John 13:1-5
“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.“
John 13:1-5 NIV
The love of Christ to sinners is the very essence and marrow of the gospel. That He should love us at all and care for our souls, that He should love us so much as to come into the world to save us, take our nature on Him, bear our sins, and die for us on the cross.
Many poems, songs, books, and movies have been written about true love. Jesus defines it. Jesus is on the eve of His own torture and death. He knows that of the twelve men in the room with Him to share the Passover meal, the Last Supper, will abandon Him. One will betray Him, one will deny Him, and they all will desert Him.
Nevertheless, Jesus stoops and does the work of a slave by washing their feet described in subsequent verses. He loves them to the end of His horrific journey despite their unfaithfulness. He shows them the full extent of love by performing a lowly task to serve them. If we pay attention, we can see what love is.
As John tells his Spirit-inspired story of Jesus, he doesn't leave it to our sense of discernment to pick up on the message. If we want to know about true love, we should watch and listen to Jesus in these verses and those that follow in John 13 because these verses have a very significant demonstration of Jesus’ love.
Confidence in His walk with God enables Jesus to serve others and to submit His will to God. Sacrificially Jesus demonstrates His confidence, submission, and commitment to service by washing His disciples feet, the account of which begins in today's verses.
From the beginning of His ministry, God had affirmed Jesus’ identity and importance: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased". Knowing His identity, Jesus now serves His disciples by showing them that the power of authority is service to others, not service from them. Knowing we are children of God should motivate us to serve others as well.
Many of us have pondered the significance of this surprising act by Jesus. Not only is it demeaning to wash feet, but it was considered to be especially condescending by the Jews to do so. But Jesus really gets into the role of foot-washing, even removing His outer garment and putting a towel around Him, the look of a slave.
Later that night, Judas would lead the temple authorities to find Jesus, making it possible for them to arrest Jesus secretly and lead Him away to trial and crucifixion. What was going through Judas’s mind as the Lord knelt before his feet and rendered the service of a slave? Did Judas already know that Jesus knew what he was about to do?
Either way, it had to be a very awkward moment for Judas. When he heard Jesus say, “You are all clean, but not every one of you,” all that Judas could have been thinking was, He knows. He knows, and still, He’s washing my feet. I wonder if their eyes met and Judas had to look away. So Jesus knew all about what Judas was doing. And yet, John tells us in verse 1, He loved “His own” disciples “unto the end.” And “His own” included Judas Iscariot. In fact, Jesus dismisses Judas in verse 27, after announcing to the disciples that there is a traitor in their midst.
He could have removed Judas from the Passover meal sooner if he had wanted. But instead, Jesus waits until He has washed Judas’s feet along with the other disciples, as if to say, “You are still one of mine. And I still love you.” And Jesus would go to the cross the next day and give His life not only for the eleven but also for Judas, His betrayer. It’s very hard for us, I think, to imagine a love like that.
So, Jesus teaches the church to wash one another’s feet that is, to sacrificially serve others even in ways that we might think are beneath us. And His ultimate foot-washing act would be to go to the cross for the world. But this lesson is not only about our willingness to do a dirty task. It is also a lesson about our willingness to love other people, even those who are unlovely, or unloving in return. After all, if Jesus, our Lord, can wash the feet of those who would scatter from Him, of one who would deny Him, and even of one who would betray Him, in fact, if He can wash our feet then surely we can wash one another’s feet.
Jesus knew that He had been born to die for the sin of the whole world, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son to be the sacrifice for man's sin. He was sent so that whosoever believes on Him would not perish but have everlasting life!!!
Father, thank You for this day and the amazing grace of the Cross. Lord, pour out Your abundant blessings over my friend and family. We stand amazed at Your heart of love for us and for all who have trusted Him as Saviour. He did not need to leave His home in glory and die for our sin, but He did it for love of us and for all who trust Him as Saviour. Lord, may we live to His praise and glory. Lord, please give us the courage and confidence to serve others sacrificially.
Father, we love You. Amen !
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