough. There was a moment and an act that occurred - and only one Gospel writer, John, recorded - that we don’t engage with enough or talk about near often enough. It was this moment where Jesus knew what was coming and still had one more lesson to teach his friends.

This man, whom hundred or even thousands had stripped their own clothes off less than a week before to spread before him as he rode into Jerusalem as the Messianic King, would now reveal to each one of them, personally, what kind of king he is. He took his clothes off, humbled and demeaned himself and the position they wanted him to take - remember, this is the man that they were fighting over who got to sit at the right and left hand of at the table and in heaven only a few days prior - this man, God incarnate, now stripped his clothes to do something that only the most basic of servants would do. And this is where I think we see not just the overwhelming, all-encompassing saving grace of Jesus that we talk about each week and we think about when we see the cross, but the personal, relational loving care of Jesus Christ. When he went to each of the 12 men personally, placed their feet over the bowl, poured the water and oil over their feet, and washed them as a servant.

This experience, this idea of Jesus washing feet is so intimate, so personal, that we can’t help but feel that we are seen. That we are known. And that we are loved by Christ. He knew the dirt these men carried upon their bodies. He knew, even more so, the dirt they carried in their souls, and yet he loved them as a servant, as a brother, and as their king. He kneeled and I can only imagine him looking into the eyes of each man, speaking over them as they, humbly as well, must have sat in awe at this man they had seen do so much.

But I can’t imagine a more pure call to know that we are loved, and to go and do this thing - just as they were told to go and eat the bread and drink the wine in his name as a sign of the covenant - they were also told to do this thing, to serve one another as Jesus had served them. To be able to look into the eyes of the man that he loved as a brother in John and to wash his feet and honor him. To wash the feet and know that even though Peter loved him, it would turn out at that Peter still loved himself more. And yet Jesus washed his feet. To wash the feet of the brothers that he had been through so much alongside, but there can be none that is more powerful of a testament to Jesus love than when he kneeled before Judas, his betrayer, compelled by greed, envy, anger, or even Satan himself, Jesus washed his feet and loved him. We can barely forgive our betrayers or our rivals or even our neighbors over the phone and even then, I ask how often we do it with a gracious heart rather than our of societal norms. But here was Jesus, knowing that he would be dead in less than 24 hours by the hand of the man who sat in front of him, and even as he lied about what he was going to be doing, Jesus washed his feet, looked him in the eye, and loved him deeply.

There is nobody that Jesus wouldn’t serve, and he called us to serve and to have the heart posture, the will and desire of a servant too. We have been told to be loved as he was loved, but I wonder how many of us have been loved quite like this. To kneel humbly as we wash another’s feet for them as Jesus washed the feet of both the disciple he loved most and the one that would betray him. There is power in the act of kneeling. A power that has the ability to bring us to our knees more and more often as we grow to take on that humble, servant’s heart that our Master showed us.

And I wonder how many of us have been willing to say we need to be cleaned? The allow ourselves to be vulnerable enough to have the lowest part of ourselves washed by another. To be humbled and reminded that we don’t always have to “be Jesus”. Sometimes we can let another take his place and we can allow ourselves to feel loved.

So this evening I offer you all an invitation. This evening we are going to partake in a true Maundy Thursday as we have the opportunity to wash each other’s feet before we enjoy the Lord’s Supper together on this intimate and meaningful Thursday night. There are two stations set up before you this evening and I would like to provide you this invitation. You do not have to come forward, but you are invited to do so. We have attendants that will wash your feet for you, but we also would like to offer you the opportunity to wash one another’s feet. A loved one, a neighbor, even that of a betrayer. To forgive and to show love as we have been forgiven and shown the ultimate love.

As you have your feet washed, we will only be washing one foot. If you remove your shoe and sock and sit in the chair, the person washing the feet will pour some water gently over the foot being washed and dry it using one of the clean towels. Please try to pour the water into the basin - your foot will remain suspended over the basin, not in the water - and when you are finished with the towel, there is a basket that you can place it in once you are finished.

This time is open to all those that are willing to come forward. Let us go to the Lord and give him our hearts. Let him guide us during this time and open us up to experience his overwhelmingly intimate and knowing love.

Let’s Pray.