Jesus knew that the night before Passover would be his last night on earth before leaving this world to return to the Father’s side. All throughout his time with his disciples, Jesus had demonstrated a deep and tender love for them. And now he longed to show them the full measure of his love.Before their evening meal had begun, the accuser had already deeply embedded betrayal into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.
Now Jesus was fully aware that the Father had placed all things under his control, for he had come from God and was about to go back to be with him. So he got up from the meal and took off his outer robe, and took a towel and wrapped it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ dirty feet and dry them with his towel.
But when Jesus got to Simon Peter, he objected and said, “I can’t let you wash my dirty feet—you’re my Lord!”
Jesus replied, “You don’t understand yet the meaning of what I’m doing, but soon it will be clear to you.”
Peter looked at Jesus and said, “You’ll never wash my dirty feet—never!”
“But Peter, if you don’t allow me to wash your feet,” Jesus responded, “then you will not be able to share life with me.”
So Peter said, “Lord, in that case, don’t just wash my feet, wash my hands and my head too!”
Jesus said to him, “You are already clean. You’ve been washed completely and you just need your feet to be cleansed—but that can’t be said of all of you.” For Jesus knew which one was about to betray him, 11 and that’s why he told them that not all of them were clean.
After washing their feet, he put his robe on and returned to his place at the table. “Do you understand what I just did?” Jesus said. “You’ve called me your teacher and lord, and you’re right, for that’s who I am. So if I’m your teacher and lord and have just washed your dirty feet, then you should follow the example that I’ve set for you and wash one another’s dirty feet. Now do for each other what I have just done for you. I speak to you timeless truth: a servant is not superior to his master, and an apostle is never greater than the one who sent him. So now put into practice what I have done for you, and you will experience a life of happiness enriched with untold blessings!” John 13:1-17 TPT
Today the disciples will eat their last Super with Jesus before His betrayal, torture and death on the cross. At this meal Jesus will teach them many things, such as Communion as a way for them to remember the forgiveness of their sins forever by the blood of the spotless Lamb of God. That His body would be tortured and hung on a cross to bring us healing in every way and breaking the curse and bringing us peace. Then there is Jesus washing the feet of all the disciples, yes, even Judas’. Although we have heard about the foot washing being an example of service to the Lord, there are certain aspects that have an even deeper meaning that often gets overlooked.
The Scriptures refer to what is called the Sandal Covenant or sometimes called the Inheritance Covenant. It could be used in a second marriage proposal such as in the case of Ruth marrying Boaz. It was symbolic of a new inheritance. There’s also where Moses was asked to take off his shoes as he was on Holy Ground and about to receive a new inheritance. Now Jesus was showing them soon they would enter into a new Covenant with a new inheritance that would be given to all who believe He is the Son of God and enter into a relationship with Him.
He was also teaching them that although they would recieve His Salvation by accepting His sacrifice they would still be living in this world. Feet became dirty while walking on the dirt roads during that time. Jesus used this word picture to teach them that although they would become righteous and be clean before the Lord by recieving His gift of Salvation, they would still be walking in this fallen world and its sin. They would then need to cleanse themselves with the water of His Word to remove hindrances, and things that would keep them from walking with Him. Eph. 5:25b-27 paints a beautiful picture of what He was telling them, For he died for us, sacrificing himself to make us holy and pure, cleansing us through the showering of the pure water of the Word of God. All that he does in us is designed to make us a mature church for his pleasure, until we become a source of praise to him—glorious and radiant, beautiful and holy, without fault or flaw.
Jesus showed us that by trusting in Him as our Savior and Lord, we would be entering into a new Covenant as co-heirs with Jesus. We will be able to remove the hindrances and sins that dog us in this world by reading the water of His Word to wash them off, so we can walk freely with Him and be a light to this dark world. All this so we can serve others as He served others while He walked this earth. This Holy Thursday, drink in deep the life transforming truths of His Word as He ate and then went out and prayed with His disciples. I encourage you to continue reading the rest of John 13-18:14 as Jesus is arrested. Remember as you’re reading, He did it all for you so you may learn to truly live and show the way to others.
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