Jesus Washes the Feet of His Disciples

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Jesus Washes the Feet of His Disciples

This is the Bible Story of Jesus washing the feet of His disciples before the Last Supper. Discover the events of the story from the Bible below and what we can learn from this example of Jesus.

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1. Jesus Washing the Disciples' Feet.

Before the Last Supper, Jesus arose, laid aside His garments, gathered Himself with a towel, poured water into a basin, and began to wash and wipe the feet of the disciples.

2. Peter's Objection.

"Simon Peter .... saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered... What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt understand hereafter. Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet." Whereupon Jesus said:

"If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me."

3. Jesus Explains.

Peter now goes to the other extreme and desires complete washing. Jesus answers "He that is bathed needeth not save to wash his feet." Jesus was not instituting a new symbol to take the place of baptism, to cleanse the entire person, but clearly distinguishes between the bathing of the entire body and the partial cleansing needed after the bath.

4. The Command.

"If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet" (John 13:14), "I have given you an example, that ye also should do as I have done to you" (John 13:15). "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them".

By washing the feet of His disciples, Jesus demonstrated the way we should live by serving others in the name of the Lord. Jesus truly embodied humility and love for His neighbors as we should aim to emulate His example.

"Israel can be a dusty place, and sandaled feet get filthy walking to and fro. In ancient times, a person entering a home removed his sandals and cleaned his feet. Or if the homeowners were wealthy, servants would do the washing. This distasteful but necessary task fell to the worker of lowest position in the household. Imagine the disciples’ surprise when the Son of God put Himself in the role of a lowly servant and knelt to wash their feet. The need for such a service was great, as they had been traveling for some time. But not one of them offered to do it.

Jesus did more than fill a need; He offered an object lesson. As He explained, “I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you” (John 13:15, NLT). Some churches have incorrectly interpreted this as a command to make foot washing an ordinance. But it’s possible to clean someone else’s skin without contemplating the significance of Christ’s actions. In fact, the act itself is not the main point; attitude is what counts. Jesus desires that we be willing to humble ourselves to serve others. He is looking for men and women who will ignore pride, position, and power in order to do whatever must be done, wherever it needs doing, and for whoever requires assistance.

Jesus performed His greatest and most humble acts of service within 24 hours of each other. He washed dirty feet using two hands that would be pierced by nails in less than a day. The message here is that every task God gives us is important to His kingdom." - Taken from “Clean Feet, Clean Heart” by Charles Stanley, In Touch Ministries (used by permission).

Why Did Jesus Wash the Feet of His Disciples?

Full Transcript of the Video Above:

"In John 13, Jesus is washing the disciples' feet. In today's time, we don't see a lot of people washing feet, but the concept here is that He's serving. He was showing them an act of service to them. It was something a servant would have done. It wasn't something that the creator of the world would do, or a king would do. But Jesus as the leader got down and did a dirty job because He was showing love for them and service for them.

I do a lot of study on leadership. And as I think about being a leader, one of the most important things we can do is to also serve. Instead of giving orders, it is to be down there with the people and serving. And we are to serve each other, and I believe through that act of service. Certainly, the disciples saw that Jesus was serving them, but we also transfer that into the little things that we do, and we serve Christ by living out who He is in our lives by little bitty acts of service."

Read the full Bible text of Jesus washing His disciples' feet below and find related articles. 

John 13

1 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.
3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;
4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.
5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.”
11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them.
13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.
14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.
15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.
16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.
17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
18 “I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has turnedagainst me.’
19 “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am.
20 Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.”
21 After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.”
22 His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant.
23 One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him.
24 Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.”
25 Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?”
26 Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.
27 As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.”
28 But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him.
29 Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor.
30 As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.
31 When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him.
32 If God is glorified in him,God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.
33 “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
36 Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.”
37 Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”
38 Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!

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