In the Gospel of John 13:1-16, the Apostle John vividly recounts a profound display of Jesus Christ’s compassion and humility, revealing a transformative example of servanthood. This act not only deepens our understanding of God but also illuminates the profound calling for us as His beloved children.

The text conveys a powerful message about the humility and compassion of Jesus Christ. Despite being fully aware of His divine authority and power, He chose to demonstrate profound humility by performing the humble task of washing the dirty feet of His disciples. This act of service and selflessness is truly remarkable and and assuming this role of a servant to serve the disciples, Christ demonstrated two key important things for the body of Christ: (1) (We serve a God who serves us and (2) We are called to serve others as God serves us

We serve a God who serves us

In John 13:3, the text says, “Jesus Christ knew that the Father had given Him authority over everything,” which means He was reigning over all. God’s Kingdom is not designed and defined as the world’s kingdom. The kings and rulers of the world lord their authority over others, being served by others and exerting their authority to get their way. In contrast, the text emphasizes the unique and selfless way in which God’s Kingdom operates, portraying God as a King who not only reigns but also serves His people. The ultimate sacrifice was in when Jesus Christ dies on the cross for our sins but prior to that, and we witness Jesus Christ taking on the role of serving us by humbly washing His disciples’ feet. This act was not only a demonstration of God’s love but also a powerful depiction of the nature of the God we serve – a God who will go to any extent to ensure His people are taken care of.

The image of Jesus humbly washing his disciples’ feet is deeply moving and should inspire us as we strive to follow Christ’s example. Jesus Christ first took off his robe and wrapped a towel around his waist, fully committing to the role of a servant, even in appearance. He then poured water into the basin, gathering the tools needed to fulfill this act of service. He lovingly washed the disciples’ feet and dried them with the towel around him, serving those who were meant to serve him, cleaning their dirty feet and drying them with a towel. This teaches us that we also should be ready to roll up our sleeves and serve others in whatever way we can.

And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.“
‭‭John‬ ‭13‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We called to serve one another as God serves us

The act of washing someone’s feet was considered one of the lowest and most menial tasks for servants in a household. When Jesus told the disciples that He intended to wash their feet, Peter hesitated to allow Jesus to do so because he felt that it was beneath the Messiah to perform such a humble act for a commoner like himself. Jesus then explained to Peter that it was important for Him to wash their feet to demonstrate how we should serve one another in God’s Kingdom. This conveys that in God’s Kingdom, we are shown that it is a Kingdom of selfless love and sacrifice for one another. It is a Kingdom where those in leadership roles are meant to be servants to those they lead. The way to lead in God’s Kingdom is to serve. The call to serve in the believer’s life sets them apart from the world.
In God’s Kingdom, we are called to lay down our lives to bring glory and honor to God through selfless and loving service to our brothers and sisters. Washing feet symbolizes service that requires doing things for others, even if we feel that the person does not deserve our love or undermines our status. Washing the feet of others signifies that it does not matter the state, status, or any other identifier of the person – whether good or bad. We commit to honoring Christ in their lives, even in menial tasks such as washing their feet, so that Christ will be exalted and magnified.
Beloved, may we always remember to live out our lives as imitators of Christ as called out to serve others as Christ serves us.