Sandal, Jesus Washes His Disciples' Feet

John 13:1-20. During Jesus’ lifetime, it was usual for people to have their sandals removed, and their feet washed, by the household slaves. The custom was for the second to lowest ranked slave to remove the shoes, and for the lowest one to do the foot washing.

Jesus chose to do both tasks himself. Why? Discover the answer in the Bible reading below.

The last Passover for Jesus was about to start yet he was still teaching His disciples.

Washing of feet and washing of hands were some of the numerous customs of the time in greeting a guest to your home.

What we call the last supper whose proper name is The Passover Seder meaning “order, arrangement.”

If the anointing of Jesus’ head and the Last Supper was on a Tuesday, with the crucifixion on the Wednesday’ that allows for three days and three nights in the tomb before Jesus’ resurrection. This also means there were two Sabbaths that week one a regular Sabbath. The other Sabbath one of the number of Special Sabbaths.

Background Reading:

Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet

13:1 Now before the Passover Festival, Jesus realized that his hour had come to leave this world and return to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 By supper time, the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray him. 3 Because Jesus knew that the Father had given everything into his control, that he had come from God, and that he was returning to God, 4 therefore he got up from the table, removed his outer robe, and took a towel and fastened it around his waist. 5 Then he poured some water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel that was tied around his waist.

6 Then he came to Simon Peter, who asked him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

7 Jesus answered him, “You don’t realize now what I’m doing, but later on you’ll understand.”

8 Peter told him, “You must never wash my feet!”

Jesus answered him, “Unless I wash you, you cannot be involved with me.”

9 Simon Peter told him, “Lord, not just my feet, but my hands and my head as well!”

10 Jesus told him, “Whoever has bathed is entirely clean. He doesn’t need to wash himself further, except for his feet. And you men are clean, though not all of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him. That’s why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

12 When Jesus had washed their feet and put on his outer robe, he sat down again and told them, “Do you realize what I’ve done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right because that is what I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you must also wash one another’s feet. 15 I’ve set an example for you, so that you may do as I have done to you. 16 Truly, I tell all of you emphatically, a servant isn’t greater than his master, and a messenger isn’t greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you understand these things, how blessed you are if you put them into practice! 18 I’m not talking about all of you. I know the ones I have chosen. But the Scripture must be fulfilled: ‘The one who ate bread with me has turned against me.’ 19 I’m telling you this now, before it happens, so that when it does happen, you may believe that I AM. 20 Truly, I tell all of you emphatically, the one who receives whomever I send receives me, and the one who receives me receives the one who sent me.”
John 13:1-20
Read also  Matthew 26:20, Mark 14:12-16, Luke 22:18-38, Luke 22:21-23, John 13:17-30

More Information:

Remember that the washing and cleaning of people’s feet and sandals was an unpleasant task because they got covered with foul-smelling excrement from the roads and paths.

Passover is always celebrated at the full moon during the month of Nisan. It is the first month of the Jewish religious calendar.


Other modules in this unit: