In John 1-12, we see Jesus’ ministry to His one nation, the nation rejected Him, John 1:11, He withdraws from public ministry, and in John 13-17, we have teaching given to the apostles. There is a difference in emphasis. In John 1-12, the dominant words are ‘life’ and ‘light’, introduced in John 1:4. The theme of ‘life’ occurs fifty times, and the theme of ‘light’ occurs thirty-two times.
But in John 13-17, the ‘life’ theme occurs only six times and the ‘light’ theme not at all. By contrast, ‘love’ is mentioned six times in John 1-12, but thirty-one times in John 13-17. In the farewell narrative, John is showing us love in action, John 13-19, dealing with the final week in the earthly life of Jesus, and we see two significant actions in John 13:1-30.
Before beginning His systematic instruction of the apostles, Jesus does two significant things: He washes His disciples’ feet as an object lesson in love and humility, and He also gives a piece of bread and instruction to Judas, setting in motion the chain of events that led to His death.
The words, ‘before the feast of the Passover’, etc. John 13:1 doesn’t necessarily mean that the events here recorded took place before the Passover. We see in the Old Testament, Ezekiel refers to the Passover as a feast of seven days, Ezekiel 45:21, and we see in the New Testament that the Festival of Unleavened Bread is called the Passover, Luke 22:1.
Up to this point, Jesus’s hour had not yet come, John 2:4 / John 7:30 / John 8:20 / John 12:23-27, but now He knows His hour has come to go to the cross and return to the Father, John 13:1. John 13:1 is used as a way of introducing the event now to occur.
The reason why Jesus did this is given as ‘He now showed them the full extent of His love’. He loved the men He had spent the last three years training, now He used this opportunity to show them the full extent of His love and His humility.
Judas Iscariot already knew what he was to do, he had shown his true colours as a materialist by being guilty of stealing, John 12:6 / Matthew 26:15. Luke tells us that Satan entered into Judas Iscariot, Luke 22:3. After he entered Judas, John tells us that the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas to betray Jesus, John 13:2.
How Satan entered Judas we don’t know but the Bible clearly tells us that he is working in Judas to get him to betray Jesus. And please know that Judas wasn’t forced to obey Satan any more than he was forced to follow Jesus.
He had free will like you, and I do to choose who he will obey. Judas now goes to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discusses with them how he might betray Jesus, Luke 22:4 / Matthew 26:14 / Mark 14:10. Judas asks them how much are they willing to give him to deliver Jesus over to them and so they counted out thirty pieces of silver, Matthew 26:15.
Notice they were delighted and agreed to give him money, Luke 22:5 / Mark 14:11. Judas then consents, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present, Luke 22:6 / Matthew 26:16 / Mark 14:11.
Judas Iscariot is probably one of the most memorable disciples of Jesus, but sadly for all the wrong reasons. Now I think Judas could have got a lot more. I mean, this shows how far Jesus has sunk in his eyes.
He could have pushed for much more from the chief priests. Thirty pieces of silver were just the price of a common slave, Matthew 26:15 / Exodus 21:32. The priests were very aware of what Zechariah wrote, Zechariah 11:12-13, but their anger toward Jesus clouded any objectivity they had in applying prophecy to what they were actually doing, Matthew 26:14-16.
By the way, have you ever wondered why they needed Judas? They didn’t need Judas to recognise Jesus. They didn’t need Judas to find out where Jesus was. Do you know what my theory is? Three times in the Gospel of John, they sent guards to arrest Jesus, and all three times the guards couldn’t do it.
I think they were beginning to fear that Jesus was un-arrestable. And they said, “We need someone on the inside, someone that can catch Him when his guard is down, someone that won’t surprise Him so that we can get Him before He knows what’s going on.”
And Judas said, “I’m your man.” And Judas got his bargain. And the Jewish leaders got their insider. And Satan got his opportune time to come back and attack Jesus. Because by this point, Judas is now the disciple of Satan. And so he makes his deal.
Now he had the opportunity to earn money by selling Jesus to the Sanhedrin, John 13:2. He decides that the time is right, perhaps if he lingers longer, someone else will earn the thirty pieces of silver. The decision was already made.
At this moment in time, it was important for Jesus to know the Father had given all things into His hands, John 13:3. Knowing His past with God the Father, and His future with God the Father, Jesus was determined to glorify Him in the present, John 13:3.
Feet washing was practised because the roads were unsurfaced and uncleaned, in summer, dust, in winter, mud. Feet washing was an essential social requirement. In times of riches, a servant performs this service.
How was it taken care of by the apostolic group? No doubt they took turns, but on this occasion, no apostle was willing to do it, Luke 22:24. If John 13 records the observance of the Passover, then on this occasion, they were arguing about who should be greatest, Luke 22:24-30.
Jesus had all assurance that His objectives were to be reached; He now needed to show the way of humility, not arrogance. The feet washing was the lowest task in a household. It proved one’s servanthood, so Jesus, fully understanding His Deity as well as His imminent death and return to God and became that lowly servant, Philippians 2:5-8.
Jesus washes and dries the feet of those around Him, using the towel wrapped around His waist, John 13:4-5. The lowest servant’s role is taken on by God Himself and note the ‘garments’ in John 13:4 / John 13:12. It was customarily for the slave who washed his master’s feet to remove both outer cloak and inner tunic and be clothed only in a loincloth, Philippians 2:7.
In man’s view of things, you have many people at the bottom of a ladder in a company, family or even a church or denomination. Jesus shows His disapproval of such views by washing the feet of the disciples. He shows the need for the leaders, as Jesus truly was, to be servants to the masses. It’s a great lesson in humility that we all need to learn.
Jesus washed the feet of all, including Judas, John 13:12, who had already conceived the plan to betray his Master, John 13:2. Jesus knew this, John 13:11 / John 6:70-71, but Jesus washed Judas’ feet because He loved him, John 13:1. Agape love isn’t a mere emotional response to someone we like, it is a deliberate act of the well determination to do good to others, no matter how badly they treat us.
Managing director
Area managers
Office managers
Office workers
Tea women
Cleaners
Messengers etc
In man’s view of the road to success, many are at the bottom of the ladder, and all are trying to ascend it. The man at the top is served by those below him.
Non-Christians
Congregation
Teachers
Deacons
Elders
Jesus Christ
Jesus’ view of the same ladder taught us the need to accept our place at the top but struggle to serve, and descend the ladder, becoming more like Him at each rung. In John 13:6-9, we see that Jesus eventually works His way around to Peter. Now, Peter had a strong tendency to put his foot in his mouth without thinking of the potential consequences.
Peter’s protest, ‘Lord, do you wash my feet?’, John 13:6, is incongruous that his ‘kurios’ should wash His own servant’s feet. He ought to have known that a lesson was being taught by the Master.
Even if he didn’t understand the lesson, it was amply clear that Jesus wasn’t involved in a foot cleaning session for the simple sake of it. However, his heart is in the right place.
Jesus says, ‘You do not realise now what I am doing, but one day you will understand’, John 13:7. Peter immediately shows that he doesn’t appreciate the significance of what Jesus is doing through his violent protest; this shows Peter’s character, a curious blend of humility and arrogance, John 13:8.
Peter’s totally unacceptable that His Master should perform this menial act shows his humility and then in the same breath we see his arrogance, he, the servant, is presumed to dictate to his Master, Matthew 16:22.
Jesus says, ‘Unless I wash you, you will not share with me’, John 13:8, and look at Peter’s response, ‘Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!’ John 13:9.
Peter was a very unstable man. He had just told his Master that He, Jesus, was doing too much. He now tells Him that He isn’t doing enough! One moment, he courageously walks on the sea, the next moment, he is pleading, ‘Lord, save me!’ Matthew 14:28-30.
He confesses that Jesus is ‘the Christ, the Son of the living God,’ then soon after he dares to rebuke His Master, Matthew 16:16-22. In the Upper Room, he declares that he will die rather than deny Jesus, but soon he will deny him three times, John 18:25-27 / Matthew 26:69-75.
But there is no denying Peter’s love for Jesus, even here in John 13, he seems to be saying, ‘I want to belong to you completely’ not just my feet, but all of me, Lord, John 13:9. He was impetuous and unreliable, but in him ‘grace gradually won the victory’ and made him the man Jesus wanted him to be.
He seems so emphatic that Jesus will not clean his feet until Jesus tells him his options, then he swings around to the opposite extreme and wants his whole body washed.
The lesson isn’t one of bodily cleanliness, but spiritual humility. It’s a vital lesson all must learn, but it is even more pronounced for those who are in leading positions in the church; they must lead by example, and in humility, with all love and compassion.
Peter didn’t feel worthy of having his feet cleaned by the Lord, and he was well justified in this idea. However, none of us deserved or do still deserve redemption, but God’s love for us exceeds His hate for sin. We must be most precious in the eyes of God, or He would never have sent His Son on our behalf.
In John 13:10, Jesus uses an everyday example, a man going to a feast first bathes completely at home, then, on arrival, his feet only would be washed. Likewise, ‘you, ‘plural’ are clean’, i.e. spiritually. ‘But not every one of you’, John 13:10. Judas had already made a bargain with the Sanhedrin to betray Jesus, Matthew 26:14-16 / Mark 14:10-11.
Jesus has reassured Peter that he is now clean and now turns His attention to one of the numbers who aren’t. He doesn’t yet tell the gathering who is to be guilty, but we can be sure both Jesus and the guilty party knew who was being discussed.
Judas may have had a bath, but he could never wash away the spiritual dirt he had allowed and was now allowing to accumulate within him. We can do nothing to affect spiritual cleansing and need to rely totally on Jesus’ grace and blood; there must also be a daily cleansing, 1 John 1:6-9.
In John 13:12-17, we see Jesus as the example of humble service. Jesus then completed the task of washing the rest of the disciples’ feet, John 13:12. No one else commented on the action, although they may have been somewhat perplexed by the entire incident. The word ‘know’ means understand; they knew what he had done, but did they appreciate its spiritual significance? John 13:12.
Jesus re-joined them at the table and started to discuss the event just passed, and He pointed out to them the relationship between them, Jesus is their teacher and their Lord, John 13:13-15.
They rightly called him ‘The Teacher’, ‘didaskalos’ and ‘The Lord’, ‘Kurios’. If He, their Kurios and didaskalos had lovingly served them, they ought lovingly to serve one another. By performing this most menial task, He had given them an ‘example’ for them to copy, John 13:15.
The words, ‘truly, truly’, John 13:16, always preface a solemn statement, ‘a slave’ ‘doulos’ is not greater than his Master, it is surely not too menial for his slaves. The words ‘He who is sent’ John 13:16, are apostolos, its sole occurrence in John’s Gospel. They were His sent ones, apostles, Matthew 10:2; He was their sender. Jesus tells them, ‘If you know this, happy are you if you act upon it,’ John 13:17.
Foot washing in both the Old and New Testaments was a social custom; it met a real need. The present denominational practice of washing feet cannot be compared with it.
There is no New Testament evidence that it was ever practised congregationally as an ordinance. In 1 Timothy 5:10, washing the feet of the Lord’s people is classed with bringing up children, showing hospitality, all defined as ‘doing good in every way’.
If churches make feet washing a church ordinance, then it would be equally logical to suggest that bringing up children be made a ‘church ordinance’. Jesus gave them an object lesson in humility, which rebuked their pride. They argued as to who was greatest, Luke 22:24. He had taught them often in word, Matthew 20:25-28.
Now He teaches them in His kingdom, true greatness is measured by the yardstick of loving service, Galatians 5:13. It was an example of loving service which should characterise every true disciple in His dealings with other disciples, John 13:15.
We aren’t told to wash each other’s feet as some sort of ceremony, but to be involved with actively serving each other as well as the people around us. This doesn’t mean that the disciples are greater than Jesus, but that our response to our greatness in Christ, having our sins forgiven, and enjoying eternal life, ought to be a response in humility and servanthood, not arrogance, as is the norm in the world. We are urged to do these things as Christ did, John 13:17.