IMPORTANT NOTE: On Sunday Mornings from December 1 through December 22, Walk of Grace Chapel will be moving our Sunday Morning Service to 9:00 AM. The service will conclude by 10:30 AM. We are hoping to share our Christmas worship and Christmas messages with people who might already attend other churches, but would like to include more Christmas activities into their holiday season! We hope to see you there

The Gospel of John

Chapter 13

Part IV

 

9) Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also [my] hands and [my] head.

Concerning this verse,

“Peter’s characteristic impulsiveness that does not really understand the Master’s act. ‘A moment ago he told his Master He was doing too much: now he tells Him He is doing too little’ (Dods)” [Robertson].

“that is, ‘To be severed from Thee, Lord, is death to me: If that be the meaning of my speech, I tread upon it; and if to be washed of Thee have such significance, then not my feet only, but hands, head, and all, be washed!’ This artless expression of clinging, life-and-death attachment to Jesus, and felt dependence upon Him for his whole spiritual well-being, compared with the similar saying in John_6:68-69 (see on John_6:68-69), furnishes such evidence of historic verity such as no thoroughly honest mind can resist’” [JFB].

John 6:66) From that [time] many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

67) Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?

68) Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

69) And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.

Concerning Peter’s answer,

“that is, ‘We cannot deny that we have been staggered as well as they, and seeing so many go away who, as we thought, might have been retained by teaching a little less hard to take in, our own endurance has been severely tried, nor have we been able to stop short of the question, Shall we follow the rest, and give it up? But when it came to this, our light returned, and our hearts were reassured. For as soon as we thought of going away, there arose upon us that awful question, ‘TO WHOM shall we go?’” [JFB].

NOTE: Some suppose this is another faithless statement from the impulsive Peter. I agree more with JFB. I agree with the words of this great songwriter:

“Even when our faith is low we’ll never leave Him,

Cause even when we doubt God, we still believe Him.” [Hannah].

 

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.

Regarding the first part of this verse,

“There is a difference between the bath and the basin. The bath speaks of the cleansing received at the time of one’s salvation. Cleansing from the penalty of sin through the blood of Christ takes place only once. The basin speaks of cleansing from the pollution of sin and must take place continually through the Word of God. There is one bath but many foot-washings” [BBC].

“Our Lord, while graciously insisting on washing Peter’s feet, refuses to extend the cleansing farther, that the symbolical instruction intended to be conveyed might not be marred” [JFB].

“The underlying imagery is of an oriental returning from the public baths to his house. His feet would contract defilement and require cleansing, but not his body. So the believer is cleansed as before the law from all sin ‘once for all’ (Hebrews_10:1-12) but needs ever to bring his daily sins to the Father in confession, that he may abide in unbroken fellowship with the Father and with the Son” [Scofield].

Hebrews 10:10) By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once [for all].

11) And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:

12) But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

NOTE: We, as Christians, have been spiritually bathed, forever cleansed by the blood of Christ. However, we still fail and therefore require daily foot washings. Thank God Almighty that His blood is continuously cleansing us from the sins we commit as walk out this life. If this isn’t so, then we can’t have fellowship with a Holy God.

In regards to “ye are clean, but not all,”

“Strongly put exception (ouchi). Plain hint of the treachery of Judas who is reclining at the table after having made the bargain with the Sanhedrin (Mark_14:11). A year ago Jesus knew that Judas was a devil and said to the apostles: ‘One of you is a devil’ (Joh_6:64, Joh_6:70)” [Robertson].

“important, as showing that Judas, instead of being as true-hearted a disciple as the rest at first, and merely falling away afterwards–as many represent it–never experienced that cleansing at all which made the others what they were” [JFB].

NOTE: Notice that in this passage the idea is that the disciples had already been cleansed spiritually, the way a bath/shower cleanses us physically, but still needed daily foot washings/cleansings from the contaminations of filth they would derive from walking in this world. However, in this particular verse Jesus in saying that one of them, Judas, was never spiritually cleansed at all. This indicates that Judas had spiritual interests, but was never truly converted.