Bethesda Chapel, 2000
SG Bible Study #7

Warm-up question. (Everyone should answer.)

Can you think of a time when you saw a person with a higher social standing (someone older, or in a position of authority) willingly take on a very humble role or task? How did you feel?

1. Describe the time at which this incident took place.
   
   
2. How would you describe Peter’s attitude? Is he noble, humble, proud, disobedient, loyal, imperceptive, or what?
   
   
3. When Jesus told Peter, ‘Unless I wash you, you have no part with me,’ what do you think he meant?
   
   
4. When Jesus spoke of the disciples being ‘clean’, was he referring to physical cleanliness? If not, what was he referring to?
   
   
5. At the beginning of this episode, John says that ‘having loved his own who were in the world, Jesus now showed them the full extent of his love.’ Does this refer Jesus’ act of foot washing, or to his coming death on the cross, or to something else?
   
   
6. What did Jesus have in mind when he told his disciples to wash one another’s feet? Can you give some examples?
   
   
7. Which of Jesus’ roles would you say this passage emphasizes most, that of being our Saviour who gave his life to cleanse us from sin, or that of being our example whom we are to model our lives after? Or are both roles emphasized equally?
   
   
   

Describe one situation that will come up in the next week or two, which will give you an opportunity to follow Jesus’ example by washing another person’s feet.