Tyler Johns / Student Ministries Assistant

John 13:1-5 (NIV) “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. The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 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.”

This is one of the many astonishing acts Jesus performed in His time on Earth. Jesus humbled Himself and did something that was outrageous for a Jewish Rabbi to do. Washing people's feet was a duty of the lowliest of servants, because it was a very dirty job. I can just imagine the meticulous ritual cleansing this person might have had to go through to be thought of as spiritually 'clean' after performing his duty of washing people's feet each day. And Jesus humbled Himself before His followers to do it?! Crazy!

So what gave Him the confidence to be able to do this? Verse 3 says:

John 13:3 (NIV) “Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God.”

Jesus knew who He was, where He was headed, and the power and authority He had been given. Therefore, He was free to perform this humble act of servant leadership, sacrifice, and love. You see, when you know who you are, WHOSE you are, and everything that comes with that, you have nothing to prove and you have the freedom to act in the humblest of ways.

This became a great example to Jesus’ disciples of humility and serving in love and stood as a foreshadowing symbol of His ultimate humble act of love, sacrifice, and service to those He died to save!

If this passage would encourage you in one way today, I hope it would be that you would know this:

KNOWING OUR IDENTITY AND POSITION BEFORE GOD AND THE POWER AND AUTHORITY WE HAVE IN CHRIST FREES US TO ACT SELFLESSLY AND ABANDON ALL SOCIAL NORMS TO ACT IN LOVE AND SERVE OTHERS!