John 13:6 – “He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord, are you going to wash my feet?'”

Extended Explanation

In this verse, Jesus has begun washing His disciples’ feet when He comes to Simon Peter. But instead of silently allowing Jesus to serve him, Peter reacts with shock and resistance. His words—”Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”—show his confusion and discomfort with the situation.

Peter could not comprehend why Jesus, his Master and Lord, would stoop so low as to perform the duty of a servant. Washing feet was a lowly task, reserved for the least important person in a household. From Peter’s perspective, this act was completely upside-down—shouldn’t the disciples be serving Jesus, not the other way around?

This question from Peter reveals his struggle to understand Jesus’ mission. He recognized Jesus’ authority and believed in Him as the Messiah, but he still had a human perspective on power and leadership. In Peter’s mind, Jesus should not be humbling Himself in such a way.

This moment is important because it represents how people often struggle to accept the way Jesus works. We expect strength, but He shows humility. We want to earn our place, but He offers grace. We resist when He calls us to receive from Him, but this is the only way to truly follow Him.

Historical Context

At the time of the Last Supper, foot washing was a normal, practical necessity in the Middle East. People wore sandals and walked on dusty roads, making their feet dirty from travel. A host would provide water, and usually, a servant would wash the guests’ feet. However, in this case, no servant was present, and none of the disciples volunteered to do the task.

For Jesus, the Messiah, to take on this servant’s role was unheard of. In Jewish culture, students honored their teachers and would never expect them to perform a task so lowly. Even among the disciples, this was likely seen as shocking.

Peter, always quick to speak, gives voice to what the others were probably thinking—“This doesn’t make sense. Why would our Lord serve us like this?” His reaction captures the difficulty many had (and still have) in understanding Jesus’ ways.

Theological Implications

1. God’s Kingdom is Upside-Down – Human thinking assumes that leaders should be served, but Jesus taught that true leadership is found in serving others (Mark 10:43-45).
2. Humility is Essential in Following Christ – Peter’s resistance shows how pride can sometimes prevent us from fully accepting Jesus’ work in our lives. To follow Him, we must be willing to let Him serve us first.
3. We Must Receive Before We Can Give – Before we can serve others, we must first allow Jesus to cleanse and transform us. Peter wanted to serve Jesus, but he first needed to let Jesus serve him.

Literary Analysis

This verse is a turning point in the foot-washing narrative. Up until now, Jesus has silently taken on the role of a servant, but Peter’s question interrupts the moment and sets up a deeper lesson.

Peter often speaks impulsively in the Gospels, and here again, his words show his passionate but incomplete understanding of Jesus. His question introduces the tension in the passage—how can the Master become the Servant? This tension will lead into Jesus’ explanation that unless Peter allows this act, he has “no part” with Jesus (John 13:8).

John’s Gospel frequently contrasts human expectations with divine reality. Here, Peter’s expectations of what a leader should do clash with the truth of Jesus’ mission. The verse challenges the reader to reconsider what true greatness looks like.

Biblical Cross-References

• Matthew 20:26-28 – “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
• Philippians 2:5-7 – “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant.”
• Isaiah 55:8-9 – “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
• John 13:8 – “‘No,’ said Peter, ‘you shall never wash my feet.’ Jesus answered, ‘Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.’”

What This Verse Means for Today’s Christian

Many of us, like Peter, struggle to accept Jesus on His terms. We want to prove our worth, contribute to our salvation, or resist receiving something from Him that feels undeserved. But Jesus’ ways are different from ours. He calls us to humility, not self-sufficiency.

This verse reminds us that before we can serve Christ, we must first allow Him to serve us. Before we can love others as He loved, we must receive His love fully.

It also challenges us to rethink what leadership and greatness look like. The world tells us that being important means being in charge, but Jesus shows that true greatness is found in serving others.

How This Verse Relates to a Loving God

God’s love is not distant or prideful—it is humble and personal. He does not sit in heaven waiting for people to prove themselves worthy. Instead, He comes to us, bends down, and serves us in ways we don’t expect.

Peter’s question—“Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”—reflects the amazement we should all have when we consider God’s love. Why would the Lord of the universe care about us personally? Why would He serve us when He deserves to be served? The answer is simple: because He loves us.

How This Verse Connects to Jesus Christ

This verse highlights two key aspects of Jesus’ identity:

1. Jesus as the Humble Servant – Though He is the Son of God, He takes on the role of a servant to teach His followers how to love (John 13:14-15).
2. Jesus as the One Who Cleanses Us – The foot-washing was not just about humility; it symbolized the spiritual cleansing that Jesus would provide through His death (John 13:8-10).

Ultimately, Jesus was showing Peter that His mission was to serve, cleanse, and transform. If Peter did not accept this, he could not truly follow Jesus. The same is true for us today.

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

1. Why do you think Peter was uncomfortable with Jesus washing his feet?
2. Are there ways in which we resist Jesus’ work in our lives?
3. How does this verse challenge the world’s ideas about leadership and power?
4. In what ways can we follow Jesus’ example of humility in our daily lives?
5. What does it mean for us to allow Jesus to “wash” us today?

John 13:6 reminds us that Jesus’ ways are different from our expectations. He is not a leader who demands to be served but one who serves in love. May we learn from Peter’s question and be willing to receive all that Christ wants to do in our lives.