John 13: 1-9 tells us that… before the feast of the passover, Jesus knew that the hour was near when He must depart out of this world. He knew that the Father had put all things in His hands and that He was from God and would be going back to God. He rose from the supper table, removed his garments and tied a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began washing the disciples’ feet and wiped them with the towel. When it was Peter’s turn to be washed, he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, are you going to wash my feet?
Jesus answered, “What I’m doing, you don’t understand now, but you will understand later.”
Peter told Him, “You shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus told him, “If I don’t wash you, then you have no part with me.”
Peter replied, “Lord, not just my feet then, but my hands and my head!”
In those days, foot washing was a common practice before a meal and usually performed only by a lowly household servant….and Jesus was above such things, Peter thought. However, when Jesus told him that if he refused to be washed he would have no part with Him, he changed his mind. ” Not just my feet,” he said, “But wash my hands and my head as well!”
Jesus said to him, “He that is washed needs only to wash his feet to be fully clean.
In verse 12-16 Jesus explained to them why he washed their feet. “You call me your Lord and Master, and I am,” He said, “so if I, your Lord and Master, wash your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you…The servant is not greater than his lord; neither is he that was sent greater than he that sent him. If you know these things, you will be blessed by doing them.
Jesus had gotten to know each of His disciples and He loved them “unto the end,” it says in verse 1. He also knew that many of the things He had said and done they had no understanding of. Just as we today do not always understand His ways, we follow because we know He loves us and works all things out for our good.
Another example Jesus showed us…in fact the first one we should follow after accepting Him as our Savior… is found in Matthew 3:13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John (the Baptist), to be baptized of him. 14 But John forbade him, saying I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? 15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Allow it to be so now, for it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness… 16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water; and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him. 17 And Lo a voice from heaven saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Everything Jesus did throughout His Lifetime He did in order to bring glory to God, His Father…and to set an example for us who choose to follow Him. Just as Peter hesitated to allow Jesus to wash his feet, John felt unworthy of the honor of baptizing Him. But He did it when Jesus insisted.
When we accept Christ as our Savior, we are fully cleansed from sin, however, we continue to live in sin because the world is full of it. Daily washing of the feet was necessary back then because of the dusty roads and sandal-type shoes they wore. When Jesus commented to Peter that. “when one is washed, he needs only to wash his feet,” perhaps he was referring to the fact that even though we have been cleansed from sin through salvation, we still need forgiveness every day…a daily cleansing of the soul.
Sometimes we feel unworthy and hesitate about asking His forgiveness when we know things we do are not always pleasing to Him, but 1 John 1: 9 assures us: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
By washing the feet of His disciples Jesus’ demonstrated how we should care for each other. He came to serve, not to be served. This should be our attitude as well…even if it means getting our hands dirty or going the extra mile for someone. Sometimes we find doing for others an inconvenience or an aggravation. We ask ourselves, What has this person ever done for me? or Who would ever do the same for me? If we’re following Jesus, we’re supposed to do for others without expecting anything in return. Treat them the way we’d like to be treated. When we fully commit ourselves to following Christ, serving others with a happy heart will become a part of who we are.
