Introduction
• John is the only gospel writer that tells us about an act of humility that was considered to be beneath the dignity of even a Jewish slave. Washing the feet of guests before dinner was usually a job given to gentile slaves. Before his arrest, crucifixion, and resurrection from the dead, Jesus washed the disciples’ feet. This humble act has deep and significant meaning for us today.
• I’m Brent and this is episode 30 of The Bible Unplugged. We continue our series, Easter Unplugged, John’s account of what Jesus experienced on his way to the cross.
• Please take a minute to look at the show notes for this episode at PowerLoveandMiracles.com under the Podcast tab
Why is John Different?
• As we have talked, John’s gospel is radically different than the accounts of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. John has a theological reason for being so unique.
• He does this to emphasize the meaning of Jesus’ words and actions and to portray Jesus as the ultimate Passover lamb.
John and the Last Supper
• One glaring difference between John and the other gospels is the absence of the Lord’s Supper.
• John’s account shows Jesus eating supper the night before his arrest, but this could not have happened during the Passover meal where Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper.
• The first phrase in John 13:1 which says, “Now before the feast of the Passover…” This is often taken to mean “before the meal actually started,” but that is not accurate. The common term for the “feast of the Passover” refers to the day in which the Passover meals happen, not the meal itself.
• In verse 29, the disciples thought that Judas left the meal to buy what they needed for the feast. If this was the feast, then those preparations would have been made earlier.
• The absence of the Lord’s Supper in John’s Gospel is a big deal:
• John does not portray Jesus participating in the Passover meal on Thursday evening of Holy Week because he will be crucified on Thursday afternoon. This is a different timeline than the other gospels.
• John is also the only gospel writer to record Jesus washing the disciples’ feet at a common meal. Since the other gospels do not have this story, we don’t have direct evidence from Scripture that Jesus performed this act of service during the Lord’s Supper. Jesus may have done this at the Passover meal, but scripture does not explicitly say so.
• John’s account of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet takes place before the ritual sacrifice of the Passover lamb on Thursday afternoon. This portrays Jesus preparing the disciples to be the priests who conduct the sacrifice of the lamb. Before any act in the Temple, priests would wash their hands and feet. We find this in Exodus 30:19-21.
John’s Great Transition
• John 13:1 shows a significant transition in Jesus’ ministry. That verse says, “Now before the feast of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that his time had come that he would depart from this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
• This verse is not a prelude to the foot washing, but a major shift in the narrative: the time had come for Jesus to be sacrificed for the forgiveness of sin.
• Jesus said three times in John’s gospel that his time or hour had not yet come. We find this in chapters 2,7, and 8.
• Everything that happens after this verse moves toward Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection.
What Does Foot Washing Mean
• There are several levels of meaning in the act of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet
• From a practical standpoint, their feet were dirty and should have been washed before they ate a meal together.
• As I said earlier, the priests who sacrifice the lamb washed their own hands and feet before the ritual. Jesus ordained the disciples to be the priests for his own sacrifice.
• In John 13:14 Jesus said, “If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.” This has two significant meanings:
• The obvious meaning is that the disciples should serve others, but
• The disciples were now given the responsibility of preparing others to be priests and carry the story of Jesus death and resurrection to the world.
• There is another deeper meaning here;
• In John 1:27, John the Baptist in describing Jesus the Messiah says, “He is the one who comes after me, who is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I'm not worthy to loosen.”
• We think of loosening a sandal strap for someone else as an act of humility and service. Taking off someone’s sandals is the first step in washing their feet.
• John the Baptist says that he is not worthy to wash the feet of the Messiah who washed the feet of his followers.
• A few verses later, John the Baptist says, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”
• The sandal reference indicates preparation for the ritual sacrifice of the Lamb of God.
• What John the Baptist starts in chapter 1 Jesus finishes in chapter 13.
What do we learn from this
• The fact that John does not include his version of the Lord’s Supper isn’t an omission, but an intentional portrayal of Jesus as the sacrifice before that event. We need to pay close attention to the details in scripture to be sure we have an accurate interpretation. When we see reenactments of the Lord’s Supper foot washing is usually part of the portrayal. Since the other gospels include the Lord’s Supper, but not the foot washing, we have no direct evidence that both occurred at the same time. In the Bible, details matter.
• Jesus demonstrates that no one is too high and mighty to be a servant to others. Being able to humble yourself to serve out of love requires a lot of personal strength and self-awareness.
• In Jesus’ time, only an elite group of priests could participate in the Passover ritual that memorialized God rescuing the people of Israel from captivity. By washing the disciples’ feet, Jesus opens up the priesthood for all who follow him. That is a big responsibility.
• In writing his gospel the way he did, John shows us that God’s plan to save his people didn’t happen on the spur of the moment. The theme of John the Baptist portraying Jesus as the Lamb of God and his unworthiness to loosen Jesus’ sandal carries all the way through the John’s Gospel. This theme points to the time when Jesus offers himself as the ultimate sacrifice to save us from the consequences of sin. God has a plan at work even when we don’t notice.
What do we do with this?
• When we read articles or commentaries, or listen to podcasts like this one, be sure to investigate what is said. Just because a Bible Scholar says something doesn’t mean it’s accurate. It’s easy to think that what we have been taught or believed all our lives is the truth. We are responsible for knowing why we believe, not just what.
• Follow the lead Jesus set for us. Be willing to serve others even if that act of service seems insignificant. By washing the disciples’ feet, Jesus showed us that humbling ourselves to care for others carries a divine meaning. Find someone this week who needs help and meet that need. There are a lot of lonely people around you who need to know that someone cares.
• When you feel that you don’t make a difference or don’t matter in God’s Kingdom remember that Jesus ordained the disciples and all of his followers into the priesthood that share the promise of deliverance from sin. In God’s eyes, you matter more than you can ever imagine.
The conclusion
• And, as you know, the music in the background means I have run out of time for this episode, but there’s more.
• I hope this has been helpful. If so, give this podcast a high rating and share it with others.
• In the next episode we will look at some of the sayings of Jesus before his arrest that focus on the only commandment added to the ten that God gave to Moses.
• My prayer for you is that God will lead you to people who you can serve and by doing so demonstrate God’s love to them.
• Have a blessed week.
The disclaimers
• Just to let you know
• All opinions are my own. If you agree, keep listening. If you don’t… keep listening, there may be some good stuff here.
• All Bible quotations come from the World English Bible which is a public domain work.
• Our show theme song is “Awesome Call” by Kevin MacLeod and is available under a Creative Commons license.
• The content of this podcast is copyrighted 2025 by J. Brent Eaton
• This has been a Power Love and Miracles production.
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