What does it mean to have Jesus wash your feet? It wasn't just Jesus being kind or doing an act of humility and service, though that was definitely part of it. But it has spiritual significance and spiritual meaning beyond humbling ourselves and serving one another. So what does it mean? I'll give you a hint... The answer lies within his conversation with Peter.
John 13:1 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 disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
10 Jesus answered, “Those 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.” 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. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ 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 another’s 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. . . . Peter, out of respect for Jesus, didn't want Jesus to wash his feet. But Jesus said, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."
(That's our first hint. We MUST be washed by Jesus to be in relationship with Him. This leads me to think cleansing of sin by his blood, salvation.)
Peter, who loves Jesus and wants to be in relationship with Him responds, "Then, Lord, not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
And Jesus replies, "Those 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.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
Spiritually, Peter was already clean. Peter was already right before God; he was in relationship with Jesus. The same for the other disciplines. And we know this is spiritual, and not just physical cleanliness, because Jesus does not call Judas clean, because Judas was NOT spiritually right before God.
So what does it mean to have your feet washed by Jesus?
The revelation came to me a few years ago. I had actually been praying that God reveal this passage of scripture to me. I had just gotten out of the shower. And walked barefoot across the floor. I looked down at my feet and saw that they were dirty. I rolled my eyes and went back to the tub to just rinse my feet off again. And that's when it hit me. My whole body was clean... But my feet had gotten dirty again so quickly.
As believers, when we put our faith in the finished work of Jesus on the cross, He washes us clean. We are free from sin. But, as we walk through this fallen world, our "feet get dirty." And we must continuously return to God to repent, ask for forgiveness, and then keep walking.
Putting our faith in Jesus as the Son of God who died for our sin and was raised to conquer death is the thing that washes our whole body clean.
But we still must turn to Him to cleanse us and keep us pure in our Christian walk. We still must let Him "wash our feet" from sin in repentance from sin.
And, as Christians, we are also called to humble ourselves and forgive one another, just as God, for Christ's sake, has forgiven us. This is what it means to wash one another's feet.
Jesus will wash the feet of ANYONE who comes to Him. Anyone who comes to Him in REPENTANCE, anyone, who confesses their sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
But most importantly, He wants to make ALL of you clean. Not just your feet. The gift is free to ANY who will receive it.
"Yet to ALL who did receive him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God..."
"For God so loved the WORLD that He gave His only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believes in Him, shall not perish but have eternal life."
Birthing Hope
What does it mean to have Jesus wash your feet? It wasn't just Jesus being kind or doing an act of humility and service, though that was definitely part of it. But it has spiritual significance and spiritual meaning beyond humbling ourselves and serving one another. So what does it mean? I'll give you a hint... The answer lies within his conversation with Peter.
John 13:1 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 disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
10 Jesus answered, “Those 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.” 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. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ 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 another’s 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.
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Peter, out of respect for Jesus, didn't want Jesus to wash his feet. But Jesus said, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."
(That's our first hint. We MUST be washed by Jesus to be in relationship with Him. This leads me to think cleansing of sin by his blood, salvation.)
Peter, who loves Jesus and wants to be in relationship with Him responds, "Then, Lord, not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
And Jesus replies, "Those 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.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
Spiritually, Peter was already clean. Peter was already right before God; he was in relationship with Jesus. The same for the other disciplines. And we know this is spiritual, and not just physical cleanliness, because Jesus does not call Judas clean, because Judas was NOT spiritually right before God.
So what does it mean to have your feet washed by Jesus?
The revelation came to me a few years ago. I had actually been praying that God reveal this passage of scripture to me. I had just gotten out of the shower. And walked barefoot across the floor. I looked down at my feet and saw that they were dirty. I rolled my eyes and went back to the tub to just rinse my feet off again. And that's when it hit me. My whole body was clean... But my feet had gotten dirty again so quickly.
As believers, when we put our faith in the finished work of Jesus on the cross, He washes us clean. We are free from sin. But, as we walk through this fallen world, our "feet get dirty." And we must continuously return to God to repent, ask for forgiveness, and then keep walking.
Putting our faith in Jesus as the Son of God who died for our sin and was raised to conquer death is the thing that washes our whole body clean.
But we still must turn to Him to cleanse us and keep us pure in our Christian walk. We still must let Him "wash our feet" from sin in repentance from sin.
And, as Christians, we are also called to humble ourselves and forgive one another, just as God, for Christ's sake, has forgiven us. This is what it means to wash one another's feet.
Jesus will wash the feet of ANYONE who comes to Him. Anyone who comes to Him in REPENTANCE, anyone, who confesses their sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
But most importantly, He wants to make ALL of you clean. Not just your feet. The gift is free to ANY who will receive it.
"Yet to ALL who did receive him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God..."
"For God so loved the WORLD that He gave His only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believes in Him, shall not perish but have eternal life."
1 year ago | [YT] | 3