A Nugget from New Life Network
(excerpts from Future Now)
Scripture for the Day (January 12, 2017)
Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. (John 13:3-5)
The washing of the disciples’ feet by Jesus was a simple act of servanthood to instruct His disciples on how they were to act in their future kingdom building work that lay ahead.
John 13:12-17 says, “So after He had washed their feet, and had taken His garments, and was set down again, He said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.”
In John 13:15 Jesus said that He was giving his disciples an example, that we should do as he had done to his disciples that night. What did Jesus do that night as an example for us to follow? He laid aside His garments (His identity) (John 13:4), bound upon Himself a linen cloth (died to self), and washed His disciples’ feet in order that they may partake of who He was and His relationship with His Father. His example to us is to lay aside our personal identity, who we are, and partake in the ministry of reconciliation, reconciling men to God.
In II Corinthians 5:17-21 Paul instructs us in the same example: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.”
We are Christ’s ambassadors. We are to go into all the world with this example, pouring out to others this “word of reconciliation” that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their sins unto them but pouring out Himself and His blood that we might be clean and a partaker of His righteousness. We are to sanctify and cleanse those we meet in life with the washing of the water of the Word, the gospel, the good news of what God has done for sinful men in and through Christ.
Too often the church has gone out into the world as “inspectors” looking for and pointing out the “dirt” of sin and shame on those around us. We are to wash the feet we come across with the pouring out of the word of reconciliation. The “water of the Word” renews, washes clean, refreshes, restores. Let’s follow Jesus’ example and serve our fellow man in becoming a vessel filled with this word of reconciliation, pouring out on all those we encounter that they too might become clean and therefore partakers of Christ.
Jesus ended His instructions to His disciples with “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them” (John 13:17). So, let us all be doers of the Word and not just hearers only (James 1:22).
