The action of the Lord in the 13th of John, where at the conclusion of the supper He washes the disciples' feet, is very precious and significant. To the opened eye of faith it sets Jesus before the heart in the present activities of His love for His own. That which Peter at the moment did not comprehend, but which he was told he would know "hereafter," we do understand by the power and teaching of the Holy Spirit. As we enter consciously into the grace of Christ, of which this scripture speaks, we enjoy our present position as those who are His own in this world.
Let us by the Spirit's aid follow this action of the Lord in the simple and touching way in which it unfolds itself before our eyes as John narrates it.
The hour was come for Jesus to "depart out of this world unto the Father." The work which the Father had given Him to do on earth was, in the spirit of His mind, accomplished. The cross was passed. The touching memorial of that love which is stronger than death, and which many waters cannot quench, had just been partaken of by the disciples. The betrayer was about to consummate his dark and dreadful work, and with it would close all connection of Jesus with men upon the footing on which He then stood. Those He so loved, He would have to leave behind Him in the world. He had loved them while in the world Himself, and they, though yet in the world, would still be the objects of His love. "He loved them unto the end." Through all time and through everything they would be loved. He must be separated from them in person for a time, but His love would ever be theirs.
The heart of Jesus felt this as He looked upon His disciples while they sat around Him at the passover. Not only did He feel how He loved them, but He also knew that all their blessing depended on Himself. He knew that "the Father had given all things into His hands."
The work of their redemption had been given to Him by the Father, and He had done it—done it infinitely well. The labor of His love for them in this was soon to be completed. The supper was the witness of it. But this was only part of the things given into His hands-another part remained. "He was come from God, and went to God." He must bring them to God also, bring them into that fellowship and glory into which He was Himself about to enter.
Such were the deep and mighty thoughts of love and divine purpose that filled the heart of Jesus as He looked upon His own. But how could He, when they could no longer see and hear Him, make them understand what His love would still do for them? How could He make them feel that He was still their own, and that all their blessing hung upon Himself in the activities of a love that could never change?
He had just set before them the abiding memorial of His dying love. Whenever they saw that broken bread and poured-out wine, His words, "This is My body which is given for you," and "This...is...My blood, which is shed for you," would come shortly to their ears, and make them think of that love; but how should He in figure set His living love before them by an abiding presentation of it? How should He make them realize their association with Himself in the place He was about to take for them? "He riseth up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and took a towel, and girded Himself. After that He poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith He was girded."
What a sight for their wondering eyes! They saw the Lord whose power they had witnessed so often, whose glory they had seen on the Mount of Transfiguration, and the One whom they knew to be "the Christ, the Son of the living God," stoop to the lowest of menial service, and wash their soiled feet. Well might Peter call out as the Savior knelt to wash his feet, "Lord, dost Thou wash my feet?" Peter loved his Lord, but he knew little of the mystery of that love which from the height of divine and heavenly glory had come down to serve him. Little did he know the need he had of all that love had done and would yet do for him and how low that love would have to stoop and how constant the service of that love would have to be.
The Lord tells him this: "What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter." But this was not enough for that ardent heart; and, still ignorant, he saw nothing in his Lord's action but that which was degrading to Him, and he could not submit to that in his own person. Therefore he exclaims, "Thou shalt never wash my feet." He did not feel or know the necessity for that humiliation and so he deprecates it as he had done once before (with reference to the cross of which the bread and wine speak). Those hasty words of Peter's called forth that solemn rebuke from the Savior, "Get thee behind Me, Satan: thou art an offense unto Me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men." There, as it were, Peter would have stood between the Lord and the work that would glorify God and save sinners; in this Peter was Satan's tool. It was more than ignorance, and hence the severity of that rebuke. Here Peter, through mistaken zeal for the Lord's own honor, would have stood between the Lord and his own blessing, so the Lord merely tells him, "If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with Me," that is, he would not enjoy communion with Christ in the heavenly blessedness in which He was about to enter.
Only by the exercise of love, as the washing of their feet was meant to illustrate, could Jesus have His own, while in the world, enjoy fellowship with Himself in heaven. From the glory Jesus would serve them ceaselessly in that way, and thus, in company with the supper, He gives His disciples this precious presentation of Himself as the girded servant washing their feet with water.
As they looked upon the bread and wine, it would bring to their remembrance Himself upon the cross bearing their "sins in His own body on the tree." Eating that bread and drinking that wine, they would feed upon His death and drink in that love which had done all this for them—which had saved them and brought them to God without one sin remaining to bar their entrance into His holy presence. Looking upon that towel and that basin with its water, they would have their eyes, through faith, turned upon Himself in His present love for them—a love that, though exercised from glory (outside the sight of their natural eye), would travel with them all the way across the wilderness world in which for the time He was leaving them. In realizing His ceaseless service for them, as washing their feet, whatever that washing might mean, they would enjoy His presence and share in His own joys.
To be in the enjoyment of the presence of Jesus and to share His own joys with Him is everything to the heart that knows and loves Him. Such it was to Peter, and he readily seized the force of the Lord's words, "If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with Me." In eagerness to possess himself fully of the blessing proposed in the Lord's words, he replies, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head;" his desire being that not only his feet might be clean, but his whole person fitted for association with his Savior. He had the consciousness not merely that his feet needed washing, but that his whole nature and being required cleansing. Occupied with his own feelings, he was in ignorance of the work of grace that had already been wrought by the Lord. He was just in the state of soul in which thousands of Christians are at this moment; that is, misunderstanding practical cleansing of the ways, or, as it is sometimes put, confusing standing with state.
Peter's reply becomes the occasion for the Lord to state plainly this difference: "He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean." One whose body is washed all over in the morning, or bathed (a different word in the original being used for this to that which is used for washing the feet) only needs to cleanse his feet during the day before partaking of the refreshments provided by the host, for his feet, in Eastern countries where sandals only were used, become defiled with walking. The one who entertains provides water for the washing of the feet of his guest, but not water for the bath, which would imply uncleanliness of person. The Lord refers to this custom in His rebuke to Simon for treating Him with neglect in this respect: "Thou gavest Me no water for My feet."
The spiritual significance, therefore, of the Lord's reply to Peter is very plain. As to the washing of the person, the disciples were clean—they were regenerate—they were "clean every whit." They were already possessed of a new life and standing before God which nothing could make more perfect. "Born of water and of the Spirit," they possessed a "divine" nature which had fitted them once and forever, as to their persons, for God's presence. They had at all times the title to fellowship with God in the holiest. But in order practically to enjoy this fellowship and to have the consciousness of being in the holiest with Jesus, they needed to have their feet washed from the defilements contracted in their walk through an evil world. This would be done not by the application of the Word to their persons, but by the application of the Word by the Spirit to their hearts and consciences, so that they would practically judge and separate themselves from that in their thoughts and walk which was inconsistent with the nature and character of God. Thus they would be enabled to have part with Jesus in the heavenly blessedness into which, as man, He had entered for them.
We would note here that it is not with blood that either the person or the feet are washed. In both cases it is "the washing of water by the Word." Eph. 5:2626That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, (Ephesians 5:26). In the one case it is for standing-a once completed act that cannot be repeated. In the other, it is for state, which, being a question of communion or enjoyment, would need to be repeated as often as any defilement in the walk was contracted.
A reference to the typical consecration of the priesthood in connection with the laver, of which this is clearly the blessed antitype, will make this clear. We read in Exodus 29:44And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with water. (Exodus 29:4), "And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with water." Then their coats were put on them, and subsequently blood was put upon the tip of the right ear, the right thumb, and the right toe. They were sprinkled with the holy anointing oil, and the requisite sacrifices having been offered, they were once and forever sanctified to minister in the priests' office.
Their standing as priests was complete, and thus their title to enter the holy place was always valid; but their practical ability to enter the holy place and minister at the altar before the Lord depended upon something beside, and that was the daily use of the laver, as described in Exodus 30:19-2119For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat: 20When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the Lord: 21So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute for ever to them, even to him and to his seed throughout their generations. (Exodus 30:19‑21): "Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat: when they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the Lord: so shall they wash their hands and their feet, that they die not." Their assumption of the priests' office connected itself with the washing of their persons in the water of the laver at the time of consecration; this ability to exercise their office practically, connected itself with the washing of their hands and feet at the laver on every occasion of priestly service.
It is the washing of the feet in the laver for communion and service that the Lord's action in washing His disciples' feet sets before us. The present living service of Jesus from the glory separates "His own which were in the world" through the action of the Word on their consciences, from defilement which, as already sanctified ones, they have contracted in their walk. Thus they may have part with Him in the service and worship of God, as priests with Himself inside the holiest.
All believers, little as they may know it and enjoy it, are perfected priests before God. Their bodies have been washed "with pure water." The blood of Christ has been sprinkled on them, and they have been anointed with the Holy Ghost. Their consecration is a complete and finished act, and they are unchangeable—as Peter says, "a holy priesthood." They are the sons of Aaron; but to have part with the true Aaron—with Christ now in the holiest in heaven—their feet must be washed constantly at the laver.
Christ is the One who applies the water of the laver. Believers do not wash their own feet. He does it for them. It is according to His knowledge of what suits the presence of God that He washes their feet. This action, in love and intelligence, is all from Himself. Our salvation and consecration to the priesthood is a simple sovereign act of Christ's love. We are passive in His hands as to it. So our communion depends on Christ and not on ourselves. It is a simple, sovereign act of love on His part that washes our feet and restores us to communion. "What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter." Restored to communion and power for service when it has been lost through carelessness, we know who has restored us. We bless Him for it. It is all we can do. We know ourselves to be "Clean every whit" before God, even when out of communion. Unhappy when out of communion, we feel that our feet want washing; we look to Jesus and find Him at our feet, washing them; we realize His grace in this action, and again our hearts are happy, as again in conscious association with Himself, we have "part" with Him.
Blessed and precious Savior, ever keep our hearts in the sense of Thy grace and love, while humbled in heart in the sense of all that, as to our hearts and ways, makes Thy service so consciously necessary.