John 13 Devotional: Witness Jesus washing the disciples' feet and the giving of the New Commandment. Explore the humility of the Savior and the call for the Church to be defined by a radical, servant-hearted love for one another.Â
Dear brothers and sisters, peace in Christ. Welcome to John 13. We have moved into the "Upper Room," leaving the public ministry of Jesus behind to enter into His most intimate final hours with His disciples. Today, we see the King of Glory wrap a towel around His waist and kneel in the dust. Let us prepare to be washed by His Word and challenged by His example.Â
The Basin, the Towel, and the New Commandment
John 13 marks a dramatic shift in the Gospel of John. Knowing that His hour had come to depart this world and return to the Father, Jesus demonstrates the full extent of His love. In a shocking act of humility, He performs the work of the lowest slave by washing the feet of His disciplesâincluding Judas, who would soon betray Him. Following this, He identifies His betrayer, predicts Peterâs denial, and issues a "New Commandment": that His followers must love one another just as He has loved them.
What can we learn from this today? In this chapter, we see the perfect nature of Christ. As your Statement of Faith affirms, Jesus is fully God and fully man. Though He knew "that the Father had put all things under his power," He used that power not to demand service, but to give it. This is the heart of the Universal Church (Article 8). We are not a club of the elite, but a body of servants. Jesus shows us that leadership in His Kingdom is found at the bottom, not the top. He also reminds us that our primary witness to a watching world is not our arguments or our buildings, but our love for one another. To follow Jesus is to be willing to "wash the feet" of those around us, serving even when it is difficult or undeserved.
13 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciplesâ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, âLord, are you going to wash my feet?â
7 Jesus replied, âYou do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.â
8 âNo,â said Peter, âyou shall never wash my feet.â
Jesus answered, âUnless I wash you, you have no part with me.â
9 âThen, Lord,â Simon Peter replied, ânot just my feet but my hands and my head as well!â
10 Jesus answered, âThose who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.â 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. âDo you understand what I have done for you?â he asked them. 13 âYou call me âTeacherâ and âLord,â and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one anotherâs feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
18 âI am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture: âHe who shared my bread has turned against me.â
19 âI am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am. 20 Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.â
21 After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, âVery truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.â
22 His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. 23 One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. 24 Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, âAsk him which one he means.â
25 Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, âLord, who is it?â
26 Jesus answered, âIt is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.â Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.
So Jesus told him, âWhat you are about to do, do quickly.â 28 But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. 29 Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor. 30 As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.
31 When he was gone, Jesus said, âNow the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.
33 âMy children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.
34 âA new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.â
36 Simon Peter asked him, âLord, where are you going?â
Jesus replied, âWhere I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.â
37 Peter asked, âLord, why canât I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.â
38 Then Jesus answered, âWill you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!
Jesus said, "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one anotherâs feet." As we turn to prayer, let us ask for a heart that is willing to serve as He served.Â
Dear Heavenly Father, We praise You for the humility of Your Son, Jesus Christ. We believe that He is the sovereign Lord of all, yet we see Him today kneeling in the dirt to wash the feet of His followers. Thank You for a Savior who does not stay distant, but who enters into our mess to make us clean. We believe that His life and His Word are our final authority.
Lord, I ask that You would kill the pride in my heart today. Forgive me for the times I have sought to be served rather than to serve. Holy Spirit, empower me to love othersânot with a worldly love, but with the sacrificial love of Christ. Give me the strength to show kindness even to those who might betray or fail me. May the "New Commandment" be written on my heart so that my life becomes a testimony of Your grace.
We pray for our local church and the universal Church, that we would be known globally by our love for one another. We lift up those in our community who feel overlooked and "unclean"; may they encounter Your love through our hands and feet. We pray for a world that is fractured by pride and division; may the image of the King with a towel be a light that leads many to repentance and faith. Grant us the grace to follow Your example, seeking not our own glory, but Yours alone. Amen.
Jesus washed the feet of those who would soon fail Him, desert Him, and betray Him. Is there someone in your life who has "failed" you, whom God is calling you to serve or show grace to today?Â
Why did Peter initially refuse to have his feet washed? In that culture, foot washing was the job of the lowest servant. Peterâs refusal was a mix of pride and a misunderstanding of Jesus' mission; he couldn't grasp that the Messiah had to become a servant to save us.
What did Jesus mean by "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet"? This is a beautiful picture of salvation. The "bath" represents the once-for-all justification we receive through faith (Article 6), while "washing the feet" represents the ongoing confession and cleansing from the daily sins we commit as we walk through the world.
What makes the "New Commandment" new? The Old Testament commanded people to "love your neighbor as yourself." The new standard is higher: "love one another as I have loved you." It is a love based on the sacrificial, unconditional example of Jesus.
Thank you for joining us for this intimate study of John 13. May you go out today with a towel and a basin, looking for ways to reflect the love of our Savior. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow as we explore the comfort and promises of John Chapter 14.Â
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