I want us to see a meaningful connection in this passage in John 13. Jesus connected this foot washing with what He came to do at the cross. Look at verse 7: Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
What would happen later? What would happen that would open their eyes, give them understanding, and make it clear what message Jesus was conveying in washing their feet?
Do you remember the four stages of the foot washing account in John 13?
Jesus was at the table of fellowship,
Jesus rose and took off His outer garment and clothed Himself with a towel,
Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, and
Jesus went back and sat down at the head of the table.
Now put these together with Jesus’ statement that He would do something “later” that would open His disciples’ understanding of why He washed their feet.
Do you see it? The foot washing was a foreshadow, a picture of the essential and eternal washing that would come, a foretaste of the cross! Look at the four points again from this gospel perspective:
Jesus was fellowshipping with God the Father in heaven.
Jesus Christ rose from fellowshipping with His Father, removed all His glory, and clothed Himself with a human body.
Jesus Christ went to the cross, there to shed His blood and die for humanity. He washed us from our sins (Revelation 1:5), cleansed us from all impurity, and made us white as snow. He didn’t merely wash our feet; He washed our whole head and hands, our heart and minds, our consciences, and our entire body and souls! “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5).
Jesus Christ rose from the dead on the third day and returned to the place in heaven where He was.
We can see this same beautiful progression of Christ in Philippians 2:5-11.
I told you earlier that I felt such a keen sense of defilement and shame in my heart, conscience, and life during my years of sin and rebellion!
I tried going to counselors and support, recovery, accountability groups, and yet, the experience of guilt and shame, the covering of condemnation and sin-slavery, was so powerful on me.
But, friend, I’m so happy right now I could jump up and down! You know why? Because Jesus washed me! He cleansed me on the inside as He has taught me to be Washing at the cross.
I want this for you too. If you’re experiencing guilt, condemnation, or defilement from your abuse of substances, please know that it can be washed away by Jesus. And when the guilt and defilement of sin are washed away at the cross, the power of sin is broken.
Come to the cross, behold what Christ has done, and believe! Let it pierce your heart to the very core and humble you, let it cleanse you from within by accepting the pardon purchased for you by Jesus’ blood, and let it set you free from sin’s penalty and power.
Question 7. Please share how this story in John 13 reveals the cross of Jesus Christ to you:
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As the Lord prepared to become the Passover Lamb, He committed to love His own until the end. Despite betrayal, He laid down His life for us while we were still sinners. He gave up His throne, stripped of His royal garments, for the joy of our salvation that was set before Him so that He would be seated at the right hand of God as our great High Priest. As we wash in the His river of living water poured out on the Cross, the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
In the next lesson, we will study how to walk by the Spirit.