Do You Understand What I Have Done For You?

Last night we had an incredibly moving Maundy Thursday service. As part of our Questions GOD Asks Us series, we explored the question Jesus asked in John 13.12: “Do you understand what I have done for you?” You can read the entire account by clicking here.

This question takes place just after Jesus washed his disciples’ feet. As the crew gathered for the Passover feast, which would turn out to be Jesus’ Last Supper (and the basis for our service of Holy Communion; also known as the Eucharist), they were jockeying for who would get the seats of honor near their host, Jesus. The Lord witnessed this and proved the love He had for them by performing a task no one else was willing to do: wash their feet.

The task of foot washing was typically reserved for the lowest of servants or slaves. Let’s face it, the shoes worn in those days were the simplest of sandals and the roads were dirty – either extremely dusty when it was dry or muddy when it rained. And since those participating in the Passover feast had to ceremonially bathe before the meal, they were “clean” with the exception of their feet from walking. A servant would, therefore, be available to wash the feet of the participants so they could be deemed clean enough to enjoy the feast.

The book of John indicates that there was no dedicated servant to perform this task. I imagine this is exactly how Jesus wanted it. So He took off his robe, wrapped a towel around His waist, and began the task of washing the disciples’ feet. All of them. The one who participated in the creation of the world was holding these dirty feet in His hands, soaking them, dislodging the muck between the toes, and patting them dry with the towel He was wearing. And according to John, Judas was still in the room, so Jesus even did this for his betrayer. Imagine the power…the emphasis that John states in 13.1: “Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.” Good and bad, He loved them. From the tops of their head to the bottoms of their callused feet, He loved them. To the very end, He loved them.

Then Jesus comes to Peter and Peter objects. Jesus’ retort is stern, stating that if He isn’t allowed to wash Peter’s feet, then Peter can have no part of Him. I firmly believe here that Jesus wasn’t just referring to washing away the dirt that Peter had traipsed through on his way to the Passover feast, but for the sin and dirtiness he had in his life. So as Jesus held Peter’s heel in the palm of his soon-to-be-nail-scarred-hand, the hope and promise of a future through forgiveness was surging through the only one who could forgive sin. I cannot help but wonder if Peter was able to feel his foot in Jesus’ hands as he wrote, “…and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.” (1 Peter 3.21-22)

Once Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, He asked them: Do you understand what I have done for you? Jesus, their master and Lord, had humbled himself to the role of a servant, holding their dirty feet in His hands, and given them an example for how he wanted them to live…a model of love, service, and sacrifice. In fact, in the original biblical language, the word Jesus used for example is best translated into the English word, pattern, similar to the pattern used to tailor a piece of clothing. So in essence, Jesus was telling the disciples, and as, too, that He wants us to wear our love, service, and sacrifice as a garment for all to see!

Once Jesus finished washing the disciples’ feet, He dressed himself again with his robe and went back to his duties as host of the Passover feast. Even though he acknowledged that they would not fully understand what He had done until later (John 13.7), He had given them an example…a pattern…for how they were to carry themselves from that point forward. Consider these words from Colossians 3.12-14:

So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it. (The Message)

Friends, it has been an honor exploring these questions that GOD asks us through this series. On Sunday we will conclude the series with the final question from John 20.15, “Why are you crying?” You will not want to miss the conclusion to this series as we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ this Easter Sunday! I hope to see you at 7am for the Sunrise service; breakfast at 7:30am; traditional worship at 9am; Sunday School at 10am with the Cokes Kids Resurrection Party & Egg Hunt; and the contemporary service at 11am. It will be a jam-packed day, but one that you will not want to miss.

Oh, and if you’re wondering what you should wear? Remember the garments that Jesus suggested: love, exemplified in compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, and discipline.

May GOD fill you with His resurrection power so we may all follow the example—the pattern—of Jesus Christ!