A Foot-Washing Savior - John 13:1-17
One of the fun aspects of John’s gospel is that there are so many familiar passages, and we find ourselves in another one. Interestingly, only the gospel of John records Jesus washing his disciples’ feet.
Which certainly tells you that it left a lasting impression on John! At the end of chapter 12, Jesus continued to reach out particularly to the Jewish people. No doubt, Jesus’ ministry was one of service. He was always thinking about others, and of course this passage highlights that in a powerful way.
Through the simple act of washing His disciples' feet, Jesus demonstrated humble servanthood which should point us to three things: first, we see the depth of Christ’s love (vv. 1-5), second, we’re reminded of our need to be washed by him (vv. 6-11), and lastly, we’re instructed to wash each other’s feet as well (vv. 12-17).
The Depths of Christ's Love (John 13:1-5)
There’s quite a bit of scholarly debate around the exact chronology of events here. However, I believe that John is talking about what has been historically referred to as Maundy Thursday.
It’s also my opinion that Jesus washed the disciples' feet prior to breaking bread together. The ESV says at the beginning of verse 2, that all of this took place “During supper,” which suggests they were eating and Jesus suddenly got up to wash everyone’s feet; however, it can also be translated “At the Supper.”
But of course, I don’t want to get ahead of myself, because we cannot overlook an incredibly important detail: that everything we just read about Jesus washing his disciples’ feet is driven by his incredible love.
Moms, if someone was to sit you down and ask you why you run your kids all over town, coordinate calendars, and do all the things that you do week in and week out, what would you say? Hopefully, if we were to get past little Johnny likes football and little Jane likes piano, we’d eventually get to, “I do these things because I love my husband and my kids.”
Hopefully the same can be said for the Dads here. Why do you work so hard, and stay so busy, hopefully we’d eventually get to “because I love my wife and kids.”
And the same is really true for our Savior in this passage! Everything that we read in this passage is motivated by his great love. Look at the verse one:
“...when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.”
And it sounds a lot like what Jesus says in his high priestly prayer in just a few chapters. Jesus says in John 17, “I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.”
Moms and Dads you all might like all kids, but you really love your own children.
Jesus' love is set upon those whom he came to save, and guess what? Those whom he came to save he accomplished redemption for. Love spurs him on to wash his disciples feet in the shadow of the cross.
Pretty much from the moment we moved into our current house, Lauren wanted to paint the shudders. They were this old, faded, red color and the shudders clashed with the brick. And so, she had decided from the moment we moved in we needed to paint the shudders.
Picking out the paint color was easy, taking the shudders off would be easy, but figuring out when to do it was the hardest part.
Knowing what to do in a project is easy, even starting that project is easy. The hardest part is following through. Setting out and completing the project, that’s the hardest part.
But you never really have to worry about that with Jesus. Those whom Jesus loves, he saves. He will finish what he started. Or as John put it, “he loved them to the end.” You should find a tremendous level of comfort in that. Jesus didn’t begin redemption and then say, “eh, they can finish the rest.” It’s not like Jesus redeemed you 99% of the way and now it’s up to you to get the job done.
No, the redemption that Jesus accomplished is paid in full. He got it 100% done. What Jesus accomplished on the cross isn’t like the bathroom project you started but can’t ever finish.If your faith is in Jesus Christ he has accomplished your redemption. It’s glorious news!
But what did redemption require of Jesus? Well, it obviously required his life, but it also required him to humble himself.
Look at what John tells us beginning with verse 2:
“During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.”
And so the stage is set. All the disciples are present for this particular meal including of course, Judas Iscariot, the one who would betray Jesus is also there.
You can probably see it. Just imagine what’s going on for a second: The supper is totally prepared. The dishes are out, steam is rolling off of the food, everyone is hungry, but ritually speaking there is one thing that needs to be done before they can eat: they need to wash up.
Or rather, someone needed to wash them up.
The only thing that I can think of that’s sort of close to what’s to what takes place in this passage, is when you sit down to eat and look around the table wondering who’s going to pray and bless the meal?
And eventually they say, “you do this for a living so you get to pray.” Of course, I’m kidding, I don't mind at all. And obviously, you’re not humiliating yourself when you pray. But sometimes there’s an awkward moment where everyone is looking at each other.
That’s how I imagine this situation. Everyone is looking at each other because washing the feet of guests would have been the job reserved for the lowest servant on the totem pole.
Because washing someone’s feet was a nasty job, especially when you consider that everyone wore sandals and walked everywhere. Camels and all sorts of animals walking on the roads as well, you can only imagine the sort of stuff that people would walk through. Their feet would be disgusting.
And so, again, you can imagine the scene: they’re all ready to eat, but the disciples are looking at that washbasin, thinking to themselves, “not me. I have too much self-respect. I’m not going to debase myself like that.”
I forget the year, but many of you probably remember the press conference that George W. Bush did where the Iraqi journalist took off his shoes and threw them at him? Remember that? George Bush showed a flash of athleticism when he dodged those shoes!
Have you ever wondered why he threw his shoes? Seems weird, right? Culturally, because feet are so nasty, the things that cover them can serve as an insult. Obviously, that Iraqi journalist wanted to hit George Bush, but it was also an insult! I can’t stand you so much that I’m going to throw these things that cover my nasty feet at you! The whole episode was intended to insult George Bush too.
But not only were ancient peoples’ feet generally nasty, they’re insulting too. That’s why it was reserved for the lowliest of servants.
But what does Jesus do? He takes off his clothes, and is only clothed in a loin cloth and washes his disciples feet.
R.C. Sproul described it as the equivalent of, “a man [taking] off his suit coat, his tie, his shirt, and trousers.” It’s shocking. The one man you’d expect to never to grab the wash basin is in fact, the man who grabs the wash basin.
The very man that John the Baptist said he wasn’t even worthy to untie his sandals. Which of course was only something that you did if you intended to wash someone’s feet. John the Baptist’s whole point is to describe his level of unworthiness in the presence of Jesus.
But what happens here? That holy man, Jesus Christ, takes off the sandals of his followers in order to wash their feet. The irony is palpable isn’t it? He shouldn’t be doing that. One of the disciples should have picked up the wash basin.
Which is why what John says in verse 3 is so important: “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God…”
In other words, John is saying, the eternal Son of God, very God of very God, begotten not made, being of one substance with the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, it was him that washed his disciples’ feet.
Jesus is certainly demonstrating a posture and attitude of humility, but he was also conveying something much deeper: he was willing to go to the lowest level in order to demonstrate his love. He was willing to assume the attire and duties of a servant.
Doesn’t this passage add color to what the Apostle Paul says in Philippians 2, “[Jesus] though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant.” A doulos. A slave.
Because obviously your motivations matter. Understanding why you do something is almost as important as the thing you do. And love is a core motivator for all of us, no doubt about it.
But what we learn early in this passage is that love motivated Jesus to humble service. Remember the book The Five Love Languages, by Gary Chapman, one of the love languages according to him was acts of service.
And of course, here’s the important thing that we cannot miss, Jesus wasn’t sitting in the upper room, thinking about himself. Down to the last minute of his life he was thinking about other people.
I recently heard about a pastor who’s been in ministry for over 30 years making the point that at the beginning of his ministry no one ever mentioned the word, “community.” Now he feels like a part of his job is to be a “community organizer!”
He was being sarcastic obviously, but it’s true that most people that come to church are hungry for community, but the ironic part is that we all want it on our terms. I want friends, but only when it’s convenient for me.
But the reality is, true love, true friendship, true community, is by definition inconvenient. And a willingness to inconvenience yourself, a willingness to humble yourself, is ultimately what demonstrates the depth of your love for someone else.
Isn’t that what we see here: the Son of God washing the feet of sinners.
Jesus Washes You (John 13:6-11)
One of the fun things about reading through the gospels is that you’re always holding your breath whenever Peter speaks. In many ways, it makes him one of the most relatable disciples, because every family has a Peter. And if you don’t think your family has a Peter, that probably means your Peter. The moment he begins to talk you’re nervous, because either he’s going to say something incredibly embarrassing or quite profound. There’s no middle ground, it’s one or the other.
And here in this passage, he simply speaks out of ignorance, because he doesn’t really understand why Jesus is doing what he’s doing.
Because in Peter’s mind, Jesus is debasing himself. He’s humiliating himself.
This man that he’s been following around for years, who’s taught like no one else and performed all these incredible miracles is now performing the duties of a slave. Peter couldn’t stand the sight! Jesus needed to have some self-respect!
But obviously, he was missing the point. Because Jesus accomplished redemption and salvation, not through brute force or power, but through humiliation. He humbled himself to the point of death, even death on a cross.
And of course, this helps us understand the exchange that happens between Peter and Jesus in verses 6-7.
“He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!”
There’s miscommunication going on here, because Peter is thinking externally, physically, worldly while Jesus is thinking spiritually and theologically.
Consider the theological implications: The Son of God, the Holy man Jesus Christ, washes the feet of sinners.
If you’ve been washed by Christ then you’re clean and conversely, if you haven't been washed by Jesus Christ then you’re not clean.
You have no share with him.
Peter didn’t understand that, which is why he said, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!”
One time, I went for a run, took a quick shower, got out, only to realize there was a streak of mud on the back of my leg. We’ve all been there. You think you’re clean, but you’re really not.
And the same was also true in the ancient world. You could bathe and remain relatively clean, until you took one step outside. Your whole body could stay pretty clean, but it wouldn’t take long for your feet to get dirty.
Which is why Jesus said, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean.”
Because one little touch of the cleansing power of Jesus Christ and, boom, you're totally clean. Your sins are forgiven. You’re white as snow!
Essentially Jesus was saying to Peter, “When I wash your feet, I make you clean all over.” One touch of the cleansing power of Christ cleanses us from all sin.”
You see, the foot washing was clearly a demonstration of Jesus’ humility, no doubt about it, but it also served as an object lesson. And that lesson is: Jesus has to cleanse you. He has to do it.
It’s what we see in baptism. The water represents the cleansing power of the Lord. That you are dependent upon Him to wash away your sins.
It’s true for those that have made a profession of faith and for those that we pray will one day make a profession of faith.
Because you can’t cleanse yourself of your sin. You can’t wash your sins away. Baptism isn’t like a do-it-yourself car wash. It represents what the Lord must do.
This theological reality should never puff us up with pride, but rather, keep us humble.
Because we’re constantly told that we can do anything, human autonomy is our guiding principle, Jesus stands in stark contrast. In a world that teaches that you can achieve greatness on your own, Jesus reminds us all that we can do nothing apart from him.
You need him to wash you.
We Should Wash One Another (John 13:12-17)
And just as the Lord humbled himself, so you must humble yourself. I must humble myself. After all, the Lord Jesus came to serve not to be served. It’s in these final few verses Jesus explains why he washed their feet.
“Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 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 also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”
Jesus is saying there, that if he, the very Son of God, has lowered himself to the point where he has deliberately washed the feet of his disciples, then they should wash each other’s feet.
And some take this literally, as in, Jesus is instituting a sacrament for the church. In some Roman Catholic circles they believe that foot washing is a sacrament.
However, Jesus made it a clear that he was setting an example. Husbands, you’re off the hook, you don’t necessarily have to go home and wash your wife’s feet tonight. But you can if you really want to, I’m sure she won’t stop you.
Obviously the point that Jesus is trying to instill in his disciples is one of humility and service. He’s calling on his followers to adopt the same attitude of humility and service towards others. That’s the thrust of his argument! If I’m willing to humble myself then you should too.
The other gospel accounts record the disciples arguing among themselves over who was the greatest! Jesus wanted to show his disciples that if washing their feet wasn’t below his dignity, then it shouldn’t be below theirs either.
Jesus wanted them to see that there is nothing below them.
The reality is, you quickly get a sense of the depth of someone’s character simply by looking at the way they treat other people, particularly people in positions lower than them.
How do you treat the custodian? How do you treat the waitress? Are you too important and busy to pick up a mop and pitch in?
That’s where you really begin to see how one views others. Again, Jesus is calling all of us to adopt an other’s focused mindset. To stop looking down at yourself and look up at the people around you.
Don’t we so often do “the right thing” begrudgingly? We feel like this is something that we should do so we do it half heartedly. But did you catch what Jesus says there in verse 17?
Blessing and happiness are the result of humble service. Isn’t that amazing? And we all have experienced this at some point or another, haven’t we? We’ve all experienced fulfillment, joy, and happiness through humble service.
But again, this isn’t just a one off thing. It’s the lens through which we see the world. It’s what should characterize our lives.
Is that not what we see in Jesus? He washed his disciples' feet hours prior to his crucifixion. Just think about that for a second. The foot washing captured the essence of his life.
But again, it’s so counterintuitive to what we’re taught, especially at the end of your life. Jesus should have been knocking out his bucket list on Maundy Thursday.
He’s not taking advice from Tim McGraw. Remember that song “Live like you were dying”? I went sky diving/ I went rocky mountain climbing/ I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named Fumanchu.
The whole song is about a man who was diagnosed with cancer knocking out his bucket list before he passes away.
Isn’t that the typical advice of the world? If you know that the clock on your life is running out, then that means it’s time to fulfill your dreams. The end of your life is when you’re allowed to make everything all about you - consequence free! Knock out all the things that you want to do. We’re told that the end of our lives is when we get a pass for being completely selfish.
Not Jesus! He humbly serves even in the shadow of the cross.
Don’t listen to Tim McGraw, listen to Jesus Christ! You see, Jesus Christ doesn’t call you and me to kick up our feet and put your life on autopilot, but to humbly serve others. The Christian likewise, isn’t called to be served, but to serve.
And of course, it all applies to the work we’re willing to do and how we treat others, but shouldn’t humble service be seen clearest, right here, amongst the church?
We should be looking out for one another. Serving one another. Checking in on each other.
But the place that should be a beacon of humility and service, has quickly turned into a place another place where we just want our needs met.
Our consumerist culture has taught us to ask everywhere we go, “what’s in it for me?” “What do I get out of it?”
That mentality is hostility to what Jesus teaches! Christians, particularly in the life of the church, shouldn’t constantly be asking “what’s in it for me?” That’s the wrong question. The Christian should be scanning the room asking himself or herself, “how can I help?” “How can I serve you?” “What do you need?”
This is what Jesus teaches us: loving, humble service.
But we must always remember that in order to give loving, humble service, you must first receive humble loving service. In other words, before you can go out and wash someone else’s feet, Jesus must first wash yours.
May we all humble ourselves before the Lord and to one another. Let’s pray.
