John 13 is the text for today.
The scene for this story is the upper room of a home in Jerusalem. These events of John 13 are often called The Last Supper because, indeed, this was the last time Jesus would eat a meal with His disciples before His great sacrifice, His becoming the Passover Lamb for us. Matthew 26:17-30, Luke 22:7-38 and Mark 14:12-31 record this story as well.
There is a point of divergence between John's account and the the other three. The three synoptic gospels (Matthew,Mark, Luke) specify that this meal was a Seder meal, a high holy meal, the centerpiece of Passover Week. However, John specifies that this "last supper" took place on Wednesday night of Passion Week, and that the meal was an ordinary Jewish meal, not the Seder Feast eaten on the evening after the Passover lambs were sacrificed. In John 19:14, he plainly states that Jesus was crucified around noon on "the day of preparation", which is the day before the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Friday). Any high holy day in the Jewish feasts is called a Sabbath, whether it falls on a Saturday or not.
The highly religious Jews would not have tried and crucified Jesus on a high holy day, such as the feast of Unleavened Bread, which began Thursday night at sundown and was followed by a high holy week. In Matthew 26:5, the Jewish leaders said as much. This is why the legs of the two men crucified with Jesus were broken on that Thursday afternoon, to hasten their deaths (John 19:32), so that all this nasty business could be finished before the high holy week began Thursday at sundown.
So, based on this, it's my belief that Jesus was crucified on Thursday afternoon, the Day of Preparation, the same afternoon the Passover lambs were being sacrificed at the Temple. His soul was in the "bowels of the earth" Thursday night, Friday night, and Saturday night (I use these "nights" as we on the Gregorian calendar would use them, not as the Jewish calendar figures one "day"), and rose from the dead sometime prior to dawn on Sunday morning. Thus, Jesus was apart from His earthly body three days and three nights.
Thursday day = 1/2 day
Friday night and Friday day = 1 day
Saturday night and Saturday day = 1 day
Sunday night = 1/2 day
Total: 3 days
See more at: http://www.rforh.com/blog/jesus-crucified/#sthash.7QWWnWTr.dpuf
All of the preceding is said to provide compelling evidence that the meal celebrated in all four gospels took place on a Wednesday night, after a day of making arrangements for the Friday feast to come and the week of holy convocation to follow. At that time, the disciples were preparing for a feast that would be unlike any other they had ever known.
During the meal, Jesus did something extraordinary. It was a miracle of humility. He got up from the table, took off his outer garments (leaving Himself robed only as a servant) and personally washed the feet of each of His disciples.
In our culture, foot-washing is not done, as it is not deemed to be necessary. The hygiene Americans, by and large, follow dictates a daily bathing. Furthermore, we don't walk about in sandals on dusty roads/paths, to get from point A to point B. Therefore, our feet are not generally dusty and dirty, as was the case in Jesus' time. In that culture, however, daily bathing was not required, but getting one's feet clean after a long day of walking was more common. This was often performed by servants or people in a household of more lowly estate.
In some accounts, we are told that the disciples had been having arguments about which one of them would be greater in the kingdom of Heaven. Perhaps this conversation topic came up at this time. Regardless, as they were eating, Jesus dropped a bombshell: (vs. 21) "one of you will betray me".
Perhaps, in part, to teach a lesson about "greatness", Jesus left the table.
In this case, Jesus, being the rabbi, teacher, leader of the group, should certainly not have been the one to wash the feet of the disciples. Peter recognized this, and that is why he objected (John 13:8).
Jesus chose to wash His disciples' feet (even Judas's feet) and the reasons for this are alluded to in the passage.
1. An Act of Love
One of the most beautiful verses of Scripture is John 13:1 - -
"Having loved his own who were in the world, he now loved them to the very end."
As the 12 disciples were Jesus' own, so are we. And, He will love us to the very end also. This scene is reminiscent of the one mentioned earlier in John where Mary washed Jesus' feet with her tears and dried them with her hair.2. An Act of Humility
The ultimate act of humility, of course, was God humbling Himself by pouring Himself into the form of a man, the Son of God, His "only begotten". In the same manner that He condescended to us, He also humbled Himself before His disciples. I quote Matthew Henry's commentary here:
Christ’s washing his disciples’ feet as a representation of his whole undertaking. He knew that he was equal with God, and all things were his; and yet he rose from his table in glory, laid aside his robes of light, girded himself with our nature, took upon him the form of a servant, came not to be ministered to, but to minister, poured out his blood, poured out his soul unto death, and thereby prepared a laver to wash us from our sins, Rev. 1:5.
3. An Act that Taught Meekness and Submission
Jesus stated in verses 12-17:
So when Jesus had washed their feet and put his outer clothing back on, he took his place at the table again and said to them, “Do you understand what I have done for you? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and do so correctly, for that is what I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you too ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example—you should do just as I have done for you. 16 I tell you the solemn truth, the slave is not greater than his master, nor is the one who is sent as a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you understand these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
He is our example in all things; this is no exception. Jesus is teaching His disciples, us, how to relate to one another, to care for one another, to yes, submit to one another. Although Paul was not present here, he caught the vision as he wrote in Ephesians 5:21 - - - "submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ." Interestingly, this command comes just before the Pauline passage about how husbands and wives should relate to one another.
This is the time of the year people traditionally are more servant-minded. In the midst of our own Thanksgiving and Christmas "days of preparation", we do things like giving $25 to buy a Thanksgiving meal for a needy family, or serve Thanksgiving meal on Thanksgiving Day, or buying toys for a DFCS child, or filling a Samaritan's Purse shoebox. And, our open-handed generosity, done out of a pure heart, pleases God.
But, that is not the extent of Christ's example. His intention is that we should love and serve one another, wash each other's feet, year-round, whenever we see the opportunity, year-round. Oh! If we in the Church could only put aside our own preferences and pride, to follow Christ's example in this. Then, a sinful, unbelieving world would be so drawn to our example, the world could be won for Jesus.
Whose feet can you wash today?
http://www.untiedmusic.com/ezekiel/onespirt.html
"We will walk with each other,
We will walk hand in hand.
We will walk with each other,
We will walk hand in hand.
And together we'll spread the News
That God is in our land.
And they'll know we are Christians by our love,
By our love, they will know we are Christians by our love."
Peter Scholte, 1966.
Dear Father, thank you for this beautiful example of love, humility and meekness you gave us, through Your precious Son. Show us how to wash another person's feet today so that we might walk ... resplendent before You. In Jesus' name, amen.
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