Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come
to pass from this world to the Father.
He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end.
The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over.
So, during supper,
fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power
and that he had come from God and was returning to God,
he rose from supper and took off his outer garments.
He took a towel and tied it around his waist.
Then he poured water into a basin
and began to wash the disciples’ feet
and dry them with the towel around his waist.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him,
“Master, are you going to wash my feet?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“What I am doing, you do not understand now,
but you will understand later.”
Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered him,
“Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.”
Simon Peter said to him,
“Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well.”
Jesus said to him,
“Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed,
for he is clean all over;
so you are clean, but not all.”
For he knew who would betray him;
for this reason, he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

So when he had washed their feet
and put his garments back on and reclined at table again,
he said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you?
You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am.
If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet,
you ought to wash one another’s feet.
I have given you a model to follow,
so that as I have done for you, you should also do.” Jn 13:1-15

What a model he was indeed. Here we are, on the feast of the Passover, knowing he was about to die, and Jesus still was being a teacher, a mentor, a guide, and above all, he was acting as a servant. Washing someone’s feet was usually reserved for the lowest servant of a household. Jesus lowered himself to the lowest position possible, and washed the feet of the twelve. There is no account of Jesus skipping Judas because he already knew he would betray Him. No, he washed everyone just the same.

Even in the hour of His forthcoming death, he was still obeying God and His commands. He was not filled with anxiety or depressed by anything, no, he continued to use the moments to teach his disciples the importance of the messages he had been conveying. How amazing is that? I know, if it was me, because of how my mind is wired, I would have struggled with that. I struggle with changing of plans and things not going exactly my way. It happened to me just this week. I can only pray for myself to be as steady on the course that God is providing as Jesus was. Seriously, how much conviction must he have had? To know, looking right in the eyes of His betrayer, yet, still giving him the opportunity to change his mind. He threw all the hints in the world, yet, in the end, it still happened exactly as He knew it would. Even so, He still was preaching, right up until the very end. Every time I think of that, I am still amazed.

Easter is coming!