Lesson #209
As we start this lesson, my thoughts go back to our previous two lessons. What occurred before the Feast of the Passover that we know about from our text? The fact that Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to go to the Father. It also appears that before the supper mentioned in verse 2, Judas had already decided to betray Jesus. That, I believe occurred two days earlier at the dinner at Simon’s house. I don’t believe the foot washing mentioned in verses 3 – 11 occurred at Simon’s house, because if it did it would have been mentioned before. Foot washing also occurs as you enter the house, not after eating. The special event at Simon’s house was Mary anointing Jesus. The special event at this supper is the foot washing event. At this point my thinking is leaning toward this supper not being the meal at Simon’s house.
“Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist” (John 13:3 – 4 ESV). Here Jesus is stating that he has power and authority over all other persons and things, to make them subservient to his purposes. His Father had sent him to earth to provide a means of salvation and when that was accomplished, he would return to his Father, where he would sit at the Father’s right hand, to have a name above every name, and to have angels, authorities, and powers subject to him. This Jesus, who is above all, rose from supper to humble himself by washing the feet of his disciples.
“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” (John 13:5 ESV). Washing a person’s feet when coming into someone’s home was a job of a servant. We understand this from 1 Samuel 25:41, when David sent for Abigail to come and be his wife “she rose and bowed with her face to the ground and said, “Behold, your handmaid is a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord”” (ESV). Here we see the Son of God, the coming Messiah, humbling himself to the role of a servant, leaving us an example. Some think Jesus may have started with the feet of Judas to begin to develop remorse in him with this example of kindness and love. Jesus knew Judas was his enemy, but he still reached out to him like he was one of his followers. Others think Jesus may have started with Peter, but these are only hunches.
“He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?”” (John 13:6 ESV). Peter had often seen the great humility of Jesus, but never to this extent. As one who was proud this was very difficult for him to accept and he resists by saying, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” I understand this because I found myself in such a position twice while I taught in an underground school in China. One night when I was getting ready for bed, a knock came to my door. The wife of the school’s leader and a female student wanted to enter. I allowed them in and they came in with a basin of water and a towel. I knew what they wanted to do and as a proud American I admit I was uncomfortable at first. Each of the two washed a foot and dried it and as they did they shared with me how much my teaching and my love for them meant to them. By the end of their service, God had done a special work in my heart. It was an event packed with so much meaning that it is something, under those circumstances, I will never forget. The following night the leader of the school and a male student came in and repeated the process. Two weeks later, after I had just returned to my home in the US, I learned that the authorities found the school and took everyone, who didn’t manage to escape, into custody. I am so thankful I was not there at the time; my heart still aches for them.
Prayer
Father, what an important lesson we have for us here. We must remember that we are your workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works (Ephesians 2:10). The Scriptures are clear that we, as servants, are to serve in obedience out of love for you. Father, forgive us and have mercy on us because of our attraction to the world, its things and pleasures and our desire to enjoy them, instead of finding joy in you and in serving you in humility. Father, as we have turned from serving you, our love has grown cold, the church has lost its value, in the mind of unbelievers, and its impact on our culture and as a result spiritual darkness is growing across our country. Father, we do not deserve to experience the kindness of your grace, but your discipline of judgment for our disobedience. Please, have mercy on us.
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