When I graduated from the seminary in the 90s, I was given two reminders that day. The first was a diploma, to show that you’ve completed their training to lead. The second was a towel to remind you that to lead is to serve. To further reinforce that idea for all students, they placed a statue in front of chapel called The Divine Servant. This statue depicts Jesus washing the feet of Peter. It’s a great reminder that washing feet reveals one’s character. And that’s what we want to look at as we dig in to today’s text in John. We’ll examine what washing feet reveals about 3 people.
The first is Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed. We’re not told much about Judas, about the only good thing was that he was one of the Twelve and it just goes downhill from there. This was not a surprise to Jesus as He’d already be aware of the prophecies:
Psalm 41:9- Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel
against me.
Zechariah 11:12-13- Then I said to them, “If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if
not, keep them.” And they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver. Then the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the lordly price at which I was priced by them. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord, to the potter.
For example, there was the time (John 12:1-8) when Jesus was being given a lunch by Lazarus and his sisters shortly after Lazarus had been brought back to life. Lazarus was at the table, Martha was preparing the meal, and Mary anointed Jesus feet with a very expensive perfume- worth about a year’s wages. Judas reacts to this, questioning why the perfume wasn’t sold to provide for the poor. It’s revealed that he wasn’t actually concerned for the poor. Judas was trusted with keeping the funds for the group but was a thief and had been skimming from the purse.
When he didn’t get his way, Judas made up his mind to betray Jesus and went to the chief priests to negotiate that they’d pay him 30 pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14-16; Mark 14:10-11). Later, when Judas realized Jesus was actually going to die, he let the guilt get the best of him. He threw the money into the temple when the chief priests refused to take it back then went and hanged himself (Matthew 27:3-5)
In our passage today (John 13:18), after He finishes washing the disciples’ feet, Jesus points out the prophecy we read in Psalm 41. In the next section of text (John 13:26-27), Jesus reveals that Judas Iscariot is the one who will betray him by giving him a piece of bread. He then does something unusual. Jesus tells him to go do what he has to do.
I’m reminded of the WWJD bracelets that used to be so popular. Knowing the betrayer was reclining at the table, what does Jesus do? He includes Judas, washed his feet (could have skipped over him), shared bread, gave him permission to proceed.
The second person we want to look at is Peter- the one who bathed. We know a good deal more about Peter, especially his rash, impulsive nature. Jesus knew this would lead to Peter’s denial, just as He knew about Judas’s betrayal. Again, it was prophecied:
Zechariah 13:7- Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.
I picture apostles around a campfire sometime after Jesus had ascended, swapping stories, maybe even filling in some of the gaps for Matthias after he replaced Judas. At some point, they begin roasting Peter.
Maybe it was Matthew who started it out, after all, he wrote all these events down. I remember the time when we were in the boat and a storm arose. The wind and the waves were terrifying and when we saw Jesus walking on the water we thought He was a ghost. Peter cried out the craziest thing I ever heard. “Jesus, if it’s you, tell me to walk to you on the water!” Of course, Jesus told him to come and he actually started out walking on top of the water. (Matthew 14:28-29)
And then Mark chimes in, remember how we used to call him Simon? Jesus asked us who people thought He was and we told Him- a prophet, Elijah, maybe John the Baptist. Then He asked who we say He is. It was Peter that answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus told us that confession would be the foundation of His church and not even the gates of Hades would prevail. (Matthew 16:16)
But then Thomas jumps in. Well, yeah, but then Jesus began to talk about His upcoming death, burial, and resurrection and Peter actually rebuked Him. “Far be it from you, Lord! We won’t let you die!” Jesus told him to get behind Him and called him Satan. (Matthew 16:22-23) He went from “You are the Christ” to “Get behind me, Satan” that quickly.
John speaks up next. I remember that time Jesus took Peter, James, and me up on the mountain. Somehow, His body transfigured and then Moses and Elijah appeared and started talking with Him. Peter got all excited like only Peter can and he blurts out, “It is good for us to be here. Let us build three tabernacles right here on the mountain so you can all stay here and we can worship you right here on the mountain.” Of course, we heard God respond and tell us to listen to His Son and Jesus told us to not tell anyone about this yet. (Matthew 17:4)
Of course, it was Andrew who pointed out the time Peter asked Jesus, “How many times must I forgive my brother, seven?” Can you believe his nerve? I’m the one who introduced him to Jesus. I mean, sure, we’d been arguing that day, but I never thought he’d actually ask Jesus when he could stop forgiving his brother. That’s me! I was right there and he asks Jesus how many times he has to forgive me like I’m a knucklehead. Wow! (Matthew 18:21)
James then pointed to the night of Jesus’ arrest. Man, Peter was so brave. When Jesus told us we’d all fall away, Peter was the first one to stand up. “I will never fall away! I’d rather die than deny you, Jesus!” We all jumped in with him, but sure enough, by the end of the night, we’d all abandoned Jesus. (Matthew 26:30-35)
And then we have the interaction that took place in today’s text. Jesus comes around to Peter and Peter refuses to participate. Are you really going to wash my feet? Never! Jesus corrected his fake piety and told Peter to let him wash his feet or have no share of being with Jesus. Of course, then Peter goes overboard. If that’s the case, not only wash my feet but my hands and my head as well. Jesus assured him that one who has already bathed is already clean so only needs his dirty feet to be cleaned.
This reminds me of several conversations over the years with people who are considering their relationship with Jesus and whether they should get baptized. Sometimes, they’re holding out because they’re afraid what might happen if they sin again after their baptism. They’re worried that they may need to be baptized again or, even worse, that to sin again would mean that they’re condemned to hell. I believe that Jesus answers this question when He responds to Peter. You were cleaned at baptism, forgiveness is given. God assures us that He is faithful to forgive when we continue to confess. So, as we live out our faith, we strive for perfection but can be assured that God will forgive and restore our relationship when we fall short and need His forgiveness.
WWJD with the one who bathes? He assures them that they are clean, they simply need to take care of the parts that have gotten dirty.
At this point, I want you to notice the difference between Judas and Peter. Both messed up, we’ve already highlighted some of those events. It was the difference in their reaction when they saw that Jesus really was going to die. Judas was filled with remorse, he allowed his guilt to get the best of him, threw the money back into the temple, and hanged himself. Peter was likely initially filled with remorse, but he allowed it to become repentance and was able to be restored by Christ.
So you’ve got Judas, the one who betrayed, Peter, the one who bathed, now let’s look at Jesus, the one who served. For obvious reasons, He’s the one we know the most about, so I won’t go into all the stories that lead up to today’s events. But to summarize, we’ve seen that Jesus taught with authority and backed it up with miracles. He treated the hurting with compassion, but confronted the self-righteous as needed.
Contrast this to the attitude of the disciples. The synoptic gospels each tell about the disciples arguing to be considered the greatest when Jesus becomes king. In fact, James’ and John’s mother asked Jesus for a favor- that her sons would sit at His right and left side. I share this chart because I want you to understand how some churches interpret things as they look at the scriptures and some of the differences in how each gospel shares the event.
Matthew 18:1-4 indicates the apostles were already in Capernaum (events in 17 already had them in Capernaum). The disciples ask Jesus which of them is the greatest. Jesus calls a child and puts him in their midst, then tells them they need to be humble like a child to be greatest.
Mark 9:33-37 describes the disciples coming to Capernaum and then Jesus asking them what they had been discussing. Because the disciples were silent, He gathers them together, tells them they must serve, and then Jesus takes a child to put in their midst. He tells them when they receive a child they receive Him and when they receive Him, they receive God.
Luke 9:46-48 doesn’t provide the location as the disciples argue, but tells us that Jesus knows their hearts. He takes a child and sets him by His side, tells the disciples that to receive a child is to receive Him and to receive Him is to receive God. He finishes by telling them they must be the least to be great.
I share this because I’ve seen how some of the more liberal-minded churches look at these accounts and determine we can’t accept them as true because of these differences. I once attended a ministerial alliance meeting in another town and they basically said they couldn’t understand how a conservative theologian could accept this event to be historical with what they viewed to be discrepancies.
In contrast, the one time I ended up serving on jury duty, the lawyers presented a scenario to see how potential jurors would respond. They explained a person had been accused of bank robbery but they gave an alibi that they had been at a restaurant with a friend at the time of the crime and he had eaten a pork tenderloin, onion rings, and a coke. They asked the waitress if she remembered him and she testified that yes, as she recalled, he ordered a pork tenderloin, fries, and a coke. They then brought in the friend who shared they recalled he ordered a sandwich, onion rings, and an iced tea. The lawyer asked if the jurors could believe the man’s alibi with the differences in their stories. They expected people to affirm they could. Why? Because people see things from different perspectives, they focus on different details. Had their stories been exactly the same, one would have to wonder if they were collaborating to tell a lie.
I share this chart so that you can see this helps us to know that the Bible is God’s truth and is reliable. The differences in the accounts proves the story to be true rather than errors or contradictions.
To get back to today’s text, not only did the diciples argue about who was the greatest, they didn’t learn when Jesus gave them an answer. Mealtime came and, when there was no servant present, they all reclined at the table with dirty feet. WWJD in this circumstance: Philippians 2:5-8- Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death- even death on a cross.
Jesus gets up, removes his outer garment, ties a towel around his waist, washes the feet of the disciples, dresses, and returns to his place at the table. Then, He turns it into a teaching moment- do you understand what just happened here? You rightly call me Lord and Teacher, that is what I am. It shows they have submitted themselves to His leadership. Even though I am your Lord and Teacher, I have washed your feet, I have set the example. You should wash one another’s feet. He didn’t mean that literally, or they’d have all made the rounds.
He meant it spiritually and gives them a reminder that in the grand scheme of things, the servant is below master and the messenger is below the sender. Both the servant and the messenger operate under the authority of their master and if they want to be blessed, they will do it well.
What has Christ sent us to do? Matthew 28:19-20- Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. How does a servant pass along the message? Go in this text carries the idea of as you go, wherever you go. I believe serving is a part of that go command- it’s what will draw attention.
Francis of Assisi is attributed to have said, “Preach the gospel daily, when necessary, use words.” Once you have their attention, it’s necessary to speak. I’ve seen churches take this idea and set up wonderful days of service projects with the thought that if they serve it will be enough to draw the recipients to their church. I believe you have to speak up and let people know it’s the love of God that motivates you to serve them in such a fashion.
If you’ve seen the movie Robots, you’re aware of Mr. Bigweld. He had a weekly TV show in which he encouraged inventors to come up with the newest and brightest innovations. He had a slogan that he shared on his program- See a need, fill a need. That’s what Jesus is telling us by washing feet. We need to be looking for how we can serve- see a need, fill a need.
There are some questions you need to ask yourself today- who do I know that needs their feet washed? Whom can I serve? What opportunity has been presenting itself? What talent can I be using for Christ? How can I exalt my Lord and Savior to those around me?
Service begins with a relationship. Jesus lowered Himself to die on a cross so that you can have a relationship with God. The gift of grace has been offered, but you have to make the decision to accept God’s gift to you. As we do each Sunday, we want to offer you the opportunity to accept God’s grace and be baptized into Him. We’re going to stand and sing our next song, as we do so, take this opportunity to come forward and give your life to Him.
