Why Foot Washing First

Well, good afternoon, everyone. A beautiful day here on the campus, and as we think about the spring, in particular, we think about the Spring Holy Days coming up, and for you that are in the Southern Hemisphere or in the Northern Hemisphere, brethren, it doesn’t matter, there is a change in the season. There is an expectation, an excitement for us all as we think about the Spring Holy Days.

But as I begin this message, just with the introduction, can tie in what I’m going to say now, a phrase that all of you know very well, and some of you might use it from time to time. A very simple phrase, and that is, first things first. Three simple words, brethren, as we think about the spring holidays. But also you might go to a restaurant, and as you see the server or the waiter coming to you, you might ask the party at the restaurant before the server arrives, “What would you like to drink, everyone? First things first, what would you like to have to drink?” That’s maybe a little bit more of a casual or an informal way of using this phrase.

More seriously, if you think about you had a difficult month, a difficult pay period, and you sit down at your desk, looking at your budget, and you think to yourself, or you might say to your spouse, “Honey, first things first. We have to pay our tithes first.” So, we all know this phrase, everyone, and we use it often, but it simply means that the most important things should be first.

Now, as we go into the Spring Holy Days, everyone, the Passover season, as I mentioned, we are all excited about what is ahead of us, what God has in store for us. And for you that hear this message again in the Northern Hemisphere or in the Southern Hemisphere, the season is changing, but we are all here just before the Passover. If you hear this message, it will be just a few days before Passover, and all of us have examined ourselves. We are looking forward to take the symbols, but, brethren, as Christ taught His disciples, and as He spent that last night before His crucifixion with them, this phrase might have been in His mind as well.

Let’s go to John thirteen. This phrase, first things first, might have gone through His mind in a different way, not exactly the way that I’ve put it, but in a similar way. Let’s read as we turn, and you turn with me, to John thirteen. Interestingly, everyone, as you turn there, this is the only passage in the Gospels in John that reference this whole passage that we’re going to talk about, first things first. What was first on Christ’s mind before His crucifixion, before He told His disciples to take the symbols, the bread and the wine?

We read here, as you are, in John thirteen, begin reading in verse one. “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, He was with His brethren, having loved them His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end.” In His mind, a very tender moment, but John gives us insight into Christ’s mind, into His thinking just before His crucifixion. Wanted to give us more details of what was Christ thinking at that moment.

Verse two, we just read the first phrase here. It says, “And supper being ended.” That means during the meal, during supper. Let’s jump down to verse four. “He rises from supper and laid aside His garments and took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel wherewith He was girded.”

So, something happened here, and that wasn’t too unfamiliar to the disciples of that time, but maybe what Christ did was unfamiliar to them. As we read here, going to verse six, “Then come He to Simon Peter, and Peter said unto Him, Lord, do you wash my feet?” Let’s go down to verse thirteen, or verse twelve, then we can read verse thirteen. “So, after He had washed their feet, He had taken His garments and was set down again and said unto them, Know you what I have done to you?”

Before the supper began, something went through Christ’s mind, “I need to do something first. I need to teach before I die, before I give the symbols and teach about the symbols during Passover to my disciples, there’s something that I need to teach them first.” And he asked them, “Do you know what I’ve done to you?” Verse thirteen, “You call me Master and Lord, and yes, you say well, for so I am.”

Now, everyone, during the Passover service, foot washing for us is first, even before we take part in the symbols. But, brethren, have you ever wondered why Christ instituted the foot washing first? Do we know what He has done first? Do we know what He has done for the disciples, but also what He is doing for us when we partake in the foot washing during the Passover service?

This message is not just for those that will take Passover. You will see this is for young and old, those unbaptized and baptized. There’s so much to learn for us. So, brethren, during this message, we will look at the importance of foot washing and two key lessons God wants us to learn. Two key lessons. But before we look at the lessons, let’s look at the importance of foot washing. Again, we say first things first. Why is foot washing first? Let’s look at verse eight.

We’re going to read from verse six to verse eight, getting a little bit more insight into Peter’s thinking a little bit here. We read it already, but going to look a little bit closer under a microscope, so to speak, at these couple of verses. Verse six. It says, “Then came He to Simon Peter, and Peter said unto Him, Lord, do you wash my feet?” Now, imagine them standing there around the table or sitting around the table, and it’s during supper, and here Christ begin to do what He did. He girded Himself. He started to wash the disciples’ feet. He threw in water into the basin and begin to wash their feet.

Now, again, as we said, this wasn’t unfamiliar to the men, but Peter, maybe, let’s say, of the twelve disciples, Judas was still there, Christ washed His feet, so there were still twelve disciples. Let’s say Peter were number eight. So, he could see number one, and two, and three, and four, Christ washing the men’s feet. And I’m sure Peter, that was Peter and he’s the one mentioned here, something went through his mind, “Why is Christ washing our feet? This is a little bit strange to me.”

But let’s go on and read, and it says in verse seven. “Jesus answered and said unto Peter, What I do you know not. You do not know now.” So, at this point, Peter didn’t fully understand what was Christ doing. Although, again, foot washing wasn’t unfamiliar to him. “But you shall know hereafter.” So Christ wanted to teach a lesson, not just to Peter, not just to the rest of the disciples, but also to you and me, everyone.

“Peter said unto Him,” verse eight, “...you shall never wash my feet.” So, he jumped from one extreme to the next, and Jesus said unto him, “If I wash you not, you have no part with me.” So, a very important lesson that Christ wanted to teach Peter, and again, the disciples and us here from the beginning. “If you don’t wash feet,” Christ said, “If I don’t wash your feet,” He wasn’t speaking about just the physical act of washing, He said, “...you have no part with me.”

Peter at that point was purely thinking physically. “How can my Master,” as we read, “How can my Master,” in verse thirteen, “...wash my feet?” He wasn’t grasping what Christ was busy doing. He didn’t know, as Christ said, he didn’t know and understand at that point. He wasn’t looking for the lessons that was there to learn. But Christ said, “If I don’t wash you, you don’t have part with me.” What does that part means? To have part with Christ. Very important as we think about the importance of foot washing, everyone.

To be partaking and partake in foot washing, we have part with Christ. Even before the symbols, we already have part with Christ. It means to share, have a portion, inheritance, participation. So, when Christ started, and we began to read this passage and what went through His mind, He might have thought, “What can I teach my disciples first? I want to teach them how to have part with me, how to share with me, how to participate in what I have for them in store.” Not just for them, but for you and me, brethren, that partake in the foot washing as well.

It was very important to Him, not to Peter at that point, but he would later understand, brethren, and you and I have been given the opportunity to read these verses and understand before we partake in the foot washing, the importance of the foot washing. We can wash our minds, so to speak, with the importance of this simple act. Christ set the standard. He set the standard of what we should do, what we should be thinking, what should go through our mind during the Passover service and leading up to it.

Foot washing, everyone. Physical cleansing is connected with spiritual cleansing and fellowship with Christ. So, He did a physical act to show them that there is spiritual cleansing that needs to happen, but also the importance to have fellowship with Christ, fellowship with the Body of Christ. That’s one of the things that we look at, the importance of our foot washing, to have part in Christ.

Foot washing is a very important initial step in the Passover services, and some of you will keep the Passover for the very first time and you can now be geared and ready to know that you will partake in foot washing during this service. And you can gear yourself in advance with, why is it important? You might ask, “Why should I wash feet?” Those are the things that we will go through, everyone, as we go through this message.

But another important thing, another important point about foot washing was foot washing back then in Biblical times wasn’t optional. It was expected. Now, the physical act, if you think about back in Biblical times, this was a gesture of hospitality. The host would give the water and then a servant would come and wash those that come and visit at the host’s house, the guests’ feet.

They would walk on cobblestone and dirt, long distances, they didn’t drove cars, they didn’t have paved roads like we have today. They had to walk with their animals, walk alone or with friends wherever they wanted to go. They didn’t have a bicycle or a train or go by plane keeping their feet nice and clean. They didn’t have socks. Back then they had open sandal shoes. So, easily, if you just walked a few steps, then your feet would be already dirty. So, this was a gesture of hospitality. But it was typically the job or the purpose of the lowest servant.

Jewish tradition says a Jewish slave should not be required to wash his master’s feet. That task was usually for a Gentile servant. So, the lowest of the servants, not even a Jewish servant were required to wash his master’s feet, but the Gentile servant, the lowest of the lowest were required to do that. Again, that was expected. Foot washing was a degrading task. People probably didn’t even notice the person that did the foot washing for them. They would just think about, “First things first, let’s get that drink going or the conversation going, or I’m hungry, I’m at my house, the house of my host,” and the person that did the foot washing, probably just people didn’t even ask their name.

When they walked away that night or whatever during the day when they had the meal together at the host, they didn’t even remember their face. Brethren, this shows how shocking it was when Christ took on that role. Let’s read verse thirteen. We read it before. I’m going to read a little bit further on in this passage. As I mentioned, the only place in the Gospels, not Matthew, Mark, or Luke speak about it. It’s only in John that we find this very important passage about foot washing.

Verse thirteen. Keep your hand... you want to keep your hand in this chapter as we go through it, everyone. “You call me Master and Lord and yes, you say well. You speak the truth, for so I am. If I then your Lord and Master have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.” I’ve done... I’ve set the standard. I’ve set the example here for you. I’ve took on the role of a servant, the lowest servant. Now, again, as I mentioned, that was expected. A Jewish servant did not have to do that.

So, that was not something on the mind of the disciples at that point. I think they were at the meal. During supper, Christ did what He did. The disciples didn’t think about foot washing beforehand, “Maybe we should wash each other’s feet or we should wash Christ’s feet.” No, that wasn’t even on their mind at that moment. But certainly Christ was their master. They knew that He was their Master. After more than three years with Him, that was very obvious.

As their Master and Teacher, Christ fulfilled the role of the lowest servant. The disciples, it wasn’t even in their mind, but that was certainly shocking and that’s probably why it shocked Peter as Christ washed number one and number two and He get to the fifth disciple and the sixth one, let’s say he was the eighth one, and the seventh one, and so he had a lot of time to think. The mental gears started to kick into... learning mechanism kick into gear.

This shows, everyone, that Christ’s timing was deliberate. The timing that He... when He wanted to teach His disciples this lesson. Ensuring that the disciples were in the right frame of mind. They were not in the beginning. We see Peter were not in the right mindset at the beginning. But He, His timing, Christ’s timing was the perfect timing to teach the lessons that He wanted to teach them. If they were in the right frame of mind, then they would be able and ready to receive what He wanted to give them. And that’s the same. There’s a lesson for us in this, brethren.

Again, you are thinking about the Passover just a couple of days ahead of us. We have been preparing for Passover for several weeks now. Physically de-leavening our homes. We are ready. Physically de-leavening our homes and then our lives through self-examination. Doing it spiritually. Cleansing our houses from physical leavening and our lives from spiritual leavening. We have done that part, that part that God has given us to do. And now we are ready to learn and receive the lessons that Christ and God wants us to receive.

Before introducing the symbols, everyone, Christ first taught the disciples valuable lessons. Key lessons that you and I should receive as well. Likewise, this is the perfect time for you and me to reflect and learn the lessons of foot washing. So, let’s go into we mentioned. We are going to look at the importance of foot washing covering that it... what happened during biblical times and also to have part in Jesus Christ. That is very important. But now there are two key lessons that we need to take away from this passage and from what Christ taught. Let’s look at verse seven. As I mentioned, keeping your hand in this passage.

The first lesson, as we introduce it, everyone, John thirteen verse seven. Again, Christ speaking to Peter, “Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do you know not now, but you shall know hereafter.” Peter and the disciples did not fully understand why Christ washed their feet. They understood foot washing. They’ve seen it, probably, happening many times and probably somebody washed their feet in the past as well. However, to have and by having a part with Christ, they eventually came to understand these lessons very deeply.

What was the first lesson that they learned and what we can learn, what Christ demonstrated? Let’s look at verse three. Chapter thirteen verse three, it says, “Jesus knowing,” He knew full well, brethren, this is important, “...that the Father had given all things unto Him, into His hands, and that He was come from God and He went to God.” Now, if you go home and you read through this foot washing passage, if you’re an editor of mind and you want to copy, edit, and go through this passage, you could say that verse maybe is out of place, or that verse... the whole passage can have meaning without that verse.

Why did God put that verse into this passage, into scripture? We know God’s word is pure, everyone. So, there is a specific reason that God wanted that verse in there. Again, giving us insight into Christ thinking at that point. You can read that passage, and without that verse, the passage still makes a lot of sense. But it’s important to have that verse there. Christ knew exactly who He was. The disciples knew who He was. He taught them during a space of three and a half years, at that point. But Christ, brethren, was deeply convicted about who He was. He didn’t had any concern or unbelief in that era. He knew He was the Son of God.

If there was someone who could be puffed up, it was Christ. If there was somebody that could have boast about who He was and what He did and where He come from, it was Christ. But let’s go, and keep your hand in this passage, everyone. Let’s, for a moment, go to Philippians. Keep a book mark there and go to Philippians. Adding a little bit to the thinking that Christ had and the thinking you and I should have during this season, everyone.

Philippians two, chapter two and verse six. Philippians two and verse six. Again, Christ certainly the one that knew who He was. He could have boasted, He could have been puffed up. He knew where He came from and where He was going. Verse six. You are there in chapter two. It’s speaking about Christ there being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. Christ was in the form of God. He looked like God. He was God. He knew God, but He thought it not robbery to be equal with God.

Now, the word robbery there, at a glance, it can be a little bit confusing. What does it mean? Robbery? Are we suddenly thinking about the eighth commandment here? You shall not steal. Why do God interject this word robbery here for a moment into this verse? Christ thought it not robbery. What does that mean? It simply means something to seize, something to grasp tightly, hold on to for advantage for personal gain.

So, that means that Christ who He was... He knew who He was. But He didn’t hold on to His position as the second person in the Godhead Christ. He didn’t seize that. He didn’t grasp tightly to that and hold on to it for His own advantage, for His own personal gain. He was willing to give that up, everyone. Christ did not hold on to His position as God for dear life. He knew God’s plan. He knew what was ahead of Him.

As we enter into the Spring Holy Days here in the Northern Hemisphere, we know this is the start of God’s plan. As we begin to learn about God’s plan, Christ knew full well God’s plan. He knew every detail that was required, and certainly what He was going to teach the disciples next after foot washing. He knew full well. He knew His role. But, everyone, giving up who He was the act of the ages. The only God being... The Father would not be able to have done what Christ have done due to His authority. There needed to be somebody that could become a human being. A God being becoming a human being and giving up His life, spilling His blood to become the Savior of the world, of you and me.

Christ was willing to do that. Christ elevated a menial task of foot washing into a powerful spiritual lesson. Let’s go back to verse seven here. Excuse me, verse seven. As we continue, “But made Himself, Christ, made Himself of no reputation,” He gave up all His reputation. He emptied His reputation, “and took upon Him the form of a servant.” Didn’t just say a human being. Yes, He became a human being, but He was willing. He showed Peter, the rest of the disciples, and you and me that He became the lowest of servants, one that you would not recognize.

We read in the Gospels that Christ could disappear in a crowd, that people would not recognize Him. He wasn’t somebody that came to puff Himself up, to show in that way who He was. He was willing to be a servant. He came to be a servant, “and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

There you already knew, brethren, where He was going with the lesson of humility, of humbling Himself. That is a powerful lesson, of God being... thinking it not robbery to stay where He was. He didn’t cling on to power, so to speak. He was willing for you and me, brethren. And then you remember He said, “Do that unto each other. As I’ve washed your feet, you should wash each other’s feet. As I showed you the example, this powerful lesson of humility,” you should strive for the same, everyone. That was what Christ was saying in effect.

If we partake in the foot washing, we say we are willing to do the same. We are willing to humble ourselves. And we’ve already done that, brethren, through, again, our mindset, preparing and being ready. But there’s action, there’s more action involved. There’s more action needed. Again, you don’t have to be a baptized member to think about humility and learn about it and begin to practice that in the way and to the degree that you can. So, this is a message, this is a lesson that is so important for us all to learn. Christ exercised humility as a way of life. He just showed that example during the foot washing, and He wanted to teach the disciples that lesson first. That was so important to Him.

Now, how can you and I practice humility? How can we do that? Verse four. Philippians two, verse four. “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” We can be busy, brethren. We can be busy with our own lives, and especially during here, during the spring holidays, we are all active, busy preparing, de-leavening, but there’s opportunities for us to learn to look on the things of others. There’s a lot of opportunities not just to think on our own things, but on the things of others.

That was what Christ did, even that night. He was thinking very... the first thing when they went into the dinner, on his mind was, “What can I teach my disciples first?” Not just foot washing. That act of foot washing taught them the lesson of humility. Brethren, humility makes true service possible. Humility makes true service possible. You and I want to serve. We want to follow that example of Christ. Humility, that mindset made service possible.

Let’s look at the second lesson. Philippians two verse five. We read verse four, we continue in verse five. It says, “Let this mind be in you. That humble mind which was also in Christ Jesus.” It wasn’t just at one point. He strove to have that mindset throughout His entire life. That was His mind. If you want to look at God’s mind, think about His mind, here it says Christ’s mind was in that way.

Brethren, when you and I do foot washing, from what perspective do you and I see the person you are serving? That’s the second lesson that we are looking at, is selfless service. During foot washing, Philippians two, verse five, we read, let that mind be in you. Service starts with that right attitude. The way that we see each other. You’re going to go down, you’re going to sit in a chair, somebody’s going to take off, ladies the stockings, the men the socks, untie the shoes, the shoelaces, wash each other’s feet. We heard before it’s the most clean feet that you will ever see in your entire life. There’s no dirt or grime on it, but that lesson is still there to be taught and to learn, everyone.

Foot washing is a two-way street. It’s important that all of us wash during the Passover service. But it’s a two-way street. You go sit down and somebody wash your feet and then you flip over and you do the same for that person, you wash his or her feet. Husbands and wives, where you are in the field, where you are two members scattered, shut away from another congregation, you wash each other’s feet. But in a congregation, men washing men’s feet, and ladies ladies’ feet, but that’s a two-way street. The one wash the one’s feet and the other one washes the other one’s feet. Both require humility.

We always think about serving. Again, Christ’s mind was a humble mindset requiring service. But it also takes humility, brethren, to be served, to allow somebody to serve you. So, that lesson is there. Selfless service is a two-way street. During foot washing, we learn that. And I want you to think about it when we go into foot washing, that... into the Passover, service just ahead of us. You cannot serve someone if they do not allow you to serve them. Sometimes we need serving. We are in a position where we need to be served and other times we serve. That lesson is there.

Let’s look at a couple of just examples. Daily examples. Simple serving examples. Serving simplified, I could say, everyone. For us, as we think about the days ahead, it can be something that at first glance look insignificant and small. What Christ did, foot washing, we could say that’s insignificant. It was expected back then, but that’s not a huge task, a big task that Christ did for them, but it has these deep lessons for us. But it can be important to the person you are serving. It’s not a big task.

It might look insignificant, but to the one that you serve, when it’s at the right time, like Christ teaching at the right time, the perfect timing, the disciples, something coming at the right time, it’s important for the person who you are serving. They need that one little thing at the right time. Let’s look at our home, things that you can do at home. What about children, young people that are still living at home? You might think, “How can I serve? I don’t take the Passover service yet. I’m not partaking in. I’m learning about Passover for the first time, and foot washing for the first time,” others might say.

So, there’s lessons for us all, everyone. And it’s also not just during this time of the year, but these things apply all year round. Helping with chores without being asked to do that. That’s just a simple task that you do in and around the house. There’s a lot of chores. Young people, children, mom, and dad are busy de-leavening. Maybe there’s a few moments left when you hear this message you learn about de-leavening as well. There’s certain things that you do, your chores, your tasks that you have been given to do that. That’s a task where you can help mom and dad. That’s with de-leavening, but what just other tasks, chores that you do in and around the house.

It might be a given task or it might be a task that you decide to do out of your own without being asked. At home, spouses listening to each other and children listening to parents. Listening. Just being able to sit down and take some of your time and go and sit down and listen to what mom and dad want to say, or mom and dad listening to children. You might think that’s not an act of service, but listening, to sit down and be willing to seize what you are doing and take the time and give time, sacrifice time and listening to each other, that’s a simple way where things in the house then can be set straight and begin to flow more normally.

Where there’s issues, those issues can be corrected just by each other listening to each other. That’s a way that we can serve each other. Serving family first. Your focus is in and around your family. Then you come to a congregation. You’re going to be here, some of you doing Passover, but others doing the first day of unleavened bread. If you continue on, we have another opportunity. There’s going to be a Sabbath and then there’s the last day of unleavened bread. Many times for us, as God’s people, to come together to break bread, but also to come to services.

There’s a lot of things happening during services. Helping to set up chairs, making a potluck. Men, you can make a potluck. Ladies, you can make a potluck. Young people can contribute to the potluck. You can jump in and ask your minister, “If I can help with setting up the chairs or the minister’s wife with the food and setting up for the food.” There are so many ways in a congregation that we can serve.

You might be somebody that’s new and want to serve. Hearing this message, you begin to become excited about, “Oh, I can do... I can contribute in my congregation.” There are many, many ways that you can do it and should do it. But hearing what Christ did, everyone, having that humble mindset will set us and prepare us to do the next step and learn the next level, so to speak, that step of selfless service, that two-way street. And that happens in a congregation as well.

Maybe you encourage somebody quietly. You see somebody need encouragement. That’s a simple act. Something that’s small, that it’s not necessarily that important to you, the person might come back to you a year later, “I remember you told me this. That encouraged me so much. That helped me greatly. That lift my spirit. That helped me during a difficult time at home or at work.” And you might say, “I cannot remember that. Did I do that?” “Yes, you did that.” So, it’s a small task, a small word of encouragement.

Assisting the elderly. Again, for the youth. Helping those elderly among us. That’s an act of service that Christ will look at, the Father will look at, and that will show them that you are serious, show them that you want to be part of your congregation. You’re not just looking at yourself.

Usually the peers, young people socialize with young people. They speak to young people, they go out with young people, but when you cross-contaminate, so to speak, your age group, the young and the old and the old with the young, that is important to God. Those conversations that you will have, if you do them, if you assist them and help the elderly just by having a simple conversation with them, you might make their day. You might learn lessons that you didn’t know that you needed to learn. Again, all of that coming back to something, selfless service and having that mindset.

The other is helping co-workers at work, taking responsibility. If you think about things that you can do at work, serving rather than competing. Those are things that we all can do at school or our workplace. Just a couple of examples, everyone, and examples can go on and on, simple ones that we can have in our mind. Christ taught selfless service, servant leadership. Leaders are to serve others rather than lord them and have authority over them. That’s what Christ said in place right there. “I’m your Leader. I’m your Master. This is the example. If you want to be great, you want to be a great leader, this is the first thing that you need to do, as I’ve done.”

Could Peter have thought, everyone, “It would be a shame for others to see my Master do this?” Christ in other words said, “Do you grasp that I, your Lord, served you? Therefore, go and serve one another. I’m your Master.” He taught that servant leadership. Everyone, Christ demonstrated that serving others was the pathway to greatness, but also to happiness.

Let’s look at one final verse here. Go back to John thirteen. Having that humble attitude, serving each other, that’s the path to greatness, but also to happiness. Let’s pick up in verse sixteen. John thirteen, verse sixteen. It says, “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. If you know these things…” if you know everything that you’ve learned today, know the lessons that Christ gave, know the importance of foot washing. “If you know these things, happy are you if you do them.” Christ wanted us to act.

We’ve done a lot of action brethren, but there’s a little bit more action for us as we go into the Spring Holy Days, but that will result in happiness. When we kneel and wash someone’s feet at Passover, we are saying to Christ, we are saying to God, “I want to be part of you. I want to be humble like you. I want to serve like you.” God places, everyone, foot washing first, because before we can partake of Christ’s sacrifice, the bread and the wine, we must first be willing to humble ourselves and be brought into the right relationship with God and with each other.