Humility, Holiness and Service: How to Do Ministry Jesus' Way

(1-11) “This dramatic scene of the foot-washing is an acted out parable, a lesson in humility, and a vivid portrayal of Christ's self-humiliation. Normally a servant performed this lowly task, further highlighting Christ's coming to serve.”

(8) “Peter resists because he sees the inequity of Christ's washing his feet; yet not to allow Him to do so would mean that he would not be cleansed.”

(10) “Just as in the natural life a man who has bathed needs only to wash the dust off his sandaled feet when he returns home, so in the spiritual life a man who has been cleansed from sin need not think that all is lost when he sins in his walk through life. He need only confess these sins to be entirely clean again.”

(14) “Since the illustration has to do with forgiveness, this phrase means that believers ought to forgive one another and serve each other sacrificially.”

(13:1-17:26) “John has by far the longest account of the upper room, though curiously he says nothing about the institution of the Lord's Supper. Still we owe to him most of our information about what our Lord said to his disciples on that night. One feature of the discourse is Jesus' emphasis on love. The word occurs only six times in chs 1-12 but 31 times in chs 13-17.”

(2) “Some believe that this feast was a fellowship meal eaten sometime before the Passover Feast. This would mean that the Last Supper could not have been the Passover meal as the Synoptic Gospels clearly indicate. However, this meal may have been the Passover Feast itself, in which case the accounts of the Synoptics and John would agree.”

(3) “John again emphasizes the fulfillment of God's plan and Jesus' control of the situation.”

(5) To wash the feet of guests was “a menial task, normally performed by a servant. On this occasion there was no servant and no one else volunteered. Jesus' action was during the meal, not upon arrival, done deliberately to emphasize a point. It was a lesson in humility, but it also sets forth the principle of selfless service that was so soon to be exemplified in the cross.”

(5) “John alone tells of this incident, but Luke says that in rebuking the disciples over a quarrel concerning who would be the greatest, Jesus said, “I am among you as one who serves” (Lk 22:27). Jesus' life of service would culminate on the cross.”

(8) “Characteristically, Peter objected, though apparently no one else did. He was a mixture of humility (he did not want Jesus to perform this lowly service for him) and pride (he tried to dictate to Jesus).”

(8) “Jesus' reply [to Peter] looks beyond the incident to what it symbolizes: Peter needed a spiritual cleansing. The external washing was a picture of cleansing from sin, which Christians also sometimes need.”

(9) “Peter's response was wholehearted.”

(10) “A man would bathe himself before going to a feast. When he arrived, he only needed to wash his feet to be entirely clean again.”

(11) “Again John emphasizes Jesus' command of the situation.”

(13) “An instructor would normally be called 'Teacher,' but 'Lord' referred to one occupying the supreme place. Jesus accepted both titles.”

(14-15) “Some Christians believe that Christ intended to institute a foot-washing ordinance to be practiced regularly. Most Christians, however, interpret Christ's action here as providing an example of humble service.”

(14) “Christians should be willing to perform the most menial services for one another.”

(16) “With minor variations this saying, which Jesus used often, is found in 15:20; Mt 10:24; Lk 6:40.”