…afterward you will understand.

As we enter chapter 13 of John’s gospel, the atmosphere changes with our Lord moving from public ministry to quiet intimacy with those closest to Him, His own disciples.  These men would be part of the infant Church in just a few weeks. He would have no more words for the outside world. This is important to realize, as we read through the remainder of John. The private teaching Jesus delivered to these personal friends and followers is specific to those who believe in Him, and not general information for humanity. He was about to leave them, under very stressful circumstances. This was His time to prepare them for that reality as He strengthened their bonds with one another and with Himself. Their relationship would be that of a family. Jesus’ family. His instruction was for their love and encouragement of one another after His departure. This night began His farewell to His own.

Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. John 13:1

“to the end” means to the uttermost, or to the fullest extent. He loved His own completely. This was to be Jesus’ last Passover celebration with His disciples. John knew after the fact that Jesus was facing His departure from the world, so he shared that knowledge in this narration. He also shared what he and the other disciples had learned about the former disciple, Judas Iscariot, though at the time of this event they apparently took Judas at face value, trusting him as a brother in the faith.

During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, 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.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 13:2-5

Even as Jesus anticipated His own torturous trials and death, His present concern was for the reassurance and well-being of his disciples. It was important that they learn the meaning of humility and brotherly love. We know that these were men of various temperaments. At times they were childish and competitive. Of course, they were shocked that their Master would stoop to serve them.

He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.” John 13:6 -11

Peter’s volatility was always apparent. He fluctuated between direct disobedience (“you shall never wash my feet”) and silly over-exuberance (“not my feet only…”). Jesus’ quiet authority calmed them all down as they submitted to this common ritual which represented deep spiritual truth.

1-20. The meaning of the Lord’s action. The Lord’s washing of the disciples’ feet illustrates the believer’s continual need of cleansing after the once-for-all bath of regeneration. ‘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,’ 10 (Judas being unregenerate). The figure is of a person returning from the public bath to his home. His feet would become defiled. So the believer is once-for-all cleansed in the bath of regeneration (Heb 10:1-12), but must confess the sins involved in his daily walk in a sinful world (Eph 5:25-27; 1 Jn 1:9). A defiled saint, 8, cannot have communion with Christ; that is why Peter had to have his feet washed. The command, 14, involves the exercise of a spirit of forgiveness of one saint toward another (Eph 4:32).

Unger, Merrill F.; Unger, Merrill F. F. (2005-04-01). The New Unger's Bible Handbook (Kindle Locations 13592-13598). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.

 Our Lord certainly knew which of the disciples truly believed in Him and which one did not. He performed this intimate ritual of washing the disciples’ feet as a lesson in humility to them and to us. Of course, it was a custom in all households to wash the feet of guests who visited. The streets were filthy, and their feet were, too, from their travel. Foot washing was normally a household servant’s  job. Peter’s protest indicated that he believed His Lord shouldn’t stoop to such a chore. Jesus assured Peter and the others that He, our Lord, must periodically cleanse us or we do not belong to Him. We do not need to be completely bathed, however, for that was a once-and-for-all cleansing of the soul (eternal salvation at the point of faith in Christ). The foot washing represented daily confession of personal sins by the believer, having been forgiven and cleansed from all unrighteousness by God the Father, through the atonement of the God the Son. Jesus knew that not all of the disciples had believed in Him for salvation, but apparently He washed the traitor’s feet also, as a demonstration of His grace. Foot washing didn’t clean the whole man. It was just a temporary fix for daily dirt. If the whole man isn’t clean, the foot washing is meaningless ritual. Lesson: daily confession of personal sins is for the believer only! Unbelievers (spiritually dead people) confessing personal sins does nothing for their spiritual condition. Only faith in the perfect atonement of Jesus Christ can remove the curse of Adam’s original sin and give eternal life. Judas had been with Jesus for three years and had played the part of a disciple, but had never truly believed in His deity or His mission. Judas was not saved.

When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant  is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. John 13:12-16

If our Lord will do such a thing for us, we believers can do it for one another.  We can humble ourselves to attend to the needs of fellow believers. We servants are not better than our master. It is our great honor to be and do just as our master is and does. Foot washing is not part of our modern culture, but there are many ways to serve fellow believers’ needs, daily, as we grow together in the faith. Foremost among them is to forgive our brothers’ human failures.

If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’  I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. John 13:17-19

He knew that not all the disciples would follow His lead. Our Lord had deliberately chosen each man there. The one who would betray Him had just supped with Him. He wanted His true disciples to realize later that He had expected the betrayal, because He is omniscient God. They didn’t know at supper who the traitor was, but Jesus did.

He established a bond between Himself, His messengers and those who would believe on Him through their message. The messenger represents the one who sends him. Those who receive the message are receiving the sender as well as the messenger. We are part of a spiritual organism. We are ambassadors for Christ, representing Him wherever we go.

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”