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September 1, 2022
Key Verse 1: “Before the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to go out of this world to the Father; and as he had loved his own that were in the world, so he loved them to the end."
If a married couple wants to have a happy married life, the husband, and wife should have a good love relationship. So love is the most important thing for happiness in interpersonal relationship.
And love is the sum total of the teachings of Christ. So love should be the determining factor in the relationship between Jesus and us. She should also be the determining factor in all relationships.
If we want to lead a blissful life of faith, we should have a good love relationship with Jesus and with the people.
The story of the washing of feet shows us in a vivid way what our love relationship with Jesus and with others should be like.
May God help us to develop a good love relationship with Jesus through the teaching of foot washing. May He also help us to have a good love relationship with one another.
1. The Washing of Feet (1-30)
The story of the washing of feet begins with Jesus recognizing before Passover that his hour had come to die on the cross, rise from the dead, and go to the Heavenly Father (verse 1).
His soul was very anxious because of the approaching hour of death (cf. 12:27).
What was he doing in that hour? Was he looking for a way to spare himself the expected agony?
Verse 2 tells us, "...and as he loved his own that were in the world, so he loved them to the end." Despite his personal situation, Jesus loved his to the end. So he loved his sheep to the last second of his earthly life. And his love did not fail despite his death, for he will rise from the dead, live forever, and love us unto eternity. So: His love for us never ends (1 Cor. 13:8a); Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
In the world, we see that people's love quickly ends or turns into hate. In contrast, Jesus' love for us does not change, but is absolutely unchanging.
Even after his physical death, his love for us did not end, for he rose from the dead and continues to love us.
Whoever accepts this love will become happy and confident. This Jesus loved us so much that he rose from the dead and loves us.
He also raised Esther my wife to live and love me forever.
The love in Jesus Christ has an eternal validity.
Verses 2 and 3 tell us, "And at supper, when the devil had already put it into his heart to betray Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, but Jesus knew that the father had put everything into his hands and that he came from God and went to God."
Jesus also loved Judas. But Judas did not accept Jesus' love and also did not believe in him as Christ (6:64), but he loved money more than Jesus. Taking advantage of his love of money, the devil planted in his heart the idea of betraying Jesus for money.
Jesus knew his dark intent. But he did not become bitter because he firmly believed in God's love and His perfect providence. He also knew that his impending death on the cross meant returning home to his heavenly Father.
He loved his disciples with all his heart and clearly expressed his heart's love for them in word and deed.
"So he got up from the meal, took off his robe, and took an apron and girded himself. After that he poured water into a basin, began to wash the disciples' feet, and dried them with the robe with which he was girded." (verses 4-5).
At that time, the roads in Israel were unpaved and therefore dusty. People didn't wear good closed shoes like they do today, but sandals. That's why the feet quickly got dirty and stinky. That is why a large basin of water was set up at the entrance to the houses for washing feet.
Sometimes a servant would stand by with a basin and a towel to wash guests' feet as soon as they come. But Jesus had no servant to wash his feet. And not one of the twelve would voluntarily wash the feet of Jesus and the feet of others; everyone expected someone else to do it.
But Jesus, the Son of God, did it willingly; he got up in the middle of eating and began to wash the feet of his disciples.
What does the washing of Jesus' feet mean?
It has three meanings.
First, it means Jesus' teaching that he wanted to die for people's forgiveness.
By washing their feet, Jesus wanted to teach his disciples the meaning of his death, because he wanted to die for the cleansing of all people from sin.
All who recognize their sin and believe that Jesus died on the cross to cleanse their sins will be cleansed of their sins completely and have eternal life.
The twelve apostles should accept this good news and then spread it to all people.
When Jesus came to Simon Peter to wash his feet, the latter said to him: "Lord, should you wash my feet?"
Jesus answered him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will find out later." (6-7) Then Peter said to him: "You shall never wash my feet!" (8a).
Peter was ashamed to show Jesus his stinking and dirty feet. He might have shown them to him if he had washed them first. He probably would have preferred to show him his clean hands.
On the surface, one might conclude that Peter was very humble. In reality, he wasn't particularly humble, because he didn't want to show the Lord his stinking feet.
In a figurative sense, the smelly feet can mean weaknesses, sins, or mistakes. Peter did not want to confess to Jesus his weaknesses, sins, or mistakes, and he did not want to be cleansed by them. He overestimated himself spiritually. Because of his pride, he claimed that very day that even if he died he would never deny the Lord. Because he did not want to see his weakness, he received no help from Jesus, but denied Jesus three times.
However, if a person is truly humble, he will gladly show the Lord his stinking feet and ask him to wash them.
When Peter said to Jesus: "You shall never wash my feet!",
Jesus answered him:
"Unless I wash you, you have no part in me" (8).
Jesus explained to Peter that he absolutely needed Jesus' feet washing in order to be partakers of him. The phrase "participating in Jesus" means "belonging to Jesus" or "having a personal love relationship with Jesus".
No one wants to show their stinky feet to others, they want to hide them or just show their clean hands. Our fellowship with them is then only superficial, and we have no personal relationship of trust and love with them. We can develop a personal love relationship with Jesus by showing him our smelly feet, i. H. name our weakness, our sin, or our mistake and ask his forgiveness.
If we show Jesus our dirty feet, he will neither despise us nor blame us. Rather, he accepts us heartily, redeems all our guilt completely (1 John 1:7-9). And he comes into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, abides in us and fills us with divine love (Rom. 5:5).
Second, the washing of Jesus' feet signifies his attitude of service.
This foot washing principle also applies to interpersonal relationships. One should be willing to show the other his stinky feet. And the other should be willing to wash his feet so that they can have a good love relationship. But it's easy for one to scold the other and say,
"You're making the mistake again! I've told you a thousand times not to repeat the mistake, and you don't get it."
The other will then try to hide his mistake if he has made mistakes again.
But we should be happy to wash each other's feet. Each of us should show the other our stinking mistakes and ask for forgiveness. Everyone should like to wash each other's feet. As a result, we have a beautiful love relationship with one another.
Renate is very exemplary in this respect. She doesn't hide her smelly feet, but likes to show them to others. For her part, she also likes to wash other people's feet. Therefore, she enjoys a happy family life and has a warm love relationship with all employees.
Jesus said to Peter, "Unless I wash you, you have no part in me."
By this Jesus meant that Peter should show his weakness or sin in order to receive the forgiveness of sins, eternal life and the kingdom of heaven.
"Participating in Jesus" means that we share in the fruits of Jesus' sacrificial death and resurrection. The fruits of Jesus' sacrificial death and resurrection are forgiveness, eternal life and the kingdom of heaven.
Anyone who does not tell Jesus their personal sin does not receive a share in the fruits of his sacrificial death and resurrection. But whoever gave Jesus his stinking feet, i.e., his weakness, sin or error, he gets the forgiveness of sins, eternal life and the kingdom of heaven.
Peter did not fully understand the importance of foot washing. But he was shocked to hear that he would have no part in Jesus unless he had his feet washed.
So he said to Jesus:
"Lord, not only the feet, but also the hands and the head." Jesus answered him: "He who is washed needs nothing but to have his feet washed, for he is completely clean. And you are clean, but not all" (verse 10).
Jesus compares being born again to a bath, and daily repentance to washing our feet. We don't take a full bath two or three times a day, because a full bath uses a lot of warm water and also takes a long time. But we wash our feet and face every day.
Once a person properly confesses his sins and believes that Jesus died for his sins and rose from the dead, all his sins are immediately cleansed, and he becomes a child of God. This is his rebirth.
After being born again, however, he should always confess his daily sin and accept forgiveness through faith in the sacrificial death of Jesus.
So we need a daily spiritual washing of feet by reading the Bible daily and praying to God, confessing our weakness and our guilt to Jesus and being washed by Jesus' blood.
Third, Jesus wanted to bring Judas to repentance by washing his feet.
Jesus also wanted to bring Judas to repentance by washing his feet (10-11). That is why he said,
"You are clean, but not all," because Judas intended to betray Jesus.
Because of Jesus' foot washing, Judas should realize that he should repent for his evil intent to betray Jesus. Jesus would then gladly have forgiven him.
After Jesus had washed the feet of his disciples, he put his clothes back on, sat down and said to them: "Do you know what I have done to you? You call me master and lord, and rightly so, for so am I. Now if I, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you also shall wash one another's feet. I have given you an example, so that you may do as I have done to you" (12c-15).
After washing his feet, Jesus said: "I will not say this of you all; I know which ones I have chosen. But the Scripture must be fulfilled: 'He who eats my bread tramples on me.'" (18).
Jesus could have become very bitter and hateful at Judas' betrayal. To our surprising, he didn't get angry or bitter, but loved him to the end. He kept trying to bring him to repentance.
First he tried foot washing.
As Judas still did not repent, Jesus did not give up. He specifically mentioned his imminent betrayal to induce repentance.
But Judas only hardened his heart and went out to betray Jesus to the high priest.
2. A new commandment (31-38)
When Judas had gone out, Jesus said to his disciples:
"Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and will glorify him soon." (31b-32).
Jesus described his sacrificial death on the cross as a glorification of God, because he wanted to show through his death on the cross that God is faithful and loves all people very much.
He firmly believed in God's love and in the promise that God would raise him from the dead and make him lord of all living and dead.
By faith he had full love for his own.
Because Jesus was convinced of the Father's love for him, he said to his disciples and also to us:
"I give you a new commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you, so that you also love one another" (34).
Satan tried to sow distrust and hatred in the hearts of Jesus and his disciples through Judas' betrayal. But Jesus gave no opportunity to distrust and hatred. He continued to love all his disciples, including Judas, and sowed God's love into their hearts.
He was able to conquer sin and the devil because he firmly believed in God's love and promise and practiced divine love.
This Jesus says to us: "A new commandment I give you, that you love one another as I have loved you, that you may love one another."
He who only loves those who love him is not a good disciple of Jesus. We should love everyone. To love everyone from the heart - this is not easy, even impossible with our own strength.
How then can we obey this commandment?
First and foremost, we are to remember how Jesus loved us.
Jesus loved us so much that he even gave his life for us sinners to save us. When we gratefully accept Jesus' love for us, our hearts are filled with gratitude and joy.
Next, we should make a clear decision to obey Jesus' command and ask the Lord for help.
We are to wage a good faith struggle in practical life to obey His commandment concretely.
This struggle is sometimes a hard struggle, but it is a very blissful struggle.
Those who fight this battle out of gratitude for the love of Jesus will surely conquer hate with love and emerge a great victor. The heart of such a warrior of faith is then filled with love and becomes very happy.
But those who do not fight the battle to obey Jesus' command are not happy, because their hearts are mostly filled with much anger.
Jesus went on to say, "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (35). Love, especially forgiving love, is the defining characteristic of Jesus' disciples. Jesus loved to exercise that love.
For example, he prayed to God on the cross: "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they are doing!" (Luke 23:34).
Stephen followed Jesus' example and prayed for his persecutors at his martyrdom: "Lord, do not hold this sin against them!" (Acts 7:60).
A Korean pastor named Jangwon Son also obeyed Jesus' command; he saved from certain death penalty a communist who had murdered his son and adopted him as his son.
Verses 36-38 tell us that Simon Peter swore to Jesus that he would not be unfaithful to him even if he lost his life.
But Jesus knew that Peter said this out of confidence.
So he said to him, "You want to lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow until you have denied me three times."
Jesus wanted to help him recognize his weakness and humbly ask for his help.
But Peter was too proud and did not want to see his weakness.
Jesus now says to us: "Unless I wash you, you have no part in me."
Jesus wants to wash our dirty feet because he loves us. We are to show him our feet and have them washed.
May God help you to cultivate a deep love relationship with Jesus through foot washing.
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