The act of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples is recorded in John 13:1-17. This event took place during the Last Supper, the final meal Jesus shared with his disciples before his arrest and crucifixion. Though this act may seem mundane, it held great significance and revealed key aspects of Jesus’ nature and mission.
Context of the Act
To understand the deeper meaning behind Jesus washing his disciples’ feet, we must first examine the context. In Jesus’ day, washing someone’s feet was considered a very humble and lowly task, usually performed by servants or slaves. Feet were dirty from walking on the dusty roads, and so needed to be cleaned before entering a home or sitting down for a meal. When Jesus rose from the table to wash his disciples’ feet, it was startling and unconventional. Peter even initially refused to allow Jesus to wash his feet, considering it inappropriate for his master to serve him in this way (John 13:6-9).
Jesus’ act challenged social norms and expectations. As the disciples’ leader and teacher, Jesus should have been served by others. Yet Jesus inverted roles, taking on the position of a servant and exemplifying humility and love through service.
Demonstration of Humility and Service
By washing his disciples’ feet, Jesus provided them with an indelible visual example of the kind of humility and service he expects of anyone who would follow him. After washing their feet, Jesus explicitly tells the disciples:
“If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.” (John 13:14-15)
Jesus calls himself both “Lord” and “Teacher”, titles that indicate his authority. Yet he uses his authority not to be served, but to serve. This models for the disciples how they must care for one another, not jockeying for greatness or priority, but being willing to humbly serve each other. Jesus commands them to follow his example.
The call to imitate Christ’s humility is not just intended for the original disciples, but for all followers of Jesus throughout history. As Philippians 2:3-4 says, Christians should “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Jesus washing feet inspires believers to serve others with the same humility.
Display of Love
By taking on the role of a servant, Jesus vividly displayed the depth of his love for the disciples. After washing their feet, Jesus told them:
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)
Jesus loved the disciples by humbly serving them, and calls them to demonstrate that same Christ-like love for each other. His sacrificial demonstration of love through servanthood set the pattern for how believers are to love and serve in the church. As 1 John 4:11 says, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” Jesus’ love in action teaches his followers to do the same for others.
Symbolism of Spiritual Cleansing
Beyond just the literal washing of dirt from feet, Jesus’ act also carried a symbolic meaning tied to spiritual cleansing. During the Last Supper, Jesus washed not just the disciples’ feet, but also announced that one of them would betray him. Jesus told them:
“You are clean, but not every one of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.” (John 13:10-11)
Judas’ feet were also washed, yet he was not spiritually clean because he did not truly believe in Jesus. This demonstrates that Jesus’ act of foot washing signified more than just physical cleansing, but also spiritual purification that comes through a right relationship with Jesus.
This echoes what Jesus told Peter when Peter did not want his feet washed: “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” (John 13:8) To be a part of Jesus’ kingdom, the disciples needed more than physical cleansing, but the spiritual cleansing that comes from having sins forgiven through Christ.
Prefiguring of Jesus’ Death
There is also significance in the timing of when Jesus washed the disciples’ feet. It was part of his last supper with them, and John 13:1 says “Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father.” Foot washing was one of the last acts of love and service Jesus demonstrated before going to the cross.
In this way, it prefigured Jesus’ ultimate act of humble service and love for his followers in laying down his life for them. Just as he cleansed their feet, Jesus’ death would provide the only way for them to be fully cleansed of their sins and made right before God. As 1 John 1:7 says “the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” By washing their feet, Jesus symbolically foreshadowed the greater spiritual cleansing to come for all believers through his atoning death.
Example of Servant Leadership
As the disciples’ master and teacher, Jesus occupied a position of leadership over them. Yet he used this leadership position not to be served, but to serve. By becoming a model servant, Jesus demonstrated that the highest virtue of leadership is not power or control, but sacrificial service for those being led.
As Jesus told the disciples after washing feet:
“You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.” (John 13:13-15)
Christian leadership is to follow Jesus’ servant leadership example, always being willing to humbly serve others for their good rather than pursuing selfish ambition. This servant leadership modeled by Jesus washing feet has deeply shaped how Church leadership and authority is to properly function.
Expression of Hospitality
Washing someone’s feet was a common act of hospitality in Jesus’ day, especially when people entered a home with dirty feet after walking on dusty roads. By washing the disciples feet, Jesus extended gracious hospitality as the host of the Last Supper.
Hospitality is a virtue Jesus calls his followers to show one another, such as in Romans 12:13 which says “Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.” Christians are to care for each other’s needs and welcome each other warmly, as Jesus modeled in how he lovingly hosted and served food and washed feet at the Last Supper.
Lesson in Forgiveness and Grace
Considering that Jesus washed all the disciples’ feet, including those like Peter who would soon abandon him, and Judas who would betray him, it also carried a message of grace and forgiveness. Despite knowing these failures would occur, Jesus nevertheless humbly served all the disciples and washed not just good feet, but also unfaithful feet.
This exemplified Jesus’ teachings about forgiveness. Even when horribly wronged, he continued to serve and love them graciously. As Ephesians 4:32 says, believers are to be “kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” By washing every disciple’s feet, Jesus illustrated putting such forgiveness into action through humble service.
Display of Jesus’ Divine Understanding
The foot washing passage begins by saying Jesus “knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.” (John 13:1)
This indicates that Jesus understood the broader meaning and significance of his actions. Jesus knew Judas’ heart condition even as he washed Judas’ feet, and that this service would be one of his last acts before going to the cross. Jesus’ divine knowledge and foresight regarding the meaning of his own actions is evident.
This ties to John’s frequent theme of Jesus as the divine Son of God. His humble service comes from a place of divine love and understanding that amplifies the meaning behind even simple acts like foot washing.
Reconciling Sacred and Humble
The juxtaposition between Jesus as the exalted divine Son of God, and the mundane humility of washing dirty feet, is stark. Yet this reconciling of sacred and humble is central to who Jesus is. The Creator of the universe took on human flesh and lived in total humility, modeling servanthood for believers.
This theme is found throughout the gospels. The divine Christ humbly served, washed dirty fishermen’s feet, submitted to baptism, and died a criminal’s death on a cross before rising again in glory. This conjunction of glory and humility makes Jesus’ servanthood all the more meaningful and beautiful. As Philippians 2:8 says of Jesus: “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Practical Applications
While the deeper significance of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet contains many theological truths, there are also some simple practical applications Christians can take away:
- Christians should serve each other in humility rather than self-importance.
- Following Jesus’ example, Christian leaders must lead through humble servanthood.
- Believers who share Christ’s heart will tangibly love and serve others as Christ did.
- The Church is called to demonstrate practical hospitality and care for one another.
- Christians are to graciously forgive others, even when wronged, as Jesus forgave through his humble service.
- Ultimately, Jesus’ humility challenges believers to examine if they share his heart to humbly serve.
Significance for the Church
Beyond just individual Christians, Jesus’ dramatic subversive act of foot washing also conveyed important principles for churches and Christian communities.
- The Church is called to demonstrate counter-cultural humble, loving service in a self-serving world.
- Christian ministry should be rooted in loving service, not power or human status.
- Leaders must ground their use of authority and power in Jesus’ servant leadership example.
- Churches are measured by the love, unity, and hospitality they share among members.
- Like its founder Jesus, the Church is called to graciously love and serve even those who do not return that love.
- The humility and servanthood demonstrated by Christ is to permeate leadership structure, relationships, and ministry in Christian communities.
Jesus’ startling act of foot washing exemplified a key aspect of his kingdom that is to be reflected in churches today as believers humbly serve one another.
Conclusion
At first glance, Jesus simply washing dirty feet seems like a strange and mundane event to get so much focus. Yet this provocative act in fact revealed core aspects of Jesus’ nature, mission, and expectations for his followers. Humbly washing his disciples’ feet exemplified Jesus’ love, displayed servant leadership, prefigured his death, symbolized spiritual cleansing, taught forgiveness, and demonstrated how his divine glory does not preclude serving in lowly ways. This remarkable event conveyed powerful principles for Christ-like living that believers can apply as they seek to serve others with the mind and heart of Jesus.