John 13: 1-17 Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet
New International Version (International Bible Society)
It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.
2 The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel round his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped round him.
The Passover was celebrated first in Exodus (in the Old Testament) after God “passed over” the firstborn of the Israelites, but “smote the first born in the whole land of Egypt” on the eve of freeing the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. Jesus is the Passover Lamb whose blood was shed so that we could passover from death to life. “Truly I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life.” – John 5:24
Jesus was preparing to leave this world because He came to die. Before going to the cross as His way of loving us, He now wanted to show them (and us) the full extent of His love.
‘The evening meal was being served’ is indicative of the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor 11:20) which Jesus asked us to observe as a memorial of His death in The Last Supper mentioned in Luke 22:7-23. The devil was working through Judas to prepare the way for Jesus’ sacrifice (to enable the evening meal to be served). Jesus got up to finish unfinished work that He had come to do as He was confident in His Father who had given him power over all things and had begotten Him and was to receive Him after His death.
Taking off his outer clothing means to be stripped of self-righteousness. Because what He was about to do could only be done in the power of God.
Zechariah 3:4 – He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” Again he said to him, “See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes.”
Genesis 3:21 – The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.
The Lord did this after they sinned and became self-righteous having eaten the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. They needed new garments as they lost their mantle or covering of glory.
He wrapped a towel around his waist is stated as girded himself in the KJV. Where else do we see the act of girding?
1 Kings 18: 45Meanwhile, the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and a heavy rain began to fall. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel. 46And the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah, and he tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.
The Lord girded himself after He felt the hand of the LORD upon Him.
Thus Jesus girding himself with a towel indicates that He was performing His act of service with power from above (on heaven’s accord not on His own). The act of washing feet requires selfless submission, for the task was considered menial (unskilled) but in reality, it requires great precision and skill. Moreover one was to stake one’s reputation in order to do it:
10Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.… – Matthew 23:10-12 BSB
One risked falling in the other’s eyes because the person being served could refuse to acknowledge the dirt on his feet and charge the servant of being pedantic. Yet if one were to do it with heaven’s resources, the Holy Spirit would bring about the conviction necessary for the other to turn and change his ways. So the washing of feet is a sacred act that Jesus requires us to perform with the help of the Holy Spirit leading the way (John 13:15 below, Matthew 23:10 above).
After Jesus rose from the dead, his towel was folded up and put by itself because the towel had significance in the eyes of God unlike the burial cloths (indicates death to the old life) and was thus folded up and put by itself to indicate its usefulness for performing acts of service. The towel is thus symbolic of service.
John 20:7 – and the towel, which had been placed over the face of Jesus, not lying with the cloths, but folded up and put by itself.
When a person died, a towel was placed over their face to indicate that their service on earth had ended.
Continuing from the Sixth Verse
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
The Lord urges Peter to have his feet washed so that he could have a part with Him. The feet symbolize our walk which can become disorderly and wayward in which case it is necessary to repent and set our paths right with God.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. – 1 John 1:9-10
Then Peter asks for his hands and head also to be washed. However the Lord tells him he is ‘clean’ because he has been cleansed by the washing with water through the word (Eph 5:26).
Titus 3:5 YLT
(not by works that are in righteousness that we did but according to His kindness,) He did save us, through a bathing of regeneration, and a renewing of the Holy Spirit
The disciples would not understand the mystery until later when the Holy Spirit would reveal it unto them.
Satan was working in Judas’ heart so that the Word was unable to cleanse him. (Read the Parable of the Strong Man in Mat 12: 29“Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house.”) It is possible for someone (Lord Jesus Christ) to enter only if the person (who has the strong man plundering his goods) binds the strong man (Satan) first. This alone will enable the Lord to enter. Judas’ heart was filled with the love of money. So he had no love for the Father or the Son. (1 John 2:15). He failed to bind the strong man even after Jesus’ death which is why Satan tormented him with guilt and shame and drove him to take the dire step (eternal loss).
Continuing from the Twelfth Verse
12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
After performing the service of washing their feet, He puts on His clothes to indicate His power and authority as their teacher and Lord. All of us who have been taught of the Lord are required to wash one another’s feet. Galatians 6:2 – Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. The Law of Christ is fulfilled when we help carry each other’s burdens. This could mean comforting each other in loss or tribulations, speaking words of wisdom and encouragement to help them see the situation as it really is, helping them see their error, offering intercessory prayer, helping them overcome spiritual penury or guilt (through confession), being considerate and building others up in the Lord, helping them overcome temptations from the devil and so on.
Jesus has set a wonderful example for us by offering Himself as the sacrifice for our sins.
Hebrews 10:11-13 NIV – 11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool.
God has completed His work and is waiting for us to be made holy as we plunder (sabotage) our enemies and make them His footstool.
We give glory to Jesus when we help overcome the enemies in our lives and in others’ lives. We are reminded that we are to be humble and not consider ourselves highly for being the one sent (as a messenger or servant) but acknowledge that we are the Lord’s unworthy servants and we are worthless even when we do as He says. Yet Jesus is so gracious that He promises to bless us for doing this act because it is close to Jesus’ heart and He is greatly blessed in our washing others’ feet.
Luke 17:9-10: “ 9Does he thank the servant because he did what he was told? 10So you also, when you have done everything commanded of you, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we greatly rejoice in your goodness and loving acts of kindness toward us. We are delighted to be your servants and love to do your commands. Help us with your wisdom and understanding so that we may be effective in your Kingdom work and be useful to you. We thank you for making us useful. In the glorious Name of Jesus! Amen.
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