John 13:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.

NIV: Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet.

NASB: So if I, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.

CSB: So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.

NLT: And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet.

KJV: If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.

NKJV: If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.

In the ancient world, terms like "master" and "servant" were not purely job descriptions. Outside of a Christian worldview, there is no sense that people are inherently equal. It would have seemed obvious to most people of the first century that the powerful, wealthy, or royal were just better than the weak, poor, and subjugated. The ancient concept of leadership was that of the superior person delegating lesser tasks to lesser people. "That's a servant's job, not mine" was a statement of common sense in that time. This helps explain why Peter was so scandalized when Jesus acted as a servant and washed his feet (John 13:6–8).

What Jesus did by washing the disciples' feet was not meant to suggest they were equal. On the contrary, Jesus clearly states that He is the Lord (John 13:13). His action completely overturned the idea of what godly leadership looks like. It reset the concept of servanthood, changing it from something degrading and shameful into a mutual expression of love and respect.

The point Jesus makes here is clear: He is the Master. What a master does, no servant can claim to be exempt from. If someone claims to be a servant of Christ, they are mandated to follow His example and act in sacrificial service to others. Jesus will reiterate this point several times in the next few verses. The context of this passage, and Jesus' conversation with Peter, also establishes that this is not about a literal physical ritual; the point has much greater implications.

John 13:12–20 is Jesus' explanation of His humble act: washing the feet of the disciples. Christ freely accepts His role as Lord and master, using those concepts to drive home His main point. Those who claim the name of Jesus ought to follow His example. That means humility and service for others—if the Lord serves others, so too should those who follow Him. Jesus also points out that not everyone at this event truly follows Him. This prediction is given to strengthen the faith of true believers once everything has been revealed. The following passage expands on the impending betrayal.

Jesus meets with a smaller group, possibly only the twelve disciples, in a private setting. Before eating a meal, Jesus performs the work of a lowly servant, washing the feet of the disciples. He explains that this is an object lesson. Their Lord is willing to serve in humility, so they are obligated to do the same. Jesus also predicts His impending betrayal, subtly telling Judas to leave and complete His conspiracy. The disciples don't realize what's happened, however. Peter foolishly brags about his loyalty. Jesus responds with a cutting prediction: Peter will deny his relationship to Christ three times in the next few hours.

The first twelve chapters of the gospel of John describe the public ministry of Jesus. Starting in chapter 13, most of what John describes are the last private moments Jesus enjoys prior to His crucifixion. This begins with Jesus washing the disciples' feet, establishing both an example and a command for humble service. Jesus also predicts His impending betrayal and Peter's cowardly denials. Following chapters contain Jesus' last instructions to the disciples, including a rich collection of truths which are central to the Christian faith.

The gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls “signs”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.