Verses 1-17
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Verses 1-11. Jesus showed His disciples the highest form of love and humility in taking the lowest place, washing their feet as would a lowly servant, and dying a criminal's death, though He was the King of kings. The disciples did not yet understand this kind of humility.
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He washed them, also, to show them He alone could make them clean. Only Jesus can wash us of our sins!
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Verses 12-16. But Jesus did this to give us an example. And our task as Jesus' disciples is to follow His example—to live as He lived, do what He did, love as He loved.
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Here He sets an example of humility, love, and service to others.
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In Jesus' day, people wore sandals and walked long distances in dust and sand. By the end of a day, one's feet would be filthy—caked with cumulative layers of sweat and earth—and so they had to be washed. Washing feet was a necessary but unpopular task, and it meant scrubbing away the grime of a day's labor, and thus, bringing refreshment and recovery for the following day. After a long day, having to hunch over and scrub your own feet wasn't an enjoyable task. And the last thing a person would have wanted to do is scrub the dirty feet of all of his co-workers, along with his own.
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Today, literally washing a person's feet does not fulfill this command of Jesus because we don't have feet like first century Judeans. When He commanded His disciples to wash each other's feet, He was commanding them to serve each other in the unpopular and inconvenient things that yet are necessary to bring refreshment to a fellow believer.
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Serve others in this way. Inconvenience yourself to do things for other believers that they might not enjoy doing. Bring them relief, and refresh them. Do this, and you will be like Jesus!
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Verse 17. Notice Jesus' final words: “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” The Word of God only benefits us to the degree that we do what it says. Knowledge is a foundation, but once you know something, you are accountable to take action. Always be a doer!
Verses 18-30
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Jesus knew He would be betrayed, because of what the Scriptures said, He knew who his betrayer was, and yet, He chose him, He washed His feet, He gave him His own bread.
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Remember that Jesus loves all of us—even His betrayers.
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Verse 22. The disciples were perplexed by the thought of one of them betraying Him. We should not be perplexed. There always has and always will be those among the church that will betray their Lord.
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Watch out for your fellow believers, and notice those who show signs of falling away. Act quickly, and do your best to help them repent (Galatians 6:1). Pray that you all keep your faith!
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Verses 31-36
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Jesus reassures His disciples that all will end in He and the Father being honored and glorified. God wins!
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But for a time, Jesus is not present with us in the flesh. And where He is (that is, in heaven), we cannot yet come. Christ will return to receive us to Himself (John 14:3). So now, the world does not see Jesus. But it does see us.
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For the time being, Jesus must be seen in how we love one another. Though the world cannot see Jesus, they will see Him in the love that must exude from believers (1 John 4:12).
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Show the love of Christ to others, especially your fellow believers, and your example will reveal Christ to the world, causing others to come to believe in Him as you have.
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Don't only work towards preaching. Work to love as Jesus loved, and you will be effective! Always keep love as your focus!
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Verses 37-38
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See teaching on Matthew 26 for commentary.