So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him. John 13:4-5
When Jesus came to Earth, He was both fully God and fully man. That means while He taught and preached during His earthly ministry, He was both man and the Son of God, the King of all kings. Although He was the King of kings, He did not require others to treat Him as a king while He was on Earth. Instead, He took on the role of a servant, serving the people around Him.
Jesus literally took on the role of a hired servant in John 13. In this passage of Scripture, He shared a last meal with His disciples shortly before His death. Before they ate their meal, Jesus did something that shocked His disciples. “He got up from the table… began to wash the disciples’ feet” (verses 4-5). Foot washing is not something that we do in our world today, but it was very common in Jesus’ day. It was not, however, something that an esteemed Jewish rabbi would be caught doing. In fact, an esteemed Jew would not even be caught washing someone's feet. Footwashing was the role of a servant. That is why Jesus' disciples were shocked as He began to wash their feet one by one (verses 6-8). He even washed the feet of Judas, a man who would soon betray Him to religious leaders, an act which would lead to His arrest and crucifixion on the cross. In His last moments with His disciples, He served them.
Jesus' time serving His disciples was a marker of His entire earthly ministry. He came to serve. Throughout His entire ministry on Earth, He served by healing, teaching, and caring for those whom He encountered. Now, He was about to serve to the highest extent: He was preparing to die on the cross in order to rescue the world from sin. What a remarkable Savior and King we have, who did not demand to be served while He was on Earth but instead humbly served through everything He said and did. May we follow in His footsteps and serve those around us, too.
Read through the verses listed in the Going Deeper section below. Pay attention to the way Jesus served, and make a list of how Jesus served the people around Him. Ask Him to give you a heart and mindset of service so that you, too, can love and serve the people around you.
1Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. 2 It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. 4 So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.
6 When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.”
8 “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!”
Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.”
9 Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!”
10 Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
