Jesus Came (Willingly) To Serve, And Humbly Too

What Did Jesus Do?

Then Jesus poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet...
John 13.5

It is not to be found in Scripture, but I believe that it may have been back in eternity past, before he had even began the work of Creation, that the Father announced to the host of heaven that he was going to need someone to go be Lord over the earth he would soon make. I rather imagine that at least one of the angels immediately coveted the position. And when the Son stepped forward and volunteered for the job, that angel immediately conceived a great jealousy that in the end would consume him. Full of rage, the angel fled the assembly before the Father explained that the one who would be Lord of all would have to humble himself, becoming one of the very creatures God would fashion in his own image, and take on the role of servant of all, and that he would ultimately be required to willingly offer his life for the sake of the world. Of course, the Son, being fully God, knew, along with the Father and the Holy Spirit, all about what would be required of the one who would be Lord, yet he still said, “Here I am, Father. Send me.” There is no question that when he came to earth, Jesus came willingly to serve, and humbly too.

The disciples who supped with Jesus on the night before he was crucified were still struggling to understand just who he was. They called him “Teacher,” (John 13.13) for there had been many lessons they had learned from him. Peter certainly knew Jesus to be both Christ (Matthew 16.16), and Lord (John 13.6). Never would have Peter or any of the other disciples have presumed to call Jesus their servant, though he had in fact come to serve (see Mark 10.45). It was because he thought he knew Jesus so well that brash Peter had so much trouble accepting that his Lord was in fact his servant, and lowest and most humble servant at that.

For there was no worse job in any household than that of the servant who washed feet. Oh, there might have been dirtier, nastier jobs for field servants, but in the house there was nothing lower than getting down on one's hands and knees and washing the dust and mud off of smelly feet. Ugh! And here was Jesus, taking it upon himself to now wash the feet of his disciples. It not only made no sense, it offended Peter (John 13.8a). Of all people, Jesus should never have to assume the role of the lowliest of servants. Yet to willingly serve, and humbly too, was the reason Jesus had come into the world.

Of course, there was more to this cleaning of feet than Peter at first perceived. For the ritual with the basin and towel was symbolic of the Lord's approaching death whereby he would wash away the guilt of sin through the shedding of his cleansing blood on the cross. No one who was not so washed by the blood and by the Spirit of the Lord would have any place in Christ's kingdom (John 13.8b). Anyone, who deceives themselves into believing that they are free from sin, and therefor in no need of cleansing, will remain shut out both in this world and in the coming kingdom, from all Christ's benefits and fellowship.

In the ancient world, one who had bathed would have been clean, save for their bare or sandaled feet, which would have required daily washing (John 13.10). Even so, we, who have been washed in the water of baptism for the remission of our sins once and for all, still need to confess our sins daily and receive the Lord's forgiveness.

While neither Peter, nor the other disciples, nor we ourselves, nor possibly even heaven's host could conceive of anyone whom we would call Lord as being our servant, in God's economy the Lord of all had to be the servant of all, willingly and humbly. And that's what Jesus did.

S.D.G.

Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4