The Foot Washing Savior

In chapters 13 through 17, Jesus will devote His last day to instructing and encouraging His disciples. This is the farewell discourse that took place right before the Last Supper. In this section we see Jesus put on the slave's towel and perform the most menial task for His disciples. The first thing to notice is that on a day that Jesus might have the right to be self-focused and fretting before His crucifixion, He is pouring into His disciples. And He did this because of love. And not because we first loved Him but because He first loved us. And He loves His own into eternity. In Jesus's divine knowledge He knew Judas was about to betray Him but He also knew His mission was almost complete and it was time to go back to the Father. What this shows is no matter what Satan plans or what man plans, God's plans always prevail. While Jesus was washing their feet, Peter protested knowing who Jesus is and the reality of what foot washing was. The King of kings became like the lowest slave. But with this foot washing act foreshadowing the coming cross, if Peter did not let Him do this, then he couldn't expect to receive the cleansing of Jesus later. And so here, God desires obedience rather than Peter's concern for the Lord's honor. And what is profound in this act, is that at this time no other apostle knew Judas would betray Him. That means, now and for the last several years Jesus treated His enemy the same as the others, with love and mercy. And the Lord Jesus finishes by establishing that all that He just did, we should be willing to do. Do we think we're above what the all-powerful God of the universe was willing to do? We should follow His example always.