Join hosts Rolf Jacobson, Karoline Lewis, and Kathryn Schifferdecker for an intimate exploration of John 13:1-17, where Jesus washes his disciples' feet on the final night before his crucifixion. This episode unpacks one of the Gospel of John's most profound acts of love—a moment that transforms our understanding of servanthood, sacrifice, and what it means to love "to the end."

Discover why the foot washing appears after dinner rather than at arrival, what connects this scene to Mary's anointing of Jesus in John 12, and why this act of love is directed toward both faithful disciples and those who will betray and deny him. Karoline Lewis explains the unique chronology of John's Gospel, where chapters 13-17 cover a single night—the same narrative space that chapters 1-12 use for three years of ministry.

In This Episode:

* The cultural context of foot washing and why Jesus performs this act after the meal

* How Mary's anointing of Jesus in John 12 foreshadows and connects to the foot washing

* Why there's no Lord's Supper in John's Gospel and what replaces it

* The theological significance of "loved them to the end" (εἰς τέλος - eis telos)

* Why Jesus washes the feet of Judas (his betrayer) and Peter (his denier)

* The relationship between the foot washing and the love commandment

* Personal stories of servanthood that embody Jesus' example

* Whether foot washing should be considered a sacrament

Mentioned in this episode:

Epiphany Working Preacher Support