“Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He was come from God and went to God. He rises from supper, and laid aside His garments, and took a towel and girded Himself. After that He poureth water into a basin and began to wash the disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel where with He was girded…. 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?” Ye call Me Master and Lord, and ye say well, For so I am. If I then, Your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another’s feet…”

John 13:3-14

Whose feet are you washing and by whose authority?

Jesus to whom all authority has been given (Matthew 28:18) knows His final moments before His crucifixion had arrived. There is however still one more issue He needs to share with His disciples. He has spent three and a half years with them and has taught them much during that time. He has sent them out on missions and they have seen God's power working through them resulting in healings and deliverances.

What could it be that so burdens His heart before His departure?

Which issue is so important to Him that even at the time of His impending death He takes time out to expand on it? What is so on His mind that He gets up from the table and takes a towel and a basin of water?

With these tools He begins to wash the feet of His disciples…

An amazing lesson indeed for just as Christ taught His disciples so He still teaches us today that He, our Lord and Master, having all authority had only come to serve. Likewise, we as His servants, have been given His authority only to serve.

Jesus did not come to “lord it over us” but to serve us and likewise we His disciples are not “to lord it over others” but to serve others.

“Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister.And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant.And as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many”.

Matthew 20:25-28

Jesus needed a towel and basin in order for Him to be able to serve His disciples, likewise we too need our towel and basin so that we might fulfil our servant role within the Body of Christ.

How do we go about finding our particular tools?

That is in fact the task of the Holy Spirit.“Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom.
To another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit.
To another faith by the same Spirit.
To another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit.
To another the working of miracles.
To another prophecy.
To another discerning of spirits.
To another divers kinds of tongues.
To another the interpretation of tongues.
But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit dividing to every man severally as He will”.

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

The Holy Spirit gives gifts, which are tools to be used for ministry, as He pleases to whom He pleases to give them. We have no say in the matter. They are simply a matter of grace.

“Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us,

whether prophecy, let us prophecy
according to the proportion of faith.
Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering,

Or he that teacheth,
Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation.
He that giveth, let him do it with simplicity.
He that ruleth, with diligence.
He that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness”.

Romans 12:6-8

Jesus asked His disciples if they knew what he had done to them.

He wanted them to understand that His foot washing was not something, which could be put aside for more important issues. No, what had taken place held the key to their future ministry.

Yes, they would continue to do the wonderful things they had done before such as healing the sick and delivering those oppressed by demons. But these ministries were to be done with a servant attitude.They had to understand that anything they were to do based on Christ’s Authority, was to be done with a servant heart, using the gifts of the Holy Spirit as their tools.

Jesus has not changed His Message. He is still saying to us today:

“Do you know what I have done?
Do you understand that you simply have been called
to serve others in My Name,
using the gifts the Holy Spirit has given you
as your tools.
This is what pleases Me.”

Please email me for more information, questions or comments.