John 13:5-11

Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. 6 So He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, “Lord, do You wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter.”  8 Peter said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”  9 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.” 10 Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.”  11 For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, “Not all of you are clean.”

That evening, when the Passover was ready, and when they all were seated, Jesus suddenly got up, wrapped a towel around His waist, poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet.

Peter (and I think all of the disciples) was embarrassed and shocked that Jesus would stoop so low as to wash their feet. But Jesus had a different purpose in mind than mere physical washing. He was by this act cleansing them spiritually. When Jesus said to Peter “What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter” and also when He said, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me,” these words were to indicate to them a spiritual cleansing, so that they would be acceptable to God. I’m sure they did not fully realize His actions, but later they would.

Peter here, after Jesus said to him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me,” was eager to have Jesus wash him—all of him; for he very much wanted to have fellowship with Jesus and come into His kingdom.

But Jesus not only was demonstrating a spiritual cleansing, but also a lesson in humble service; for in verses 14 and 15 He said that He as their Lord and Teacher was giving them an example to follow (read 1 Pt. 5:3).