It was the evening before the Passover feast, and the air in Jerusalem was thick with anticipation. The city bustled with pilgrims who had come from near and far to celebrate the sacred festival. The disciples, too, were gathered with Jesus in an upper room, a quiet and private space where they could share a meal together. The room was dimly lit by oil lamps, their flickering light casting soft shadows on the walls. The table was set with simple fare—unleavened bread, bitter herbs, and a bowl of wine—yet the atmosphere was charged with significance. Jesus knew that His time had come. He had always known, from the very beginning, that this moment would arrive. But now, as He sat among His closest friends, the weight of what lay ahead pressed heavily upon His heart.
The disciples, unaware of the gravity of the hour, were engaged in their usual banter. Some were arguing about who among them was the greatest, their voices rising and falling in the small room. Others were quietly observing, their thoughts perhaps drifting to the events of the past few days—the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the cleansing of the temple, the growing tension with the religious leaders. But Jesus, seated at the head of the table, was silent. His eyes moved from one disciple to another, lingering on each face as though memorizing every detail. These were the men He had chosen, the ones who had left everything to follow Him. They had walked with Him, eaten with Him, laughed and wept with Him. And yet, even now, they did not fully understand who He was or what He was about to do.
Suddenly, Jesus stood up. The room fell silent as all eyes turned to Him. Without a word, He removed His outer garment, leaving Him clad in a simple tunic. Then, taking a towel, He tied it around His waist. The disciples watched in confusion as He poured water into a basin and knelt before them. It was an act so unexpected, so humble, that it left them speechless. Jesus, their Teacher and Lord, was preparing to wash their feet.
Peter, always the first to speak, broke the silence. “Lord, are You going to wash my feet?” he asked, his voice tinged with disbelief. Jesus looked up at him, His eyes filled with both love and sorrow. “You do not realize now what I am doing,” He replied, “but later you will understand.” Peter shook his head vehemently. “No,” he said, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus paused, His hands resting on the basin. “Unless I wash you,” He said gently, “you have no part with Me.” At these words, Peter’s resistance melted away. “Then, Lord,” he said, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” Jesus smiled faintly. “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet,” He explained. “Their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” He said this because He knew who was going to betray Him.
One by one, Jesus moved around the table, washing the feet of His disciples. The room was filled with the sound of splashing water and the soft rustle of the towel as He dried their feet. The disciples watched in awe, their hearts stirred by the profound humility of their Master. When He had finished, Jesus returned to His place at the table and put His outer garment back on. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” He asked. “You call Me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”
The disciples sat in stunned silence, their hearts heavy with the weight of His words. Jesus, sensing their unease, sought to comfort them. “I am not referring to all of you,” He said. “I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has turned against me.’ I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am. Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts Me; and whoever accepts Me accepts the One who sent Me.”
As the meal continued, Jesus grew deeply troubled in spirit. “Very truly I tell you,” He said, “one of you is going to betray Me.” The disciples looked at one another, their faces filled with shock and disbelief. “Surely not I, Lord?” each one asked in turn. Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, He gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. “What you are about to do, do quickly,” Jesus told him. But no one at the table understood why Jesus said this to him. Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival or to give something to the poor. As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.
When Judas was gone, Jesus spoke again. “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. If God is glorified in Him, God will glorify the Son in Himself, and will glorify Him at once.” His voice was filled with both sorrow and resolve. “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for Me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.” Peter, ever impulsive, leaned forward. “Lord, where are You going?” he asked. Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.” Peter’s face darkened. “Lord, why can’t I follow You now?” he demanded. “I will lay down my life for You!” Jesus looked at him with deep compassion. “Will you really lay down your life for Me?” He asked. “Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown Me three times.”
The room fell silent once more, the weight of Jesus’ words hanging heavy in the air. The disciples, though they did not fully understand, could sense that something momentous was about to happen. And as they sat together in that upper room, the flickering light of the oil lamps casting long shadows on the walls, they clung to the presence of their Master, knowing that the hours ahead would change everything.
