13:1-17
Jesus Washed the Disciples’ Feet
Much has been written in an argument over whether John contradicts the timing of the Passover that is presented in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke). I am not going into all of that. But, I am assuming there is not contradiction.
This event occurs before the Passover meal. The NIV says “it was just before the Passover Feast”. The ESV says “before the Feast of the Passover”. (1) This is an introduction to the story of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples. It is the context time wise, but it is also the context theologically. The Passover theme is important to the story and, indeed, the whole book. At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, John the Baptist called him the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”. (1:29)
Paul would later write: “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed”. (1 Corinthians 5:7)
At the beginning of Passover, unblemished lambs were killed as a remembrance of the first Passover, when the angel of death passed over the homes of the Israelites whose doorways had been painted with the blood of the lamb. (Exodus 12)
The blood spilled atoned for the sins of God’s people and they were saved from the wrath of God which was suffered by the pagan Egyptians.
Jesus knew the time of his death (“his hour”) was soon. (1)And, Jesus loved “his own who were in the world” to the end. The NIV says he showed the full extent of his love”. (1)
We have seen that Jesus’ public ministry has ended and his remaining time will be spent with his disciples. They are the ones John calls “his own”. (1) So, we can see that Jesus washes the disciples’ feet out of love and to demonstrate love. This humble love points forward to the humble love Jesus will demonstrate on the cross.
John also tells us that one of these disciples, Judas Iscariot, had already been prepared by the devil to betray Jesus. The plot to kill Jesus was Satanic. So, Jesus knew who Judas was. He was his Betrayer. (2) John is foreshadowing the betrayal of Jesus that leads to his arrest and crucifixion.
But Jesus also knew who he was. John tells us Jesus knew the Father had given all things into his hands. Jesus had authority over all things as the Son of God. Matthew 28:18 records Jesus telling the disciples “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me”. Jesus had authority over Satan and over Judas, yet submitted himself to the cross in obedience to the will of the Father.
Jesus also knew he had come from the Father. (3) We have seen him say repeatedly that the Father sent him. Jesus also knew he was returning to the Father. He would be glorified and exalted.
Yet, knowing he was the divine Son of God and that he was about to be raised to heaven and seated at the right hand of the Father, he engaged in an act of great humility.
Jesus got up from the supper table, took off his outer garments, and tied a towel around his waist in preparation for washing the disciples’ feet. In other words, he took on the appearance of a servant.
Paul understood this, as he wrote about Jesus that “he did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant”. (Philippians 2:6-7) Jesus did not lay aside his deity, but he did say aside his dignity.
Coupled with Jesus’ riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, we see that he is modeling humility for the disciples even before he takes on the ultimate act of humility, his crucifixion.
Having taken on the appearance of a servant, Jesus took on the role of a servant. He poured water into a basin and washed the disciples’ feet. They would have been reclining at the table with their feet stretched out into the room. Jesus would go around the table wash each man’s feet.
It was customary at this time for the host to provide a basin of water and a towel so that his guests could wash their feet. Since they wore sandals, their feet got dirty as they walked about on dirt roads and paths.
But the host did not wash the feet of his guests. That would be been too much of a humiliation. Even his Jewish servants could not be compelled to wash feet. Even though disciples were obligated to serve their teacher, they also did not wash his feet.
Jesus pointed out to the disciples that he did this as an example for them. (15) If he, as their Lord and Teacher, washed their feet, they should also wash each other’s feet. (14) Notice that none of the disciples had volunteered to wash feet.
Jesus was not instituting an ordinance for the church here. He was not saying we should have a time during our worship service that we wash feet, although there are people who do so.
Rather, he was teaching his disciples, and all subsequent disciples, that humility toward our fellow believers and service to them are what disciples do. We live to serve, not to be served.
When we are tempted to be prideful, we can remember that Jesus said the servant is not greater than his master, nor the messenger greater than the one who sent him. If Jesus, our Lord, could humbly serve others, we have no right to think we are greater than he and too good to serve.
This is very counter cultural. Most people look for a church where they will be served in some way. Few come saying they want to serve others.
There is another level of meaning, another lesson that is taught in this section, though. It occurs during Jesus’ encounter with Peter. When Jesus came to wash Peter’s feet, Peter was incredulous. He said “Lord, do you wash my feet?” (6)
Peter acknowledged the impropriety of Jesus’ actions in their culture. The lord or master did not wash feet at all, much less of his disciples.
Jesus told him that he knew Peter did not understand what Jesus was doing, but would understand “afterward”, meaning after Jesus’ death and the coming of the Holy Spirit. (6) “What I am doing” may mean, not only the washing of feet, but also of going voluntarily to his death.
But Peter insisted that Jesus would never wash his feet, demonstrating the truth of Jesus’ statement that Peter did not understand. Peter was actually being humble within the context of his culture. He just could not let his Lord wash his feet. He was unworthy of that. And so he said “you shall never wash my feet”. (8)
With his response, Jesus opened up another level of meaning. He told Peter “if I do not wash you, you have no share (or part) with me”. (8) Jesus meant unless you have received the one time cleansing from sin that Jesus provides to all who believe and receive him, you cannot have a relationship to him that includes eternal life.
It is doubtful that Peter understood this, but he did want to have a part with Jesus. So, he, in typical Peter exuberance, says for Jesus not to wash his feet only, but also his head and hands. (9)
So, Jesus explained that one who has had a bath does not need to wash all over. He just needs his feet cleaned. This was true on a physical level. If you took a bath before going to a friends house for dinner, you only needed to wash the dirt off your feet. You did not need another bath.
It is also true theologically and symbolically. Once we have come to Christ in faith, we are cleansed of our sin. We are forgiven. We have received atonement for our sins. We are justified in Christ before the Father.
That is a one time thing. You received complete and total forgiveness in Christ when you came to him by faith. Ephesians 1:7 says “In hm we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace…”.
After we have been saved, though, we will sin. Although we do not lose our salvation because we sinned, we still need cleansing of that sin to maintain our close relationship with God. John later wrote “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”. (1 John 1:9)
Jesus affirmed this by saying “you” (plural) are clean. Peter and 10 of the other disciples believed in Jesus and were cleansed of sin. But one of them was not. Judas was the exception. He was not clean. (11)
If you have come to Jesus in faith and committed your life to him, you are clean of sin. No one can take that away from you.
If you have not come to Jesus in faith, like Judas you are not clean and are accountable for your sins to God.
If that is the case, you need to come to Jesus today and receive salvation.
No comments:
Post a Comment