John 13:2-17

And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's s on, to betray him; (3) Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God: (4) He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. (5) After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. (6) Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter said unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? (7) Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. (8) Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. (9) Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. (10) Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. (11) For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean. (12) So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? (13) Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. (14) If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet: ye also ought to wash one another's feet. (15) For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. (16) Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. (17) If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

The supper here spoken of could not be what we call the Lord's Supper, which Jesus instituted in the place of the Passover; for this supper is said to have been before the feast of the Passover (John 13:1). See Luke 22:14. And moreover this was an ordinary supper: most probably the same as we read of Matthew 26:6; Matthew 26:6, which Simon the Leper made for Jesus. Whereas the Lord's Supper was after the Passover. Matthew 26:20. See Luke 22:7

But I would more particularly beg the Reader's notice to what is related in this Chapter, of our Lord's washing his disciples' feet. And I desire his attention the rather, because John is the only one of the four Evangelists, whom the Holy Ghost was pleased to appoint, to make this record. The circumstances indeed in it are so very singular, and the humbleness of our Lord in the act so striking: a service which was never performed by any but the very lowest of the servants in a family; that I confess I am inclined to think, there was somewhat of no small importance veiled under it. I am far from supposing, that I can throw any new light upon the subject: nevertheless, in a work of this kind, it would be wrong to pass it by unnoticed. May God the Holy Ghost be our Teacher!

And here let us first observe how the subject is introduced. Jesus, knowing that all things were given into his hands. So that in the very moment when he knew himself, as God-Man-Mediator, to be the Lord, Proprietor, and Governor of heaven and earth; Jesus did that which the lowest of the sons of men, and such as are slaves, only perform. Let the impression which such a view of Christ's unbounded condescension ought to have upon the mind, be first considered by us; and then let us go on to another observation, which ariseth out of what the Evangelist hath said.

Secondly. It is added, that Jesus knew he was come from God, and went to God. With these thoughts before him, the Lord performs an act of service upon each of his disciples present; as if under the conviction, that now only could such an outward demonstration of his regard for them be given, because he was about to return to his Father, and for a while, they would see him no more. John 16:10

Thirdly. The act itself of washing his disciples' feet, hath somewhat very striking in it. The manner in which the Lord set about it. The deliberate and personal way in which he did it to all: and the confinement of the thing itself to their feet only: these are certainly special, and particular characters, in which there is much signification. Some have supposed, that in this act of humiliation, of the Lord Jesus laying aside his garments, and putting on the towel of the menial servant; may be viewed, a beautiful representation of the Son of God laying aside his glory which he had with the Father before all worlds, and taking upon him the form of a servant, when he came to wash his people from their sins in his blood. And some have thought, that the washing of his disciples' feet, and not their hands, was in reference to the Apostles as preachers of the Gospel; and that in this sense, the ceremony had an allusion to that scripture of the Prophet, when he saith: how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings. Isaiah 52:7. But I confess, that in my apprehension, whatever the act itself of washing the feet implied, (for I do not presume to decide), it was not intended by our Lord to be limited to his Apostles, as preachers of the word; but the whole Church, of which they were then the representatives, were included in it. For the Lord's answer to Peter, who modestly declined this service of Christ's, plainly proved, that it was of general importance to the whole Church: If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.

Fourthly. Another remarkable circumstance in this transaction, and which is highly in proof of its importance, is, that the Lord insisted upon it, as hath been just observed in answer to Peter's objection; while we are expressly told by the same Evangelist, that in respect to baptism, Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples. John 4:2. So that the Lord laid no stress upon his own baptizing of his disciples, yea, that he baptized none, and yet here the Lord layeth the greatest importance upon the washing himself his disciples feet, declaring that if he washed them not, they had no part with him. And which words of Christ, and probably spoken in a firm and decided manner, carried such conviction with them to the heart of Peter, that he cried out in great earnestness of desire for the Lord to do it; Lord! (saith he) not my feet only, but also my hands, and my head.

And, lastly, to mention no more. What can be more marvellous and astonishing, than to observe in this transaction, that Judas, as is most evidently the case, partook in this washing by Christ, in common with the other Apostles. This is as striking a particularity as either of the former. I have said that this was most evidently the case, for had Judas being passed over, and not washed, no sooner had Jesus finished the service, and had sat down again, when we are told, that he immediately declared that one of them should betray him. Now had Judas not been washed with the rest, it would have been known by this omission which it was that would do this deed. Whereas we find the declaration of Jesus threw the whole into a consternation, and called forth the anxious question, one by one, Lord! is it I?

Let no child of God, however, be hurt, that Judas partook in this common act of washing the feet. For whatever grand points were intended from it by our Lord, the thing itself, like ordinances of all kinds, had no saving efficacy in it. The ministration of it most probably had some very blessed design in view, in reference to the Lord's own people. But to others it had none, but like the rain or dew of heaven, which falls upon the rocks and sands, and produceth nothing. There could be no more efficacy in the Lord's washing Judas's feet, than in his administering to him the Lord's Supper; and all the other ordinances he had in common with the Apostles. These are all outward things; and however sweet and refreshing they are made to the Lord's people, from the Lord's blessing upon them, it is that blessing which becomes the sole cause of usefulness, in their being accompanied with an inward grace. What the Apostle saith of the ministration of the Gospel, may be said in relation to everything connected with the Gospel. We are (saith he) unto God a sweet savor of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish. To the one, we are the savor of death unto death; and to the other, the savor of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? 2 Corinthians 2:15

And I take occasion from hence (and with such an awful character in view as Judas, who partook of those means of grace, but to his greater condemnation), to remark, that it should seem our dear Lord intended from it to teach his people how to draw improvements to their comfort, rather than at any time to be discouraged at the unavoidable minglings with the ungodly, whether in ordinances, or elsewhere in the present world. Jests knew that Judas was a devil, when he chose him to be an Apostle. John 6:70. Notwithstanding this, the Lord permitted him to exercise all the outward acts of the Apostleship, until the measure of his iniquity was full, in betraying his master. But to shew his Church that this man, and every other man in like circumstances with him, had no part nor lot in the matter of salvation; Jesus declared, as soon as he had finished the washing, that though they (meaning his faithful ones) were clean, yet not all said Jesus, For, added the Evangelist, he knew who should betray him, therefore said he, ye are not all clean. And, surely, from hence the Church is taught, never to feel concern when at any time the christless and despisers of the pure truths of God, mingle with the Lord's people at his house, or his table. For as the presence of Judas had no effect to injure the Apostles in those hallowed seasons with their Lord, so neither can devils, or bad men, hinder the blessed manifestations which the Lord makes to his own, when handing to them their portions in secret, and causing them to eat of the hidden manna. Revelation 2:1. And it is blessed, yea, very blessed, both in ordinances and providences, to call to mind that the Lord Jesus himself purposely chose one among twelve men only, which attended his person, that was a devil, to be of the number, when the Lord's tried ones are compelled to sojourn in Mesech, and to dwell in the tents of Kedar. Psalms 120:5; Job 1:6

I have largely trespassed in entering into those several particulars as they struck my mind, respecting this wonderful act of Christ's washing his disciples feet. I again repeat that I do not speak decidedly upon what might or might not be the Lord's design in an act so very gracious. But there are two very sweet improvements, which, according to my apprehension of the subject, arise from it; and before we close our review of it, I would beg the Reader's indulgence to bring before him.

The first is, What a most endearing portrait hath God the Holy Ghost given to the Church, by the pencil of the Evangelist, of the person of our Lord Jesus Christ? Can the imagination conceive anything equally lovely, as in thus beholding the Son of God in our nature, washing the feet of poor fishermen? And what tends to give yet more the highest coloring of grace and mercy to the picture, it is drawn at that moment of all others, when Jesus knew that the Father had given all things into his hands! Reader! ponder it well. What a lesson is here taught to mortify the pride of human nature! While the great ones of the earth carry themselves so proudly, and will hardly condescend to behold the poor of the people, the King of heaven stoops to the lowest humiliation, and washeth his disciples' feet. Now I pray the Reader never to lose sight of this unequalled condescension of Christ. Shall you, or shall I, or shall any poor sinner, in the view of such clemency, evermore draw conclusions, as if it was beneath the dignity of the Son of God to regard his people, when we behold such a palpable proof of that regard, in an act so humbling? Did Jesus wash their feet, and will he not wash my soul? Did Jesus unasked, yea, when Peter refused him, persist to do such an act of grace, and will he turn a deaf ear to your or my earnest petitions? Can any child of God, in the contemplation of such love in the Lord, say, I am too low, too abject, too unworthy for Jesus to notice? Speak, ye humble souls! ye, who like those faithful Apostles, have tasted that the Lord is gracious, do you say, for you can tell, whether Christ's exaltation and glory do not become the very grounds of your hope, that because he is exalted he will condescend, and because he is all glorious, he will be all merciful? Yea, say, doth not the Lord appear in your view the more blessed, when he appears the more condescending, and the more he stoops to look on you, doth he not appear the higher to your eyes. Precious Lord, in humbleness, as well as greatness, thou must have the pre-eminence! Colossians 1:18

The other improvement suggested to us from this blessed Scripture, is, in my view, equally endearing with the former, namely, how Jesus, by this act of washing his disciples' feet before his departure, intended to convince them, that the tendencies of his love to them would be the same after that he was gone. He knew (the Evangelist saith), that he was come from God, and went to God; and under these impressions, he taketh the towel, and the water, and immediately begins to wash his disciples' feet. So that with his mind full of the glory to which he was then going, returning to his Father, and to all his redeemed gone before, yet he doth this to leave a palpable testimony behind him, that neither time nor place could alter his regard for them. But his last act upon earth, when in familiarity he was sitting down with them, should not be more expressive of affection than he would carry with him in all his remembrance of them in heaven. And as he could not do such an act then, when returned to glory, he did it now, as his last upon earth, that they might always have it in remembrance concerning him when he was gone, until he came again to take them home to himself, that where he was they should be also. John 14:3. Dearest Lord Jesus! may my soul have these things always in remembrance! And it will not be long before that He who washed his disciples feet will bring home his whole Church washed from all her sins in his blood, and become a glorious Church, sanctified and cleansed, and made holy, and without blemish before him, in love! Ephesians 5:25