In this message we will consider the aspects of the experience and enjoyment of Christ in chapter thirteen of the Gospel of John.
In John 13 we have Christ as the One who washes the disciples’ feet and as the glorified Son of Man.
In verses 3 through 10, we see that Christ is the One who washes His disciples’ feet.
Verse 3 indicates the reason why the Lord washed the disciples’ feet: He knew “that the Father had given all into His hands and that He had come forth from God and was going to God.” At that time He realized three matters: that the Father had given all into His hands, that He had come forth from God, and that He was going to God. Because of these three things He washed the feet of His disciples. The “all” that the Father had given Him was mainly the disciples, His coming forth from God had brought God into His disciples, and in His going to God He was to leave these disciples. The Father had given the disciples, and the Lord had brought God into them, but now He was going to leave them. By His coming forth from God and His bringing God into them, a relationship between the disciples and God came into existence. Now He was going to leave them. After He would leave them, how could this relationship between the disciples and God be maintained? It was to be maintained by foot-washing. Foot-washing is to wash from the feet all the dirt that frustrates the fellowship of the relationship between God and man. In doing this, the Lord showed His disciples the way for them to maintain their relationship with God in Him.
In verses 4 and 5, we are told that Christ laid aside His garments, girded Himself with a towel, poured water into the basin, and “began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded” (v. 5). This indicates that Christ washed the feet of the disciples from the dirtiness of the earthly touch. We need to realize that in our spirit we, the regenerated ones, are in God and in the heavenlies, but in our body we are still living in the flesh and walking on the earth. In our spirit the Lord has brought God into us and us into God, in our spirit we are one with God, and in our spirit we are in the heavenlies because we are in God. But in our body we are still on the earth. On the one hand, we are the new creation, we are in God, and we are in the heavenlies. On the other hand, we are still in the old creation, still on this earth.
Although we have the divine life and have become the church, we are still living in this fallen flesh on the earth. Through the earthly touch we are often dirty. This is inevitable, for we cannot avoid the earthly touch. Our feet are the members of our body that touch the earth. Day by day we are touching the earth with our feet, and by contacting the earth with our feet, our feet certainly become dirty. Consequently, foot-washing is a necessity for us.
Dirtiness is different from sinfulness. To be sinful is one thing and to be dirty is another. We may be absolutely sinless and yet be very dirty. Perhaps nothing is wrong, but we are dirty simply because of the earthly touch. We need to realize that we are still in the body and are still walking on this earth. As a result, much of the time we are not clean. Therefore, we need foot-washing.