John 13:1
Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus 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. Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus 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.
On the last evening before his death, before the Passover feast, Jesus knew his appointed hour had come to leave this world and return to the Father. He was about to give himself as the true paschal lamb, to drink the cup of wrath and endure betrayal, rejection and the cross. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end with a divine love that does not change with circumstances but endures through time and eternity. That love set aside concern for his own suffering to care for his disciples, bearing patiently with their selfish contention while knowing every weakness, defect and temptation yet not casting them off. He showed it by taking the servant's place to wash their feet, even the feet of Judas who would betray him, and giving a lasting ordinance of humility and love to be kept with the supper.
Hour Come, Love Endures
The setting is before the feast of the Passover, in an upper room in Jerusalem on the last evening before death, in the last week and final time on earth. The hours there were spent instructing the disciples and preparing and comforting them for the coming trial and separation they would witness when He was betrayed, rejected, and made to suffer. He showed lasting love for His disciples as He prepared to depart to the Father, and the foot washing that followed was an expression of that love.
He knew His appointed hour had come to depart out of this world unto the Father, to leave the world and return to God from whom He came and into whose hands the Father had given all things. He was the true paschal lamb to be sacrificed on the day the Passover was eaten, about to drink the cup of wrath and endure the final baptism of suffering. Before Him lay betrayal, rejection, suffering at the hands of wicked men, the cross, degrading treatment, abandonment, and humiliating death, with the knowledge that many would reject the sacrifice He was about to make. His soul was already pressed under a severe load none of the disciples could enter into.
Though facing all this, He kept His disciples foremost in His thoughts, and His care for them outweighed concern for His own suffering. Looking on them with pity and sympathy, He knew the trials ahead of them. Their dispute over who would be greatest, and their contentious, selfish spirit and jealousy, left them unready to understand the coming events and the solemnity of the supper. That spirit kept Him from telling them all He wished to say, and He knew that after His death the memory of this scene would scourge them and be sufficient punishment.
Having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end with an enduring, divine love that did not change despite contention and jealousy. It is a love that never disappoints, does not fluctuate or change with circumstances, shares the unchangeableness of His nature, and continues through time and through eternity.
That love to the end is with infinite tenderness, forbearance, mercy and long-bearing. He sees weakness, knows defects of character, and is acquainted with every temptation and its strength, yet He does not cast off or consume them, and without that mercy they would have perished. His enduring love is seen in His willingness to become humanity's substitute and surety, to give His life as the ransom, and to hold fast the faith of everyone who trusts in Him. Those who receive Him are adopted into His family as loyal and true sons and daughters of God, yet whether a person is adopted into the royal family depends upon that person.
Footwashing Service Includes Judas
While the disciples argued and contended over who would be greatest and none would stoop to wash feet, Jesus rose from supper, laid aside His garments, girded Himself with a towel, poured water into a basin, and washed and wiped their feet. Though Lord and the pure spotless Lamb of God presenting Himself as a sin-offering, He took the lowly servant's role, and as that hour of departure approached His humility became more evident. In this He pitied them for the trials ahead, rebuked their pride and childish passions that were hurting their own souls and left them unready for coming events, and knew the memory of this scene after His death would scourge them as sufficient punishment.
In loving to the end He gave a simple, sacred, last-established ordinance in connection with the last supper. As type met antitype in Himself as the authority, foundation and only efficacious offering for sin, He discharged the cares and burdens of ancient Jewish rites and ended the sacrifices offered for four thousand years, replacing the national festival with a memorial of feet washing and the sacramental supper to be observed by followers through all time in every country and continually repeated, so that through remembrance no exaltation of one above another would find place and brother would be brought to understand the feelings of his brother. It speaks not so largely to intellect as to the heart, and He Himself is present to awaken understanding, revive memory, convict of sin and receive penitential offerings, disentangling believers from rites made of no force by the gospel. Eating His body and drinking His blood means not merely the sacramental service but daily partaking of the bread of life by receiving His word and doing His will.
The chapter plainly expresses God's will for His people and connects with His gift of eternal life and making believers one with Him in this life and forever. Ministers are urged to study and live out this instruction of John 13:1-17 as a safeguard against leaving the simplicity of Christ. The lesson drawn is the ordinance of humility to foster humility, expel selfishness, teach unselfish ministry, join hearts in unity and oneness with Him, and bring love, grace and peace to contrite hearts. The saints follow it by washing one another's feet with breaking of bread in a solemn gathering that brings the congregation to humility before God.
The ordinances of feet washing and the sacrament are to be kept together, feet washing observed along with the Lord's Supper in church administration. The order is first washing of feet, then eating of broken bread to represent His broken body and drinking of juice of the vine to represent His spilled blood. It is kept in an evening service with large united participation whose solemnity belongs with revival, helps believers settle into the work, aids sinners seeking the Lord, and welcomes even new believers to wash feet for the first time. It is to be kept private and separate from the wicked and unbelievers lest reproach come on the cause, done with women washing women's feet and men washing men's feet. It is witnessed by angels and unseen witnesses, including messengers of darkness with those who refuse the Spirit.
His tender ministry included Judas even though He knew Judas would betray Him, after the devil had put betrayal into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, who had twice pledged to betray Him. He patiently bore with Judas, kept him with him without condemning or sending him away until the very last, washed his feet and allowed him to share the sacrament, offering every opportunity to receive Him, repent and be cleansed. All but Judas were brought to repentance, while Judas rejected the loving appeal, resented His humility, had his course decided, and went out to betray Him. Even when done carefully a Judas may eat and drink to his own damnation but God will make him manifest and purge him out.
His example teaches followers not to exclude professed Christians from the services since human beings cannot read hearts or distinguish sincere from insincere or faithful from unfaithful. They are not to abandon or carelessly separate from one believed erring or sinful lest the person be left exposed and driven further into temptation, but to bear patiently with those at fault as He bore with Judas and as Peter's failures yet becoming a life of service shows. They are to serve rather than exalt themselves, becoming less inclined to seek honor as they grow in Christlike character. They are to live His final instruction and prayer for unity and love in practical life so they are united with one another and with Christ, strong against Satan's attacks and able to stand the coming test, and not to refuse to be partakers with Him in suffering and tribulation because He so loves to the end.