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God Who Has Served Us
(John 13:1-20)
Mari Ikeda
Today, we will continue with the series on the Gospel of John, reading from chapter 13, verses 1-20. As I mentioned last time, the record of Jesus’ public ministry ends with the passage we read last time, and from today’s passage onward, the record of Jesus’ teachings within the context of His intimate relationship with His disciples begins. From today’s passage onward, there are a series of particularly memorable words of Jesus that stand out throughout the entire New Testament. Today’s passage describes the scene where Jesus washes His disciples’ feet. Although it is lengthy,I have decided to read it all at once. The first half explains how Jesus served us, and the second half explains how we should serve one another. This also relates to the covenant of Your Church members, as we can understand that because Jesus served us, we are able to serve one another.We can also say that by understanding how Jesus loves us, we are able to love one another. Let us begin by reading the first five verses.
A. Jesus has served us
1. His love that is willing to lower Himself (1-5)
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.
I find the words in verse 1 impressive. It says that knowing that the time of parting was near, Jesus had loved his disciples and loved them to the end. This sentence summarizes not only today’s passage but also all of Jesus’ words to his disciples in chapters 13 through 17. Jesus loved his disciples from the bottom of his heart, and as a result, he began to wash their feet. In Jesus’ time, it was customary to wash one’s body before going to a feast and to wash one’s feet before sitting down to eat. In wealthy homes, it was the role of slaves to wash the feet of guests. Jesus took on that role. However, since this scene takes place during the meal, Jesus began washing his disciples’ feet not out of necessity, but because he wanted to do so. Jesus was willing to do anything for his disciples, even if it meant doing something dirty or being looked down upon by others. He did not care what others thought of him or whether he himself became dirty, as long as it was for the sake of his disciples. Jesus demonstrated through his actions that true love means being willing to humble oneself for the sake of others. Let’s continue reading from verse 6 to the first half of verse 10.
2. To have a personal relationship with us (6-10a)
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.
Peter respected Jesus so much that he thought it was unacceptable to let Jesus wash his feet. That seems like a natural reaction. But Jesus said something unexpected: “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” From this exchange, we can see that there was a deep meaning behind Jesus washing His disciples’ feet. Jesus was seeking to wash away our sins. The act of washing the disciples’ feet itself demonstrates Jesus’ humility and deep love, but more than that, it symbolizes Jesus’ willingness to sacrifice His own life to atone for the sins of all humanity. Jesus desired to forgive our sins and establish a personal relationship of trust with each of us, and He achieved this by dying on the cross. Those who accept that Jesus died for them understand that Jesus washed away their sins. But if they do not, they have no connection with Jesus. That is why Jesus said to Peter, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” Jesus, who washed the feet of each of his disciples, knows each of us well and cleanses us of our sins. He desires to be involved in each of our lives and to deepen our trust in him through one-on-one relationships.
In this way, Jesus served us. We must never forget the fact that Jesus, who is God Himself, served us before we sought to serve God. Let us always keep in mind that Jesus is the One who, though He was a king, became like a servant, and though He was the master, became like a slave.
Now, let us read and consider the latter half of today’s passage about serving one another as Jesus did. First, let us look at verses 10b through 15.
B. What it means for us to serve one another
1. By following Jesus’ example (10b-15)
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.
Probably, for the disciples, especially for passionate people like Peter, it was an honor to serve Jesus, their teacher and master, and washing Jesus’ feet was not a hardship. It is the same for us. We are also willing to devote ourselves to serving those we respect. However, what Jesus asked us to do here was to wash each other’s feet. This sometimes means serving people who are not worthy of respect. Serving someone who knows each other’s weaknesses and faults requires generosity to forgive them and humility to lower oneself. This is exactly what Jesus did for us. Jesus died for us in order to forgive our sins of forgetting God, betraying Him, and hurting one another. To Jesus, we were precious children of God, but we were not worthy of respect. Rather, we were beings who caused God pain and sorrow. Therefore, the fact that Jesus did not abandon us but continued to love us was solely due to the greatness of His mercy. Jesus said, “Follow the example I have set for you.” However, it is impossible for us to instantly attain the generosity and humility of Jesus on our own. Nevertheless, Jesus can change us. By repeatedly confirming the magnitude of what Jesus did on the cross in our own lives, we should be able to become more like Jesus, even if only little by little. If we do not change, it is because we are arrogant. Let’s read the last verses, verses 16-20.
2. Continuing efforts to serve one another (16-20)
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 “I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has turned against me.’ 19 “I 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.”
Actually, up to this point in today’s passage, I have omitted some explanations, but it is repeatedly stated that Jesus knew that Judas would betray him. Judas was also one of the disciples chosen by Jesus. Even though Jesus knew that Judas would betray him, he must have washed Judas’ feet. Judas’ betrayal was also something that happened within God’s permission, and although Jesus lamented Judas’ actions, I do not think he abandoned him. Furthermore, while Judas was the only one who actively participated in the plot to kill Jesus, in the sense that the other disciples abandoned Jesus and fled when he was arrested, all the disciples can be said to have betrayed Jesus. Jesus had indeed chosen them and intended to send them out into the world to carry out his work. Jesus’ words, “No servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him,” aptly describe our relationship with Jesus. We can never be greater than Jesus, nor can we ever take His place. Nevertheless, it is a fact that Jesus chose us and taught us about love. Jesus uses our weaknesses to convey His love to those around us. Jesus’ final words today, “whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me,” show that God’s love is present when we forgive and accept one another. We may never completely avoid betraying or hurting one another. Nevertheless, the question is whether we will continue to strive to forgive and serve one another. When we recall the image of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples, we cannot help but feel humble before anyone. We are called to continually ask ourselves what it means to wash one another’s feet in our specific circumstances and to put this into practice.
(Prayer) Lord Jesus, you know all our sins and weaknesses. And yet you come to us in our weakness and heal and forgive us. Please shine Your light upon our hearts as we come before You as we are. Show us where we need to change. If we are being arrogant toward anyone, please reveal it to us. Fill us with Your Spirit so that we may give ourselves to others as You gave Your life for us. Though we cannot replace You, guide us so that we may seek Your help together. Lord Jesus, we pray in Your name. Amen.
Summary
Jesus washed the feet of each of His disciples at the dinner table just before His arrest. This symbolizes that Jesus became a servant to us while He was the Lord we serve, and it shows His love for us. Although all of the disciples betrayed Jesus, Jesus knew all about it and forgave them on the cross. That love of Jesus is poured out on all of us. It is for us to forgive one another as Jesus forgave us, and to continue our efforts to serve one another even though we are imperfect.
For Discussion
1) What does it mean, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me” in verse 8?
2) What specifically means for us to wash each other’s feet?