June 19 2025

Thursday June 19

Luke 22:14-16 & John 13:1-17

Love, Humility, and Forgiveness

Today, we're continuing to look at Luke chapter 22. We are now in the upper room on Thursday evening with our Lord Jesus Christ and His twelve disciples. They have sat down at the table to eat the Passover meal with Jesus. In verses 14–16, when the hour had come, it says, "…He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. And He said to them, 'With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.'"

Luke doesn’t go into detail about the different aspects of the Passover lamb being eaten, or the different cups that they drink representing certain aspects of the Exodus and redemption, but we know several things took place at this time. The Gospel of John tells us in John 13, before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come—remember, in verse 14 of Luke 22, also mentions when the hour had come—"Jesus knew that this hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father. Having loved His own, He loved them to the end” (John 13:1). This was an expression of the love of the Lord Jesus Christ to the twelve disciples, who had left all to follow Him. But who still can’t seem to get along with each other, and still had so much to learn.

Jesus is going to teach them a lesson about love, humility, and forgiveness. John 13:2-10 goes on to say; “Supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from the supper, laid aside His garments, took a towel, and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. He came to Simon Peter, and Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?” Jesus answered, “What I’m doing you do not understand now, but you’ll know after this.” Peter said, “You’re never going to wash my feet.” Jesus replied, “If I don’t wash you, you have no part with Me.” Peter responded, “Well then, wash me all over.” Jesus said, “You don’t need to be washed all over; only your feet are dirty, and you’re clean, but not all of you.” He was speaking of Judas, referring to their eternal salvation, the fact that all the disciples were saved except for Judas.

Jesus later said to the disciples, “I’ve given you an example that you should do as I’ve done to you. Blessed are you if you do these things” (John 13:17). What was the Lord teaching them? The Lord was teaching them the power of love, humility, and forgiveness. Jesus knew He was going to a cross, and no matter how these disciples acted, deny Him, fail Him, or go the wrong way, He would love them to the end. They were going to find cleansing and forgiveness of their daily sins through His blood. And as He forgave them, they were to forgive one another.

This is very important. Jesus didn’t mean that we are supposed to have a ceremony in our churches or go home and literally wash each other’s feet, wash the neighbors’ feet, or other believers’ feet. He’s speaking of the fact that our feet get dirty as we walk through this world. How do they get dirty? Things happen with people. People say and do things that offend and hurt us. We say and do things that hurt others. And daily and we need to ask for forgiveness and give forgiveness.

I believe that this is what Jesus is teaching: to get rid of our pride, be humble and love and forgive others the way we want Him to love and forgive us. At this point in the supper, Jesus could have displayed His glory and could have asked the disciples to fall at His feet and worship Him, but He didn’t. He took off His garment, put on a servant’s garment, washed their feet, and said, “Now I’ve taught you a lesson. You don’t understand it now, but you’ll understand it later” (John 13:7). Later, when Jesus went to the cross and they heard Him say, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,” they knew it was about forgiveness.

God forgives them through Christ, and they were to love and forgive one another. And as we do that, we keep our feet clean, and honor and glorify the Lord as we love and forgive those who hurt us. In doing this we display Jesus’ love, humility, and forgiveness to the world that desperately needs it!

I trust as you look at this upper room experience, it will transform your life as you do what Jesus has taught us by His own example.

God bless!