Ep. 243. John 13-14 | The Washing of the Feet

EPISODE 243

THE WASHING OF THE FEET: JOHN 13-14

Let's keep this short and sweet. The devil not only puts it into Judas's heart to betray Jesus (verse 2) but also actually enters Judas to carry out the betrayal (verse 27).

Jesus washing the disciples' feet and instructing them to "do the same" is not Jesus telling us we should be about the business of feet washing, though I can't say that will never be the case. Jesus asks his followers to consider his position as Master and then consider how he humbled himself as a servant. Jesus is teaching the disciples that if the Master can be a servant, then the servants, themselves, MUST be servants. It is why Paul reminds his readers in Philippians 2 to "have the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus," who was a servant to God "to the point of death." We ought to be busy serving one another and not think more highly of ourselves than is appropriate.

"By this, all men will know that you're my disciples if you have love for one another." People quote this often, but I think they misapply it. People argue that we are to love the world so they will know that we are disciples of Jesus, but that isn't the instruction here. The indication that we are followers of Jesus is how we treat other disciples of Jesus. This is, in part, one of the points of Ephesians where Paul reminds the Jewish and Gentile believers of their unity in Christ. John's key argument in the short book of First John reminds the reader that if you say you love God but don't love the "brethren," then you don't actually love God. Paul even reminds the Galatians that we are to do good to all men, but "especially the believers." So love the world; that's great, but show yourself to be a disciple of Jesus by loving your fellow disciples.

Finally, at least for now, Jesus is "the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through [him]." Jesus is not one of many ways to the Father. There are not multiple roads up the same mountain that get us all to the same place. The various world religions do not all have at their core the same Creator God. Jesus alone is the means by which anyone will have righteousness. If you deny the Son, you deny the Father. It is as simple as that.

ADDITIONAL READING: John 6:70-71; Philippians 2:3-11; Psalm 41:9; John 12:27-28; John 17:1-2; 1 John 2:23; Hebrews 1:3; John 1:1-14; Philippians 2:5-6; John 5;31-40