Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. — John 13:3–4
Through the Bible: Luke 22; John 13
When I teach this passage, I often ask people to close their Bibles and just listen:
“Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands…”
Then I pause before reading what comes next.
If you didn’t know the story, what would you expect?
“Jesus knew all authority had been given to Him, so He … demanded worship?”
“So He … called out Judas?”
“So He … crushed the Roman empire that was about to crucify Him?”
He had all things in His hands—the power of creation, the authority of heaven, the destiny of nations.
So with a full menu of divine options, He picked up a towel.
That’s the shock of John 13. The One who spoke galaxies into existence knelt before the men who would abandon Him. The One who had every right to be served became the Servant of all.
Why? Because that’s what love does.
Love doesn’t cling to power; it pours it out.
Love doesn’t ask, “Who will serve me?” but “Whose feet can I wash?”
Love stoops—not because it has to, but because it chooses to.
But make no mistake—this is not false humility.
Jesus isn’t saying, “Aw shucks, fellas, I’m just one of you.” He isn’t pretending weakness or downplaying His identity. In verse 13 He says plainly, “You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am.”
He didn’t lay aside His authority when He laid aside His outer garment.
The hands that washed the disciples’ feet are the same hands that flung stars into space. When Jesus washed their feet, He wasn’t downplaying His Lordship. He was demonstrating it.
True humility doesn’t deny greatness—it defines it differently.
And if that’s how the Master used His authority, how should His followers use theirs?
“If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.” — John 13:14
I like watching basketball. I love watching a talented shooting guard posting up for a clutch three pointer. I love hearing the announcer say, “He shoots! He SCORES!” The crowd goes wild, his teammates high-five him, and the player basks in the glow of his own greatness.
Jesus shows us a different way to greatness. Not shooting and scoring, but stooping and serving. Martin Luther King Jr. siad, “Anyone can be great, because anyone can serve.”
However, just as it takes a tremendous amount of confidence to want the basketball in a clutch situation, it takes the same kind of confidence to serve with humility. When you are secure in who you are and whose you are, you can stop protecting your status and start serving others. You can lay aside the outer garment of pride, platform, and image management, and tie on the towel of grace.
The clearest proof of spiritual maturity is not how high you stand but how low you’re willing to stoop for love’s sake.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You held all things in Your hands and chose to hold our dirty feet instead. Teach me to lead like You, love like You, and serve like You. Let every act of service remind the world not of my humility, but of Your glory. Amen.
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