Digging Deeper: A Servant in the House

Jesus celebrates a Passover meal with his disciples, and John tells us that Jesus knew that the Father had handed all power over to him and that it was time to return to the Father. 

John also mentions that the devil had already given Judas the idea of betraying Jesus. 

Jesus gets up from the meal, wraps a towel around his waist, and begins washing his disciples feet. 

It was customary at the time for servants to wash the feet of the guests of the meal, but it is here that Jesus shows his disciples what it truly means to be God in the flesh. He shows them what their all-powerful God is all about – servanthood. God himself, in Jesus, doesn’t see the task of washing your nasty feet as a task that is beneath him. He loves you. And he calls you to be like him.

Paul likely had this scene in his mind when wrote to the Church at Philippi a few decades later:

“You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had,  who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped,  but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature. He humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death– even death on a cross!”

-- Philippians 2:5-8

Jesus tries to wash Peter’s feet and Peter asks him why he’s doing this. 

Jesus tells him that he will understand why later. 

Peter objects, but Jesus tells him that unless he lets him wash him he will have no part in him. 

Peter then declares that Jesus shouldn’t only wash his feet, but the rest of him as well. 

But Jesus tells him that people who have already bathed only need their feet washed. 

He tells the disciples that they have been cleansed… except for some of them… because he knew that Judas was plotting against him. 

After Jesus is done washing their feet, he puts his clothes back on and returns to the table. 

He tells them that they should follow his example and wash each other’s feet just as he washed their feet. 

He adds, “No servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.” 

Jesus then reiterates that one of the disciples… one who shares this bread with him… will betray him. 

He says that this is to fulfill what was predicted in Psalm 41. 

“Even my close friend,
    someone I trusted,
one who shared my bread,
    has turned against me.”

-- Psalm 41:9

He says that he’s telling them what is about to happen so that they will believe in him… because whoever accepts him accepts the One who sent him. 

Jesus then becomes very agitated and repeats that one of them will betray him. 

The disciples then begin to wonder which one of them he is talking about. 

The text says that “The disciple whom Jesus loved” (probably John) was sitting next to Jesus, so Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus who he was talking about. 

Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” 

He gave it to Judas, and the text says that as soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. 

So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” 

But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. 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. 

And John tells us that as soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out.

And it was night. 

After Judas leaves, Jesus declares that because he himself has been glorified, God is glorified; and when God is glorified, he himself is glorified in God. 

He warns them that he will be with them for only a little while longer, and they are not able to go where he is going. 

Jesus says, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” 

Peter asks, “Lord, where are you going?” 

Jesus replies, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.” 

Peter asks, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you!” 

Then Jesus answers, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!”