Passover: Washed By the Word

Friday, March 30, 2012 (All day)

Do we allow Christ to wash us completely?

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[Darris McNeely] As a Christian, I have observed the New Testament Passover for a number of years. Every year on the anniversary of the death of Jesus Christ, we gather, we take the bread and the wine as the symbols of Christ's body and His blood. It's a commemoration of His death. We also go through a service on that evening in the example of Christ in John 13 where he took water and a basin and towel, girded Himself, and washed His disciples' feet. And in John chapter 13 and verse 8 where that is mentioned, Peter wanted Christ to wash all of his body because he couldn't understand exactly what Christ was doing by kneeling like a servant and washing his feet. And Jesus said in verse 8, He said, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me," as He was talking with Peter (John 13:1-17). That one statement really does resonate if we understand what the totality of the Passover observance really means and we take the bread and the wine, the symbols of Christ's life and death. And that foot washing service, there's a washing impact that really does make us clean when we focus upon what the death of Jesus Christ, His sacrifice, actually does for us spiritually.

[Steve Myers] It's a startling statement to have no part in Christ—none whatsoever. So that leads us to believe it's more than just understanding we're supposed to serve. As we get down and wash one another's feet it's more than that—that in order even to be a servant, we have to be cleansed. We have to have the cleaning up. Our lives have to be cleaned up; sin has to be rooted out and that's only possible through the cleansing that we find through the sacrifice of Christ.

[Darris McNeely] I've always felt very clean on the evening of the Passover service, walking out of the place where that may have been held, understanding what we had just done, reading through the Scriptures, going through the entire service as we focus upon Christ's death and the seriousness of that to our lives and the fact that the penalty to sin can be lifted from us. That washing, that cleansing, is something very important and it's also ongoing.

[Steve Myers] So let's keep that in mind as we keep the Passover this year—that without the cleansing that comes through Jesus Christ, we can't even get started to come out of sin.

[Darris McNeely] That's BT Daily . Join us next time.

6 comments
Submitted on Mar 30, 2012, 8:13 pm

Ken Murray

Ken Murray's picture

Yes, this is a very good point about the footwashing symbolism in the New Covenant Passover ordinance, that Jesus instituted, along with the deep meaning of the eating of the broken unleavened bread, and the drinking of the wine.

Each Passover we partake of the footwashing, as you say, reminds us that by doing this in a worthy humble and repentant spirited manner, we are considered washed and cleansed by God.

It is like a renewal of our baptism and re-commitment to loving God our Father and our Saviour Jesus Christ and to living by God's laws and principles of God's Way of life.

Great message delivered in such a short time.
Thank you for your excellent messages.
May God continue to inspire and bless you in delivering God's truths.



Submitted on Mar 31, 2012, 1:25 am

Ken Murray

Ken Murray's picture

Also, as a supportive comment, in the short time alloted to your very helpful message, I realise you were both highlighting another deeper particular aspect behind the symbolism of doing the foot washing at Passover, and following the example of Jesus Christ. The symbolism of how Jesus washes us and we are forgiven of the death penalty for our sins, when we repent, and have Jesus Christ's sacrifice pay the penalty in our stead, was covered very well. It gives us all something deeper to think about before we partake of Passover, next Thursday evening.

And Jesus said we would be happy if we do these things, at Passover, of the foot washing, eating of the broken unleavened bread, and the drinking of the wine ...all symbolic of very important aspects of the sacrifice Jesus was prepared in love, to make for us.

I know you both also understand the example of humility that Jesus set us, by this very humble service to His disciples of washing their feet, and how we too can experience that kind of humility by washing our fellow brethren's feet and having our feet washed as well.

Is it also true of Passover foot washing, we learn and are reminded of the humility of Jesus and his example, and how in like manner we are to be humble servants of God and humble servants of each other and the people of this world?



Submitted on Mar 31, 2012, 3:09 pm

DRuzzo

DRuzzo's picture

Are you implying that in order to be a true born again Christian and follower of Christ we must wash others feet and have our feet washed? Jesus gave this as an example of servatude, showing that if the master can humble himself, to do what was considered the lowest form of servitude in Israel in those days, we must also be willing to lower ourselves to be a servant. He did not intend us to actually wash others feet, any more than he required us to cut off our hands or pluck out our eyes. Besides, people today in the US do not walk around in sandels through the dirt and dust and get dirty feet. My pastor's children always have dirty feet because they are always playing in the yard with no shoes, Their feet are discusting.



Submitted on Mar 31, 2012, 7:19 pm

Ken Murray

Ken Murray's picture

DRuzzo, yes it is true too, that Jesus as our Master and Lord, showed us His example of humility and loving service to others, by His humble act of washing their feet, at this very special Abib 14 Passover.

Peter, asked a similar question of Jesus:
John 13:8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shall never wash my feet.

Jesus answered him, If I wash you not, you have no part with me."

Peter began to understand the importance of what Jesus, was doing on that eventful Passover, they were keeping. It is something deeper in understanding God and God's way of life, that not only Peter learned, but all of us who keep Passover, as Jesus showed us, have learned as well.

That's why Jesus, after He had washed their feet, went on to give this as a commandment for His disciples, and us that follow in His footsteps, to do likewise.

John 13:13 You call me Master and Lord: and you say well; for so I am.
John 13:14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; you also ought to wash one another's feet.

John 13:17 If ye know these things, happy are you if ye do them.

Some things we learn by reading or hearing.
Some things we learn by doing, and experiencing, as Jesus taught in John 13:17, above.

Personally, i have found Jesus statement to be true, in regard to the symbollic act of footwashing, when we keep Passover each year.

"Happy are you if you do these things", said Jesus.



Submitted on Apr 1, 2012, 12:32 am

Steven Britt

Steven Britt's picture

DRuzzo,

If you took a shower on the day you were baptized, would you still need to be dunked under water? Just as baptism is not about physical cleanliness of our bodies, neither is foot washing about the cleanliness of our feet. I agree that the purpose of the foot washing is antiquated for our culture, but I can say from experience that it teaches an incredible lesson in humility - surprisingly more so for being washed rather than for washing (i.e. learning the lesson that Peter learned from having Christ wash his feet).

Also, John 13:14-15 is pretty clear: "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." Yes, in principle, the lesson is that we need to be willing to do the work of a servant; however, that doesn't free us from following Christ's example to the letter.



Submitted on Apr 5, 2012, 12:48 am

John Klassek

John Klassek's picture

Well presented and clearly articulated. Thank you.

Kind regards,

John
Presenter for MessageWeek
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