"Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself."(1) Now before I get into why Christ was able to wash the feet of the disciples, let's skip down to verses 5 and 11, "He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet...He knew who would betray Him;..." For years it escaped me that Christ knew His betrayer yet willingly washed his feet in the same manner as He did the other disciples. Have you ever needed to respond to someone you felt betrayed you? What was it about Christ that enabled Him to treat His betrayer in a humble and gentle way? I believe the answer lies in John 13:3-4., Jesus...knowing. What does it say Jesus knew? The text says Jesus knew 3 things: 1) Jesus knew that the Father had given all things into His hands; 2) Jesus knew that He had come from God, and 3) Jesus knew that He was going to God.
We are called to imitate God. "Therefore be imitators of God as dear children."(2) Looking back to John 13, how could we possibly imitate God even in these circumstances? How can we possibly be humble and gentle with one who has in the past or even continues to betray us? I believe those three things Jesus knew empowered Him to humbly and gently wash the feet of His betrayer. Those very things are also true in your life, if you are a genuine follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.
FIRST, "Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands," (vs. 3). 2 Peter 1:3-4 says, about you, "...His divine power has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." God has given everything you need into your hands.
SECOND, Jesus knew that He had come from God (vs. 3). You also come from God. "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."(3)
THIRD, Jesus knew that He was going to God (vs. 3). YOU TOO! "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."(4)
There is nothing magical or mystical to Christ's obedience in washing the feet of His betrayer. He did it because He knew who He was and to Whom He belonged.
When we lose sight of who we really are, (who God says we are) and who we belong to, we fight tenaciously for our rights out of fear of losing ourselves. In reality, it is in losing ourselves that we truly find ourselves in Christ.
Diane
1 John 13:3-4
2 Ephesians 5:1
3 John 1:12-13
4 John 14:1-3
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