If I Do Not Wash You

Lord, Are You Washing My Feet?

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Jesus went from disciple to disciple with the basin and the towel. “Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, are You washing my feet?’” (John 13:6).

Lord and feet. Peter had called Jesus Lord for a long time. Now the Lord had come to wash Peter's feet. It did not seem right to him at all.

Peter before. Once, after a great catch of fish, Peter fell down at Jesus' knees and said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” (Luke 5:8). Peter knew how great Jesus is and how small he was.

Trust first (13:7-8). Jesus said, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.” Peter answered, “You shall never wash my feet!” Peter loved Jesus, but his answer would have kept Jesus from doing what He came to do. Faith says yes to Jesus even before it understands.

Hard to be helped. It can be hard to let someone serve you. We would rather be the helper. Sometimes pride wants to do everything alone, even with Jesus.

John the Baptist too. When Jesus came to be baptized, John the Baptist tried to stop Him. He said he needed to be baptized by Jesus instead (Matthew 3:14). Jesus' humility surprised His servants.

Only Jesus can. Jesus said, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me” (13:8). No one can wash away his own sin. We must let Jesus do it.

The way He washes. John later wrote that Jesus loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood (Revelation 1:5). On the cross He paid for our sins, and on the third day He rose again.

Peter learned. Years later Peter wrote, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time” (1 Peter 5:6). The man who once said never learned to be humble before God.

Saying yes. To be washed by Jesus, you come to Him as you are, trust Him and let Him do what only He can do.

What to do. Is there something you have been trying to fix by yourself? Tell Jesus about it today, and let Him help you.

“Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, are You washing my feet?’” (John 13:6). Peter could not believe that his Lord would wash his feet.

Peter's history. Early on, Peter saw Jesus' power and said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” (Luke 5:8). Peter knew the distance between himself and Jesus. That is why the basin shocked him.

Honor that says no (13:7-8). Jesus asked Peter to trust Him now and understand later. Peter's refusal came from love, but love that will not receive is not yet faith. Faith lets the Lord serve first.

Another surprised servant. At the Jordan, John the Baptist tried to prevent Jesus from being baptized, saying he needed Jesus to baptize him (Matthew 3:14). Both men were startled by how low the Lord was willing to go.

No part (13:8). “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” A part is a share, an inheritance. No one shares in Jesus' life without first receiving from Him.

Receiving first. Before the disciples could wash one another's feet, they had to let Jesus wash theirs. Grace is received before it is given away.

Receiving is humbling. It is often easier to give than to receive. Giving lets us feel useful; receiving reminds us that we need help. Peter had to learn that following Jesus begins with being served by Him.

Peter later. Years afterward Peter wrote, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time” (1 Peter 5:6). The disciple who once said “Never!” learned to bow under the hand of God and to let Him lift him up.

The great washing. John later called Jesus the One who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood (Revelation 1:5). The cross is where He washes sinners clean, and the empty tomb shows the price was accepted.

For you. Pride can look humble on the outside. Ask yourself whether you are letting Jesus serve you through His Word, His forgiveness and His people, or trying to manage on your own.

You Are Clean

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When Jesus said, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me,” Peter changed his answer at once: “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!” (John 13:8-9).

All of me. Peter went from no to everything. He did not want to miss any part of belonging to Jesus.

Bathed. Jesus said, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you” (13:10). Someone who has had a bath does not need another one just because his feet got dirty.

Already clean. The disciples already belonged to Jesus. They did not need to start over. Jesus called them completely clean.

Not all. “For He knew who would betray Him” (13:11). Being near Jesus is not the same as belonging to Him.

A dirty robe. Long before, the prophet Zechariah saw a vision of Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord in filthy clothes. The Angel had the filthy clothes taken off, told Joshua his sin was taken away, and gave him clean, rich robes (Zechariah 3:3-5).

Whiter than snow. King David prayed, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7). Only God can make a heart that clean.

How Jesus cleans. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Jesus died for our sins, and on the third day He rose again.

Coming back. Many Christians see a picture in the bath and the feet: we are made clean when we trust Jesus, and we come back to Him when we sin. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins” (1 John 1:9).

Completely clean. Jesus did not say mostly clean. He said completely clean. When Jesus washes you, there is nothing left for you to finish.

Clean means free. A clean person does not have to hide from God. He can come close and serve with a glad heart.

What to do. If you have trusted Jesus, thank Him that you are clean. When you sin, do not hide it. Tell Him, and let Him wash you.

“Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!” (John 13:9). Peter's second answer was the opposite of his first. Jesus answered both with one sentence about being clean.

Louo. “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean” (13:10). Bathed is louo (say: LOO-oh), washing the whole body.

Nipto. Wash in “wash his feet” is nipto (say: NIP-toh), washing one part, like the hands or the feet. The disciples had been made clean as a whole; they did not need to start over.

Not all (13:10-11). “And you are clean, but not all of you. For He knew who would betray Him.” Judas had been near Jesus for years without belonging to Him.

Zechariah 3:3-5. In a vision, Joshua the high priest stood before the Angel of the Lord in filthy garments. The filthy garments were removed, his iniquity was taken away, and he was clothed in rich robes and a clean turban. God Himself did the cleaning.

Psalm 51:7. “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” David knew that only God could wash him.

Completely clean. Jesus did not say mostly clean or clean for now. He said “completely clean.” When Jesus washes a person, nothing is left for that person to finish or repay.

Clean, then serving. A few verses later Jesus told these clean disciples to wash one another's feet (13:14). Being made clean by Jesus comes first; serving others with clean hands and a glad heart follows.

The blood that cleanses. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). The cross is where the washing was paid for, and the resurrection shows it is complete.

Daily feet. Many Christians see a picture in Jesus' words: a believer is cleansed once by trusting Him, and keeps coming back for the daily washing of confession. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

For you. If you belong to Jesus, you do not need to be saved all over again each time you sin. You need to come back, confess your sin and receive His forgiveness (1 John 1:9), and then serve Him with a clean heart.

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