THE SYMBOLISM OF FOOTWASHING

by Sam Jones 9/16/2000 10/01/2000

John 13:5 After that he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.

John 13:6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?

John 13:7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.

John 13:8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.

John 13:9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.

John 13:10 Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.

John 13:11 For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.

John 13:12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?

John 13:13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.

John 13:14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.

John 13:15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

John 13:16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.

John 13:17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

Christ washed the feet of His disciples telling them, (vs.8), If I wash thee not, thou hast NO PARTwith me. Why? In (vs.7) they were told that they would not know now what He did to them but would know hereafter. I don’t believe that the lesson to be learned by the disciples then, or the disciples now was just to be willing to be servants of one another. Footwashing has been called "a yearly renewal of baptism", but that is not really the case. (No more than the yearly observance of Passover cleanses us again. That was the case in the Old covenant application, but not in the New Testament. The New Testament Passover is a memorial of the death and sacrifice of Christ). Christ was sacrificed once and for all. That baptism is the acceptance of that sacrifice and the burying of the old man, coming up a new man. That is why Christ said (vs10) He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. He then makes it plain that He is not talking about actual physical bathing, because He points out that there is one there that will betray Him ....... one that is not clean.

The "washing" Christ referred to must apply to baptism. Those disciples had been chosen by the Father, and their sins had been forgiven. When we are baptized OUR sins are also forgiven. The footwashing Christ did was far more than just an act of humility ------ remember He said that the disciples would not understand what He had done then, but would later understand. Jesus said (vs10) Jesus said (vs10) He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean. Notice He said they were clean, yet they still needed to have their feet washed! In fact he said it is imperative that He washes our feet!

At baptism we are forgiven of our sins, yet being human we continue to have sin!

1 John 1:8 (KJV) If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Now notice what John writes next: 1 John 1:9 (KJV) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

This is the symbolism of the footwashing service! We stand pure before God the Father, because of the righteousness of Christ that is applied to or attributed to us! Nothing that we have done or can do can make us righteous in the eyes of God, other than believing on Jesus Christ!

James 2:23 (KJV) And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

Rom 4:8 (KJV) Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

Sin has to be accounted for even after baptism. That is what Christ was showing by the footwashing ceremony, even though at the time, the disciples did not recognize it because they had not yet received the Holy Spirit and had not had their minds opened.

1 John 3:5 (KJV) And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Christ took away our sins at baptism and continues to remove our sins as we confess them, as demonstrated by the footwashing service.

In (vs13-15) Christ commands His disciples to wash one another’s feet, saying He set us an example that we should follow. In doing so He commands us to forgive one another! we are to grow to be Like Christ ......... to attain the stature of the fullness of Christ, (Eph.4:13). In (vs16) Christ said: The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. What He is saying here is that we are by no means greater than Him, and if Christ, our Master, can forgive our brethren, then we also should forgive! The scriptures state that love covers a multitude of sin, and GOD IS LOVE! Christ said all men would know that we are His disciples because we have love one for another. Do we actually practice this today?

We don’t even have contact with one another AT ALL if one is not in the same group or organization, now matter how many years there may have been a friendship there. Do we really forgive one another 7X70? Do ministers/members/organizations reach out to those who are no longer with them in a "footwashing, forgiving, desire to serve another" attitude! Of course not! I personally know of a group of Christians, (of which I am a part of), who were told in writing not to come to services until there had been a meeting with the "minister", (false minister), saying they had "self-disfellowshipped" themselves. No "leaders" called. All literature was stopped.

(Please understand that was no great loss, but I am describing an attitude here). The reason this happened, and continues to happen is pretty plain. the great majority of the "WCG descended ministry" do not teach, do not understand, and do not practice the very act of the footwashing attitude that Christ commanded us to display to one another! That very act by which He said we would have no part with Him if He didn’t wash our feet! (Continue to forgive and cleanse us even daily from our continuing human sins).

This attitude of footwashing, (forgiveness), would get rid of strife in the Church. It would allow "Global" and Living to be together. It would allow small groups and large groups to meet together, interchangeably, without being disfellowshipped, or "self-disfellowshipped". What if we don’t practice this very attitude and action? The priciple is shown when Christ said: Mat. 25:45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

In the model prayer we are instructed to pray that God will forgive our transgressions as we forgive others! If our Lord and Master is willing and able to forgive us and our brethren whether the sin is minor, major, general, personal, doctrinal or ever personally directed at our own selves, then how can we not also forgive? When we wash another’s feet we are saying we will forgive our brother the same as Christ forgives him and us! But what about the actual act or ritual of footwashing? What does it gain us? Remember how Christ described the master telling his servants to do something, and the one servant said he would do it, but did not? Then the other servant declared he would not, but later repented and went and did what he was commanded? What is actually more important to God ...... one who keeps the "letter" or ritual of footwashing but then doesn’t live it, or one who understands and practices the teaching and command of Christ without actually observing the ritual? The answer is obvious.

Am I suggesting that we should not have the footwashing service but only practice that way and attitude? Not at all! Christ said we should do it to one another, but it goes further than just a pan of water. We do the physical act of baptism as commanded also. Since we do know and understand the direction to do this, then we should do BOTH! The physical ceremony is simple, but the spiritual application is much more difficult, even humanly unnatural, but so very, very necessary.

We have been taught for years that footwashing shows humility and a willingness to serve, but the actions demonstrated have been more that of the Gentiles "exercising lordship", rather than love and forgiveness toward God’s "little ones". So many times at Passover we have heard the section on footwashing read so soberly and methodically without the real meaning being taught that we should be in a constant attitude of forgiveness to others. Remember the servant is not greater than his Lord, and if God will forgive then we should also forgive.

Just think of all the pressure, worries, and comparing ourselves that would go away if we forgave and didn’t have the need to constantly to judge the life of another. Just think of the mumility and service that would be practiced, "esteeming the other greater.....".

There are more scriptures that have to do with forgiveness, but I haven’t taken the time to look them up to see how they apply to this subject. But for now I will close by pointing out why this "footwashing" is so important, and so wonderful. All mankind has been shut up under sin, the Apostle Paul tells us, and even after baptism NONE of us have anything that we can take pride in or brag about. Because ALL the glory for our salvation belongs to Jesus and our Father!

1 Cor 1:29 (KJV) That no flesh should glory in his presence.

We are told that we have no part with Jesus Christ if He doesn’t wash our feet, (continually forgiving our sins). Because he continues to forgive the chosen ones of the Father, we will have robes made white in His blood! Therefore, as children of our Father, and brothers of Jesus Christ, we should understand and practice the symbolism of footwashing, forgiving one another.

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