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John 13:1-17
John’s focus changes here from the preaching and teaching to crowds, from performing miracles to simply being with and discipling the Apostles – privately. Let’s read what’s happening.
John 13:1-17 (NIV) 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.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
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.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
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. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
Wow – all I can say is wow! Wow to what Jesus did, wow to how Peter responds, wow to Jesus’ response to Peter, and wow to Jesus’ lesson to His Disciples.
So why was this such an event, why does John include this specific account with the teaching of being a servant – specifically of Jesus being a servant. You have to understand that sanitation was not like it is today. Lot’s of gross stuff would have lined the streets – if you could call them streets. And, you didn’t wear shoes with socks, you might have been lucky or wealthy enough to afford some thick leather you lashed to your feet. It was extremely dirty.
And I have to say that I believe that Jesus fully understood what it means to be God and at the same time provide for the salvation of His Children, which it turns out to be the humility of servanthood leadership.
Jesus never forgot Who He is – Son of God. And included in Who He is – is the ability to love. Through this love Jesus was giving everything of Himself to save humanity from death and sin. And that is what He wanted the Disciples to learn from Him, before He dies.
Paul said it like this in his letter to the Church in Philippi.
Philippians 2:1-8 (NIV) Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!
It’s this idea of being a servant that Paul tells us we need to adopt from Christ. If we are going to be more Christ-like, we need to be servants. So who have you served today? For whom have you set aside your priorities, your needs, your desires to be able to meet their needs, priorities, or desires. And in what you did, how did you serve Christ?