Description: The Chapel that stands on the site of the Last Supper. (PC: Eunice Nygard)
If you knew that your time here on earth was less than a day from being over, how do you think you would spend your last evening?
Certainly, you would want to be with the people you love, but what would you do? Perhaps you might share a great meal together, reminisce over your favorite memories and focus on what really matters in life.
In the Gospel of John chapter 13, we’re told that Jesus is in exactly this position. John tells us that “Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God.” His death on the cross that will conquer sin and death once and for all is at hand, and Jesus knows it.
But what Jesus does next is surprising. With the little time he has left, John tells us, “He got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.”
In his precious last moments with his closest friends, Jesus takes the role of a common house servant and begins to wash their feet. Make no mistake; this was not a job for a rabbi and certainly not something that a master would do for his students. In fact, it’s such a lowly task that at first Peter flat-out refuses to allow Jesus to wash his feet.
PC: iStock
Put yourself there in that room, sitting comfortably on a cushion while Jesus goes from person to person, kneeling down and cleaning the dirt, grime, and odor off of each foot, one by one, finally getting to you. Why was this the last memory Jesus wanted his disciples to have of him?
Because this was the example they needed. He tells them this in verse 13: “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”
His disciples are about to become the apostles, the men who would lead the early church after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, proclaiming the gospel and shepherding thousands as the movement of Jesus-followers ignites. And as they get ready to take positions of authority and to have the eyes of the masses on them, he knows the temptations they will face. He knows the allure of power and the praise of people—the desire to build your own kingdom and not to seek first the Kingdom of God.
So, Jesus wants them to have the image seared into their minds of him with a towel around his waist and a dirty foot in his hand. So they can remember that following Jesus means becoming the servant of all, and to become first in God’s kingdom is to become last in the eyes of the world. As we celebrate the resurrection this Easter, let’s remember that Jesus’ example is for us as well.
Immerse Yourself
Listen to “The Last Supper | Easter Drama Day 5” on Spreaker.
Prayer:
Heavenly father, thank you for this example. Thank you that you took the time to show us what it means to serve those around us. We don’t always do this well, Lord, but we want to. We try to seek our own glory and we forget to seek first the Kingdom of God. Lord, speak into our hearts today. We desire you!
Reflection Questions:
- In your life right now, what does it look like for you to follow the example Jesus set by washing the disciples’ feet?
- In what ways do you struggle to take the posture of humility that is required to serve people in the way that Jesus does?
- Jesus put your needs ahead of his own, served you, and took your place when he received the wrath of God on the cross. How does that truth affect your relationships with other people?
by Wyatt Martin, Alderwood Community Church
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