Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
Our passage today starts before the Passover Feast, with Jesus knowing that his time is short and is coming to an end. And in that moment, the thing on his mind is his love for his disciples. As a result, during supper (and by the way, after Judas has decided in his heart to betray Jesus), Jesus—knowing that the Father has given all things into his hands—rises, lays aside his outer garments, takes a towel and water, and begins to wash and wipe his disciples’ feet.Â
These hands are the hands that formed Adam and Eve from dust and are now washing the dust from the feet of his disciples. This is the God who appeared to Moses in a burning bush and told him to remove his sandals because he was standing on holy ground, now wiping the unsandaled feet of his disciples with the towel tied around his waist. This is the God who commanded Aaron and the Levites to wash their hands and feet before serving as his priests, now serving his disciples and washing their feet. This is the man, the God, Christ, whom we orient our entire lives around as Christ-followers, so what do we learn about him in this passage?
First, we learn that the Father has given all things into his hands. Jesus has all power and authority.
Second, we see that he knows our hearts. He knows that Judas, who is still present during the foot washing, already plans to betray him. He warns his disciples five times in this chapter that someone will betray him. It’s very present in Jesus’s mind as he washes his disciples’ feet.
Third, most poignantly, we see Jesus’s love. We see that his love is consistent and unconditional. He loved his own who were in the world, and he loved them to the end (John 13:1). He unconditionally loves Judas and washes his feet, even though he plans to betray him. He consistently loves Peter and washes his feet, even though he betrays him. He loves Peter before his betrayal, after his betrayal, and through to death, even before he and Peter have reconciled. He loves Peter consistently, unconditionally to the end. Jesus’s love compels him, with the last moments he has, to serve his disciples, to cleanse and to honor them in the most humbling way. He, who holds all things in his hands, humbly chooses to hold our dusty dirty feet in his hands because of his love. His love is so personal. In loving and serving us, he comes so close, it’s almost more uncomfortable for us than for him. In fact, Peter tells Jesus not to wash his feet, but as Jesus responds to Peter, we learn that to be his followers we must let him have access to our sin and allow him to draw near and cleanse us.Â
The God who created and held the first human feet in his hands wants to hold and restore our dusty feet. The God who told Moses to remove his sandals because he was on holy ground, removes our shoes and our dust to make us able to be holy ground for his Spirit. The God who commanded the Levitical priests to wash their hands and feet in order not to die in his presence went to his own death in love, willingly so that he could make his presence in us.
Brothers and sisters, his love is so personal. He knows our hearts, hearts that are sometimes full of betrayal to other gods, and yet he approaches us and asks to have access to our sin and mess in order to cleanse us. Everything is in his hands and yet, compelled by his unconditional and consistent love for us, he draws near and chooses to serve us, to hold our brokenness, and make us fit to be holy ground, temples for his presence, his priests in the world. And now, having been loved and served by the One who holds all things, we can be free from the need to be served and honored by others. Instead, compelled by his love, we can be like him and humbly serve and honor others and invite them into the presence of Jesus.
So today, where do you need to let Jesus draw uncomfortably close and have access to the dusty, dirty, embarrassing parts of your life and bring you his consistent, unconditional love in that vulnerable place? Do we trust that everything is in his hands? Do we believe that he already knows what’s in our hearts? Are there any places in our lives where we are rejecting his unconditional love and his power to cleanse us and wash away the dust? As you journey through Maundy Thursday, ask the Lord to bring to mind any places where you don’t want him to come too close. And if he brings something to mind, pray and give Jesus permission to come close and wash your heart in that place and surround you with his love.
If you’re participating in foot washing tonight, use that moment in the service as an action of giving Jesus access to that dusty, tender place. Receive his servant-hearted love toward you. Maybe as you hear this, you don’t know what new areas you need to open to Jesus’s love at this time, but there’s an invitation for you, as well. Through the love you’ve received from Jesus, you’re invited to serve others in loving freedom and humility. Where can you allow someone else to be seen as more important, or release the need to be seen or served by others today, because you are already served and deeply loved by the King himself?
Lindsey Bergsma has worshipped at Church of the Resurrection for the last twelve years and has served in choir, RezYouth, and on the Rector Search Committee. She currently works at Tyndale House Publishers as a Senior Talent Management Specialist.
Join us in All Saints’ Chapel, where we will gather for Morning Prayer at 7:30 a.m. every day of Holy Week 2026. For more information, contact Caleb Karnosh at calebkarnosh@churchrez.org.