Anchor My Faith

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Author: Stephen Weller
639 words, 3 minutes read time

TitWashing the Disciple’s Feet and Minee

Scripture: John 12:3-5

In the previous lesson a disagreement broke out among the disciples over who was the greatest. That lesson was about who really was the greatest. In this lesson Jesus will humble himself before his disciples in an act of service to demonstrate what he means about greatness.

^{Jn 13:3} Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, ⁴ rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. ⁵ Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

Jesus knew that he was sent by his Father to be our perfect sacrifice, our Passover Lamb, and die for our sin (Nisan 14), and then in three days (Nisan 17) rise from the dead (see our diagram) and return to his Father. Knowing this, and since the passing of the cup was disrupted by the disciples debating who was the greatest among them, Jesus rose from the meal and laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist.

Clearly, this activity would have arrested the full attention of the disciples, causing them to wonder what was happening. They watch Jesus pour water into a basin and then he humbles himself into the role of a slave and begin to wash the feet of the disciples and wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around his waist.

I have some understanding of what this was like because one night, after several days of teaching Bible in an underground seminary in Asia, as I was ready to crawl into bed I heard a knock on my door and a request made for entrance into my room. The request was granted and a female student and the wife of the husband wife team leading the school came in with a basin of water and a towel. They asked me to sit on the side of the bed with my feet on the floor. They next knelt before me and placed my feet in the basin of water and washed my feet and wiped them. As they did they told me why they were doing that to me. Their words were so touching and had such a powerful impact on me. I look forward to the day I will meet them in heaven to talk with them about that experience. The next night I received another knock on the door and received a male student and the husband of the wife from the previous night. They came in and repeated the washing with words honoring me.

Just a few days later it was time for me to return to the states and upon arrival I received a message that the government had located the school and arrested everyone who didn’t escape. I felt like my own children had been taken away and experienced such a depth of emotional pain to add to the experience of humbly having my feet washed. Together, these two events became a life changing experience for me and brought me back for ministry in other areas of service for another seven years.

Conclusion

Just as I had my feet washed in that underground seminary and then in just a few days heard of their arrest, I think about the disciples having their feet washed and then very shortly witnessing Jesus dying on the cross. I had a close call then and an experience that I will never forget; an experience that greatly helps me understand the experience of the disciples at this time.