Trust in Jesus

JOHN 13:6-20 | STUART THOMSON

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To many of us the thought of someone washing our feet is a strange, even squeamish one. However, in the dry and dusty conditions of 1st century Israel, it was standard practice.

There is nothing standard about what happens here though…

Jesus, the one who the disciples called their master and Lord, goes round them one by one and washes their feet!

You can hear the shock in Peter’s voice “Lord, are YOU washing my feet?” (v6), followed by defiance “You shall NEVER wash my feet” (v8).

Jesus wouldn’t be swayed though, knowing what was about to happen to Him, He wanted to leave His disciples both a symbol to remember and an example to follow.

An example to follow – Fresh from their debate about who was the greatest (Luke 22 v 24), Jesus gives the disciples a powerful lesson in service and humility.  Servants washed their masters’ feet, not the other way around! Jesus was no ordinary earthly master either, He was, and is, the creator, sustainer and upholder of all things.

If Jesus was willing to humble himself in this way, then how much more should we, as His followers, be willing to humbly serve one another (v15).

A symbol to remember – “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me”.  The disciples were scratching their heads at these words of Jesus.  What they didn’t understand then, but would know soon after (v7), was that Jesus was talking about more than washing dirt off their feet, He was talking about washing away their sin.  The very next day, He would pay the penalty for sin at the cross, so that all who believe in Him may have their sins forgiven.

May our hearts be filled thankfulness as we remember what our Saviour went through so that we also may be clean and have part with Him (v8).