Church Identity and Perpetuity Part 14

As soon as Jesus and his disciples finished the bread and wine, Jesus got up and established the practice of washing the saints’ feet that the Primitive Baptists practice today. To get the full picture of the life and teaching of Christ, we must combine the accounts of all the Gospels and epistles because no one evangelist told every detail that we’re supposed to know and do. It’s the same with communion. Although Matthew, Mark, and Luke cover the symbolism of the bread and wine, they don’t cover the feet-washing; and although John covers the feet-washing, he doesn’t cover the bread and wine. When we come together to commemorate our blessed Redeemer in communion, we ought to wash each other’s feet, because he told us to.

The narrative is found in John 13:1-17. What Jesus did is illustrate humility, service, and brotherly love by establishing this ceremonial practice. I think it’s a sad mistake that so many church’s do not continue this practice because there isn’t more powerful image of service and love than in this ceremony.

It was a common thing for servants to wash the feet of the master and his guests when they came in to the house. But what happened here was more than that. We know he was continuing the communion ceremony, because if he was just showing another example of serving his brethren in a practical way, he would have washed their feet when they needed it—before supper. This occurred after supper ended. When Peter questioned him, the Lord responded that Peter didn’t yet know what he was doing, but that he would know hereafter. When Peter tried to stop him from humbling himself, he said that unless he washed his feet, he had no part with him. This is more than another example of service. It’s a ceremony showing the bonds of service that members of the church owe each other in washing the sin and offense from their walk.

Jesus intends for his church to continue this ceremony because he said, “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.” There isn’t a clearer way to state that command from the Head of the church—the practice should continue.

Like baptism (to adults by immersion), washing each other’s feet is something that goes against the grain of our nature. It is reprehensible to human nature. So, there is no wonder that people would explain it away. But there is nothing so joyful and sweet that we can experience than when we submit ourselves to the feet of our brethren and watch them do the same to us. I have scarcely ever gotten through this service without seeing a grown man cry with joy and love for his brethren. We have tasted the Lord’s promise in vs 17: “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.”