As we look at the time Jesus washed his disciples’ feet, we want to ask what it actually means to be washed clean by Jesus. What’s really going on in these verses? Even Peter didn’t seem to understand at the time. Are we supposed to wash one another’s feet, literally? If not literally, then what does it mean?
In truth, Jesus had two things to teach his disciples in what he did. And because of Peter’s interruption, it ended up being three.
We’re going to think about Jesus’ upside-down glory again, then think about what it means to follow Jesus, and lastly we’ll look at Jesus’ reply to Peter’s interruption.
These notes accompany a sermon on YouTube delivered at Bromborough Evangelical Church in February 2026. You can find more in the series in our sermon index.
Give glory to Jesus: Be washed!
Verse 1 is loaded with content, and it’s really the introduction to chapters 13 to 17 (the events of the upper-room). Read John 13:1.
The context of everything is the Passover feast, with Jesus being the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. And the “world” is mentioned 40 times in these chapters, with a distinction being made: Jesus was not ‘of the world’ but entered into it. Now his people are not ‘of the world’. And because of that, Jesus can say he’s returning to the Father, leaving this world. So, “Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.”
What does that mean, that “he loved them to the end”? Maybe ‘to the end of his life’. Or maybe ‘to the full’ or ‘to the uttermost’. The Greek word means both, and maybe John meant both.
How does he love them, in these chapters? With his teaching, his commands, his promises, comfort, compassion – and even his commission to them. They are to do his work, empowered by the Holy Spirit, becoming more and more like Jesus. To be like Jesus is the highest state a human being can know, so his commands to become like him are an act of utter love.
Read John 13:2. We’ll think more about Judas next time, but John mentions him just at this point so that you’ll know for sure that Judas was included in the foot-washing.
Specifically, you’re to know that Judas was loved by Jesus.
Glorious Son of God
Read John 13:3. Remember John 1:1. God is triune, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Eternal is his oneness and threeness, glorious in his being.
Phil 2:5 Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited.
Jesus, Son of God, is glorious in his divinity. That glory is seen in how he stoops with compassion: Psalm 113:4-7 says, “The LORD is exalted above all the nations, his glory above the heavens. Who is like the LORD our God—the one enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust…”
So he’s glorious in his incarnation – becoming flesh: John 1:14 The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
All of which makes the idea of him stooping to wash feet pretty remarkable. Read John 13:4-5.
Even at a human level, this was a complete no-no. There’s no example in antiquity of anyone washing the feet of someone lower down the social order. Not ever. Jews were even reluctant to have Jewish slaves do it.
Awkwardness
Peter feels the awkwardness of it all: Read John 13:6. The “you” and “my” are emphasised: “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
But Jesus won’t be put off: Read John 13:7. “Afterward”? After what?
This is the night before the crucifixion, though Peter doesn’t realise (despite being told many times by Jesus). Peter and the others will come to understand after the events of the cross. What will they understand? God’s compassion on lost sinners, for sure. And his incredible grace on undeserving rebels like you. And in the cross you also see the depth of Christ’s love for you – his sacrifice to take your punishment.
Peter is still appalled: Read John 13:8.
Again he’s emphatic: “You will never ever wash my feet!” The thing is, he doesn’t yet understand the magnitude of the symbolism of the footwashing: Jesus, eternal Son of God, came to save you by way of the cross. The footwashing symbolises his self-humiliation to serve and to save. It’s his upside-down glory on display! If you come to Jesus for forgiveness of sin, all your taint is washed clean by Jesus at the cross.
You then have ‘part’ with him (in the language of v8).
That means you share an inheritance with him: An inheritance of glory. You share in his sonship as a child of God. You have union with Christ, him in you and you in him. And you have eternal life with him, in him forever.
But if you don’t come to him, you’ve no part with him. You’re doomed.
He is glorious in his being, his compassion, his incarnation, obedience, and sacrificial death for you! So be washed clean by Jesus! All your sin atoned, forgiven.
Give glory to Jesus: Be washed, and then:
Follow Jesus: Be humbled
So the footwashing itself is a picture of God stooping to wash us from sin at the cross, and you’re called to come for that washing. But it also functions as a pattern for Jesus’ followers to follow. Read John 13:12-15.
Now clearly, the cross of Christ is more than just an example for us to follow: It’s the very glory of God on display in his compassion, love, grace, and salvation power. As you ask God for forgiveness of all your sin, Jesus is counted punished for you on that cross.
So it’s more than just an example. But it’s not less than an example!
In fact, Jesus is clear: “I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done for you.” Obviously, he’s referring directly to the footwashing. But inasmuch as the footwashing is a symbol of the cross, he’s saying that both are examples for believers to follow. They’re both an example, a pattern, for followers. You’re to live that life of upside-down glory, following him.
So read 1 Peter 2:20-21 “But when you do what is good and suffer, if you endure it, this brings favor with God. For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps…”
Notice that it’s Peter writing that; he got it in the end. The logic he gives in the chapter is that Jesus bore our sins so that we may live righteously for him. So we’re to follow Christ’s example of godly living, and in particular of living humbly, loving others.
Obviously, you can’t save anyone.
But you can get off your high horse and stoop down to serve others: You’re not above your master.
Not a literal command
And just in case you’re wondering, this is not a literal command.
I heard of a Christian Union house group who thought it would be lovely to take the footwashing literally. So they gathered at someone’s house and washed one another’s feet. Very lovely, very prayerful. When they left, no-one offered to do the washing up. The host had to do it all. They completely missed the point. Jesus calls his followers to stoop in loving service to others – as he pictured in the footwashing, and at the cross.
So this church needs to display Jesus’ upside-down glory.
Hearts for upside down glory
You and I must cultivate hearts for serving one another and this community. Things like Tots and Connections really matter for this. They’re a public display of service, to be seen, to demonstrate Christ’s own love for others through us.
Church rotas are another simple example of how it works.
We need rotas just to help keep things organised, but no-one should have to have their arm twisted to step forward. Serving Christ and his church should be your natural posture. And if you think that any job in the church – any job at all – is “beneath you” in any way, you’ve missed Jesus’ point.
Mature Christians are to encourage younger Christians: “Is there anything I can be praying for for you?” “Would you like a baby sitter some time?” “Do you need a lift?” Such is real maturity.
Church leaders have a particular role to play in this: We’re to be examples for others to follow. The word ‘deacon’ means ‘servant’, and it’s true of anyone that you must first learn to serve before you’re fit to lead.
For us all, your service for each other and for Christ glorifies him. In fact, you glorify Jesus not with a great building but with great works explicitly done in his name.
We often get people at Saturday Sparks asking why we do it for free: “You could charge!” We’re always clear, we want to express God’s generosity and love. You never have to pay for grace.
Now in all this, I think most of us fall short. Peter knew a thing or two about that, so now we come to his interruption of Jesus:
Return to Jesus: Be washed again!
The thing about failing as a Christian is this: It’s not like failing a driving test, where it’s mostly you who suffers. It’s more like letting down someone precious to you. You promised you’d do better, try harder, work to please. And you let them down again. You personally let Jesus down.
But there’s no sense of “three strikes and you’re out” with him. He doesn’t keep a record of wrongs, issue you a final warning, and then sack you. You can see it in how patient, gentle, and kind he was with Peter – and how firm and corrective too.
Read John 13:8-11. Jesus knew that Judas was already lost, despite being there.
But he also knew that Peter was sincere, a true follower, for all his hot-headedness and flaws.
In effect, Jesus is saying to Peter, “Yes, you are clean. Your sins will be covered by my work at the cross.” That just wasn’t true of Judas; he was lost.
Now at the end of this chapter you read about Jesus’ predictions about Peter denying him 3 times.
There may well be times when you’ve denied him too: Maybe by not standing up for him in conversation at work. Or just by living and speaking so much like people in the world that you don’t live as a child of the light. We’ve all done it. We’ve all let him down.
Will he cast you out? Drive you away?
Never cast out
No, earlier in the book he made that clear: “Everyone the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never cast out.” (John 6:37)
And that “never” is emphatic. Never ever.
So what happens when you do sin? The John who wrote this book also wrote the letters 1, 2, 3 John.
Read 1 John 1:8-9, 2:1
- If we say, “We have no sin,” we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
- My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the righteous one.
There’s no end to his compassion towards you. When a child falls over and hurts themselves, a parent instinctively goes towards them, to the pain and hurt. That’s how Jesus sees you when you sin: You’ve caused yourself and others pain and hurt. Jesus is compassionate. He is ready to forgive. He rejoices to see you restored.
Don’t let your sin and failure keep you away from him. Let them drive you to him.
Union with Christ
Jesus said in v8, “If I don’t wash you, you have no part with me.”
If your sins are washed away by him, you do have part with him.
You’re united to Jesus. Him in you, you in him. You fail; he restores. And so you go again. Jesus works in and through you to enable you to live for him. The Spirit works to conform you to the likeness of Christ, to give you that upside-down perspective of glory and love.
You might feel you’re a rubbish Christian. But it’s those who are closest to the light who see their stains most clearly of all. Step even closer to the light, and give glory to Jesus who washes you clean.
So give glory to Jesus. Be washed in his blood.
Follow Jesus. Humble yourself before others; see them as better than you, and serve them. It’s upside-down glory, but it is the glory of the cross. Find ways to wash the feet of others.
And when you fail, return to Jesus. Be washed again!
He is glorious in a way the world can’t grasp.
As you live in his upside-down glory, you reveal him to a lost world. All glory to him!