PASSION WEEK – Thursday Night

WASHING FEET

Just to recap…

Jesus has just reframed the Passover meal as the inauguration and perpetual memorial of the New Covenant that had been promised through the prophets.

The disciples have been trying to work out which among them were the greatest and Jesus has explained that in His kingdom, the leaders serve. And then He proceeds to do just that.

Most of the images and artwork online of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet show him fully robed, but He wasn’t. When He washed their feet, he took off his robe and wrapped himself in a towel. An unknowing observer would’ve mistaken Jesus for a common household slave. This bronze sculpture is likely a pretty accurate depiction.

If we would serve like our Savior and Master, we need to be sure to notice this crucial part of the text:

“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

One of my favorite Bible College professors said it this way, “Jesus was the only one present who could have washed feet. Because He was the only one who knew who He was.”

Verse 3 tells us what Jesus KNEW that enabled Him to perform the job of washing feet – which was a task done only by the lowest slave in the household.

Here’s what Jesus knew:

• He knew His source. He knew that His power, approval, authority, and purpose He had came from the Father. It hadn’t come from man and man could not change or take them away.
• He knew His origin. He had come from God the Father.
• He knew His destiny. He was returning to God the Father.

Until a Christian knows what Jesus knew, washing feet is a threat.

“I’m too educated to be a janitor.”

“What if people don’t realize how intelligent and qualified I am, and how much I have studied?”

“How would this look on a resume?”

“Can’t fraternize with the subordinates.”

“Those lowly people can’t open doors for you. You need to get in with the powerful and influential.”

“I guess I’m not good enough for anything better.”

And on and on… All very messed up.

There is a segment within the Church that is just as much about wealth and status as any worldly corporate boardroom. Pastors size each other up by the number of people who attend, the size of the offerings, the property value of the building in which they meet, the car they drive, and how trendy their clothing style is. Those men cannot wash feet. Not really. I suppose they could do a foot-washing service to impress people with their humility but only if the cameras are rolling.

You will not wash feet behind closed doors until you have learned from the Father what His purpose is for you, what authority you have to carry it out, where you came from, and where you are going.

The one who knows who he is in Christ is secure. No task, no matter how menial, can alter your worth or identity in Jesus. So no task is a threat- not scrubbing toilets, taking out the trash, or washing feet.

The disciples couldn’t have washed feet because they were still trying to figure out who was the greatest. Trying to establish our worth and rank based on what others think of us will get in the way of foot-washing because there are no “prestige points” in humble service.

All the value and honor we need is in belonging to Christ. You matter to Jesus and His kingdom. We are royal sons and daughters. Our destiny is to reign with Christ. Once that is settled, and you know who you are, you can take the most menial place and it will not come from or lead to “I’m just a nobody.” If a king or queen stoops to pick up trash it does not make them any less a king or queen.

Jesus was overqualified for washing feet, but the humble task did not diminish Him in the least.

If you are serving the Lord well, you might also be massively overqualified for the job.

I once knew a pastor who had stepped down from leading a sizable congregation in order to do children’s ministry. He was concerned about how shallow some children’s programs are and felt the Lord calling him and his wife to minister to children. He had a seminary degree and several years of pastoral experience. In church leadership world, going from Senior Pastor to Children’s Minister would be considered a step down. But I got to do children’s ministry alongside them and I saw firsthand how they taught those kids the word of God. Taught them how to worship and pray. They were still pastoring. They were just pastoring little people.

JESUS AND PETER

Peter knows that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Of course he doesn’t think it’s appropriate for Deity to wash his stinky feet.

“Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.””

“No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.””

“Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!” 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.””
‭‭John‬ ‭13‬:‭7-‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jesus makes a distinction between being “bathed” and washing the feet. Your feet are the part of you that comes into regular contact with the dirt- the ground from whence we came, the earthy nature.

When we are born again we are cleansed from sin. And a person who is truly born of God will not continue in sin (1 Jn. 3). But since we are still in the flesh, we are susceptible to sin. Being saved does not mean we will never sin again. When we do commit a sin, we do not need to be “re-saved.” We do not get baptized all over again and re-take a “new believers” class. This isn’t Chutes and Ladders. We don’t land on a sin and have to slide all the way back to start. We do not need to “bathe.” We only need Jesus to wash the stink off our feet as we humble ourselves, repent of that sin, and openly confess to Him our need for cleansing.

Peter is REALLY going to need to know this in about 8-10 hours. Satan has desired to “sift him like wheat.” All of his claims that he was ready to go to prison and death with Jesus will turn out to be faulty. Jesus even tells him “you cannot follow me now, but you will follow me afterwards.” There is a textual link here to Acts 1:8. The Greek words for “cannot” are ou dunamis; no power. In Acts 1:8 Jesus tells them they will receive dunamis to be martus (matryrs/witnesses). It takes divine power to lay down one’s life for the Gospel. And Peter doesn’t have that power yet. But he will have.

I love the detail in Luke 22:61 where Jesus turns and looks at Peter after the 3rd denial. Y’all, Jesus was THERE when Peter was denying their relationship. And He is THERE when we stumble and get our feet dirty in sin. Peter goes out weeping bitterly. And he probably thinks he’s beyond mercy. Until he remembers what Jesus said about washing his feet.

The other disciples needed Jesus’ example of washing feet too. They are going to need to forgive Peter and each other because none of them are going to be very heroic. They will need to humbly wash one another’s feet.

JESUS AND JUDAS

There is a detail that only John 13 reveals. It wasn’t until after washing all of their feet that Jesus speaks of betrayal and reveals Judas as the betrayer.

Jesus washed the feet of Judas.

Sit with that for just a moment… 🪑

Jesus explains that Peter is clean even though his feet were dirty. One among them is not clean, even though his feet have been washed.

Jesus knew it was Judas who would betray Him. And He washed his feet anyway. Imagine Jesus holding the foot of Judas in His hands. It makes this verse hit different:

“Even my close friend, whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭41‬:‭9‬ ‭LEB‬‬

This is the verse Jesus said is fulfilled in John 13:18.

When Jesus says, “One of you will betray me” the synoptic gospels record the chorus around the table of “Is it I?” Only John gives us the quiet interaction between himself and Jesus. (John refers to himself in his gospel as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.”) And it was Peter who signaled to John in some way to ask who it was.

“Jesus responded, “It is the one to whom I give the bread I dip in the bowl.” And when he had dipped it, he gave it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot.”
‭‭John‬ ‭13‬:‭26‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We don’t know what substance Jesus dipped the piece of bread into but there are only about 4 possible options on a first-century Passover table.

• SWEET – We don’t know for certain if Jews were eating charoset with Passover yet in 33-34AD. It did not come from any command in Exodus. Charoset is a sweet apple, nut, honey and spice mixture. It isn’t mentioned in rabbinic literature until about 200AD. The ancient Greeks and Romans had similar mixtures served with meals to aid in digestion. Charoset probably came from that and was given a symbolism by rabbinic tradition and added to the post-temple Seder.
• BITTER – The bitter herbs were a staple of the most ancient observances of Passover, so Jesus may have dipped the bread into something like a salad or stewed greens. At the time, “bitter herbs” would’ve been greens like chicory, endive, and watercress and not horseradish which was an adaptation centuries later. Bitterness would’ve a fitting dip for Jesus to give to Judas.
• SAVORY – first century Judean diets featured lentil soups and stews, olives and olive oil, and a Roman fish-sauce called garum. (If you like to nerd out about food and/or history, the link will take you to a 23min video about garum which is quite entertaining if the sight of decaying fish won’t make you queasy.). It’s likely that at least one of these dishes was on the table.
• WINE – It’s also possible that Jesus dipped the piece of bread into a cup of wine. If so, that’s exactly what “Communion by intinction” looks like.

In his book Shadows of the Beast, author James Jacob Prasch describes Judas as a prophetic picture (one of many) of the AntiChrist. In Revelation 13:1-4 the infamous “Beast” is described as being empowered by (perhaps possessed by) “the dragon” who is identified in Rev. 20:2 as none other than Satan.

After Judas takes the bread from Jesus, Satan “enters into” him and drives him to the act of betrayal. Just as Judas was among the Apostles, it’s possible that the coming “Beast” will have some connection with the Church – perhaps even a leader. Judas didn’t have yellow lizard-eyes. He seemed like a godly man. And the end-time deceiver may look like the best thing – maybe even a Christian – that the world has seen in a long time. Don’t take anything at face value. Pray for discernment and test everything by the Word of God and prayer.

“So after he had taken the piece of bread, he went out immediately. And it was night.”
‭‭John‬ ‭13‬:‭30‬ ‭LEB‬‬

Judas is literally going “into outer darkness.” That’s how Jesus has described the eternal fate of the wicked.

We won’t see Judas again until he shows up in the garden to identify Jesus for arrest.

Jesus only has a few hours left with the disciples before then. And He is going to pack in as much teaching as He can. That’s what the next 2 posts will be about.