So this evening, I would like to look with you at seven commands the Lord Jesus gave to His disciples, and that's important for us to stop and say, Well, you know, what commands are important to us most of them are profound statements of what we should do and what we should be before the world, that we should be toward each other in the assembly, and of course, before the Lord. And so there are three aspects of these commands that relate to us as we walk from earth to glory as we contemplate all of the truths that are taught in the upper room discourse.


Wash one another’s feet
And so the first command that is given to us is found in the text that I read. This is what you ought to do, and that is to wash one another's feet. So now we were faced with something of a difficulty, aren't we? Because most of us are in gatherings of believers in assemblies, where foot washing is not practiced. And yet, if we look at this carefully, we hear the Lord Jesus saying to His disciples, I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you. And he says to us very clearly, that is our responsibility. Now there are principles of hermeneutics that help us understand which of these responsibilities are to be practiced in the church. There aren't any of us who are listening to this evening who would say well, it's important. it's just a cultural thing. It's not something that we do. And I understand that, and many others do as well. But when we read the Scripture carefully and we understand what the scripture is saying, we must at least address the issue.

Are we responsible as believers in Jesus Christ, to respond to this command? and to be obedient? There aren't any of us who would say the Lord's Supper isn't important. It's a cultural thing. When we come to First Corinthians chapter 11, in describing the Lord's Supper and the role of women in the head covering and, and other things, we accept that those are commands that are to be obeyed. And so as I look at this, I want us to try to understand how it is that Christ in the upper room, probably already has instituted the Lord's Supper? Maybe foot washing was the first ingredient and was necessary in order for the disciples heart and mind to be with Christ before they took the Lord's supper or before they experienced the Passover. But as we look at this the result of washing each other's feet is the great subject of cleansing. Yes, of course, it was cultural because these disciples would have made their way from perhaps various parts of the city of Jerusalem, and they wouldn't have been paved highways there wouldn't have been socks, there wouldn't have been shoes, they all would have had sandals.

And so it was culturally acceptable to bring somebody into your house for instance, and a servant would offer to wash the feet and refresh the feet of those visitors and guests that came to your house. Let not your heart be troubled. So, when we look at this, we try to understand what it is that the Lord Jesus is trying to teach his disciples, who have gathered from various parts in Jerusalem at an appointed time. Lord Jesus said it’s just a good time to gather with my disciples. And so they gather reclining on their couches around probably, maybe a round table, or maybe even a rectangular one. The feet of each of the disciples would be hanging over as it were, the end of the couch, so that a servant could normally go around the outskirts of those disciples in and wash their feet and it would be if it was a hot, warm time, it would be a refreshing experience, but this of course took place near the Passover, which would be the winter for those in Israel.

So, we look at this and we try to understand what is it that the Lord Jesus Christ is saying? I think more than anything else, as He has said elsewhere, I am among you as one that serves. Philippians tells us He took upon himself the form of the servant that was made in the likeness of men. And the Apostle Paul picks that up and says, I am a bond slave of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so more than anything else we can perhaps learn that the cleansing of the feet of the disciples was so important, particularly on this particular occasion, and regarding the washing of the disciples feet, He said, You don't need to take a bath. You did that this morning. Or you did this once a day or whenever, whenever you did, but because your feet are walking in the dust and dirt of Jerusalem, your feet have become defiled. And so there is that opportunity for a guest at home or the disciples on this occasion, to have their feet washed, and to recognize the need of washing their feet regularly, daily, maybe several times a day if they were going from one house to the other.

And so, the Lord Jesus is trying to teach us as believers 2000 years later, that there are times when we need to have our feet washed. We take a bath once for all when we trusted Jesus Christ as our Savior. And we were cleansed from all unrighteousness, but our feet have been in the world, our feet have been mixing with society. And there are things that we have done and that we have said that are inconsistent with the Christian life and it's like our feet are dirty and need to be washed. And so that is a responsibility that we have to each other. He doesn't say that we're to wash our own feet, though we could certainly do that. But the character of welcoming somebody into your home and bringing them in, we might do it with a cup of coffee or tea or iced tea in South Carolina, or some other expression of our gracious concern for them. But on that day, it was to wash their feet. And so, we ask ourselves as we consider this scripture, why are we so convinced that the celebration of the Lord's Supper is something we should do and do weekly, but the washing of the feet of our brothers and sisters, something we never do?

And I would like to ask that the Scripture does present for us some principles of hermeneutics where, in the gospels the lesson is given to us. It's taught, it may be commanded, as in the case of the Lord's Supper and of foot washing. And then we move into the book of Acts and say, Is there any occasion, evidence that this particular action by the local church and we have one reference that we saw, then we ask, is there some teaching or instruction about the meaning and the proper practice? And of course, we asked that about the Lord's Supper, we say yes, it's in the Gospels. We find it in the book of acts on a couple of occasions. And of course, First Corinthians presents to us these specific details as far as possible, of what the Lord's Supper should be. Then we asked do we have the same thing in the issue of washing feet? And the answer, of course, is no, we don't have the same specific issues. We have it in the gospels in the Gospel of John, very detailed. We have, I think, one reference to it, or inference of it in the book of Acts, and then I think we miss out on the specific details of its meaning, of its purpose, of how frequent it should be, and so forth.

So, we must ask ourselves, Is there a New Testament principle that would help us to understand whether or not this is something we should practice, you know, week by week, as we do the Lord's Supper? And the answer, of course, is brought out if you are clean through the words which I have spoken unto you. And so we read again the washing of water by the word, and we have other references and inferences, that perhaps our study of the Word of God and our understanding of the truth of the Word of God becomes the agent for our cleansing when we come as we gather this evening to understand and appreciate the Word of God, we may have come with dirty feet, our feet may have been affected by our walk in the world today. Therefore, when we come, the word of God is applied to our lives and to our behavior to our conduct. And there is a sense in which we might give a word of encouragement or comfort or strengthening or maybe rebuke, or exhortation to a brother or sister when we come together and that is the washing of water by the word.

And so, I think we are right, and I think we are reasonable, when we consider this command, do this, because I have done it to you that it can be done in a spiritual way. I'm not saying that it wouldn't be out of order for an assembly, the gathering of believers to practice, once a quarter or spontaneously or somehow some way to continue this practice of, but it's a command to wash one another's feet. And we admit that when we must admit that they're dirty. We must admit even as we come to the Lord's Supper, to confess our sins, to the Lord to one another, so that we might partake of the Lord's Supper in a worthy manner. And so the word in season is the cleansing element that we can use day by day and week by week in the lives of each other. And there must be change, because these believers then could partake of the Lord's supper with their feet washed and the lesson was learned.