John 13:1-17
Dirty Feet - Getting the heart right!
In the last chapter we saw Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem,
probably occurring on the Sunday before His crucifixion on that
Thursday. However, chapter 13 begins in the upper room just hours
before Jesus arrest. That means John has skipped several days and
made no mention of doing so. That is not unusual for John. He did not
seem concerned with time but rather content. John wanted to give us
the messages of Jesus.
But let’s note some things which John pointed as we consider this
text.
1. \\#1,3\\ Jesus knew that His hour was come. Jesus knew it was
time to die. In my opinion, that makes what Jesus did all the
more revealing. Jesus’ last acts were to serve!
2. \\#2\\ The supper was ended and Judas was filled with the devil
and determined to betray Jesus. in fact, Judas was probably
gone to get the guards while Jesus washed the disciples feet.
Second, let’s put this story in the context of the time by
understanding how what foot washing was.
1. In those days people wore sandals and their feet got extremely
dirty.
2. For that reason, when you entered into a house, there was
always a pan of water at the door so that you could wash your
feet and sandals as you entered.
3. As you might imagine. This was not a sought after job. It was
the duty of the lowest servant or the youngest child. If
there were no servants, the host would do it.
4. The room had been borrowed by the disciples but there was no
official host. If there was anyone who probably should have
washed the feet of the attendees, it would have been the
disciples who set up the room; but they did not.
5. As Jesus and the disciples entered the room, a pan of water was
there but, apparently, no one used it! Each was waiting for
another to proclaim himself the lowest servant and wash the
others’ feet.
6. Might I just say, I am sure it would not have been the first
time when these men washed their own feet, but apparently,
there was some kind of contest going on and no one was willing
to be the first to bend.
7. Pride and arrogance caused the entire group to eat their meal
with dirty feet!
a. Remember that these sat on cushions around a very low
table and you can imagine how unpleasant things might
have become!
b. Each man had to eat his food looking at another’s dirty
feet.
8. \\#4\\ Either at the beginning or during the meal, Jesus rose,
irded Himself with a towel, and began to wash the disciples’
feet.
a. Jesus was calling an end to the contest.
b. Everyone had had enough time to humble themselves and it
was obvious that no one was going to.
9. At that point, Peter objected to Jesus washing his feet, but
even then, neither he nor any other disciple offered to wash
the other disciples’ feet!
What was the message that John wanted us to get? May I suggest some
things that we might learn from this account?
I. We might learn how foolish man’s pride is?
A. Here is another case where man demonstrates just how stubborn
and stupid we are.
1. Twelve men walked passed a picture of water and were
willing to eat what was a holy and meaningful meal
staring at dirty feet because no one would take a chance
and touch the basin!
2. We men are creatures that would cut off our nose just to
spite our face.
3. Ladies, if you are not prepared to deal with just pride,
don’t get married!
B. It boggles my mind how we men will not read directions, will
not take advice, will argue about things we know nothing
about, won’t apologize when we know we are wrong, and have to
win no matter the cost.
1. There is no cure for pride. We are born with it and
salvation, while it helps tremendously, still does not
eradicate it.
2. Rather, both husbands and wives need to know it is there
and deal with it.
a. Understand, men are going to be stupid and stubborn
from time to time. Just knowing that it exists can
help.
b. If you can, deal with it in humor.
c. Treat it like a sickness for it is, a sin sickness.
(1) By the way, I notice that Jesus did not rebuke
the disciples that night.
(2) He just loved them anyway.
c. Men, try to control it.
C. These men could have helped themselves to enjoy a sweeter
night had they been able to get a grip on themselves.
II. \\#John 13:15\\ Jesus was teaching us by example the necessity of
humility and service.
A. The opposite of pride and arrogance is humility and Jesus
demonstrated it with bright colors that night!
1. Here are 12 were entered into a selfish, carnal, man-
pride argument about who the greatest was and the
Greatest got up and did the work of the lowest servant!
2. Jesus was and is the exact opposite of what sinful men
are.
B. Seeing the contrast between Jesus and the disciples, there is
no wonder that some have understood foot washing to be an
ordinance of the church.
1. An ordinance means something that is asked of the church
in order to demonstrate Christ’ and our relationship.
2. Personally, I don’t think Jesus’ foot washing was intended to
be something to show Christ’s relationship to us but our
relationship to each other!
a. Jesus was in a room with 12 men who refused to wash their
own feet for fear they would have to wash another’s.
b. I think the lesson was, "We are to serve one another!" and
that is all.
C. \\#John 13:12-17\\ I would also say that Jesus spelled that out
pretty plainly.
1. It is interesting that some have made an ordinance out of this
event.
2. An ordinance is primarily a symbol.
a. Both baptism and the Lord’s Supper symbolize Jesus death,
new life, and union with us.
b. What would foot washing be a symbol of? Jesus serving us?
3. I think the problem is we are too much like the disciples were
in the Upper Room and not enough like Jesus was.
4. We would rather partake in a symbol of service than to
actually go out and serve!
5. We don’t need a symbol of service. We need to serve!
6. Never is Child of God more like the Savior than when
he or she is serving!
7. By the way, it should not be a humbling thing to serve.
a. If it is, it is because we are too proud.
b. As we correctly train ourselves, service becomes an
honor not an abasing.
c. I heard a preacher say once that if we humble
ourselves God won’t have to humiliate us but if we
refuse to be humble, God will humiliate.
d. Humility is when we abase ourselves. Humiliation is
someone else abases us.
D. People may never agree on whether foot washing is an ordinance
or not, but one things is certain. This passage demonstrates
Jesus in the role of Man’s Servant once again.
1. The truth is that Jesus severed mankind through out His
earthly life.
2. Some believe that the theme of Mark is Jesus, Servant of
Man.
3. It is true and I often say, God is not our servant but
we are His.
4. Yet, it is equally true that in some aspects, Christ has
forever placed Himself as Man’s Servant.
a. As Man’s Servant, He has become our sin Bearer.
1Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in
his own body on the tree, that we, being dead
to sins, should live unto righteousness: by
whose stripes ye were healed.
Galatians 1:4 Who gave himself for our sins, that
he might deliver us from this present evil world,
according to the will of God and our Father:
Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear
the sins of many; and unto them that look for him
shall he appear the second time without sin unto
salvation.
(1) The sin Bearer is certainly man’s servant!
(2) Do you remember Simon, the Cyrenian, who carried
Christ’s cross up the remainder of the
Golgotha’s hill? Was he not a servant to
Christ?
(3) For a sinless God to bear the sins of an entire
race must indeed be a most unpleasant
experience.
E. As Man’s Servant, He intercedes before the Father.
Romans 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is
Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen
again, who is even at the right hand of God,
who also maketh intercession for us.
Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save
them to the uttermost that come unto God by him,
seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for
them.
F. As Man’s servant, He ever responds to our cry.
John 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my
name, that will I do, that the Father may be
glorified in the Son.
14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will
do it.
III. \\#John 13:6-8\\ Jesus was teaching the importance of obedience.
A. I am kind of split on this.
1. Part of me is glad that Peter objected to Jesus’ washing
his feet because something is bad off with that!
2. Had someone not objected, I am certain I would have
preached against the disciples for letting Jesus do such
a thing without pointing it out.
B. However Peter got confused about Who was giving the orders and
who was to be following them.
1. Peter had sat there with dirty feet waiting for someone to
get up and wash them.
2. But when Peter sees Jesus get up to wash his feet, he
objects. (Again, part of me is glad.)
3. But I notice that Peter did not jump up and say, "Lord,
I’m sorry. This is not Your task. It never was. It was
mine. Let me wash their feet."
4. Instead, what Peter did was say, "I’m not going to let You
wash my feet," an act of rebellion.
5. You say, "What is the difference?" One is repentance.
The other is rebellion.
C. So Jesus set Peter straight.
1. If you do not obey Me, you have no part with Me.
2. Christians, we can always ask to do more for the Lord, but
it is our right to refuse Him.
3. We are never more like Christ than when we serve.
IV. \\#John 13:9-10\\ Jesus was teaching us the importance of regular
cleansing.
A. Jesus’ washing of the disciples feet actually served two
purposes. (I don’t think Peter understood either one at the
time \\#7\\.)
1. It demonstrated humility and the servant’s heart.
2. It also taught something about the Christian life and its
exposure to sin.
a. As Christians, we have had our baths. (Salvation is
the bath.)
b. What Jesus was demonstrating by washing the disciples’
feet was that by walking in the world, we get our
feet dirty and need to remedy that by washing them.
c. When Peter objected, Jesus rebuked him and so Peter
then wanted a complete bath.
d. That would have been a picture of being saved again.
e. Jesus had to correct Peter yet again. He did not need
a bath, just a foot washing.
B. These eleven had walked in the world and picked up the residue
of the world’s dirt.
1. That is obvious by what John revealed.
a. 12 men came in with a grudge match going on.
b. Judas had made a deal with the devil.
c. And Peter was rebelling.
2. Christians who live in the world are going to get dirty.
3. Christ was not shocked, surprised, hurt, or even
condemning over the dirt the disciples had picked up.
4. But He was teaching that it is the responsibility of each
individual Christian to maintain a regular cleansing.
C. How does the Christian maintain cleansing?
1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful
and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness.
D. Some believe that Jesus waited to wash the disciples feet
AFTER the meal. I don’t think so but if you do, consider
that would mean the disciples did not get their feet cleaned
until it was about time to back out!
1. Why still do it? Why not just wash the feet extra well
the next opportunity?
2. Obviously, it was/is more important to Christ that we get
the dirt we see off even if we are just going to get
dirty again.
3. In other words, keep short sin accounts.
James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God
and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless
and widows in their affliction, and to keep
himself unspotted from the world.
4. It would be best if we could stay out of sin altogether, but
we can’t so just keep washing your feet!
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