Verse one introduces this truth, when Jesus not only “loved them,” but “he loved them unto the end.” The writer made this observation even after all the disciples, including the writer, forsook Him. Notice carefully this verse, “Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.”

In this study, may we notice three things about loves’ posture. We may do this by examining, “The Explanation of Love” (vv. 1-13); “The Expression of Love” (v. 14); and “The Example of Love” (vv. 15-20).

Love has its extremes (v. 1). Love is a word that is so common, yet can also be so complicated. The word love may be expressed and explained in many different ways. To further develop this study, it is necessary to explain the different ways that the word love is used in its original Greek setting. This is necessary because the majority of the New Testament was written in the Greek. The Greeks interpreted love in four different ways. Each usage was expressed with a different Greek word. Careful word studies help bring out the exact and intended meaning of the word love.

The Greek language is a very expressive and exact language. For example, this may be noted by studying the larger number of tenses used as compared to the English language. In the English often the word used must be defined according to the way it is used within a particular context. This is not as much so in the Greek. We will examine the four words used by the Greeks to define love.

There is “eros” love. This word used by the Greeks does not appear in the New Testament. It is a word that describes the passion a man has for a woman. The word erotic has eros as its root. There is also “storge” love. This love is a love that describes the affection that is found in a family, the natural affection that a parent has for the children, and the children for the parents. Then there is the word “phileo.” This word for love is perhaps the word that describes with tenderness the love that one has for someone very special. It has been used to describe brotherly love. The love of Christ is “agape” love. This is a sacrificial love that has no boundaries; it has no requirements. It is a love that works for another persons good. It is a giving, considerate, caring love regardless of the circumstances. This is the kind of love that says, “But I say unto you. Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” (Matthew 5:44). Simply put, agape love is the supreme love, the love of God. It is the love of the mind, of the reason, of the will.

This is the kind of love that Jesus had as described in this first verse. It is an extreme love, or it will love to the maximum extreme.

Love has its enemies (v. 2). There are many enemies to this concept of love with none greater than the devil. Satan has invaded Judas. The devil has put in the heart of Judas Iscariot to betray the Lord Jesus Christ. It is certain that Judas will not exercise a heart of unselfish agape love, as the Greeks would define it. Instead everything that Judas does from here on is in the spirit of selfishness. Agape love is anything but a selfish love. As mentioned, Agape love is the love of the mind, of the reason, of the will. To have this kind of love, one must receive it as a gift from God. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,” (Galatians 5:22).

Satan knew by attacking the mind of Judas that he could thereby control him. Just as the Lord works in the soul of man for good, Satan can work in the soul for evil. The soul, remember, is composed of will, intellect, and emotions. When Satan put into the heart of Judas Iscariot to betray the Lord, he was doing so by gaining possession of Judas’ soul. In this sense, one really can sell his soul to the devil.

The influence of Satan is realized when people began to watch programs that are contrary to the Scriptures. The same happens when music is listened to that sends the wrong message to its listener. Satan has also gained control of the polluted printing press knowing that in doing so he has gained another means of destroying one’s mind. There are so many avenues that Satan can use to gain access into one’s mind. One of the subtlest ways that Satan works to gain control of ones thinking is to move very slowly. In this gradual approach, Satan very patiently works to get his subject where he wants him. Satan has all the time needed to achieve his dastardly planned goals. Many are victims of Stan’s tactics, never thinking that they would be. Perhaps it began when they sat down to watch what they thought would be an innocent television program. After the program was over, Satan had injected into their mind wicked information that they never planned to receive. After adding hundreds of such programs, along with the wrong music, and reading materials, their mind is now saturated with Satan’s instructions.

He now is able to manipulate his subjects in whatever way he pleases. In this state of mind their attitude towards God has drastically changed. They are no longer sensitive to the ways of God, and have no desire to be so. In addition to that, their love for God has diminished greatly.

Love has its expectation (vv. 3-13). Not only will the person who has agape love go to any extreme to do its sacrificial work, and not only does the person that has this kind of love have its enemies, this kind of love has its expectations. To show the posture of this kind of love, the Lord did a very humble thing; He washed the disciple’s feet. He exercised the position of humility when He washed their feet. The Scriptures tell us that “He riseth from supper, and laid aside His garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded” (vv. 4-5). The Lord was doing this to demonstrate pictorially the posture of love. It is the kind of love that positions itself in servitude to someone else.

Jesus who is the creator is now serving His creation. Simon Peter upon seeing this lesson in humility and a vivid portrayal of Christ’s self-humiliation does not fully understand what Christ is doing. He sees the inequity of Christ washing his feet. He does not understand the true posture of Christ’s love. He forgets that Christ humbled Himself, beginning at His birth. There was no royalty in a stable, in the sense that King Jesus made His appearance not in a palace but in a stable. He came to us in a cradle; he was crucified for us on the cross, and He’s coming for us with His crowns.

Jesus corrected Simon Peter, (vv. 7-12) and then Jesus sat down again and explained what His purpose was. He told Peter and the rest of the disciples, “Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet” (vv. 13-14). Therefore love has its expectations. Jesus Christ, the giver of love is showing a living parable of the posture of love, or the way love performs.

II. THE EXPRESSION OF LOVE (v. 14).

Love expressed in ones will (v. 14). Notice these words, “If I then” – “Ye also ought to.” Agape love is not to be confused with any other kind of love. It is certainly a gift, but it must be exercised, it involves the will. “For God so love … that he gave”; “Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it”; (John 3:16; Ephesians 5:25). When Jesus demonstrated this love that we speak of, he showed it to be a condescending love. It is the kind that loves from the position of greater to a position of lesser. It is able to love the unlovely. Rather than this love being like eros, a love of the passions, it is a love of the will. This kind of love chooses to love and then acts upon that operation of the will. This kind of love is marked by commitment. Sadly lacking in many of our marriages is the quality of commitment. Husbands are commanded to love their wives, “even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.” Two necessary ingredients may be observed in this kind of love. There is the ingredient involving the will and the ingredient involving sacrifice. Using the analogy of marriage in the secular world, we are programming our marriages to operate as two separate beings remaining independent and separate. In assuming this position in marriage one is violating the plain Biblical teachings that says, “and they shall be one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). Selfishly, this unbiblical form of marriage has enormous problems. How can two walk together less they be agreed? There needs to be a caring by both mates that exhibits a strong sacrificial love towards each other. When one is selfish, he does hurt to the other. If both are this way this problem is only compounded.

If love is expressed as an act of the will, the will must be properly directed. In a Christian marriage there should be a desire to serve ones own mate even as Christ served His bride, the Church.

The correct way for directing the will is by being totally dependent upon the Word of God. God’s Word instructs us to walk as Jesus walks. In our “love” relationships, we certainly should ask, “What would Jesus do?”

Love expressed in ones walk (v. 14). The example of Jesus to be considered more in verse 15 than here should serve as a pattern on how to exercise ones will. Then there is the operation or the action of love that must be considered. Agape love does not sit by passively; it performs; it does something. It is more than saying I love you, it is acting out ones responsibility in the love process.

One might ask, was Jesus demonstrating love just by washing the disciple’s feet? Yes! May I illustrate? There was an ongoing power struggle among the disciples. In Marks’ gospel the request was made by James and John in Mark 10:37, “They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.” Jesus answered their request in detail, showing them that their request was not “mine to give” (v. 40). He went on to instruct them in this way, “But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (vv. 43-45). Jesus was showing with the exercising of agape love that there should be no power struggle, but a heart for ministering. The Good Samaritan humbled himself in such manner, and it was this parable that the Lord used to illustrate the way men ought to love God and others. Luke 10:26-27 shows the answer that Jesus gave the lawyer before giving the parable. “He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? and he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.”

In the parable of the Good Samaritan, both the priest and the Levite passed the needy man who had been robbed, beaten, and left for dead. But a ”certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,” (v. 33). In verses 34-35 the Scriptures show love in action. “And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.”

The Good Samaritan showed his humility as he came down off his beast to where the dying man was. The Good Samaritan may be interpreted as being a type of Jesus coming down from heaven to where thy dying sinner was. In addition to this act of humility, there is an act of sacrificial giving shown in verse 35, “Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.”

III. THE EXAMPLE OF LOVE vv. 15-20

Taught with humility (vv. 15-16). Though Christ Jesus is much more than just a Master Teacher, He certainly is teaching the disciples and all who would be His disciples a great lesson. He said, “Ye should do as I have done to you.” Some elevate these teaching concerning foot washing to that of a church ordinance. This example by the Lord is certainly a wonderful means for teaching humility, and it would not be out of order to use it as an object lesson for teaching the same. Yet, it should not be incorporated into our church polity as a church ordinance.

Paul when addressing the churches, in his church epistles, never addressed foot washing. The ordinance of Baptism and the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper were so addressed and are to be practiced as church ordinances. Another distinguishing characteristic of the Lord’s Supper and Baptism is that they both picture the death, the burial, or the resurrection. Baptism pictures all three and foot washing pictures neither.

Love, forgiveness, and humility are all to be taught in our churches, but there is a different emphasis to be given to our ordinances. Realizing this, there is another practical teaching or lesson gained from foot washing. As mentioned, forgiveness needs to be taught in our churches. It would be difficult to humble ones self to wash ones feet if forgiveness is needed. A close relationship is impossible when a brother or sister has ought against another. Real joy and happiness can not be found in relationships that are hurting. This is also what Jesus is teaching.

Wrought with happiness (v. 17). This verse says, “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” In the Lord’s work happiness comes in doing. As the pastor of a church, one would be wise to keep his congregation busy doing the Lord’s work. Stagnation is a blight and curse to any church. Life’s joy comes from being productive. Even more so is this true in the church. We do not need a rocking chair Christianity.

I remember my father working well into his eighties. He always said that he did not want to just sit in a rocking chair. He wanted to be busy. He died of a heart attack when he was nearly ninety, but he died busy, and happy. The Lord said, “happy are ye if ye do them.” Literally, He is saying, you are happy in doing.

Beset with hurt (vv. 18-20). As mentioned earlier Satan had put into Judas’ heart to betray the Lord. The Lord loved them “all” to the end (v. 1). The Lord loved Judas as well. Yet Judas turned against Him. Sadly, so many are hurting today as they love someone special only to not have that love returned. Judas ate bread with the Lord but “lifted up his heel against me,” Jesus said. Certainly that had to be grievous unto the Lord.

Though foot washing is not to be practiced as a church ordinance, there are still many practical lessons on love and forgiveness to be learned. May we as Christians learn to love as Jesus loved! May we covet the greatest gift, and that gift being love. May we humble ourselves, trusting God to exalt us as He pleases. May we also “love unto the end!”