Jesus’ Words in Red Dirty Feet

Jesus’ Words in Red

Dirty Feet

"A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you." 

Jesus says 

“And you are clean, though not every one of you." 

We know this to be Judas

Judas heard the same words of Jesus that Peter did

Judas saw the same miracles Peter did

Peter was clean but Judas was not clean

   Many of us are willing to let Jesus wash our feet but we are not willing to let Him bathe us and cleanse us all the way to the heart

Peter got his feet dirty but had a clean heart because he had a repentant heart

Judas got his feet dirty and it only revealed an unrepentant heart

Dirty Feet

There is a lot going on in this passage of Jesus

washing the disciples’ feet before the Passover meal.

One of the things to notice is the two people highlighted.

There is Peter and the one not clean.

Peter when he realizes he cannot be a part of Jesus

 if Jesus does not wash his feet says…

"Not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"

It was the custom to wash your hands before eating.

 Matthew 15:2 & Mark 7:3-4

Peter wanted to be clean.

 He wanted Jesus to clean his hands and head.

Jesus seems to take the cleaning

a little farther when He says…

“A person who has had a bath needs only

to wash his feet; his whole body is clean.”

Jesus is saying to the disciples

all but the one have been bathed.

So what is the bath, what made

them clean, all but their feet.

It is the Word of God that washes a person.

You are already clean because of the

 word I have spoken to you.

John 15:3 NIV

The context of John 15 is fruit bearing so we see

being cleansed by the Word will produce fruit.

 

Ephesians 5:26 reveals how Christ

out of love baths His Bride and the

husband should do the same for his wife…

To make her holy, cleansing her by the

washing with water through the word,

Jesus knew that those of us

who have a heart like Peter…

Who wants to be in Christ…

Who have received His

Word and are bearing fruit…

We, too, like Peter find walking in

this world we get our feet dirty.

About 20 verses later, after Jesus says Peter

is clean, Jesus says Peter will deny Him.

Peter was cleansed by the Word, but it did not

stop him from stepping in places he should not step.

Jesus says…

 

“And you are clean, though not every one of you." 

We know this to be Judas.

Judas heard the same

words of Jesus that Peter did.

Judas saw the same miracles Peter did.

Judas was not clean.

Even though Jesus washed Judas’ feet as he

did the other disciples, Judas was not clean.

All the washing Judas received by

walking with Jesus like the other

disciples did not make him clean.

Both Judas and Peter denied Jesus.

Peter found forgiveness because he

desired the Word of God to cleanse him.

 

Judas from outward appearance looked clean.

Even the disciples did not see his evil

heart until after the death of Christ.

It seems Judas wanted to be around Christ.

But he would not let Jesus’ Word change his heart.

I fear that many of us are like Judas.

We love all the benefits of Christ and the church,

 but we don’t allow the washing to take place.

We look clean on the outside, but we

don’t let the inside with evil get clean.

Sadly, I have met many people who want to be

clean, but they will not allow the Word of God

 to remove things of this world from their hearts.

   Many of us are willing to let Jesus wash our

feet, but we are not willing to let Him bathe

us and clean us all the way to the heart.

Peter got his feet dirty but had a clean

heart because he had a repentant heart.

Judas got his feet dirty and it only

revealed an unrepentant heart.

Scripture Reading

John 13:1-11 NIV

13:1 It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.  

2 The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"

7 Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." 

8 "No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet."

Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me." 

9 "Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"

10 Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you."  11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.