“Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.” (John 13:8)
Jesus taught His disciples that if they were going to have a partnership with Him, they would have to keep clean feet. Jesus not only demonstrated servanthood by washing His disciple’s feet. He also pointed them to priestly cleansing. In the Old Testament world in which the disciples grew up, the priests had to continually wash their feet for priestly service. The function of the furniture called the laver is what Jesus called their attention to. The laver was the instrument for continuous foot washing. “You have to keep clean feet to follow me!” Jesus says.
The Old Testament priests also needed clean feet or they would die:
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein. For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat: When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the LORD: So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute for ever to them, even to him and to his seed throughout their generations. (Exodus 30:17-21)
CLEANSING AND THE PRIEST:
Priesthood Started With The Bath of Salvation.
Leviticus 8:6 And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water.
The priest, upon entry into his ministry, was ceremonially bathed head to toe. Upon a believer’s salvation, God performs the same, “washing of regeneration” (Tit. 3:5). When we put our faith in Jesus for our soul’s salvation, we are washed by the blood of Christ (I John 1:7), saved from the penalty of sin (Rom. 3:21-27), and clothed with the garments of a royal priesthood (I Peter 2:9).
John 13:10-11 Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.
At the foot-washing in John 13, Jesus stated, “Ye are washed but not all.” Eleven of His disciples were saved, but Judas was not washed (“For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean”).
I Corinthians 6:9-11 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
The Bathed Priest Washed His Hands and Feet Continually as He Ministered In God’s Presence.
The bathed priest ministered on a dirt floor. He had to wash his feet continually to enjoy a partnership with God. You and I also live in a dirty world. As we go about serving the Lord, the grime of the world, the flesh, and the devil cling to us. We must wash our feet!
The Old Testament priest in his ministry was privileged to experience the sacrifice at the altar, the washing at the laver, the light from the candlestick, the bread from the table of shewbread, smell the incense of the altar, and see the glory of God above the mercy seat. But remember all those things could only be enjoyed as he kept clean feet: “So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not:”
Each piece of furniture in the tabernacle represents aspects of Christ’s ministry and our spiritual benefits. Jesus is “the Door” we enter to get into the tabernacle. Jesus is our sacrifice at the brazen altar, “The Lamb of God” (John 1:36). Jesus “The Water of Life” washes us at the laver. We partake of “The Bread of Life” daily as Jesus is our spiritual sustenance. Jesus is our Candlestick, He is “The Light of the World,” thatilluminates us. We enjoy the sweet incense of prayer, and as we “boldly approach the throne of grace.” These “pleasures forevermore” are experienced as we keep clean feet: “If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me!”
THE TWO ELEMENTS OF THE LAVER:
Bronze Symbolizes Judgement.
Exodus 38:8 “And he made the laver of brass, and the foot of it of brass, of the looking-glasses of the women assembling, which assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.”
Bronze is a symbol of judgment in the Bible. Made of women’s bronze-looking glasses, a priest could look into the laver and see his perfect reflection. Only there could a priest spot dirt in his life that needed cleansing. The Laver was a place of self-judgment.
As we look into God’s perfect Word, we see our true reflection. Only in God’s Word can we truly practice self-judgment. Only there can we be clean.
“But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.” (I Corinthians 11:28-31)
Water Symbolizes Washing:
At the laver, the priest could identify his faults, and wash with the water held in its basin.
The Bible condemns but also cleanses. Seeing our reflection in the mirror of God’s Word we confess our sin to God. When we confess we agree with God about our sin. We see our sin through God’s eyes and ask Him to forgive us.
Psalms 199:9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. Christ cleanses His bride by the word:
Ephesians 5:25-26 … cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
John 15:3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
Proverbs 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
Jesus knew that all of His disciples would fail Him often, and desperately needed constant cleansing to be a partner with Him. (James 1:19-27).
Every day we should be in the laver of the Bible and throughout the day we must stop at the laver and have our Savior wash our feet.
John 13:8 “…Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.”
Proverbs 28:9 He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.
Psalms 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: