John 13:1, 3-5
Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end…
Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.
C. H. SPURGEON (1834-1892): It is not the part of a master to wash feet! It is servile, menial, humiliating work. Yet this, which was the lowest of all offices in the East, is that which the Saviour undertakes!
MATTHEW HENRY (1662-1714): He came from God. This implies that He was in the beginning with God, and had a being and glory, not only before He was born into this world, but before the world itself was born; and that when He came into the world He came as God’s ambassador, with a commission from Him. He came from God as the son of God, and the sent of God…He went to God, to be glorified with Him with the same glory which he had with God from eternity―He knew all this; He was not like a prince in the cradle, that knows nothing of the honour he is born to, or like Moses, who wist not that his face shone; no, He had a full view of all the honours of His exalted state, and yet stooped thus low.
ROBERT HAWKER (1753-1827): Can the imagination conceive anything equally lovely, as in thus beholding the Son of God in our nature, washing the feet of poor fishermen? And what tends to give yet more the highest coloring of grace and mercy to the picture, it is drawn at that moment of all others, when Jesus knew that the Father had given all things into His hands!
C. H. SPURGEON: Mark the condescension of this personal washing, for Abraham did not, himself, wash the angels’ feet, but said, “Let a little water be fetched and wash your feet,” Genesis 18:4. And Joseph did not personally wash his brother’s feet, but the steward of his house brought them in and gave them water, Genesis 43:24; and they washed their feet! But Jesus does it all Himself.
J. C. RYLE (1816-1900): We learn, for one thing, from these verses, what patient and continuing love there is in Christ’s heart towards His people. It is written that “having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end.” Knowing perfectly well that they were about to forsake Him shamefully in a very few hours, in full view of their approaching display of weakness and infirmity, our blessed Master did not cease to have loving thoughts of His disciples. He was not weary of them: He loved them to the last.
H. A. IRONSIDE (1876-1951): Someone has translated that last expression, “He loved them all the way through.” Through what? Through everything. He loved Peter all the way through his boasting and failure, and He loved him back to victory and faithfulness. And, thank God, when once He takes up a poor sinner in grace, He loves him all the way through, so it can be said of every Christian, “Having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.” For “he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ,” Philippians 1:6.
JAMES DURHAM (1622-1658): Christ Jesus hath a sufficiency and efficacy in Him, not only for the justification of believers that rest on Him, but for the furthering of their sanctification also, and helping of them to a victory over the world; I Corinthian 1:30, “He is our sanctification,” as well as our justification. Believers in their way, should not only by faith rest on Christ, for attaining pardon of sin by His righteousness; but, should also depend on Him, for furthering of their mortification and sanctification.
MATTHEW POOLE: Peter rashly replies, “Thou shalt never wash my feet,” John 13:8. Here was a seeming reverence for his Master, but like the Jewish zeal mentioned by Paul, “not according to knowledge,” Romans 10:2. Christ tells him, that except He washed him, He had no part with him; that is, he should never be saved.
MATTHEW HENRY: I think it is to be understood: “If I wash not thy soul from the pollution of sin, thou hast no part with me, no interest in me, no communion with me, no benefit by me.” Note: All those, and those only, that are spiritually washed by Christ, have a part in Christ.
C. H. SPURGEON: We must all have this frequent washing by our Lord—it is absolutely necessary. There is a “must” in the case—as we must be born again, so we must be made holy. It would be to our Lord’s dishonour to be followed by disciples who do not walk in integrity and uprightness. As He is, Himself, perfectly holy, He desires to have around Him a holy people purged from all defilement. He is so anxious that He should have such a people that, sooner than they shall not be washed, He will act the part of a Servant and wash their feet Himself.
H. A. IRONSIDE: When we are cleansed by the precious blood of Christ we are washed all over, once for all. That does not have to take place again―we are always clean in that sense. But now, “he that washed needeth not save to wash his feet,” John 13:10; and feet speak of our walk. We read, “He will keep the feet of his saints,” 1 Samuel 2:9, so every time we fail as believers we are to go to our blessed Lord, and say, “Cleanse me now by the washing of water by the word.”
MATTHEW POOLE (1624-1679): In regard of their remainder of sin and lust that is in them, and will be so while they are in the world, and the temptations which every where be in the world, as snares for their feet, they will have need of a daily washing. Our cleansing is in holy writ attributed sometimes to the blood of Christ, sometimes to the Spirit, sometimes to the Word. By the blood of Christ we are made clean as to justification, washed; but yet we had need wash our feet, contracting soil every day in a sinful world, from which we are cleansed by the purifying virtue of the Holy Spirit, working by and together with the Word, which purgeth us of our dross, and maketh us obedient to the will of God.
C. H. SPURGEON: Look, He even washes our feet! What better token need we of His abiding love? This is one of the acts of His continuous love, this daily washing of our feet!
ROBERT HAWKER: And it will not be long before that He Who washed His disciples feet will bring home His whole Church washed from all her sins in His blood, and become a glorious Church, sanctified and cleansed, and made holy, and without blemish before Him, in love! Ephesians 5:25,26.
