Holy Thursday April 17, 2025
“Unless I Wash You” John 13:1-8
Rev. John R. Larson Ascension Lutheran Church Littleton, Colorado
Most people do not like ultimatums. They can be perceived as a threat or a way to control another. This is the definition I found of an ultimatum:
A demand whose fulfillment is requested in a specific period of time, and which is backed up by a threat in case of noncompliance.
Do this, or else!! Do you know that Jesus gave some ultimatums? In Matthew 18, Jesus was asked who is the greatest in the kingdom of God. He called a little child into the room and said, “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Verse 3) Pride and arrogance, having no place for the humility of faith, is deadly.
Another ultimatum is made in our text. It is spoken to Peter. “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” (John 13:8) That is quite a word. That is quite a threat.
Remember what was happening. This day was the day of the Passover. The disciples were going to eat that meal with their Lord. Now you had to be clean to eat the meal. Hands had to be ritually pure. Feet had to be cleansed as well. People wore sandals then. Roads were dusty or muddy. When the Passover meal was to be eaten, physically you had to be ready. You had to be clean.
But none of the Twelve took the place of the servant. Nobody got the basin of water and the towel to dry the feet of those at the meal. Except Jesus. He starts with one of the Apostle’s – maybe John, James, Matthew or Thomas, but square-nosed Peter would have none of it. Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus said to Peter, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” Peter’s response? “No!! You shall never wash my feet.” (See John 13:6-8)
And Jesus gave him the ultimatum. “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” Jesus wasn’t talking about feet. He was talking about the whole person. He was talking about the mind and the soul and the heart and the spirit. He has to wash them all.
What a washing he needed. What a washing we need. Think of how our mind needs a good washing. What dirty desires can fill that space between our ears. What angry and vengeful thoughts can live up there. Haughty ideas and arrogant pride and selfish plans seem to find fertile soil in that mind of ours. It goes from our mind into our heart, sits in our soul, and takes life away from our spirit. Like Paul, who seemed to be great in self-reflection, said, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:25)
What a good day for a washing, though. Today is Holy Thursday, Maundy Thursday. It is a day of washing through the blood of Jesus. Just the other day our Jewish friends celebrated the Passover. The Passover has its beginning with the concept, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” The final plague, the death of the first-born had been spoken. It was an ultimatum. If you had the blood of the lamb on the top and the sides of the door of your house the angel of death would pass over your house, bringing salvation and rescue. But no blood on the door meant the angel of death would visit you. Exodus 12 says, “The blood will be a sign to you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.” (Verse 13)
You need to be washed? You came to the right place today. Jesus said of this meal, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26:28) Strange as it may sound, blood is a cleansing agent. In Revelation 7 the saints of God are before God’s throne, all in white robes. The question comes about who they are and how they got such white robes. This is what we read, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (Verse 14) Ephesians begins with the word, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.” (Ephesians 1:7-8)
When Peter is told that he had to be washed by Jesus he had the most remarkable response, “Then, Lord, not just my feet but my hands and my head as well.” (John 13:9) He went from keeping his Lord away, to inviting Him in. I’ve been at some churches that offer this invitation to come to the Table of our Lord, “Come, the meal is ready. Come, you are welcome here.” When I heard it, I was reminded of Jesus’ words, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28)
“Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” Here He washes you. Here you receive grace, hope, forgiveness and strength for your life. You have a part with Him and He has a part with you. You are connected to Him by faith. You desire what He can do for you, what He can bring to you. And He wants you to have His gifts. He is the generous Father giving you His abundant gifts. God gives this invitation to you:
Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.” (Isaiah 55:1)
This ultimatum turned out well. Peter turned quickly from outside of Jesus to having Him in fullness. And so do we. Every time we come to the Lord’s Table Jesus tells us, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” And every time we say, “Lord, wash not just my feet but my mind, my heart, my soul and my very spirit!!” And He washes it all.
We end this message with an old-time hymn. I think I sang it as a kid. Maybe you know it. It is a hymn about washing – “Nothing but the Blood of Jesus.”
What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
O! precious is the flow that makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Nothing can for sin atone –
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Naught of good that I have done –
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
O! precious is the flow that makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus.
