The Meaning of Foot Washing

12 When Jesus had washed their feet and put on his outer clothing, he reclined again and said to them, “Do you know what I have done for you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are speaking rightly, since that is what I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.(A) 15 For I have given you an example,(B) that you also should do just as I have done for you.

16 “Truly I tell you, a servant is not greater than his master,[a](C) and a messenger is not greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.(D)

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Footnotes

  1. 13:16 Or lord

12 So when he had washed their feet and taken his outer clothing and reclined at table again, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done for you? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you speak correctly, for I am. 14 If then I—your[a] Lord and Teacher—wash your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that just as I have done for you, you also do. 16 Truly, truly I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you understand these things, you are blessed if you do them.

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Footnotes

  1. John 13:14 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun

12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’(A) and ‘Lord,’(B) and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.(C) 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.(D) 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master,(E) nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.(F)

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