April 16, 2019 - Washed Away

Washed Away

Guilty, I'm guilty

It was all that I could say

Mercy, Your mercy

Crashed in like the waves

And all my sin was washed away, washed away

You took them all, there's not a trace

I stand here free, with every stain

Forever washed away

Spotless, spotless

Whiter than the snow

Your blood, Your blood

Covers me I'm whole

Oh precious is the flow

That makes me white as snow

No other fount I know

Nothing but the blood of Jesus

Words and Music: Michael W. Smith, Michael Farren
©2018 Farren Love and War Pub., Integrity’s Alleluia! Music, This Is Your Time Music (Admin. By Capitol CMG Publishing)

Washed Away

John 13.1-20

You have to love guys like Peter, right? You know, the guy that says what everyone else is thinking, no matter who he is addressing. The truth is, I don’t think I fault Peter when I read John 13. These men had given up their very lives to follow Jesus, had witnessed some extraordinary healings, heard the most profound teaching, and, at least for Peter with James and John, had seen Moses and Elijah with Jesus (Luke 9.28-36). Why on earth would He be the one to wash their feet?

As with everything Jesus did in the three years He had His disciples walking with Him, He was not wasting an opportunity to demonstrate Who He was and why He had come. Jesus is compassionate with Peter and the disciples, just as He is with us and says, “I know you don’t get it right now. You don’t have to. Just trust Me and you will begin to see what it all means” (v. 7, my paraphrase). No, Peter still wasn’t having it. Jesus was NOT his servant, so Jesus would NOT be the foot washer in the room.

It is in Jesus’ stern but compassionate answer to Peter that we truly see what is going on: “If I do no wash you, you have no part with Me” (v. 8, NASB). Jesus has to wash His disciples. Jesus is the only One that can cleanse. Jesus did not come to start a revolution, teach some good things about God, and heal sick people. Yes, those things happened, but He came to wash us. To cleanse us. To purify us. In this passage it is water on feet, but in the narrative of the Gospel, it is our hearts and lives with His blood.

Our choir has presented us the song you read on the previous page, “Washed Away.” In the lyrics you see the beauty of what the blood of Christ did: He washed away our sins. If we do not allow Jesus to wash us, then we have no part with Him. 

What an amazing act of love and servitude our Savior displayed on that night. He took the position of the lowest servant and lovingly washed the feel of all 12 disciples. That’s right, this took place before Judas left the scene. Even though Jesus knew that Judas was going to hand Him over, He still served him. How is that for a lesson in how the love of Christ washes our sins and sets us up to selflessly serve others?

Maybe today is the day that we look at our foot washing, sin cleansing Savior and ask, “Who would You have me serve?” Or even, “Who has set their hand against me, but You are asking me to love?”

Pray: Lord Jesus, it is easy to love the lovable and to serve those close to me. Sometimes it is even easy to serve strangers that do not have a real impact on my daily life. But You have called me to more than that. Thank you for washing my sins away. Thank You for serving us. I ask that You will give me Your grace today to serve and love those who may be out to hurt me. Help me to demonstrate Your love in my life.