This is Spoken Gospel.

We’re dedicated to seeing
Jesus in all of scripture.

In each episode, we see what’s
happening in a Biblical text

and how it sheds light
on Jesus and his gospel.

Let’s jump in.

Jesus hosts a last
meal with his disciples.

He knows he’s about to die, and he
knows he is about to return to his Father.

And knowing both of those things, Jesus takes off his
shirt, kneels in the dirt, and washes his disciples’ feet.

Peter is offended that his
Master would stoop so low.

But Jesus explains that
this is a symbol of salvation—

if Peter refuses Jesus’ humiliation,
he will never share Jesus’ eternal life.

Taking the logic one step further,
Peter demands Jesus wash all of him.

But Jesus makes a second point—Peter is
already clean; all he needs is his feet washed.

Once Jesus saves him and makes him pure before
God, he cannot lose that because nothing is

more powerful than the stain-
washing power of Jesus' blood.

But as Peter takes up the messy task of
following Jesus, he will find that acting like
Jesus will always require additional washing.

In other words, Jesus' humiliation
saves them definitely and continually.

But just because Jesus
washed his disciples’ feet

and they had proximity to him doesn’t
guarantee that everyone is of him.

Jesus makes it clear to Peter that Judas is
a traitor and sends Judas out of the house.

With Judas gone, Jesus'
death is fast approaching.

Jesus begins to share final
words with his true followers.

In Jesus’ humiliation,
God will be worshipped.

His glory will be proclaimed
as Jesus rises from the dead.

So, although the disciples cannot join Jesus on that
journey, they can continue his ministry in his place.

They can love one another
just as he has loved them.

And when they copy Jesus’ humiliating,
sacrificial love toward one another, the
world will witness the power of the gospel.

We live in a world that is
indifferent or hostile to Jesus.

But Christians are supposed to prefer the humiliation
of service and death over the honor of being served.

Jesus washed Judas’ feet.
He fed him from his hand.

Christian’s should have this same posture
of humble sacrifice toward the world.

We offer Christ-like love, knowing that
not all will respond with devotion to Jesus.

But in doing so, our lives
become good news.

Our lives become a living continuation
of what Jesus said in John 3:16.

Just as God so loved the world that he
sent Jesus, Jesus so loves the
world that he sends us.

We aren’t sent to condemn
the world but to wash its feet

and use our few and final
hours to prepare a feast for it.

We’re promised that when we
love others as Christ has loved us,

the world will know that
we are Jesus’ disciples.

Jesus’ foot washing is not just an example
for us to follow but a guarantee that a
Christian’s humiliation is never wasted.

In Christ, death and humiliation is
always the path to eternal life and honor.

May the Holy Spirit give you eyes to
see the God who so loved the world

that he gave us what
was most precious to him.

And may you see Jesus as the one who
commissions you to love the world as he has loved you.