Verse 1 tells us that Jesus knew His time with the disciples was coming to an end, so He wanted to spend the time He had left giving them a crucial lesson. Jesus had been telling them that they had to be last to be first, that they had to be willing to serve in order to lead. He showed them what that looked like when He bent to wash their feet. We often think of this as an act of humility, but it was much more. Jesus showed the disciples and us what Christian leadership looks like. Jesus did not want His church led by self-important people who thought they were due nothing but honor. He wanted His church led by people who thought of others before themselves. The disciples would become the leaders of the early church, and Jesus wanted to make sure they knew that this meant they had to serve their brothers and sisters in Christ. He wanted the leaders of His church to seek places of service rather than places of honor.
Do you seek places of honor or places of service? The Lord is clear that He wants us to serve others and He demands that we love our brothers and sisters in Christ. He said if He, as Teacher and Lord, could wash their feet, they could easily humble themselves to serve others.
How do you think the Lord might be calling you to humble yourself and serve others?