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PASSOVER

FOOTWASHING~REVISITED

 

Is the foot washing ceremony just a symbol of humility, or is it found on a much higher plane that we ever thought before? Is it just a ‘footnote’, or a vibrant dynamic part of the most important service of the year? Most corporate groups have believed that the foot washing is only symbolic, so it was always treated as something just to get out of the way quickly in order to get on with the components that celebrate our Savior’s personal sacrifice. What is the truth?

 

The book of John, strangely, is the only bearer of the foot washing ceremony, so that alone makes our task easier to get to the heart of the matter. Certainly it is clear that the service itself is one that conveys humility. To get down on our knees and literally wash someone else’s feet is Christ’s way of teaching that we humans are all equal in God’s sight. In setting the example for us, He showed that He truly emptied Himself of having been God and was temporarily equal to all other flesh and blood humans, by becoming subject to death.

 

But often a very important element of this ceremony is glossed over without a thought as to its significance, so we will now examine this for clarity. John 13: 8 proves beyond doubt that the ceremony is far more than just a symbol, as we read Christ’s words about its importance in the overall Passover. He said, “If I wash you not, you have no part with me.” Let that phrase sink in while I reminisce for a moment. Christ went on to explain that a person who already bathed had no need to wash again, except for the part that would come into contact with dust on the way to the Passover. Do we realize what He is saying? In a nutshell, a person would bathe prior to the ceremony at their own homes, but on the way to the Passover, their feet would gather dust. The symbolism is unmistakable, as Christ is talking about a person who had been called, converted and also baptized. Such a person was washed clean of all past sin, but had gathered a little dust (sin) either since baptism, or since the last Passover. If for some reason a person had gone back into the world altogether, they would need another bath, or re-baptism, not just a minor washing. 

 

Now let’s add another important component to the mix. Christ only washed the disciple’s feet. Nobody washed His feet, but why not? It is because they all had sinned since baptism, but Christ had never sinned, and therefore needed no washing of any kind!

 

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THE PRESENT COMMISSION

Meat in due season