With Dale Ratzlaff
John 13:1-11
Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself. Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. So He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, “Lord, do You wash my feet?” Jesus answered and said to him, “What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter.” Peter said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.” Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, “Not all of you are clean.”
Jesus has now finished his ministry to the masses. Other than a few remarks uttered during His trial and crucifixion, His teaching is directed to His disciples who will soon become His representatives to the world.
This section commences with “Now before the Feast of the Passover….” This has caused considerable discussion in how to reconcile the meal described in these verses with the Last Supper mentioned in the Synoptic Gospels ( See D.A. Carson, The Gospel of John, p. 455-458 for a lengthy discussion of the problem.). Some have concluded that this meal was not the Passover because the next day we have this record.
Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium, and it was early, and they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium so that they would not be defiled, but might eat the Passover (Jn. 18:28).
John MacArthur finds harmony in the two accounts as follows:
Further, according to John 19:14 Jesus’ trial and crucifixion took place on “the day of preparation for the Passover,” not the day after the eating of the Passover meal. Thus, the Lord was crucified at the same time that the Passover lambs were being killed (cf. 19:36; Ex. 12:46; Num. 9:12). The challenge, then, is to explain how Jesus and the disciples could have eaten the Passover meal on Thursday evening if the Jewish leaders had not yet eaten it on Friday morning.
The answer lies in understanding that the Jews had two different methods of reckoning days. Ancient Jewish sources suggest that the Jews from the northern part of Israel (including Galilee, where Jesus and most of the Twelve were from) counted days from sunrise to sunrise. Most of the Pharisees apparently also used that method. On the other hand, the Jews in the southern region of Israel counted days from sunset to sunset…Thus, there is no contradiction between John and the Synoptics…Jesus and the Twelve would have viewed Passover day as running from sunrise on Thursday to sunrise on Friday. They would have eaten their Passover meal on Thursday evening. The Jewish leaders would have eaten their Passover meal on Friday evening ( John MacArthur, New Testament Commentary, John 12-21, p. 62, 63).
John seems to be more concerned with the significance of what happened at the Passover meal and the insightful teaching given at that time, then giving the details of the ritual as the Synoptics did.
Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father.
“His hour” throughout John’s Gospel generally refers to the cross event. It is given as the reason the Jews could not kill him, because His hour had not yet come ( Jn. 7:30). Sometimes His hour is associated with glory (Jn. 12:23). Here, however, it is associated with Jesus going back to the Father. It looks ahead to the victory achieved at the cross and Christ’s ascension to the Father having accomplished His mission of salvation.
The context is significant. God the Son, nearing the completion of His saving ministry, knowing what was coming the next day, does not discuss His own crisis. Rather, He focuses on the needs of the Twelve who will soon take His place as representatives to the world.
…having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.
His focus is the very central kernel of new covenant faith—love, unconditional agape love. That God continues to love His people who are in the world brings peace, hope, and assurance. “He loved them to the end.” This may have two meanings: He loved His disciples to the very end of His ministry. Or, He loved them absolutely. There was, and is, no end, or bottom to the depth of the love Jesus has for His disciples.
Paul seems to have grasped the significance of this deep love.
…so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God (Eph. 3:17-19).
During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him.
The best Greek text appears to read, “the devil had already made up his [the devil’s] mind that Judas would betray Him” (Leon Morris, The Gospel of John, p. 614). Later readings indicate the devil put the thought of betrayal into Judas’ mind. However, we understand this; this terrible deed was the combined action of the devil and Judas. Both are equally responsible.
Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself. Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.
Luke gives additional background for the purpose of Jesus taking the position of a servant and washing the disciple’s feet.
And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest. And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called ‘Benefactors.’ But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant. For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves (Lk. 22:24-27).
This foot washing was not the typical washing done at the beginning of a meal. Rather, it was a unique event where Jesus gave us an unforgettable demonstration of humiliation and service. John makes it clear that Jesus was very mindful of the coming events. He knew He came from God; He knew He was going back to God. He knew that tomorrow afternoon He would be crucified. Knowing all this, Jesus began to wash the disciple’s feet. One gets the idea that there was dead silence in the room until Jesus came to Peter. Peter, as usual, has no idea what is going on. As one writer said,
“Peter is humble enough to see the incongruity of Christ’s actions, yet proud enough to dictate to His master” (Leon Morris, The Gospel of John, p. 617).
So He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, “Lord, do You wash my feet?” Jesus answered and said to him, “What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter.” Peter said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.”
There are two key takeaways from this paragraph. First, Jesus makes it clear that the disciples did not understand what was taking place. Jesus said that they would “understand hereafter.” “Hereafter” is an indefinite time. It leads us to contemplate the deeper meaning of this event. The fact that Jesus said, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me,” shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus is not concerned with the physical washing of the feet. Rather, Jesus attached soteriological significance to this “washing.” It served as a symbol of salvation which will be provided for them on the morrow on the cross. While it serves as an example of humility—the victorious Son of God washing His disciples’ feet—it does not suggest a required ritual to be periodically carried on by the church. Washing another’s feet may be humbling, but in the new covenant ritual is downplayed, and the spiritual principles of reality are paramount. The new covenant has only two rituals: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. If one were to practice foot washing and then consider he had met the “humility requirement” it would be completely missing the point. Later in his letter to the church, Peter says,
You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you (1 Pet. 5:5-7).
True humility is a way of life; it is not achieved by the ritual of foot washing.
Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, “Not all of you are clean” (Jn. 13:1-11).
Here we have the key to understanding this foot washing event. “Being bathed” must refer to a previous decision to accept the Lord as Savior. That “not all of you are clean” indicates Judas was never a true believer.
The spiritual cleansing of the foot washing done by Jesus is similar to the old covenant sin offerings. Leviticus lists a number of sin offerings. Some of them are for sins of ignorance or sin committed unintentionally (See Lev 4:27ff). The disciples had been cleaned by their belief in Christ. Yet they, like us, still had sins of ignorance. All of us have sins of which we are unaware. Jesus is giving an illustration that even though we have confessed all known sin. Sins of ignorance are still with us. These, too, are covered by the blood of Jesus just as the old covenant Israelite was forgiven unintentional sin by slaying a lamb, or young goat. In the context, it appears that the disciples did not fully understand their own sin of pride in seeking who was the greatest. The foot washing by Jesus not only pointed out their sin of ignorance but offered forgiveness by Christ whose blood, shed the next day would cleanse them completely of all sin.
As we have seen throughout the Gospel of John, believing that Jesus is the Son of God is the deciding factor for life or death.
Application
- As the apparent contradictions regarding when the Passover meal was eaten, were solved by research. So we should be careful not to declare apparent contradictions of Scripture unsolvable problems. The problem may be our lack of understanding of Scripture and or history.
- The example of Christ, the divine Son of God, who on the eve of His crucifixion and His victorious ascension to the Father, took the role of a servant and washed the disciple’s feet, ought to cause us to be very careful in our evaluation of titles and positions in God’s service. True leadership, is servant leadership.
- Understanding the depth of Christ’s love for His disciples ought to be a focus of our prayer requests. Jesus, over and over again in the last part of John’s Gospel taught this. Paul understood this. When we comprehend that Christ loves us absolutely even if we have sins of ignorance, it gives us peace and assurance both today and the day of judgment.
- Those of us who were taught that unconfessed, forgotten sins would be held against us in the judgment should take much courage and peace in knowing that the blood of Christ covers all sin.
…but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin (1 Jn. 1:7).
Prayer
Father, when I contemplate the humility of your Son, Jesus Christ, and recognize that He is with you as fully God, yet He took the role of a humble servant, it exposes my own pride and selfishness. Thank you that you have forgiven all my sin, even the sins of which I am unaware. My desire and commitment are to serve you as you guide me by your Spirit.
In Jesus name.
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