TUESDAY August 26, 2025
Our Servant King
“You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.”
John 13:13-15
Jesus is supreme; He is Lord over all. The Disciples called Jesus, Lord, and He accepted that title because it was true of Him. During the last week of Jesus’ life on the earth, He wanted to teach His Disciples about servanthood.
When they came to the Last Supper in an upper room, before Judas left to betray Him, Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, girded Himself and became like a humble servant. He began to wash His Disciples’ smelly feet! In biblical times, if you were invited to a home as a guest, you would remove your sandals while a slave knelt, took a bowl of water, and began to wash your feet and anoint them with oil.
When the Disciples came to supper, none of them volunteered to do the task. After all the time they had spent with Jesus, they had not really learned to be humble servants. The Lord was a Servant to mankind: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). They were to become like Master.
The Disciples sat down while reclining on pillows around a low table. All of a sudden, Jesus got up, laid aside His garments, took a towel, and girded Himself as a servant. He got a bowl of water and began to wash the Disciples’ feet. Jesus taught them by His example.
Does that mean that the Bible teaches us to wash each other’s feet? No. It is symbolic of our servanthood toward each other as Christians. It is really important that we understand the picture of Jesus as a Servant and that we follow His example throughout our Christian life.
Servanthood does not nullify leadership; it defines it. Jesus does not cease to be the Lion of Judah when He becomes the lamblike servant of the church.
~John Piper~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!
