Jesus Washes the Disciples' Feet

July 17, 2020

Jesus’ most definitive teaching on serving others comes just before his death. The God of the Universe puts on a servant’s robe and washes His disciples’ feet. Study this text carefully and allow God’s Spirit to speak to you. Look for what this story tells us about Jesus’ love for us, and about how we are called to love others. 

STUDY THE SCRIPTURE

Click here to access the reading from John 13:1-17

For more help use this Bible Study method

REFLECTION

To the Very End

by Jennifer Jerrome

I love the last six words of verse 1, “he loved them to the end.”  How beautiful!  Jesus lived his life loving those around him like they’d never been loved before.  And even though we didn’t live in the world with him, Jesus loves us to the end too. 

But the end is really just the beginning because God’s love is eternal.  Our life on earth will end, but his love never will.  Hopefully, that’s of comfort to those who worry this crazy life is all there is.  It isn’t.

God’s got plans for you, even if, like the disciples, you don’t realize what he’s doing right now.  “But later you will understand” (v. 7).  It can be frustrating to look around and wonder where you fit in.  What am I supposed to be doing?  Is there a purpose to my life?  There is.

In today’s story, Jesus washes his friends’ feet and they don’t get it.  Why would he humble himself like that?  How can he be Teacher, Lord AND Servant?  Because that’s who HE is!  He’s all these and more.  And he can flow effortlessly between these roles because there’s no boundary to his love.

Now, we can’t be Jesus.  We can’t live like he lived and love like he loved, due to the very nature of being human.  We’re going to mess things up every now and then, but we’re not out of the game.  We’re not worthless in this world.  Our lives mean something and when we learn to channel that meaning into love, well that’s what it’s all about.

Jesus loves us so we can love others.  We carry his example with us.  “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you” (v. 15).  It may not be the actual washing of feet that we are called to but packing lunches or holding babies or praying for the sick.  The world has many ways it needs to be loved and we can humbly do the loving because Jesus showed us the way.

Note:  While writing this, I kept thinking about the song “Jesus Loves Me.”  And He loves you too!

UALC’S CAMPAIGN OF PRAYER 

    

FRIDAY: FAITH

Pray for faith instead of fear. That many would come to faith in Jesus and that we would all trust God more deeply during this time.

Are You A Servant-Leader?

Recently Cheryl Bachelder, CEO of the Popeyes, wrote a book on servant-leadership. Dare to Serve: How to Drive Superior Results While Serving Others is a case study of the turn-around of the restaurant chain. Cheryl gives credit to her team, which instilled a culture of focusing on franchise owners, and serving them.

 

Cheryl gives her definition of a servant-leader and even defines their characteristics and values. Their overarching mission is to demonstrates great humility, while having the will to do the “right things”.

 

Today’s reading is John 13:1-17. It is Maundy Thursday and Jesus is about to celebrate the Passover Feast with his disciples. This is an important event, and his disciples had just bathed. Arriving at the feast wearing sandals, their feet and ankles were dusty.  Customarily, a servant would wash the guests’ feet before the meal.

 

Jesus, no ordinary servant, washed his disciples’ feet!

 

This great story is meaningful at many different levels. Jesus came to wash our sin-soiled souls, not our bodies. Jesus washed our sins away on our baptism. The disciples’ pre-feast bath is analogous to baptism.

 

As baptized saints, we still walk in a sinful world. We need spiritual refreshment – the Lord’s Supper, introduced during the Passover Feast. The foot washing is analogous to Holy Communion.

 

Jesus was the leader of the disciples, and continues in that role today for the entire church. Demonstrating humility, Jesus washed his disciples’ feet. He served them.

 

Jesus served his church by dying on the cross, the greatest humiliation known in the Roman Empire. Jesus could have used his authority to save himself and to remove our sin in some other manner, but this was not his Father’s Will. Rather, Jesus humbled himself and served us by suffering death.  Jesus, the world’s greatest servant-leader, did the "right thing”.

 

What should our response be? To be a servant-leader, of course.

 

There will be times when we need to put our own wills aside and focus on the needs of others. We need to carry out Jesus’ Will, not our own. We need to serve others so that we can do the “right thing” and spread the Good News of Eternal Life.

 

Are you a servant-leader?

 

The Story - Chapter 26 - The Hour of Darkness

If one ponders the words of today's reading there is much to grab hold of and hold close to our hearts.  Jesus is using the last hours of His life to teach His dear friends some of the most important lessons of their lives.

John 13:15 (NIV)
"I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you." 

Jesus has just finished washing the feet of His Disciples, teaching by example the importance to serve one another.  If you have ever experienced foot-washing you know how humbling it is; you understand the love involved in this simple act.  Jesus is showing us that no one is too good, no one is above humbling themselves to serve another.

How is Jesus calling you to serve your brother or sister?  Something to pray about for sure.  I am going to keep it short and to the point this week so we can consider one thought and see where God leads.

Read John 13:1-17 here

Listen to  John 13:1-17 here

John 13:1-17, 31-35

John 13:34-35 (NIV)
 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." 

There is an old song with the verse, "love makes the world go round."  Today, Maundy Thursday, is a reminder of this adage.  Jesus loved his disciples and He had spent the last three years teaching them about love; about unconditional love.

Our own lives are a testimony to power of love, for when we experience the love of family and of friends, there is more peace and joy.  Love will cause us to feel intense pain when a loved when dies or even moves away.  There is a sense of loss that isn't experienced when love has not been a factor.

Holy Week can be filled with uncertainty and sadness as we relive Jesus' passion.  When someone we love feels pain, we feel pain right along with them. Taking the time to reflect on the physical suffering Jesus felt during His walk to the Cross, will often cause us to feel a little off-center.  The Good News though, is the good news of the Resurrection.  Tomorrow is Good Friday, but take heart, Sunday is coming.

Jesus knew his followers would need one another to get through the next few days, then weeks and months ahead.  He also knows we need each other to get though our days here on earth.  The love we get and give makes the world go round.




Read John 13:1-17, 31-35 here

Listen to John 13:1-17, 31-35 here