Wash All of Me – John 13:1-20

In March 2016, “Pope Francis washed and kissed the feet of Muslim, Orthodox, Hindu and Catholic refugees Thursday, declaring them children of the same God, in a gesture of welcome and brotherhood at a time when anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant sentiment has spiked following the Brussels attacks” (CBSnews.com).  Foot washing has been an expression of love and humility ever since Jesus modeled it with his disciples.

Now before the feast of Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and be with his Father, because he loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.  While at supper, when the Devil had already put it into Judas Iscariot’s heart to betray him, and knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he had come from the Father and was going to the Father, he rose from supper and took off his cloak, and taking a towel he wrapped it around himself.  Then he put water in the washbasin and began to wash the feet of his disciples and to wipe them with the towel he was wrapped in.

He came to Peter, who said, “Lord, don’t wash my feet.”  Jesus answered, “What I am doing you don’t understand now, but you will know after these things.”  Peter said, “You shall never wash my feet.”  Jesus answered, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with me.”  Simon Peter said, “Lord, then not my feet only but my hands and my head.”  Jesus responded, “The one who is washed only needs his feet to be washed, but is wholly clean.  And you all are clean, but not everyone.”  For he knew the one who would betray him, and for this reason said, “Not all of you are clean.”

So when he had washed their feet and put on his cloak and reclined at table again, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done for you?  You call me teacher and Lord, and you speak well, for I am.  So if I, your teacher and Lord, wash your feet, you also ought to wash the feet of one another.  I’ve given you an example, that as I have done you also should do.  Truly, truly, I say to you, the servant is not greater than his Lord, nor is the one sent greater than the one who sent him.  If you understand these things, blessed are you if you do them.  I’m not talking about all of you.  I know whom I have chosen.  But that the Scripture might be fulfilled, ‘The one who eats my bread has lifted up his heel against me.’  I’m telling you this now before it happens so that you will believe when it happens that I am he.  Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the One who sent me.”  (John 13:1-20)

Being a servant seems to be the hardest thing for us.  Sometimes we serve because we don’t know, as Jesus knew, that the Father has put all things into our hands in Christ and that we belong to Him as His precious children, and so  we serve as if punishing ourselves.  Or we serve for the glory we might possibly get to firm up our exalted view of ourselves.  Some of us refuse to serve altogether.

Jesus was letting his disciples know that we are not above him and he is a servant so we must be also.  We are clean in Christ but need our sins and failures cleaned up often by him.  Positionally, we are perfect by the imputed righteousness of Jesus, but experientially we still sin and his death still avails for the cleansing of our sins.  And we must serve to wash one another’s feet, that is, help clean up their sins and failures.  This is not an injunction from Jesus to literally wash one another’s feet, though that kind of service is true to Jesus’ example.

But there is one among Jesus’ disciples who is not clean, who is not saved.  Judas is fulfilling the prophecy that the king’s friend betrays him (Psalm 41:9).  If it happened to David, it must happen to David’s greater son, the Messiah.  And in some sense, it will happen to us.  Some will receive us in Jesus’ name and so receive Jesus and his Father.  But some won’t receive us and will betray us.

Discussion Questions

1. Have you ever done a foot washing ceremony?  If so, how did you feel about it?
2. How would you describe Jesus’ priority when he knew his hour had come to die?
3. What do you think Jesus is getting at when he says his disciples are all clean and only need their feet washed?
4. What is Jesus’ message regarding leadership/servantship?
5. What would you imagine your response to Judas Iscariot might have been knowing, as Jesus did, that he would betray you?
6. Have you experienced fellow “believers” betraying you for personal gain?  If so, what should Jesus’ response to Judas teach you?