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Jesus Washes the Disciples Feet, Part II, John 13:4-10
This morning we are in the 13th chapter of the Gospel of John as we continue our short series about this wonderful, and I mean wonderful as being full of wonder as we see our Lord Jesus, the Son of God, the Savior of the world deign to humble himself for the benefit of those disciples who chose to leave all and follow him.
Jesus Christ is the teaching Savior, for all he does is aimed at bringing his followers to have his mind, to reveal himself to them that they may live a holy life, a life of faith, a life pleasing to His Father.
In all He is about His Father’s business and that business at the Last Supper is to wash the feet of his disciples. So in John 13:4,5 we read, He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. Twelve disciples plus Jesus Christ are at the supper table.
All knew of the custom for clean feet while dining in a prone position with feet outstretched.
No slave had washed their feet upon their entrance nor had they done it for themselves.
Did any of them wonder who is going to get up and wash their feet?
Each one had the opportunity to serve the others and their Master by taking the position of servant and washing their feet.
But none moved to satisfy this important need.
Many of these men were rough course men, men of the sea, fishermen, outspoken men, unrefined men.
So to wash another’s feet one would not even consider.
Peter wash the feet of John?
Andrew wash the feet of Phillip?
Perhaps they might deign to wash the feet of Jesus because he was their Master, but to wash the feet of other disciples! Unheard of!
They had their pride, didn't they?
They certainly were not inferior to any of the other disciples were they?
What was the precedence?
Who was first among them?
But only Jesus Christ moved.
And by so doing he teaches his own a most beautiful and necessary lesson.
Jesus Christ, doing all things decently and in order, is deliberate in his service.
He removes, his outer garments, generally taken off to work and also used as a cover for sleep.
Girding himself with a towel handy for drying the feet of his disciples, he filled a basin with water and began to wash the feet of the disciples.
24 dirty feet to wash but he is deliberate, he is focused.
No speeches, no discussions, just service to those who are supposed to be serving him.
We are given to see in this passage the Lord of Glory.
The Lord whom angels adore.
The Lord whom angels fall in worship and praise.
This same Lord who left the glories of heaven, we now see on his knees.
He carries a basin of water, a towel covering his nakedness and he wipes the wet but now clean feet of twelve men.
He loves his own to the uttermost.
He teaches them that to have uninterrupted fellowship with him he must wash their feet to remove the dirt and grime that the feet gather as his disciples take their daily walk.
This is a picture of Jesus Christ's washing of sin by the word of God for symbolically the dirt on the feet is the sin of the world and Jesus is the word of God, the cleansing power.
To have fellowship with Jesus Christ there must be a spiritual washing by the word of God.
And he teaches the principle of service without pride in one’s position or power.
He teaches that his disciples are to serve one another in humility and love.
A position that is opposite to the world’s teaching of position and power and rank.
But Peter does not understand the significance of the principles that Jesus Christ is teaching as we see in:
John 13:6, Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?
Peter has watched his Lord washing the feet of his fellow disciples.
Jesus has not spoken but has simply served.
They have accepted his service in silence without opposing such service.
But this was not to be with Peter.
He was not going to let his Master stoop so low on his behalf.
So he asks the question, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? not to get an answer but to indicate opposition.
Peter's question is a normal question from a worldly point of view.
It shows his worldly mindset.
The world says that serving is low.
But Christ is high.
Therefore a person of Jesus Christ's high and lifted up position, a position that Peter called the Christ, should not lower himself to serve, according to Peter!
But that not a Christian position, that is a worldly position.
That is not the mind of God! That is not the mind of Christ.
The Christian position is that service is high.
The Christian's position is that servant hood is the highest position in God's order of things.
To hinder someone from service is to indicate that service is of low value.
And to hinder God's benefits, to shun God's service is to lift up oneself with pride as if not in need of those benefits.
Does not God serve us daily?
Are we not daily loaded with his benefits? Doth He not daily serve us?
Are we not to daily serve others by sharing those benefits, sharing that found honey with others?
God gives us arms to serve, legs to serve, minds to serve.
Peter, servant hood is the example that God continually gives us!
But Jesus admits to Peter that he knows that Peter does not know what is going on.
He admits to him that he will grow to know what this all means.
For in John 13:7, Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.
Jesus Christ wants Peter to learn that what he is doing now by washing the feet of his disciples is a picture.
It is a sample of the work which he will perform for his people when he returns to the Father.
Peter, you do not see this now but you will when the Holy Spirit teaches you all things.
This is a gentle rebuke to you Peter.
Faith should have guided you in your speech and your thoughts.
Does not the Lord do all things well?
If he wants to wash your feet, should you question that?
Peter, impetuously does question that for in John 13:8, he says: ……… Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.
The language here is imperative and domineering.
Peter is saying, Lord, you will never wash my feet at any time or at any place.
Why should I the disciple, be washed by my Master?
You will never, never, never, wash my feet!
In this Peter is saying I will wash my own feet, I will be satisfied with cleaning myself.
But Jesus says:
If I wash thee not you will have no part with me.
You cannot wash yourself into being a Christian.
Christ only saves those whom he washes.
And those who will to wash themselves do not have the right cleansing agent for the job.
It can't be done.
And this is true not only for the saving of our souls where the washing of the whole man is required but for the washing of our defiled walk.
Our feet get dirty and require a daily cleansing.
Not by ourselves but by Jesus Christ, by the word of God.
Jesus Christ is telling Peter in this passage that fellowship with him requires Peter to yield and submit his feet to Jesus Christ.
Peter must submit his feet that have gotten dirty that day, to the word of God so the word of God can wash off the dirt of his daily walk.
Peter, this is not simply confession of sin and God's forgiveness.
Peter, it is the searching out of the word of that which leads you and me and all believers into sin.
Peter, it is allowing the light of the word of God to do a work of grace in your heart. Let the light in and search out those ways in your heart that are your ways, ways that are not God's ways.
It is the attitude of the Psalmist:
Psalm 139:23,24 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
That is why it is so important to daily study God's word so God can do the washing away of the dirt of our daily walk.
God does not take us away from the dirt of this world.
As long as we are in this world our feet will get dirty.
God knows that, but he has provided a remedy to remove the dirt, and that remedy is the word of God.
Don't avail yourself of the washing of the word and your feet will continue to be dirty and fellowship with Jesus Christ is broken.
You will have no part with him, Peter!
So Peter hears this declaration from His Master and realizes He is serious about breaking off fellowship but his response indicates a lack of understanding of the full scope of Jesus’ words. l So in John 13:9, Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.
Peter's emotional pendulum swings fully from the left to the right.
No middle ground for Peter.
Lord, don't stop with my feet only, wash my hands and my head also!
Before, he wished to tell the Lord what he could and could not do.
Now he tells the Lord how things should be done.
How human Peter is.
We are so quick to give an opinion, even to God!
How the blood of Peter still flows in our veins!
So Jesus saith to him in John 13:10, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.
He that is washed signifies the washing of the whole body.
He that is washed means he that has been bathed, that is, his whole person has been cleaned.
He is saying that acceptance in the beloved person of Jesus Christ requires a full bathing of the whole person.
But there is a partial cleansing that must take place because of the daily walk the believer makes in the way of this world.
If your whole body is washed and you walk in the dust and dirt of the way, all that is needed to be washed is your feet.
Jesus is saying that only a partial washing is needed if the full washing has taken place.
But full washing does not replace the need for a daily partial washing as long as the dirty way of this world is traveled.
Our daily contact with the evil of this world causes the spiritual affections of our heart to be dulled.
A partial washing must take place to keep those spiritual affections strong.
Peter, you have been washed, but as long as you remain in your natural body a partial washing is needed to maintain fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
John has this same message in 1 John 1:6 when he says: If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
In other words: If we say that we have fellowship with him, and have dirty unwashed feet, we lie, and do not the truth:
Jesus is telling Peter: I expect you to maintain continual dependence upon me if we are to maintain fellowship.
The road of this life is rough and dusty and dirty and I know that in your strength you cannot wash anything away by yourself.
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