John 13

A New Commandment

John thirteen is perhaps one of the most jaw-dropping chapters in the Bible. Jesus, God of the entire universe, kneels down to wash the disciples’ feet. In these days, they didn’t wear socks. They didn’t even wear shoes. They wore sandals, and their feet would have been disgusting, so this would be the job of a servant.

He did this for a reason, though.

“For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you” (John 13:15).

In the preceding chapter, Jesus told the disciples that a servant was anyone who followed their master anywhere and did everything he did. Sure, that would have been easy when he was doing miracles, but washing feet is completely odd. It doesn’t seem to be appealing at all. But that was the point.

There’s always something that we would never see ourselves do. However, when we imagine some things as “forbidden” in our lives, those are the things that God targets and changes. Maybe there’s someone to whom you just can’t imagine showing love. Jesus loved them enough to die for them. Perhaps you can’t see yourself giving up your favorite possession. But God gave up his only Son.

Everything God asks us to do he has already done himself—and better. For example, compare you patience with God’s patience. For us, it may be one irritating person. For God, it’s an entire world that breaks his commandments.

Someone might say, “But he’s God. He can do anything.” That doesn’t change the fact that he has commanded us as Christians (followers of Christ, right?) to imitate him.

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another” (John 3:34).

Showing God’s love and obeying him isn’t merely a “nice thing to do.” It’s a command from a Master to a servant.