John 13 Round Two: Jesus and Clean Feet

A quiet room after dinner. A teacher rises, lays aside his outer robe, and ties on a towel. What happens next upends every assumption about power, dignity, and what love looks like when it gets its hands wet. We journey through John 13 with Pastor Brandon, tracing how Jesus transforms a lowly task into a living picture of the kingdom—and how that picture still confronts our habits, our hierarchies, and our hearts.

We start with the shock of foot washing in its cultural setting, where dusty roads made clean feet a courtesy reserved for the lowest servant. Peter objects, and Jesus responds with a lesson that reaches beyond ritual: those who are washed still need their feet cleaned. That’s a map for daily discipleship, where grace gives you a new identity and regular confession keeps the grit from hardening your soul. Then the camera turns to Judas. Jesus washes the feet of the one who will betray him and shares bread with the one already choosing the night. It’s love offered with open eyes, not sentimentality—an unwavering posture that refuses to let another’s sin dictate our character.

When Judas departs, Jesus speaks of glory—not as applause, but as self-giving. From that place he gives a new commandment: love one another as I have loved you. That standard becomes the badge of a disciple and the church’s most persuasive witness. We talk about what that love looks like in ordinary life, far beyond a single ceremony: noticing the unseen, yielding status, and meeting real needs without keeping score. Finally, we sit with Peter’s bold promise and Jesus’ sober prediction of denial—held together by a basin already used in love. Failure will come, but grace arrives first. That sequence is the hope that keeps us moving.

If you’re ready to rethink greatness, trade titles for towels, and find practical ways to serve where the grime gathers in your world, this conversation will give you handles and heart. Listen, share with a friend who needs courage to love again, and if it helps you, subscribe and leave a quick review so more people can find the show. What’s one place you can pick up the towel this week?

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The More We Dig. The More We Find.

Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation (NLT).
Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome And Episode Setup
• 0:34 Foot Washing Stories And Controversy
• 2:19 Cultural Context Of Clean Feet
• 4:23 Peter’s Protest And Jesus’ Point
• 6:05 Judas Identified And Leaves
• 8:38 Glory, New Commandment, And Peter’s Denial
• 10:45 Takeaways, Prayer, And Closing

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

Welcome to the Bible Breakdown Podcast. Every day, we take one chapter of the Bible, dig deeper, and discover that the more we dig, the more we find it. You can find out more at the Biblebreakdown.com. Now let's grow in God's word together. Well, hello, everybody. Welcome back to the Bible Breakdown Podcast with your host, Pastor Brandon. Today, John chapter 13. This is one that is, I think, is great. There's also some controversy we're going to talk about a little bit. And if I were to give today a title, it would be Jesus and Clean Feet. Jesus and Clean Feet. We're going to jump into that in just a second. But before we do that, as always, if you like what we're doing here, make sure you like this video, you share this video, if you're listening to us on the podcast, you are my friends. I love you. Make sure you're leaving us a five-star review. Also make sure you're going to the Facebook group at Bible Breakdown Discussion. And I want to know have you ever been part of a church service that was a foot washing service? A foot washing service, washing them hooves. If you have been, I want to know about it. And we're going to jump into that today. So I want to tell you a story real quick. The church background I came from, we would have occasionally a foot washing service. And it comes from the chapter we're going to read today. And I'm from Alabama, if that lets you know what area of the world used to do such things. I have been told it happens all over the world. So especially if you live in another country and you are listening or watching this, make sure you let me know on that Bible breakdown discussion if you've ever had one. But here's the thing the goal of what Jesus is teaching today is he's teaching about servanthood. So it's nice if you want to do this, but it is not a requirement that you have to do this. But the churches I grew up in, it was a requirement you would do this. And I would go to church and it would be, it would be so funny because everything's going fine. And then the pastor would announce, hey, we're going to have us a foot washing service, and people would panic. Um, which way is the door? I don't want you washing my feet. I don't want people, yo, I don't want washing other people's feet. Can we just agree to not do this, right? And so it's just one of those things that people are trying to emulate Jesus. And it's it's just really funny how people react to such things. But what he is teaching is he's teaching the idea of servanthood. So we're gonna jump into this and we're gonna talk about maybe a couple things to bring some some fresh life to God's amazing word as we remember the context. John, who wrote this, was there. He's inspired by the Holy Spirit to make sure and bring this account, and he is the only one who brings this account into the four gospels. Because remember, John is not interested with giving us a blow-by-blow historical biographical account of Jesus' life. There's other gospel writers who have done that. He wants to make sure we understand the message of Jesus, and that is he is God. And so it is an extra special thing that the king of the universe, the one who created all these Tootsies that he's about to wash, is gonna get down on a lowly place and wash these jokers' feet, these nasty feet. Okay, so it's pretty special if you ask me. So we're gonna jump into this. You have your NLT Bibles open at chapter 13. We're gonna read this and try not to get sick as we do, because here we go. Verse 1 says, Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and to return to his father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. It was the time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray him. Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything, and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table. This is after dinner was finished, he got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and wouldn't have been like a like today, it would be like a jacket, took off his outer robe, and he wrapped a towel around his waist and poured water into a basin, and then he began to wash the disciples' feet, drying them with a towel that he had around him. Now pause. Now, there's a couple of things you need to know about this to create some um just a little bit of extra idea about what's going on. First of all, many people during this time were not wealthy. Most of the disciples were probably not wealthy at all, and because of that, they would not have had bathhouses in their home. Instead, in local villages, they would have a bathhouse, kind of a community bathhouse, where you would go and you would just bathe communally because that's where all the water was. And so you would do that. But then after you would leave that house and you would go to wherever you were going to be, you had to walk through town. And so as you would walk through town, you would get dust on you, you'd probably get manure from animals on you and all this kind of stuff. And so from the kneecap down, you were clean. But by the time you would get from the bathhouse to wherever it is you were going to be, from the kneecap down, you'd be dirty again, right? And so what would happen for houses that could afford it, they would have the lowliest servant, whoever was lowest on that totem pole, they would be the one who was in charge of as a customary offering to people when you would come in, as you would stand there and greet everyone, the lowliest person in the house would come around and would get a wash basin and a towel and would quickly wash off from the kneecap down so that you could be clean everywhere. And so this was not an enviable job. As a matter of fact, most people wouldn't even like, like this was the person like you don't even want to notice is there, right? So the lowliest job ever, Jesus has just taken. That is why verse six says, When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, Lord, are you gonna wash my feet? Jesus replied, You don't understand now what I am doing, but someday you will. No, Peter protested, you will never wash my feet. Unless I wash you, you will not belong to me. And then Simon Peter exclaimed, Then wash my hands and my head as well, Lord, not just my feet. And then that's why you understand what Jesus is saying. A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash except his feet. He is clean. In other words, he's saying, You've already washed yourself, Peter. You're already clean. I am washing the part that gets dirty along the way. You and your disciples are clean, but not all of you, for he knew who would betray him. That is what is meant when he said, Not all of you are clean, which means he also washed Judas' feet. Can you imagine washing the guy's feet who's about to turn you in? Man, you gotta love Jesus. Verse 12. After washing his feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, Do you understand what I was doing? You call me teacher and lord, and you are right, because that is what I am. And since I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other's feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master, nor the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them. So now you also understand why a lot of people do this foot washing thing. As Jesus says, as I have done, you would do. I would argue he is saying, as I have served you, so you should serve each other. But you know, you do your you know, that that that can be debated, right? But here's the thing. You may have 99 problems, but Jesus ain't one of them. He is awesome. Here we go, verse 18. I am not saying these things to all of you. I know the ones I have chosen, but this fulfills the scripture that says, the one who eats my food has turned against me. I tell you this beforehand, so that when this happens, you will believe that I am, remember that I am phrase, I am the Messiah. I tell you the truth. Anyone who welcomes my messenger is welcoming me, and anyone who welcomes me is welcoming the Father who sent me. Now, Jesus was deeply troubled, and he exclaimed, I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me. The disciples looked at each other, wondering who he could mean. The disciple Jesus loved, that's John, the one writing this, was sitting next to Jesus at the table. Simon and Peter motioned to him. Who is he talking about? You know, to ask, Who's he talking about? So the disciple leaned over to Jesus and asked, Lord, who is it? Jesus responded, It is the one whom I give the bread, I dip in the bowl. And when he had dipped it, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. But when Jesus had eaten the bread, when Judas had eaten the bread, Simon uh Satan entered into him. And Jesus told him, Hurry and do what you're going to do. None of the others at the table knew what Jesus meant. Since Judas was the treasurer, some thought Jesus was telling him to go and pay for the food or give it money to the poor. So Judas left at once, going out into the night. And as soon as Judas left the room, Jesus said, The time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory. And God will be glorified because of him. And since God receives glory because of the Son, he will give his own glory to the Son, and He will do so at once. Dear children, I will be with you only a little while longer. And as I told you, the Jewish leaders, um, wait, as I told as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, you cannot come where I am going. So now I give you a new commandment. Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. And your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. Simon Peter asked, Lord, where are you going? And Jesus replied, You can't go with me now, but you will follow me later. Why can't I come, Lord? Jesus he asked, I am ready to die for you. And Jesus answered, Die for me? I tell you the truth, Peter, before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me. So man, there's a lot going on in this chapter. Jesus cleans their feet, including John the Baptist, John the Baptist, Judas Iscariot. Judas leaves, and they didn't even realize they're just so I mean, you imagine Jesus has fed 5,000, he's healed people, he's done all this kind of stuff. Jesus appears to be invincible. Surely he can't die, but Jesus keeps saying, I'm laying my life down. Truly, no one can take it from me, but I'm laying it down because he loves us so very much. But here's the thing he still knows us. You know what's amazing? Jesus washed the feet of Judas, knowing Judas was about to betray him. Jesus washed the feet of Peter, knowing Peter would betray him. You know what I love about Jesus is that no matter how many times we fall, he never gives up on us. And I'm telling you the truth, you may have 99 problems, but Jesus ain't one of them. He is the King, and He is the one who never gives up on us. Let's pray together. Father, thank you so much for your goodness, your kindness, your mercy. Jesus, thank you for coming into this earth, living a sinless life, dying on the cross for us, rising again, and you never give up on us. I pray today we'll experience your life, experience your goodness. In Jesus' name, amen. Don't forget, God's word says in John chapter 30, these things are written that you may continue to believe that Jesus is God, and that by believing in him, you may have a life by the power of his name. I hope you experience that life today. I love you. I'll see you tomorrow for John chapter 14.