Bathed in Jesus

As I awoke this morning, I heard the whisper of the Lord, "John 13." I spent most of the day meditating on the story of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. What a beautiful story of service and love.

I found it quite amazing how Jesus knew His High Position, His Royal Authority, and He humbled Himself to serve the disciples by washing their feet. I can imagine Him picking up a ceramic clay pitcher or maybe a dull silver pitcher full of water, and pouring the clean water into a basin lying upon the dirt floor. As He arose from the table sitting amongst His disciples after supper, parching down to take off His outer clothing, while wrapping and girding a towel around His waistline. He approached each one of the disciples to wash clean the only thing left dirty (all except Judas of course), their feet. He then approached Simon-Peter to wash his feet but Simon-Peter began to protest.

I can picture the scene, Simon-Peter gently pushing Jesus' hand away and stepping backwards, while saying boldly:

"You shall never wash my feet."
"You are of too High Authority."
"You are too Holy and I am simply not."
"I should be the one serving You."
"I should be the one in who is washing Your feet."
"I should be the one stooping down upon a basin cleansing the sand and dirt from our journey off of your feet."
"No Jesus; I will not let You wash my feet."

Yes, I can picture the scene in my mind. Clear as day I can picture the scene with full understanding on Simon-Peter's behalf. Did you ever wonder why it was Simon-Peter who was the one to protest? Think for a moment about who was the one who denied Jesus 3 times. I believe that God chose Simon-Peter to be the one to protest to show His loving kindness, mercy, and absolute forgiveness. Although Jesus knew that Simon-Peter would soon deny Him-in which He even warned Simon-Peter of the future event, He still chose to serve him out of humility, love, and faithfulness. Simon-Peter would soon understand the heights and depths of Jesus' love for him, when remembering this extravagant act of service once his denials had taken place. Yes, Simon-Peter would soon understand how much this Man 'Jesus' truly loved and served him.

It's beyond significance that as Jesus walked with the disciples and shared the secrets of His Heart, the secrets of Eternal Life, the secrets of the coming Kingdom, and the secrets of the Father's Heart; that not all of them obtained full understanding that it was Jesus who would wash them clean from the filth of the world. That it was by Jesus and only through Jesus that they would all become clean and follow in the very footsteps that He used as a living example, the very likening of their Beloved Lord Jesus. As Peter protested against Jesus' washing of his feet, he gave a stipulation that Jesus could wash all of him. This was due to the fact that his feet weren't really all that pretty and clean. I mean come on let's be real, most aren't right? This was the dirtiest part of their bodies, especially when considering the hot-dry-sandy dessert. It's not like they had tennis shoes back then either, let alone foot-deodorant spray. They wore leather sandals, which probably smelled definitely not like 'Japanese cherry blossoms.' Jesus again told him that he was already bathed, he was already clean. He was not talking about the literal aspect of being cleaned by water and soap but He was referring to the spiritual act of cleansing. Jesus had already made him spiritually clean. It was and still is Jesus who makes us clean. Just as Simon-Peter was bathed in Jesus, we are bathed in Jesus. We are bathed in Jesus and made completely clean, that is if you believe in Him. If you do not believe in Him than you can choose to believe, be bathed in Jesus, and be made spotless-squeaky clean.

Jesus' full act of humility of service was a clear sign that it is only by Him that they could be clean. Although He knew that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going back to God (John 13:3), He still chose to serve His servants. For this is a real servant. In stead of our humanistic philosophy and tendencies that lead us to veer away from humility and serving others of a lower status, it was due to His High positions that lead Him to serve and teach the very thing He was practicing. For this is a real servant. He was their Lord. He was their Teacher. He was teaching them what it meant to truly serve out of love.

This passage is yet another example of how close Jesus was and still is. Before the first advent, it was as if God was a God so far off. Suddenly Jesus came as a man, a human baby needing what every other human baby in the dessert needed, caring and love. God came as a baby who would love without stipulation, limitation, or circumstance. He came as One who would walk and talk with His beloved friends, disciples, children, and even strangers in need. He came as one who would serve even though He knew He was above all. He came to serve all that had been given to Him by God the Father. He came in humility to make a way that was not so far away as was before. He came knowing He was from God and was going back to God. He came to serve and love, so that they (we) may be clean, bathed in Jesus, and following in His very footsteps doing the same. He suddenly was not a God so far away.

"Mostly assuredly, I say to you a servant is no greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things; blessed are you if you do them." John 13:16-17

As I again think about Simon-Peter's protest, I think about my own-this is if I were to be in his very position. I'm pretty sure I would have reacted in the very same manner. I mean "who am I that Jesus would wash my feet?' I don't feel worthy enough, that's for sure. Wait but that's what is so great about this message. It's not by our might or by our doing that we can become clean enough or worthy enough for Jesus to serve us, as to His washing our feet. It's only by knowing Him intimately and being bathed in His Love that we can be made clean enough to have our feet washed by Him.

Jesus said "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me." John 13:8

He was saying that if you do not acknowledge that you are clean by my doing than you are denying my worthiness to clean you. You are denying the reason for my very existence. If you can not acknowledge this, than you can no longer walk with me. Jesus was saying that "It's only by My service that you can be made worthy to carry My Name. Now, let me wash Your feet."