Why Jesus washed the feet of Judas

Have you ever wondered why Jesus washed the feet of Judas? It’s always been part of the story, but sometimes, we don’t pay attention to the details when we’re so familiar with a story.

But this year, I really stopped to consider why the evening unfolded the way it did. As I was reflecting on rejection and Christ’s work on the cross, I read the four gospel accounts of the last supper and betrayal: Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22, John 13.

While I really appreciate the style and perspective of all four gospels, John is especially beautiful.

John writes more lyrically and emotionally, which speaks to my heart, but also was very detailed. Only John 13 tells the beautiful story of Jesus washing the disciples feet.

John 13 ESV Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.² During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, ³ Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, ⁴ rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. ⁵ Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

The first thing I noticed is Jesus love for his own. 

He loved those the Father had given him. He loved them to the very end. This group included Judas, even though he knew the darkness within him.

The devil had already been at work on Judas’ heart. Satan had been worming his way in through greed and pride. But it was this night Judas surrendered control over his heart to Satan and planned to betray Jesus.

Jesus knew what was in Judas’s heart. He could have sent him away before they went to the upper room.

But He did not exclude Judas from the meal. Instead, Jesus washed the feet of Judas, the one who would betray him momentarily. I cannot imagine the hurt and turmoil Jesus experienced in that moment. Then they shared the first communion, the message of the coming hope in the body and blood of Christ.

Jesus subtly confronts Judas at this point, as they are dipping the bread in the wine, even though only they two know what is happening.

But I question why Jesus washed the feet of Judas?

God must have wanted to give him every opportunity to recognize the Christ and submit to his authority.

Judas must have struggled emotionally while Jesus washed his feet. I can’t imagine how he fought internally to justify his choice.

Washing the feet of someone was an incredibly personal and meaningful act of humble servitude. Jesus taught the disciples that this was how they were to care for each other in the future. He also used the act to allegorically explain how He would cleanse them from sin.

But Jesus included Judas because God also wanted us to see how He loves us to the very end; until we choose to completely harden our hearts, God chases after us.

Jesus knelt in front of the ultimate betrayer and loved him, demonstrated humility and service, spoke of His coming sacrifice, and let Judas go.

Without argument, Jesus let Judas go.

In our lives, we will have times we are the betrayer and others in which we are the betrayed.

God wanted us to see this one scene so that we can know God will come after us as long as we are reachable. At some point, if we live in rebellion to the truth, God will let us go.

And sometimes, we will need to let people go. We will serve them, love them, rebuke them, disciple them, and they will still reject us and God.

Judas walked with Jesus for three years. He witnessed the miracles. He heard Jesus’s teaching. Yet, rejected him to the point of sending Jesus to the cross.

We will have people in our lives who reject us because of who Christ has called us to be. While it will break our hearts, we need to let them go like Jesus did for Judas, trusting that God won’t let them go even if we need to for now.

The way Jesus loved Judas until the end helps me trust God with those who’ve rejected me or rejected Christ in me.

I can’t know what is in a person’s heart like Jesus did, but I can know the heart of Jesus. My job is to serve and love and pray for those in my life and trust God to chase after them as long as there is hope.

But sometimes I have to leave them in the Father’s hands.

No one alive today truly knows what Jesus was thinking that evening as He knelt to serve his betrayer, but we can learn how to love even those who reject us.