JOHN 13:1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Je'sus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.

2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Ju'das ls-car'i-ot, Si'mon's son, to betray him;

3 Je'sus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;

4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.

5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.

6 Then cometh he to Si'mon Pe'ter: and Pe'ter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?

7 Je'sus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.

8 Pe'ter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Je'sus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.

12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?

13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.

14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.

15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.

17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

18 1 speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.

19 Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.

20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.

HEART OF THE LESSON

Have you ever read a novel or heard a story in which one person is holding secrets that are central to all that is happening, but he refuses to tell anyone? Often, once he finally lets go of the information, all the problems are resolved.

Jesus finally revealed some very important information to His disciples on the night before His crucifixion. If they made use of it, many problems would vanish.

1. Jesus knew (John 13:1-5). These verses tell us that Jesus knew three important things: that He would soon depart from this world, that His Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going back to God. Because He was so certain of these facts, He was able to do something that seems utterly inappropriate. Almighty God stooped and washed the disciples' dirty feet as if He were their slave. In this way He "loved them unto the end"; that is, He showed that His love for them was complete.

Knowing that He had only a few more hours with His disciples, did He try to fill them full of doctrinal truth? No, He quietly served them.

Knowing that all things were under His control, did He revel in His power? No, He shunned His power so that He could serve them.

Knowing that He was the only one who had ever come or ever will come from God, did He feel proud? No, He humbly did the work of a slave.

2. Peter did not know (John 13:6-8). Jesus' actions were fraught with meaning. Peter, however, did not understand. He was seeing only the earthly side of things. He recognized Jesus as the Messiah, as the great Leader who was to come and deliver Israel from bondage. Thus it seemed wrong to Peter for his Master to wash his feet. As a result, he earnestly voiced his objection.

Jesus' reply must have seemed mysterious to Peter. Why did getting one's feet wet have anything to do with being Jesus' disciple? The reality that Peter did

not understand is that being in a relationship with Christ involves accepting His kindness and service. Those who do not accept His comfort and aid cannot be His servants. If we do not allow Him to minister to our sin-sick souls, we cannot be made whole; and if we are not made whole, we cannot follow His example and minister to others.

3. Did the disciples know (John 13:12-17)? Jesus followed up His work with a question. Did they know what He had done to them? Obviously He meant that He had done more than just wash their feet. He had given them a perfect example of Heaven's love to follow. The contrast could not be any more extreme: the omnipotent God washing people's dirty feet. Therefore, the disciples could not excuse themselves from doing such service on the grounds that they were too important.

By washing His disciples' feet, Jesus revealed an important secret: God's love is expressed in humble service. If they served each other in this way, God would bless them.

4. The chosen known (John 13:18-20). Jesus had extended a special call to twelve men. They had followed Him and served with Him for more than three years. He knew, however, that one of those twelve was a traitor. This was a secret that He had spoken of before (6:70-71), but His disciples were still puzzled by it.

Jesus was revealing this now so that they could later understand it was part of God's plan and believe wholeheartedly in Him. All who accepted Him would be accepted by God the Father and escape condemnation.

(Reprinted by permission of The Incorporated Trustees of the Gospel Worker Society and Union Gospel Press, P.O. Box 6059, Cleveland, Ohio, 44101)