The Passover Pedicure

What would you do if you knew you were going to die a violent death in the next 12 hours?

Would you want to be alone in prayer? Would you write down some final thoughts? Would you spend time with your loved ones? What would you want to emphasize to people in your last 12 hours? Would you share recipes or gardening tips or would you focus on what’s important?

Passover was the last night Jesus would spend with His disciples…

John 13:1-9, “It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 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. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."

"No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me." "Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"”

The Passover meal reads like a final will and testament. Jesus knew this would be His last evening with the disciples before His crucifixion, and He wanted to share some important things with them.

3 things I want you to do. You might not understand now, but you will understand eventually.

Three things I want you to do.

#1: I want you to accept what I’m doing for you.

"Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."

I want you (Name) to allow me to minister to you. Yes, you’ve served me and you should, but I want you (name) to allow me to heal you, allow me to touch you in a special way today. I want you ( ) to allow me to make you clean again. Let me wash your feet: the lowliest, the basest: the filthiest parts of your life… If you ever want to have any part with me, you have to begin by accepting the ministry I’m doing for you. Without it, no man will ever enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

“Peter said, “No, Jesus. You will never wash my feet.”

He misunderstood the act of Grace Jesus was performing… He took it for a simple act of servanthood. But it was more than that: it was more than foot washing. It was a picture of the grace, the forgiveness, and the cleansing that would take place in just a few hours. Jesus was leaving the disciples with a stark portrait of His Grace, His love, and His power over sin and death. They wouldn’t understand at this moment, but later they would. Tomorrow they would understand the cleansing power of Jesus Christ in a whole new way.

Tomorrow, they would follow Jesus to the hill of the skull and watch His blood flow down the wooden members of the cross. Tomorrow, John would stand next to Mary, look up at The crucified King of the Jews, and realize the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus Christ, which washes the sin stained souls of men and women clean, which purifies us whiter than snow, which makes man righteous before God.

Peter didn’t know Jesus was symbolizing the washing away of the sins of mankind when He knelt down to wash his feet. He only saw his master stooping do a servant’s duty and he couldn’t imagine a King, the chosen one of God stooping to such a humble position…

I’ve got to tell you, I have a hard time imagining it myself because I’m not sure I could have done what Jesus did. I’m not sure I have that kind of love. I’m not sure I have that kind of grace…

I might have been as blind as Peter, and the rest of you with me, because no man knows the love of God the way Jesus does. None of us would have done life the way Jesus did.

? How many who watch “The Apprentice” could see Donald Trump kneeling down before the apprentices to perform a humble ministry for them, like the washing of their feet?