“After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.” John 13:5 (NIV)

Editor’s Note: Today’s devotion is part of a special series for Holy Week! From March 24 (Palm Sunday) to March 31 (Easter Sunday), each devotion will focus on the events leading up to Jesus’ resurrection. We pray these words will prepare your heart and mind for the celebration of our risen Savior.

“What do you want your family, friends and colleagues to say about you at your funeral?”

I was in a mandatory staff workshop, hoping the time would pass quickly. But this question got my attention.

I thought about the list of achievements and accolades I hoped to accomplish by the end of my life … But in the end, this is what I hoped people would say: “Kia was a loving mother, a devoted wife and a faithful friend.”

The goal of this exercise was to help participants focus on living with the end in view. I believe this also may have been Jesus’ mindset on Holy Thursday.

Jesus knew His time on earth was limited. He could have used the day before His death to recount the miracles He had performed, review parables He wanted His disciples to remember, or list the people He had healed.

But instead of making the end of His life about Himself, He made it about others:

“So he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him” (John 13:4-5, NIV).

When Jesus removed His outer garment, revealing the robe closest to His skin, He demonstrated unusual vulnerability. His outer robe identified Him as a rabbi, but He exchanged that title for the title of slave or servant, someone who washed the feet of a wealthy master when he returned home from traveling.

Washing feet was not the job of a Savior, but Jesus willingly did it for the man who betrayed Him and the men who would disown Him. He washed their dirty, smelly feet as a selfless act of love and servitude. With a basin of water and a towel wrapped around His waist, Jesus washed feet that walked everywhere in open-toed sandals.

In His final moments with the disciples, Jesus modeled the way He wanted to be remembered: not as a king expecting to be served but as a slave humbly serving.

Jesus knew men and women all over the world would one day choose to place their faith in the God who left heaven and came to earth to serve. He knew that applause, admiration and acclaim would not impact these souls, but His taking on the nature of a servant would. He had His death in view, and our lives are forever changed by His choice to serve.

Our Savior’s decision to clothe Himself in humility is an invitation for us to do the same. Christ invites us to die to ourselves daily through serving others.

No matter the accomplishments we amass or the accolades we receive, we can choose to take on the nature of a servant, just like Christ. A decision to do so will drastically change the world.

Dear God, thank You for demonstrating humility and sacrificial love on my behalf. Help me to choose a life of service in gratitude for all You have done for me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

OUR FAVORITE THINGS

God not only has the whole world in His hands; He’s holding every detail of your life as well. We can fix our thoughts on God’s Word and sleep with ease, knowing that He has it all under control. Through our newest devotional book, Clear Mind, Peaceful Heart: 50 Devotions for Sleeping Well in a World Full of Worry, you can find relief from anxious thoughts, daily stress, and the heaviness of hard situations through encouraging devotions and guided prayers written by women just like you.

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Download a FREE chapter of Kia’s book here, and join her on her YouTube channel as she delves deeper into the topic of “A Choice To Serve.”

FOR DEEPER STUDY

John 13:6, “He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord, are you going to wash my feet?’” (NIV).

How does Christ’s choice to serve challenge you to serve others? Share your thoughts in the comments.

© 2024 by Kia Stephens. All rights reserved.