Page 92 - The Gospel of John - Student textbook

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would betray Him. This is why He said, “You are not all clean.” When Jesus had washed their feet and put on
His robe, He reclined again and said to them, “Do you know what I have done for you? You call Me Teacher
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and Lord. This is well said, for I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to
wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example that you also should do just as I have done for
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you. “I assure you: A slave is not greater than his master, and a messenger is not greater than the one who
sent him. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.
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Do We Want a Towel or a Robe?

Jesus slipped away from the table and silently traded His robes for the attire of a slave. But not just any slave,
the lowest rank of slave, a slave who washes road grime from the feet of houseguest. When a host family invited
someone to dine in their home in those days, they customarily stationed a servant by the door with basin,
pitcher, and towel. As each guest
arrived, the servant removed his or her
sandals (see John 1:27), rinsed each
foot, and then wiped away the dirt and
water with a clean towel. John most
likely assumed his readers were familiar
with the other three accounts of this
final evening. We know from Luke
22:24 that the disciples had been
quarreling again over who among them
was best suited for the most prominent
positions in the Lords new government.
Even on the eve of the Lords
crucifixion, they still expected Jesus to
topple the Romans and establish a new
monarchy, which would lead to their
promotion. But Jesus came to establish
a new kind of kingdom. In the kingdom
of God, one receives greater authority
through humble service. If anyone in
the room deserve to be treated like a king, it was Jesus. If anyone was worthy of devotion, it was the Lord. Yet
he took it up on Himself to become the servant of all. Jesus washed the feet of the disciples... all of them... all
twelve... including Judas!

One receives greater authority through humble service

Two principles of humility were to become foundational to His kingdom.

First, humility doesn’t discriminate; humility is expressed equally to all. Jesus didn’t ask His students to wash His
feet in return, but to wash the feet of one another. Let’s face it; most of us would stand in line to wash the
savior’s feet because He’s worthy! But how many are ready to wash the feet of another person in the church,
particularly someone we don’t like very much? This lesson would hit the disciples even harder later on when
they recalled that Jesus bowed before Judas to wash his feet along with the others.

Second, humility turns the structure of authority upside down. Earlier in His ministry, Jesus stated flatly, “if
anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35, Matthew 18:4, 19:30, 20:16, Mark
10:31, Luke 9:48, 13:30). Jesus, as the king of the new Kingdom, reduced Himself to become the least of
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humanity, taking on Himself the sin of the world – becoming sin, as it were (2 Corinthians 5:21) – and then
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