To Be Cleansed By Jesus

"The devil had put it into the mind of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray him. During supper, Jesus, well aware that the Father had entrusted everything to him, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from the table, laid aside his garments, and taking a towel, tied it round him. Then he poured water into a basin, and began to wash his disciples' feet and to wipe them with a towel." (1)

One of the lessons that Jesus was about to teach His disciples was so important, he could not merely tell them, it had to be demonstrated. Jesus began to wash His disciples feet. "When it was Simon Peter's turn, Peter said to him, 'You, Lord, washing my feet?' Jesus replied, 'You do not understand now what I am doing, but one day you will.' Peter said, 'I will never let you wash my feet.' 'If I do not wash you,' Jesus replied, 'you are not in fellowship with me.' 'Then, Lord,' said Simon Peter, 'not my feet only; wash my hands and head as well!'

"Jesus said, 'A man who has bathed needs no further washing; he is altogether clean; and you are clean, though not everyone of you.' He added the words 'not every one of you' because he knew who was going to betray him." (2) Christ's reference here is to something more than physical cleansing. "If I do not wash you," He told Peter, "you have no part with me" and then He added, "you are clean, though not every one of you" because He knew who was going to betray him.

The point here is that unless we accept Christ's cleansing as exemplified here in Christ washing the disciples feet, then we are not in fellowship with Him or have any part with Him, we are not clean. Christ washed all the disciples feet, yet he said, "you are not all clean." Unless we accept His cleansing of our hearts, the outward demonstration of that cleansing has no meaning for us. Christ offers to cleanse us and we have the privilege and pleasure to cooperate with Him to allow it, as Peter accepted Christ to wash his feet.

Jesus said, "You have been cleansed by the word that I spoke to you." (3) "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (4) It is Christ's purpose to cleanse us from the defilement of sin. Are we willing to accept Christ's offer to cleanse us from all our sins? The first act of Jesus, following dinner, was to share with them the importance of allowing Him to cleanse them, "you are clean." (5)

1. John 13:2-5, NEB.
2. John 13:6-11
3. John 15:3.
4. 1 John 1:9.
5. John 13:10.