“It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from Godand 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!” John 13.1-9
Are you ready for Holy Week? Whether or not you are, it is here. We are in the middle of it. Tomorrow is Maundy Thursday (also known as Dark Thursday when Jesus is in the upper room and later is arrested), the day after is Good Friday when Jesus goes to the cross, then Holy Saturday (a day of waiting while Jesus is in the tomb), and then Resurrection Sunday.
Are you ready for the meals with family, the Easter egg hunts with children, the dress shopping for girls, the photo sessions after church? Are you ready for the emotional, spiritual, and mental weight of Easter? Of Christ, His Passion, His suffering, death, and resurrection? As born-again believers, we love Easter, and we also hate it. We love what Christ did, we love the joyful notes of spring, the fun picnics and outings, a reason to gather. But we should hate it for what we made Christ do. Of course, He climbed the cross willingly, but it was our sins that put Him there. To consider the weight of the moment is almost too much to bear.
I come to our passage in John 13 when the Son of God, Messiah, leader, genius rabbi wraps a towel around His waist and begins to wash the feet of the disciples. No one said a word until Peter. Everyone else was just as shocked as you would have been had God bent over to wash your feet—so unworthy I would have felt. But like the other disciples, I might have just let it happen. And then there was Peter—“No, Lord, you shall never wash my feet!” He was resistant! Prideful. Impetuous. Impulsive. Had Peter thought before he spoke, he might have allowed Jesus to wash his feet initially, but like us, he felt unworthy.
Jesus said, “Unless I wash your feet, you have no part with me,” to which Peter replied, “Not just my feet but my head and hands as well.” Because Peter, like us, needed to be with Jesus. We need all of Him, all that He has to offer. His death became a substitute for our sins. Our life of shame was covered by His saving act of redemption. A man dying innocently upon a cross, put there by me (and by us).
So, are you ready? It’s rather heavy. A lot to think about. Are you ready to allow Jesus to save you? To wash your feet? To renew your heart? To cleanse your mind?
Come to the cross. Find salvation in His blood. Forgiveness in His favor. Life in His love.
“O Lord God, this week is not just another week of work, of school, of ministry. This is a week of redemption when the whole world waits and watches, anticipating the resurrection of the dead, when you would defy death, overcome our sin, and make a way for us to be saved. Thank you, Jesus, for saving me! For your work upon the cross, I give you thanks. I love you, Lord, and praise your name. For you are good, and your love endures forever.” Amen