Peter’s refusal, and quick acceptance.
It was the Passover time. Jesus had come into Jerusalem to celebrate with His disciples, and they were in the upper room.
Jesus knew that Judas would betray Him that night, and that He would be condemned and crucified. (Matthew 20:18-19)
That this night, everything would change.
Tonight Jesus would speak of many things to them, but before this; He washes their feet. (Yes, He even washed Judas feet. How this should have melted his heart, but it did not.)
John 13:4, 6 “He riseth from supper, and laid aside His garments; and took a towel, and girded Himself.
Then cometh He to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto Him, Lord, dost Thou wash my feet?”
It was Peter’s turn. Frankly, I think Peter should have known that if Jesus did something, it was for a good reason. But Peter was always quick to say or do something!
“Lord, dost thou wash my feet?”
Peter was right. Jesus was Lord. And He was Peter’s Lord.
Because of this, Peter thought it was not right for Jesus to stoop to such a humble position!
(How much He humbled Himself when He came to earth to save us!)
John 13:7 “Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.”
That should have settled it with Peter, but Peter thought he knew better!
(We are the same way, often. We think we know what God will do.)
John 13:8a “Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet.”….
Peter would in the next instance, change his mind, but Peter was looking at the moment, not at the lesson Jesus wanted to give.
Jesus wanted to show that they should take care of each other. He had even washed their feet: the job of a servant. If He would do that for them, they should humble themselves in service for each other.
John 13:8-9 “Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet.
Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.
Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.”
Finally, Peter is listening. “…no part with” Jesus? No, no, that was not what Peter wanted.
If “a part with” Christ came with the cleansing, Peter wanted a full bath! He wanted all the fellowship with Christ he could have.
But a full bath was not necessary.
John 13:10. “Jesus saith unto him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.”
Jesus didn’t say, If I don’t wash you, you will have no part “in” Me.
But He said, you will have no part “with” me.
Jesus told Peter he was clean “every whit”, except for the cleansing of his feet.
“In Christ”, speaks of our being born again.
“With Christ”, speaks of our fellowship with Him.
Jesus wanted His disciples, especially Peter, to know that fellowship with Him is maintained by our letting Him cleanse our “feet”, or our walk. (That is why the feet were washed when coming into a house, because, having walked on the dirt roads, they would be dirty)
If we are to have fellowship with Christ, and the strength that comes from it, we must be cleansed, daily from our sins, and defilements.
And we are to help others to come to Christ for cleansing.
If we are born again, we do not need a full bath; but the cleansing of our daily walk.
So that we can walk with Him, and with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 