Jesus Washes Dirty Feet

Several years ago a friend of mine said, “I love being a servant, until people beginning treating me like a servant.”

It sounds very spiritual and godly to talk about being a servant. It is very different when we actually function as a servant.

Jesus talks a lot about being a servant, but He backs it up by being a servant.

In John 13 we see the servanthood of Jesus demonstrated as He washed the feet of the Twelve.

John 13:4-5
He laid His outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around His waist. 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.

The Creator, The King, The Lord, The Master of all creation was on His knees washing the dirty feet of humanity.

The duty of washing people feet was given to the lowest of the servants in the household.

Jesus had not just become a human being.
Jesus had just become a servant.
Jesus had become the lowest of servants.

Not only did Jesus wash the feet of Peter, James, John, Andrew, Mathew, but He washed the feet of Judas. He washed the feet of the guy who would betray Him.

What did Jesus know that gave Him the humility to act as that lowest of servants and wash the feet of these men?

Jesus knew that:

(1) His Hour Had Come

John 13:1a
Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His our had come

Jesus knew that what the Father had given Him to do was about to come to a climax. Jesus knew that He had obeyed the Father and all was in order.

We need to face life and death with the same confidence that Jesus did, knowing that we have obeyed the Father.

(2) It was time to depart and go to the Father

John 13:1b
To depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.

Jesus knew that when He left this world, His earthly existence, He would go to the Father. This allowed Him to love His own even when His own misunderstood Him, denied Him, or even rejected Him.

(3) All things were in His hand

John 13:3a
Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands

Jesus knew that He was in control. He is always in control.

When they came to Jesus, Jesus asked them who they were seeking and they said Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus told them that He was Jesus. In John 18:6 it says, “When Jesus said to them, ‘I am he’, they drew back and fell to the ground.”

Even when Jesus is being arrested, He, not the ones coming to arrest Him, was in control.

(4) He had come from God

John 13:3b
And that He come from God and was going back to God

Jesus knew who He was.
Jesus knew why He had come.
Jesus knew what He was to do.

God doesn’t play hide and seek with us about who we are as His children, and what our purpose is. He doesn’t play hide and seek about what we are to do based on what our purpose is and who we are.

We, like Jesus, can know and in the knowing be free to follow God’s will.

(5) He was both Master and Lord

John 13:13
You call Me “Teacher” and “Lord,” and rightly so, for that is what I am.

Jesus is the Teacher.
Jesus is the Master.
Jesus is the Lord.

Jesus is all of that and more, and He washed the feet of His:
Students
Subjects
Inferiors

The grace and love that Jesus shows here reinforces the truth found in Isaiah 57:15.

For this what the high and lofty One says - He who lives forever, whose name is holy, “I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.”

Jesus is high and holy, but He chose to live with us and to give His life to save us.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is knowing that Jesus is the absolute ruler in our lives with absolute authority.

Why does Jesus wash the feet of the disciples?

In short, because He is God and He wanted to. We know that Jesus only did what the Father told Him to do.

Jesus did it as an example of humility.

John 13:15
I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.

In Matthew 21:5 Jesus is described as humble. He showed the extent of that humility in the washing of the disciples’ feet.

Since we are being recreated in the image of Jesus we are to allow His Spirit to make us humble.

Jesus did it as a rebuke to pride.

In Luke 22 a conversation between the Twelve is recorded.

Luke 22:24-27
Also a dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and one who rules like one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? But I am among you as one who serves.”

Jesus says this at the very time that He is washing their feet. Jesus adds great power to what He says by showing them pure service.

Jesus did it as a picture of daily cleansing.

John 13:10
Jesus answered, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.”

When we confess our sins, Jesus forgives us and cleanses us from the dirtiness of sin. We need only allow Him to clean us daily from the dirtiness of living in a broken, dirty world.

Jesus did it as a reminder of His union and communion with the believer.

John 13:8
“No,” said Peter, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me.”

Jesus physically, emotionally, and spiritually touches the lives of the Twelve.

Jesus wants to physically, emotionally, and spiritually touch our lives daily.

Raise the Roof and Removes the Walls is allowing the Holy Spirit to make us humble like Jesus and cleanse us and make us one with Jesus.

Humbly and Submissively with Jesus Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
                                                  Joe