Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet

John 13:1-5

Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, 4 got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. 

With today’s devotional we turn from Romans to John. From now until Easter we will be reading our way through John starting at chapter 13 (the beginning of what is frequently called “The Upper Room Discourse”, Jesus last words to his followers).

Notice that Jesus is aware of the moment, aware that he is returning to be with God – said twice vs. 1 and vs. 3. When something is said twice like this we are to pay attention. Jesus, confident that he was going to the Father, confident in his mission from God, confident that God the Father loved him, was able to wash the feet of the disciples. His identity was in God, not in what other people thought of him. He did not need attention from people, or to be honoured by people, for Jesus was secure in his identity in God.

He was certain that he was on the path God had planned, and so he was able to focus on the disciples (loving them to the end, vs. 1), instead of being anxious about what was coming. Another way of saying this – Jesus knew who he was and whose he was.

We can have the same certainty and confidence, the same assurance that we belong to God, that we are God’s. We can live in that truth with confidence and conviction. We belong to God, and we are his. As God’s people, we can reach out to serve others, taking the lowly place, taking the overlooked place. When we know who we are in God, then we can turn our attention fully on the people we are serving, just as Jesus did.

PRAYER:

God who calls us by name, we rejoice that you know has, and that we belong to you. Teach us that our identity is in you, assure us that we are yours, so that we can live confident in our following you over the other voices that call us to find our value in them. Remind us of who we are – your children. In Jesus’ name. Amen.