{"id":1311,"date":"2025-08-19T03:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-19T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reflectivebiblestudy.com\/gospeladventure\/?p=1311&2025"},"modified":"2025-08-14T18:00:05","modified_gmt":"2025-08-15T00:00:05","slug":"an-example-for-all-believers-john-13-1-17","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reflectivebiblestudy.com\/gospeladventure\/an-example-for-all-believers-john-13-1-17\/","title":{"rendered":"An Example for All Believers: John 13:1-17"},"content":{"rendered":"
Focus Passage: John 13:1-17 (NIV)<\/div>
\r\n

1\u00a0<\/sup>It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.<\/p>

2\u00a0<\/sup>The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3\u00a0<\/sup>Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4\u00a0<\/sup>so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5\u00a0<\/sup>After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples\u2019 feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.<\/p>

6\u00a0<\/sup>He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, \u201cLord, are you going to wash my feet?\u201d<\/p>

7\u00a0<\/sup>Jesus replied, \u201cYou do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.\u201d<\/p>

8\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cNo,\u201d said Peter, \u201cyou shall never wash my feet.\u201d<\/p>

Jesus answered, \u201cUnless I wash you, you have no part with me.\u201d<\/p>

9\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cThen, Lord,\u201d Simon Peter replied, \u201cnot just my feet but my hands and my head as well!\u201d<\/p>

10\u00a0<\/sup>Jesus answered, \u201cThose who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.\u201d 11\u00a0<\/sup>For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.<\/p>

12\u00a0<\/sup>When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. \u201cDo you understand what I have done for you?\u201d he asked them. 13\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cYou call me \u2018Teacher\u2019 and \u2018Lord,\u2019 and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14\u00a0<\/sup>Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another\u2019s feet. 15\u00a0<\/sup>I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16\u00a0<\/sup>Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17\u00a0<\/sup>Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.<\/p>\r\n

Read John 13:1-17<\/a> in context and\/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!<\/p><\/div><\/div>\r\n

Following Jesus washing the disciples\u2019 feet, the gospel of John tells us that Jesus shares why He did this. While one semi-obvious reason was to give the disciples a picture into how God\u2019s character includes humility, John tells us that Jesus shares another reason.<\/p>\r\n

In John\u2019s gospel, as Jesus sits down after finishing washing the disciples\u2019 feet, He first asks the group a question: \u201cDo you understand what I have done for you?<\/strong>\u201d but without even giving the disciples a chance to respond, Jesus continues by saying, \u201cYou call me \u2018Teacher\u2019 and \u2018Lord,\u2019 and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another\u2019s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.<\/strong>\u201d (v. 12-15)<\/p>\r\n

John tells us in his gospel that Jesus modeled humility because He wants us to model humility. While the idea of washing someone\u2019s feet is awkward, I doubt the level of awkwardness hasn\u2019t changed much in the 2,000 years since Jesus told His followers to continue to do this.<\/p>\r\n

But what I do know is that there are few ways we could more visibly show our humility towards another person than by washing their feet. When washing another person\u2019s feet, a level of humility must be present in both people involved. Some people are self-conscious about their feet, and it takes a certain level of humility to let someone else touch their feet. Other people don\u2019t mind having other people touch their feet, but they feel awkward about washing the feet of someone else. These people have the opportunity to display humility by actually bending down to wash the feet of someone else.<\/p>\r\n

The foot washing example and instruction is something we all would benefit from incorporating into our spiritual lives. When we display the level of humility and submission that foot washing takes, it draws us together in ways that can be difficult to describe. Foot washing helps us remember Jesus, it helps us stay humble, and it helps us be united as a group of believers. Foot washing helps us be the people God wants us to be.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus<\/strong> \u201cReflective Bible Study\u201d package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here<\/a> and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!<\/em><\/p>

Subscribe<\/a> to this blog and never miss an insight.<\/em><\/p><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Following Jesus washing the disciples\u2019 feet, the gospel of John tells us that Jesus shares why He did this. While one semi-obvious reason was to give the disciples a picture into how God\u2019s character includes humility, John tells us that Jesus shares another reason. 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