What I am Doing

In John 13:7, Jesus answers Peter, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” This is another great passage of our faith. I encourage you to read John 13:1-20 and then consider these thoughts.

In order to get the full picture of what is happening here, we must consider the customs and the culture of the time. In the culture of the time, people did not live like we do today. I think most people understand that. This passage is about cleansing. People at this time did not have a bathroom in their house to take a bath or a shower. They had public bathhouses that they went to in order to wash their whole bodies. In the between time, they would have their servants wash their feet. As they traveled the dusty roads, their feet would become dirty and in need of cleansing.

Jesus gets up in the middle of the meal and begins to wash the Disciple’s feet. When He gets to Peter, Jesus tells Peter that he does not understand what Jesus is doing now, but will afterward understand. Did Peter and the Disciples not know the culture or customs of the time? Did they not understand that their feet needed to be washed? I highly doubt that. So what did they not understand and what was Jesus teaching them if it was not about the culture or the customs?

Let’s take a closer look. First of all, Jesus had a purpose for rising up from supper to wash their feet. John 13:3 tells us that He rose knowing that He has been given all things and that He had come from God and was going back to God. In other words, Jesus knew His crucifixion was coming soon. Knowing the urgency of the time, Jesus rose and took the role of a servant. Most people stop there and say this passage is all about being a servant. I say this is half right. It is about being a servant, but there is much, much more going on here. The Disciples knew all about washing feet and being a servant. Secondly, Jesus rose during the supper. In this culture, suppertime was a time to relax and have fellowship. Jesus gets up and begins to wash their feet telling them they do not understand what He is doing. This would definitely grab their attention for several reasons. Usually, the feet washing came at the time they arrived at the house for the supper, not during. No doubt, this has already been done when they arrived. Here Jesus is the one washing their feet. This is significant because of who Jesus is. While He is washing, several key things are said. If Jesus is not the one to wash your feet, then you have no share with Him (John 13:8). Then when Peter says, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and head!” Jesus tells Peter that he is already clean. Not only that, Jesus explains that the “one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet.

So what is Jesus really saying here? Look at John 13:15, “I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.” What was the example? Jesus is telling them to share the Gospel. Think about it. Jesus is about to pay the penalty for sin. In that, those who believe and place their faith in Him will be clean, completely clean (Heb 10:19-22). This is like the person that goes to the bathhouse and cleanses his whole body. The one that does not go to the “bathhouse” to be cleaned will have no share with Jesus. The analogy is that this cleansing happens once and it is only from God. From there, the only cleansing this person needs is the daily and frequent cleansing of the feet. This also happens by the cleansing of Jesus and through repentance and faith.

Now imagine the Disciples applying this to their daily lives. Let’s say Peter meets a new friend. Maybe they were both at the bathhouse when they met and Peter invites him over for supper. During the meal, Peter gets up and says, “Let me tell you about Jesus. We just came from the bathhouse, right? Well, remember in Ezekiel where he prophesied and the Lord said, “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you” (Ezekiel 36:25-26)? Well, this Jesus that was crucified, He is the Son of God and He suffered God’s wrath as a payment for our sin. Since the payment of sin was fully satisfied, we can be clean. Just like we are clean from the bathhouse. Remember what Isaiah said about the servant of the Lord? That his appearance was so marred beyond human resemblance? That he was despised and rejected? That he bore our griefs and carried our sorrow? He was wounded for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities? He was stricken for the transgression of the people and they made his grave with the wicked? Remember how he said that he bore the sins of many, and makes intercession for the transgressor?” (Isaiah 53) That servant is Jesus.

Imagine if he said all this while taking a towel and washing, again, the feet of his friend. Peter would be doing as Jesus was doing. He would be revealing to his friend the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Not only that He is the only way to be clean completely but also that He is the only one who can keep us clean. That, my friend, is the best service we can give to others; to serve them with The Gospel.