Jesus: Our Example of Servanthood

Christians are to serve one another, following Jesus example.

INTRO: John depicts the Last Supper, the Passover meal which was shared the evening before Jesus crucifixion. During this gathering, Jesus modeled humility by washing His disciples feet. In this act, the Lord and teacher embodied humility, love, and the essence of true leadership by adopting the role of a servant. While salvation through Christ is received when we are born again, the journey of faith requires ongoing renewal from sin and growth in the grace of God.

Jesus actions and words teach the importance of serving others and remind us to stay spiritually pure through His transforming work, offering an enduring example of love and humility.

OUR LORD LOWERED HIMSELF

The Hour Has Come

John 13:1–3 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.

Context of the Passage

This passage occurs before the Feast of the Passover.

Jesus is aware that His time on earth is coming to an end.

He expresses His love for His disciples, emphasizing that He loved them to the very end.

The amazing contrast in these verses. Jesus clearly understood who He was He knew He came from God, He knew He was returning to God, and He knew God had placed everything under His authority. Yet even with that full awareness of His greatness and position, He humbled Himself and chose to wash His disciples’ feet.

Washing the Disciples feet

John 13:4–5 NKJV

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.

So when Jesus got up during the Last Supper and started washing the disciples’ feet (John 13:4), He was taking the place of the lowest servant. The disciples were likely shocked. Jesus was their Lord and Teacher, yet He humbled Himself to do a task they normally would have done for one another. But no one had stepped forward.

Jesus did not come to earth as a conquering king, but as the suffering Servant described in Isaiah 53. As He said in Matthew 20:28, He came “not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” His humble act with the towel and basin pointed ahead to His greatest act of humility and love—giving His life on the cross.

Three points:

For Jesus: It displayed His humility and servant-heart, shown in His willingness to forgive sinners.

For the disciples: It confronted their proud, self-focused attitude and called them to a different mindset.

For us: It symbolizes our calling in the body of Christ—to serve one another with humility and love.

HUMILITY DISPLAYED: HOLINESS REQUIRED

Peter Lacks Understanding

John 13:6–8 NKJV

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.”

John 13:8 means this: Jesus told Peter, “If I don’t wash you, you can’t belong to Me.” In other words, Peter could not truly follow Jesus unless Jesus cleansed him.

Jesus was not saying Peter would lose his place as an apostle just because he didn’t want his feet washed. Peter’s refusal came from respect, but the foot-washing pointed to something much deeper. It was a picture of a spiritual cleansing that Peter needed for salvation. Without that cleansing, Peter could not truly share in Christ.

According to:

1 John 1:7 NKJV

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

1 Corinthians 6:11 NKJV

And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

Titus 3:5–6 NKJV

not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

Jesus often used everyday things to teach eternal truths. He would take something ordinary—like bread, water, or washing—and use it to lift His disciples’ minds to spiritual realities.

Jesus Desires Cleanliness

John 13:9–11 NKJV

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 and the other disciples had already been spiritually cleansed and were walking in fellowship with Jesus—but Judas was not. Even so, Jesus still washed Judas’ feet along with the others. That shows an extraordinary, undeserved love.

This humble act displays how deep Jesus’ compassion truly is. He chose to show grace even to the very man who would betray Him later that night.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAINTAINING HUMBLE RELATIONS

Reaffirming the Disciples Belief

John 13:12–13 NKJV

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.

When Jesus asked, “Do you understand what I have done for you?” He was urging His disciples to think carefully about what they had just seen. He wanted them to understand that serving others is central to His teaching.

He wasn’t only washing their feet, He was showing them how to treat one another. He was making it clear that humility should be part of their daily lives as His followers.

And this act also pointed ahead to the cross, where He would give His life in the greatest display of love and service. He was calling them, and us, to follow His example in the way we live.

This passage calls for an honest heart check: why do we serve? Is it because we feel pressured, or because we truly love people? When we serve the way Jesus served, we are living in step with His teaching. That kind of service takes humility and a willingness to put someone else’s needs ahead of our own.

Notice how Jesus asked His disciples if they understood what He had done. He was teaching them that it’s not enough to do helpful things, our hearts matter, too. When we understand the purpose behind serving, it shapes how we treat others with patience, care, and respect.

True service should come from sincere love and compassion. When we follow Jesus’ example, our kindness spreads. It helps create a place where people feel valued, relationships grow stronger, and love becomes more visible in the way we live.

A Challenge from the Teacher

John 13:14–17 NKJV

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.

Humble Servanthood

Even though Jesus is their Lord and Teacher, He humbled Himself and washed His disciples’ feet like a servant. This shows that in God’s Kingdom, true greatness is measured by serving others.

Moral Obligation

Jesus told His disciples, “If I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you should wash one another’s feet too.” He was making it clear that serving others is not optional—it is part of following Him, and it should be done with the same love and humility He showed.

Example of Love

Jesus gave His followers a clear example, urging them to love and serve others without thinking of themselves first. Foot washing is not just a ceremony, it is a call to live with a servant’s heart every day, showing real love through humble actions.

Conclusion

In John 13:14-17, Jesus teaches His disciples about the importance of humility and service. By washing their feet, He illustrates that leadership in His kingdom is about serving others, and He calls His followers to do the same. This passage encourages believers to reflect on how we can serve one another in love.

Following Jesus means choosing real humility, even when it is inconvenient. It means putting other people’s needs ahead of our own, and being willing to set aside our preferences and plans when someone, especially God, calls for our attention.

This kind of life pushes us to move from being self-focused to being others-focused, finding joy in serving and encouraging people. It is not always easy, but it reflects Jesus’ example. And many times, we discover true fulfillment when we give ourselves freely and generously.