“Peter protested, ‘You will never ever wash my feet!’ Jesus replied, ‘Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.’”
John 13:8 (NLT)
Jesus knew His time had come. He knew He was leaving this world and returning to the Father. He knew God had given Him authority over everything. And because He knew exactly who He was, He did something shocking—He got up from the table and went to the lowest place in the room.
Jesus didn’t leverage His authority to demand honor. He used it to serve. He wrapped a towel around His waist, poured water into a basin, and began washing feet caked with dirt and grime. And when He dried their feet, the dirt didn’t just stay in the basin. It transferred onto the towel wrapped around His body. This is the gospel. Our sin doesn’t simply disappear—it is taken onto Jesus Himself.
When He comes to Peter, Peter resists. “You will never ever wash my feet!” But Jesus answers with words that carry eternal weight: “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.” This wasn’t about hygiene. This was about salvation. Unless you are washed by Jesus—by His blood, His sacrifice, His cross—you do not belong to Him.
Many of us respond like Peter. “I’m not worthy.” “Don’t touch that part of my life.” “I’ll clean myself up first.” But you cannot belong to Jesus while refusing to be washed by Him. Belonging begins with surrender. Eternal life is settled when we let Jesus do what only He can do.
Peter changes his answer in the very next breath. “Then wash all of me.” Some of us need to change our answer today. Let Him wash you completely. Let Him cleanse you fully. And when you belong to Jesus, everything changes.