The Serving Christ
Scripture Reading: John 13:1-38
Meditation
Century after century, year after year, and month after month, the pages of the redemptive calendar have been turning. But now the long awaited day is almost here. The clock of Jesus’ crucifixion is about to strike fulfillment. The bell of his death is about to toll. And the trumpet of his resurrection is about to blow.
His time has come.
The Father’s eternal plans have an earthly timetable — Friday!
On that day, the one who had jumped into time will be nailed to a cross. He’ll die. But on the third day he will rise.
“It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.”
It was the Feast of Passover: a time to remember the blood of the lamb on the doorposts, the great deliverance from the angel of death, and the exodus out of bondage. For centuries, this feast was observed. But it was a feast that always left one hungry for more. Craving ultimate deliverance and starving for a spiritual exodus from the bondage of sin.
During this Passover Feast, the longing will be fulfilled.
The Good Shepherd will become the sacrificial lamb. In a few hours, the blood of the Lamb of God will be on the wood of the cross. The angel of death will pass over the sins of humanity.
Deliverance.
Ultimate exodus.
But before the Feast of Passover is fulfilled, Jesus, the Lamb of God, wants to show his disciples the full measure of his love. The one who is about to sit on the throne of heaven bends his knee, takes off his royal robes, and serves.
“The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 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.”
It’s one thing to love someone when you know everything that he’s done. But it’s another thing to love him when you know everything he’s about to do.
The devil has just put a dagger of betrayal in the hand of Judas. In a few hours, he’ll arrange a time, a place, and a signal for the chief priests:
late at night,
in the Garden of Gethsemane,
with a kiss.
With clean feet but a soiled heart, Judas will approach Jesus with a smile. He’ll draw close, kiss his cheek, stab, and then give the dagger a twist.
Jesus sees the betrayer’s dagger and yet he still exposes his heart. He takes the basin, washes the feet of Judas, and dries them with the towel. It’s as if he’s saying to him,
“I know what you’re about to do. But before you do it, I want you to know that I love you.”
There’s another dagger in the room—the dagger of denial.
Before the evening is over and before the rooster crows, Peter will deny Jesus three times. When questioned about his association with Jesus, Peter will curse and swear like the salty fisherman that he is. Not once, or twice, but three times he will say,
“I don’t know him!”
After this night of curses, his whole body—not just his feet—will need to be cleansed.
Again, though Jesus sees the dagger of denial, he exposes his heart. He washes Peter’s feet. He serves. It is as if Jesus is saying in the cool of the water and the caress of the towel,
“Peter, I know what you’re about to do. But before you do it, I want you to know that, though you deny me, I’ll never deny you.”
The Serving Christ is the Prince who is among paupers, the Master who is among servants, and the greatest among the least. He’s the one who takes off his royal robes, humbles himself, picks up the basin and the towel, bends the knee, descends into greatness, and shows his disciples—all of them, even Judas and Peter— the full measure of his love.
The Purity of Heaven gets his hands dirty. He washes their feet. Invites them to do the same for one another.
“Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.”
The filth of denial says,
“I don’t know you.”
The mud of betrayal says,
“I don’t want you.”
Even so, the Serving Christ still washes feet.
Prayer
Father,
Your Son was the Messiah who got his hands dirty.
Though his disciples called him “Master”, he took the posture of a servant. Though he was the greatest among them, he became the least. Though he was the Prince of Heaven, he took off his royal robes, picked up the basin and the towel, bent the knee, and washed his disciples’ feet.
He served even though he knew that in a few hours one of them would betray him, another would deny him, and all would scatter and abandon him.
He humbled himself, descended into greatness, and showed them the full measure of his love.
During this day, I want to follow the example of the Serving Christ.
Don’t let me passively sit, look around at others, and wait to be served. Instead, as I walk through this day, prompt me to serve, to humble myself, and to get my hands dirty with the ministry of the Messiah— washing dirty feet.
It’s in his name I pray. Amen.
Reflection
What does it feel like to be served? Has anyone ever “washed your feet”? If so, how did it feel?
It’s one thing to serve your friends; it’s another to serve those who betray and deny you. In what way(s) can you serve both your friends as well as those who have or will hurt you?
Why is it so unnatural to “pick up the basin and towel” and “wash one another’s feet”?
Even though the Serving Christ knew what Judas and Peter were about to do, he washed their feet. How does that comfort you?
All Scripture references in the meditation are marked by italics and are taken from the Gospel reading for the day (John 13:1-38). Those verses quoted outside of the chosen reading for the day are noted in parenthesis. All Scripture quoted on this site is taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
