Washing the Disciples' Feet

Q: What does the Bible say about Jesus washing the disciples' feet?

Jesus washing the disciples' feet illustrates His humility and serves as a model for our service to one another. In John 13:1-17, Jesus provides a powerful demonstration of servanthood by washing His disciples' feet. This act is significant not only as a cultural custom of hospitality but also as a profound lesson in humility and selflessness. Jesus, who is both fully God and fully man, exemplified ultimate humility by taking on the role of a servant, demonstrating that true leadership is rooted in service to others. His actions teach us that as followers of Christ, we are called to serve one another with the same love and humility that Christ showed.

Q: How do we know the concept of humility is important for Christians?

Humility is essential for Christians as it reflects the character of Christ and guides our interactions with others. The importance of humility in the Christian faith is clearly illustrated through Christ's act of washing the disciples' feet. In John 13:14-15, Jesus states, 'If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.' This instruction emphasizes that humility must characterize our relationships, promoting a spirit of cooperation, forgiveness, and grace. As believers, we are reminded that we are not above serving others, and genuine humility fosters a community of love and support among believers, reflecting Christ’s love for us.

Q: Why is the act of Jesus washing feet considered a symbol of redemption?

Jesus washing feet symbolizes His role in cleansing us from sin and highlights the need for continual spiritual renewal. The act of Jesus washing the disciples' feet is also a symbol of spiritual cleansing and redemption. In John 13:8-10, Jesus tells Peter, 'If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.' This emphasizes the necessity of Christ's cleansing work through His sacrifice, as it is only by His blood that we are forgiven and made clean. The washing of feet signifies ongoing sanctification, reminding believers that while we have been washed clean in relation to our standing before God, we still require continual cleansing from the impurities we encounter in our daily walk. As we navigate through this world, we must seek daily renewal through confession and reliance on Christ’s finished work.

Q: How should Christians respond to the example set by Jesus in washing feet?

Christians should respond to Jesus' example by serving one another with humility and love. In following the example set by Jesus in washing His disciples’ feet, Christians are called to adopt a posture of humility and service. Jesus commands in John 13:15, 'For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.' This is not merely about the physical act of foot washing but embodies a broader principle of serving others, practicing forgiveness, and exhibiting compassion in our interactions. By reflecting Christ’s humility in our lives, we model His love to the world, fostering a community that encourages and uplifts one another. Our actions should demonstrate that we value others above ourselves, demonstrating the transformative power of the Gospel in our everyday lives.

You're not going to have any
problem today remembering the title of this message. If you'd
like to follow in your Bibles, we're going to read from John
13, the 13th chapter of the Gospel of John. And here's the subject,
Washing the Disciples' Feet. That's my subject today, Washing
the Disciples' Feet. Now, before our Lord went to
the cross, He spent much time instructing his disciples concerning
what he was doing and how he must suffer. You remember he
said in John 14, I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and
prepare a place, I'll come again and receive you unto myself.
He instructed these disciples on what he was doing and where
he was going and how he must suffer and die. And then he began
to instruct them. about the things that they must
endure for his sake and for the sake of the gospel, how the world
would treat them, how they should behave, and the spirit in which
they should minister his gospel. They were going out to preach
the gospel and he wanted them to go in the right attitude and
the right spirit. And so much, much of this is
recorded in John 13, 14 15 16 then in John 17 you have our
Lord's high priestly prayer But let's turn this morning To John
chapter 13 turn in your Bibles now And the reason I want you
to follow in the scriptures is because I'm going to stay real
close to each verse Almost each phrase we're going to talk about
in this message washing the disciples feet Now, let's look at verse
1, John 13, verse 1. What's the Lord saying? What's
He teaching these disciples? It says in verse 1, Now, before
the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour was
come, that His hour was come, that He should depart out of
the world unto the Father. Now, what's this hour? He spoke
frequently about this hour, that the hour was come. that he would
depart out of this world and go to the Father. Often he spake
of this hour. You remember the very first miracle
that our Lord performed in Cana of Galilee at the wedding feast?
His mother came to him and she said, they don't have any more
wine. And the first thing he said was,
woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come. The hour of my revelation. the
hour of my glory, the hour for the accomplishment of that which
I came to do. The hour has not come. And then
the disciples, trying to prevent him from going to the cross,
they said, Lord, don't do this. Don't go to Jerusalem. And he
said, shall I pray to the Father, deliver me from this hour? For
this cause came to this hour. This is why I came, for this
hour. And then when he prayed in John
17, he said, Father, the hour Come now glorify thy son that
thy son may glorify thee. That's what he's saying here
in John 13 1 Before the feast of the Passover Jesus knew that
the hour Was come and then it says having loved his own verse
1 having loved his own Which were in the world that's these
disciples He loved them to the end You see his love for his
sheep is everlasting both ways. He said, I've drawn you with
an everlasting love. The love of Christ is everlasting. It is infinite. It knows no bounds. It knows no limit. It is unchangeable. It's immutable because He's God,
having loved His own. What do you mean, having loved
them? Well, He always loved them. Having loved them, He loved them
still, and He loved them to the end, even the death of the cross.
Now look at verse two and three carefully. And supper being ended,
the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot,
Simon's son, to betray Jesus. Now I'll leave that for the moment
and come back to it in a moment. Jesus, knowing that the father
had given all things into his hands and that he was come from
God and that he went to God, Jesus knowing that God had put
all things in his hands. What's this all things in his
hands? Well, you see, Jesus of Nazareth
was a man in every sense of the word. He was a man born of a
woman, flesh of our flesh, bone of our bone. He lived in this
earth, tempted, tested in all points as we are, yet without
sin, he was a man. And yet Jesus of Nazareth is
God, God incarnate, God in every sense of the word, God in human
flesh. You see, in the beginning was
the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and
the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus Christ is a man,
but he's God. He said, great is the mystery
of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. The disciples said, Show us the
Father. He said, You've seen me, you've seen the Father. I
and my Father are one. Well, see, Jesus of Nazareth,
from the beginning now, from the beginning, and the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,
and the Word was made flesh. Well, from the beginning, Jesus
of Nazareth, Jesus Christ, God's Son, had committed into His hands
in an everlasting covenant the whole kingdom of God. the whole
purpose of God, the whole counsel of God, the whole redemption
of men, and all things pertaining to God. These things were committed
to Him from the beginning and trusted to Him. That's what He
said in John 17. And when He prayed, He said,
I have finished the work you gave Me to do. Well, when was
this work given to Him? From before the foundation of
the world. He was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
And John 3.35 says, The Father loves the Son, and hath given
all things into His hands. And all the promises of God are
in Him, in Christ. Yea, and amen. John 14, he said,
I'm the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father
but by me. You see, it's all in Christ.
Christ is all. So Jesus, knowing that all things
were given into his hands and that he came from God and that
he would accomplish what he came to do and return to God. Verse
4 and 5. Now listen, watch it. This is
the reason I wanted you to turn to this chapter because we're
going right down the line. Verse 4 and 5. Jesus knowing,
he said, the hours come, having loved his own, he loved them
to the end. Knowing that all things were
given into his hands that he came from God. He knew why he
came What he came to do he'd go back to God he rises from
supper and Laid aside his garment and took a towel and girded himself
with a towel Now back in those days men wore robes. Our Lord
had a robe without seam woven one piece from top to bottom
The men wore a robe and they wore an undergarment under that
robe. Well, he took off his robe and laid it aside and girded
himself with a large towel. After that, he poured water in
a basin. And then he began to wash the
disciples' feet and to wipe them with a towel.
Now, why was he doing this? Well, there was a custom in that
day when a guest came to your home. especially a prominent
guest or a welcome guest. Now, people wore sandals. I said
men wore robes and they wore sandals and there were no paved
sidewalks and paved streets. They walked on the ground, walked
through the dust, walked through the fields, walked through the
desert. And when a person came to your home as a guest, they'd
stop at the door and remove their sandals. And you would have,
if you were a good host or hostess, you'd have at the door a servant,
a slave. This was a very lowly task. And you'd have a slave or a servant
or someone at the door to wash the feet of your guests. They'd
take off a sandal and the slave or the servant, whomever it might
be, had a basin of water and they'd put their feet in the
water and they'd wash that foot and dry it with a towel and then
put the other foot in and dry it with a towel, and they'd walk
into the dinner. Well, our Lord, when the disciples
met here in this Simon's home to have this supper, there was
no one at the door to wash their feet. And they came in and had
supper with the Lord. And after the supper, the Lord
took off his robe and laid it aside and girded himself with
a towel and started performing the work of a slave, the work
of a servant. Down at, this is the Lord, the
master down at the feet of these disciples, washing their dirty
feet and drying them with a towel. So he washed the feet of Peter
and James and the feet of James and John and Luke, some of them.
And he came to Simon Peter, look at verse six. And then cometh
he to Simon Peter. And Peter said to him, Peter
recalled, I imagine he pulled his feet up under him. And he
said, Lord, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? You, the Lord, are gonna
wash my feet. Now, I understand Peter's amazement.
I don't condone his questioning the Lord. It's like Eli said,
it's the Lord let him do what he will. If he's the Lord, he
does what he will do. He has a reason for what he's
doing. Don't question him. But I understand Peter's amazement. He was shocked. He was shocked
to Peter. This was a shocking, amazing
event that the Lord should wash his feet. He said, Lord, do you
wash my feet? I was down in Mexico preaching a couple of years ago
and we were staying on a coffee plantation and they'd brought
the coffee in and they'd go through different processes and then
they spread it out on this large patio to dry. And they have certain,
owner of the plantation, his wife, was sitting with us, the
guests, on the patio, and the natives were spreading the coffee.
Only two or three men out there working with hundreds of bags
of coffee. And they had this coffee spread
out. It was during the dry season. It wasn't supposed to rain. And
we were sitting there talking. We looked up, and there was a
heavy cloud coming. And the lady of the plantation
said, it's going to rain. and we've got to get this coffee
in." So he said, you all excuse me. And so the missionaries and
my wife and I and the missionary's wife jumped up with them and
went out and got brooms and scrapers and all these different things,
started helping the natives get this coffee together. And the
wife and the husband of the plantation were horrified. They came to
me and tried to take my broom away. I said, no, I want to help. And they just insisted that I
not do this menial labor. And I said, I'm going to help
get this coffee in. And so we helped, and we got
it all up, and then the rains came. And we were sitting over
under the shelter and the patio, and she was still shocked. This,
the ranch owner's wife was just, I could tell she was terribly
upset that her guests should have partaken in such a menial,
lowly task. She couldn't get her, and I know
how Peter felt here. He was shocked. And so he said,
Lord, do you wash my feet? And listen to verse 7. Look at
it. And Jesus answered and said to Peter, now what I do, what
I'm doing, you know not now, but you shall know hereafter.
Now Peter knew what he was doing. He was washing his feet. Peter
knew what he was doing. What's the Lord saying here?
The Lord is saying, what I'm doing, what I'm doing here, what
I'm illustrating, what I'm showing you, you don't understand. You can't understand yet. You
will. You will, but not now. You will. I have many things
to say to you. I have many things to show you.
I have many things to teach you, but you can't understand them
now based on what you know, based on your spiritual experience,
what I do. You don't understand, but you
will. Oh, that We could learn that. You know, so many religious
people, they know it all. They've got all the answers.
They don't even know the question, but they've got all the answers,
you know. I wish we could be still and be quiet and wait upon
God. And, you know, we know in part,
and we prophesy in part, and we see through a glass dimly.
If any man thinks he knows, he knows not as he ought to know.
Spiritual truth is revealed slowly. by experience. There's so much
we do not know. And that's what he said to Peter,
just wait now. You don't know now. And Peter
said to him, look at verse 8. Peter said to him, you'll never,
now watch that word, never, you'll never wash my feet. Oh my. You know, the apostle Peter had
behaved with humility before. He said, Lord, dost thou wash
my feet? That can't be. You're the Lord and master. You
wash my feet? And now he speaks rashly, speaks
foolishly. You'll never wash my feet. Can you identify with Peter?
You ever talk that way? He talked that way a lot. Christ
said, you'll deny me. He said, I'll never deny you.
He said, I'll die with you. He said, all of you will be offended
because of me this night. He said, they may, but not I.
Never, never. Oh my, how foolishly we talk.
Bound by our pride. bound by our tradition and self-righteous
thoughts, we proceed to tell even God what we will and won't
do. You'll never wash my feet. Never. That's pretty strong,
isn't it? Well, listen to how the Lord
replied. Peter, Jesus answered him. Verse 8, if I don't wash
you, if I don't wash you, you have no part with me. No part. Now, notice Christ didn't say,
if I don't wash your feet. He said, if I don't wash you.
You see, what he's speaking of here, like while ago, he said
to Peter, he said, what I do, you know, not now. Well, Peter
knew what he was doing. He washed his feet. If this is
just a story and a picture of humility only, then Peter knew
what he was doing. He was acting the part of a servant.
He was acting very humbly. He was washing their feet. But
Christ said, you don't know what I'm doing. You don't know now
you will. And here he's saying, if I don't wash you. He didn't
say, if I don't wash your feet. He said, if I don't wash you,
you have no part with me. You see, he's speaking here of
his blood, which was shed to wash us, to cleanse us, to purify
us, to put away our sins. If you don't believe me, Peter,
if you don't trust me, If you don't receive me, if you don't
submit to me, if you don't rest in me, if you don't look to my
death and my blood, you see, Peter, he couldn't see the cross,
not yet. Christ had talked about dying
and leaving, but Peter couldn't imagine such an ignominious,
hateful death as the cross and the shedding of his blood, his
blood. And this is what Christ is talking.
I've got to wash you. If I don't wash you, you have
no part with me. You have no part in my covenant.
Cause it's the blood of the everlasting covenant. You have no part in
my kingdom, for it is the kingdom of God's dear son. You have no
part in my house, in my holy temple, in my heaven, because
we're not redeemed with corruptible things such as silver and gold,
but with the precious blood of Christ. The blood of Jesus Christ,
God's son, cleanseth us, cleanseth us, cleanseth us from all sin. God was in Christ reconciling
the world to himself. He died. He died just for the
unjust to bring us to God. And Peter, if you're not washed,
you have no part with me. No part. Well, how does Peter
reply? Simon Peter said to him, Lord,
then don't wash my feet only. Wash my hands and wash my head. Wash me all over. One thing about
Peter, he knew how to err, but he knew how to repent. He knew
how to pop off, didn't he? But he knew how to weep. And
when the Lord warned him, if I don't wash you, you have no
part with me, he repented. And he said, Lord, wash my feet. My walk is so sinful. Wash my
hands. My deeds are so sinful. Wash
my head. My thoughts are so sinful. If
you're going to talk about washing me and cleansing me and purifying
me, I need it all over. And that's a good statement.
While you're washing, just wash me all over. Now note the words
of our Lord very carefully in verse 10. And Jesus said to Peter,
He that is washed, He that is washed, in other words, those
for whom Christ died, Those for whom He shed His blood. Those
who believe. Those who trust His blood and
His righteousness. Those for whom He died. Those
who are washed. They're clean every whit. They're
clean within. They're clean without. By His
stripes we're healed. The blood of Christ cleanseth
us from all sin. So they're clean every whit.
And they need only to wash their feet. I'm going to show you something
in a minute. In other words, he said, Peter,
I'm washing your feet here now. I've already washed you. Already
washed you. By the blood, by the cross, you're
washed, you're cleansed, you're made whole. And he that's cleansed,
he needs only to wash his feet. He doesn't need to wash all over
again. He's already clean. He's clean everywhere. What's
this taken from? Over in those countries, they
didn't have indoor plumbing. They didn't have bathrooms and
showers. They had what they call public
baths. Still have them down in some of the islands where I've
preached and visited. They have public baths. And people
get a towel at home, and they walk down to the bathhouse. That's
the way these fellows would do in this country. Over there in
the Orient, they'd get a... in the... this country and around
Jerusalem, they'd get a... they'd get a towel, Bathrobe
or whatever go down to the bathhouse and wash and then they walk back
home Well when they got back home what they need to do they
need to wash their feet Down to bathhouse they washed all
over and they're clean everywhere, but on the way home walking across
the dirty fields and roads and Walkways their feet got dirty
and so they wash their feet and that's what Christ is saying
He's saying to Peter, I'm washing your feet. Now you're clean,
and you're clean as a whip. And all of you are clean, he
said, but not all of you. And I'll get to that in a moment.
But he said, all you need to do now is wash your feet. And
that's the way it is with children of God. We're cleansed. We're
cleansed in the blood of Christ. We're redeemed by the blood of
Christ. We're made whole by the blood of Christ. But walking
through this world daily, we need daily cleansing. and daily
forgiveness and daily pardon. That's what we need. Like one
of the old preachers said one time, I get up in the morning,
I say, Lord, keep me from sin this day. And he said, before
I go to sleep at night, I pray, Lord, forgive me of my sins of
this day. I'm already washed. I'm already
forgiven. I'm already saved by his blood.
But I need daily pardon and daily forgiveness and daily cleansing
because of my walk through this world. Still human. So he says
to this Peter, he said, now he that's washed needs only to wash
his feet. Because he's clean everywhere.
And listen, and you're all clean. You're clean. But now he puts
a phrase in here, but not all of you. You see that in verse
10? You're clean, but not all of you. What's he talking about? Who's he talking about? Well,
the next verse tells you, verse 11, listen. For he knew who would
betray him, therefore he said, You're not all clean. There's
one of you that's not clean. And you know who that was. Judas
was not clean. The blood and righteousness and
obedience and death of Christ will effectually save all who
believe, cleanse and redeem all who believe, all his sheep, but
not those who are not his sheep. You're clean, but not all of
you, for there's one of you. And Jesus knew from the beginning
who this was. Therefore he said, you're not
all clean. Now verse 12, after he had washed
their feet and taken his garment again, he sat down and he said
to them, do you know what I've done to you? Do you understand
this picture? Do you understand this illustration?
I have redeemed you. I have cleansed you. I have made
you accepted through my work, through my sacrifice, through
my death, but you're still human. You still walk in this world
of sin. You still need daily washing
and daily forgiveness and daily compassion and daily understanding. You see, you're not perfect.
You're still walking. We walk in the spirit, I know,
but we still walk in this world. and you need daily forgiveness
and daily cleansing. And I'm showing you, I've pardoned
you, I've forgiven you, but you're not perfect, not yet. So I have
to daily cleanse you and daily pardon you. Now look at verse
13, 14. Now, you call me master, you
call me Lord, you say, well, so I am. So if I, your master,
king of kings, Lord of lords, have washed your feet, you ought
also to wash one another's feet. What did our Lord say by washing
their feet? I know what He's saying. He's saying you're human,
you fail, you're earthen vessels, you have dirty feet, you walk
through the world, and I forgive you, and I understand you, and
I have compassion on you. Now you do the same for one another.
Remember, remember Lord that we're human. You also remember
that your friends and brothers are human. And as our Lord and
Master sat at the feet of His disciples humbly and watched
them, recognizing their frailty and their flesh, cannot we do
the same? Cannot we forgive? Cannot we
encourage? Cannot we help the fallen? Cannot
we get down with them and encourage them? For He said in verse 15,
I've given you an example that you should do as I have done.
Now, this is not an ordinance. He didn't say, I've given you
an ordinance, an example. He didn't say, I've given you
a ritual to repeat. I don't need my feet washed.
But there's some other things I need. I need your love and
your forgiveness, your understanding, your compassion. I need your
help. You see what I'm saying? I don't
need my feet washed. And you can't wash my feet and
prove your humility. But we can prove our humility
and prove these things that we've been with Christ and we're acting
like Christ by our attitude. You know, people that practice
foot washing as an ordinance, as a ritual, they do it once
every six months or every three months. This is talking about
daily forgiveness and daily humility and daily mercy. And that can
be done all the time. Verily I say unto you, the servant
is not greater than his Lord. If you know these things, happy
are you if you do them. The title of this message is
Washing the Disciples' Feet. Send two dollars, I'll mail this
message to you and another one. Until next week, God bless you.

Washing the Disciples' Feet

What does the Bible say about Jesus washing the disciples' feet?

How do we know the concept of humility is important for Christians?

Why is the act of Jesus washing feet considered a symbol of redemption?

How should Christians respond to the example set by Jesus in washing feet?

Sermon Transcript

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Washing the Disciples' Feet

What does the Bible say about Jesus washing the disciples' feet?

How do we know the concept of humility is important for Christians?

Why is the act of Jesus washing feet considered a symbol of redemption?

How should Christians respond to the example set by Jesus in washing feet?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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