The 14th day of Nisan (March) arrived - the day in the evening of which every Israelite was obliged to celebrate the Passover, under pain of otherwise being expelled from among the people of God. The Passover was the name of the lamb, which, after the preparation prescribed by the law, was eaten with various rites - in memory of the beneficence of God, rendered to the people of the Jews by its liberation from Egyptian slavery, especially in remembrance of the miraculous deliverance with the help of the sign of the blood of the lambs of the Jewish firstborn from the angel who killed the Egyptian firstborn (Ex. 12: 17-27). The next day, in memory of the same event, the seven-day feast of unleavened bread began, during which, as well as the Passover itself and its eve, the Israelite, under pain of death, had to keep himself from everything leavened (Ex. 12:15). The celebration of Easter was so important, the laws regarding its celebration were so strict, the rite itself was so significant and instructive; moreover, so many comforting memories in the past and joyful hopes in the future were connected with it - that the celebration of Easter from ancient times became the head of all Jewish festivities, the soul of the ritual law, the national distinction of the Jew, the quintessence of his faith and a symbol of hope. This alone was enough for Jesus Christ to celebrate Pascha (as indeed He always did it) at the time determined by law, observing all the rites sanctified by the ages and the example of the forefathers and prophets: for one of the main rules of the great activity of the Son of Man during His ministry was to support every truly useful institution, in no case, without obvious need and important reasons, not to leave any of the laws of Moses without fulfillment, to strengthen and spread everything that could serve as food for faith and good morals, lead to the correction of the heart and life (Matt. 3:15).

But in addition, there was another reason why the Pascha of Moses was for Jesus Christ, one might say, more desirable and sacred than for all His other fellow tribesmen in the flesh: the Paschal lamb, serving as a symbol of the past good deed, at the same time, according to the intention of Providence, served even more as a prototype of His own person and destiny. The slaughter of the lamb and its reconciliatory blood, which once averted the destroying angel from the Jewish firstborn, foreshadowed the future death on the cross of the true Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the whole world; the joyful exodus of the Israelites from Egypt after Easter foreshadowed the grace-filled liberation of the human race from terrible slavery to sin, death, and the devil, following the great sacrifice on the cross at Calvary. With such a view of Easter, everything in it should have been sacred and important for the God-man! Celebrating this feast, He every time, one might say, foreshadowed His future death. Now, when the hour has come to replace the transformation with the very deed - the blood of the Paschal lamb with his own blood, the coming feast of Easter was all the closer to the heart of Jesus: and He, despite the great obstacles from the enemies, wanted to accomplish it in a special way, in His Divine spirit, so that the last Paschal Supper served as the decisive end of the Old Testament, the beginning and full expression of the New, a monument of His devotion to the will of the Heavenly Father and immeasurable love for man the symbol of the external and the focus of the internal unity of all His followers with Him and among themselves (John 13:1-4; 17:26).

The main obstacle to the celebration of the Passover was Judas. Having learned in advance about the place chosen for its fulfillment, the treacherous disciple would not be ashamed to let the high priests know about it (Matt. 26:16), and they could surround the house of the guards and seize the celebrants. Thus the silence of the most sacred moments would be broken; The Master would not have had time to say goodbye to His beloved disciples in a way worthy of Him, in a way they will never forget; would not have had time to strengthen them against the coming temptations, to convey to them His last feelings and His spirit - to nourish them in the eternal belly indestructible brushnom Body and Blood of His. To expel a traitor from His community in order to avoid the danger was still hard for the heart of Jesus. The philanthropist wanted until the last moment to remain the same for Judas, what he was for the other disciples - a friend, mentor and father. The Last Supper, so abundant in feelings of extraordinary love and goodness, acts of extreme meekness and humility, was to be for the perishing apostle the last call to repentance, or the last proof of his impenitence and bitterness. And the wise love of Jesus found another, just as sure means to remove the danger for the celebration of the Paschal supper, without expelling the traitor disciple: it (as we shall see now) bound his malice with uncertainty, hiding from him the place of celebration.

From the very morning the disciples were all busy with the thought of Pascha. Not seeing any instructions from the Teacher for its celebration, some of them considered it necessary to remind Him of this (Matt. 26:17). Although in Jerusalem, as an ancient Jewish tradition assures, every inhabitant was obliged to give, if possible, even without payment, a room for non-resident Jews to celebrate the Passover, nevertheless, to avoid any confusion, a preliminary agreement was necessary, especially for the holy community of Jesus, which used to stay in Jerusalem only with certain people known to Him and worthy of it, and could least of all forget about this precaution now, when danger threatened from all sides.

When asked by the disciples where He would command the Passover to be prepared, the Teacher turned to John and Peter and ordered them to go to the city. “At the very entrance,” He said, “you will meet a man carrying water in a jar; follow him, enter the house where he enters, and tell the owner of the house: “The teacher told me to tell you: My time is near, I will celebrate the Passover with you with My disciples. So where is the upper room where I could eat the Passover? After that, he will show you a large upper room, ready and furnished. Prepare Easter for us there.”

From such an order it was revealed that the Teacher had already thought about the place for the celebration of Passover and had chosen it in His mind, although until now He had not told the disciples; and now, for some special reason, does not want to reveal the name of the person who will have Easter. For what? No doubt, they thought, because of the danger from the enemies who are watching our every move and are ready to seize us at any moment. But why hide it from us? Is there anyone between us who is unfaithful and unreliable? The latter might lead the more far-sighted to think of a traitor from their own circle; but only to lead, and not to confirm in this thought, which, as we shall see, was extremely alien to the pure and simple-hearted disciples of Jesus.

Judas, who was the only reason for it, could most likely guess the true reason for secrecy. One removal of him - the custodian and manager of public money - from participating in the preparation of Easter, associated with certain costs, was already a clear hint that the Teacher knew about the shameful pieces of silver promised to him.

Arriving in the city, Peter and John found everything as the Teacher said: at the Water Gate (which entered the city coming from Olivet), a man met them, carrying water in an earthen jar; following him, they went to the house in which he lived, retelling to the owner of the house the words of their Teacher; whereupon he immediately showed them a spacious room ready, and they busied themselves with the preparation of the Passover (Luke 22:13). They bought a Paschal lamb in the temple fence, gave it to the priest to slay, or themselves, with his blessing, slaughtered it in a well-known place - at the temple; returning home, they baked it in the fire in a lawful manner, i.e. whole, without breaking into parts, without crushing a single bone (Ex. 12: 9-10), in compliance with other customs, they also prepared unleavened bread, bitter potions and other things needed for the holiday.

By the end of the day, Jesus Himself came with other disciples, he came, as the circumstances make us think, so that His coming was not noticed by the people, especially by His personal enemies. Here, no doubt, the disciples learned who the mysterious owner of the house in which they were; it was also easy to inquire about whether he knew in advance about the intention of Jesus Christ to celebrate Pascha with him or did not know; and therefore, whether or not they should take for direct prophecy the above words of their Master. But the evangelists did not consider it necessary to give us information about this subject, leaving it in the same uncertainty and mystery in which it was first presented to the disciples of Jesus; and they did this, perhaps partly because they would more fully convey the initial impression made on them by the enigmatic words of the Teacher, and partly because, when they wrote the Gospel, the discovery of the name of the owner of the house, who was honored to show hospitality to Jesus Christ at such a time, could have dangerous consequences for him.

One thing can be said with certainty: the owner of the house in which Easter was celebrated belonged to the number of worshipers of Jesus. The expression leads to this idea: teacher says. Moreover, the house for the supper should be chosen the most secure, with a faithful and reliable person: another would consider it his duty to inform the Sanhedrin about Who is now celebrating Easter in his house.

With the advent of the law and the custom of a certain time (not earlier than twilight and not later than 10 o'clock - Deut. 16:6), Jesus reclined with His twelve disciples at the supper. There was no one else, not only at the supper, but also in the upper room. Apart from the fact that everyone was busy at that time with the celebration of the Passover, the Last Supper was in any respect to be the Supper of the Mystery.

The order of the celebration of Pascha at that time, as far as can be judged, based on a diligent comparison of the most ancient Jewish testimonies, was as follows: the Paschal Supper was opened with a cup of wine, before which the father of the family or who took his place proclaimed thanks to God, saying: Blessed be the Lord our God, King of the world, who has created the fruit of the vine! Having said this, he drank from the cup, which all the others did afterwards, washing then each of his hands. Then they ate bitter potions, over which the ruler also gave thanks to God. Here one of the younger asked: What does all this mean? And the father of the family or the eldest of those reclining explained the rites of Easter with the story of the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, and two psalms were read or sung (113 and 114), in which this event was sung. Behind this, the second Paschal cup passed around the hands. They washed their hands again. The commander took one from the table of two unleavened breads, broke it into two halves and, putting it on the other bread, said: Blessed be our Lord, King of the world, Who brought forth bread from the earth! Then this bread was divided among those reclining. Further, the “Passover” itself, or the lamb, was already consumed, after giving thanks to God over it. After the "Passover" various other dishes were served, which made up the Paschal Supper, among which was the third common cup, called mainly the cup of blessing; after it four psalms (114-117) were sung, in which the joy of God the Savior is depicted. In conclusion, they drank the fourth cup. In all the cups, the wine was dissolved with water, because everyone was obliged to drink a little of them, not excluding wives and children.

However, we do not dare to assert that the Passover of the Old Testament, and especially the present, the last, was accomplished by Jesus Christ in all accuracy, as it is said in the above description. For, according to the instructions of the very establisher of Easter - Moses, it should have been done more simply, with fewer details (Ex. 12). On the other hand, if when it was proper for the Son of Man to show that He is Lord both on the Sabbath and Easter (Matt. 12:8), then now, with the abolition of the Old and the affirmation of the New Testament. The real Pascha, intended to serve as this abolition and be a transition (Easter) from the Old Testament to the New, for that very reason should not have resembled other Paschas, and could have considerable features. However, from some indications and expressions of the Gospels, it is clear that the rites of the national holiday, respectable in themselves, were not completely abandoned by the Lord even at the celebration of this Pascha (Luke 22:17-18; John 13:26). The Evangelists did not pay direct attention to this, for everyone already knew this; but instead, they described in full detail for us what was special, New Testament at this supper: the washing of the feet, the establishment of the Eucharist, and so on. In addition, St. John, as the most loving observer of the last actions of his Divine Teacher and Friend, precedes his story about the farewell supper with a special, deep indication of the extraordinary state of Jesus’ spirit during its continuation, forcing us to look at Him as the Only Begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth, Who perfectly knows where He came from and where He is coming, is quite sure that the Father I give all into His hands, and therefore, in the darkest and most dangerous moments (as now), he acts with all the calmness and majesty of the Son of God and according to His boundless love for the disciples who are left ( love your beings in the world, love them to the end) is not ashamed, to admonish them, to wash their feet, like a servant, and then does everything to encourage, console and protect them from temptations, brief but terrible, during the upcoming separation; although, judging by humanity, He Himself must have needed comfort. Indeed, we do not see that during the entire three-year ministry of Jesus Christ, He revealed to the disciples the feeling of His great destiny, His Divine dignity, His unity with the Father, as at the last Last Supper and in the last conversations with the disciples. Despite His deepest humility, according to which He will wash the feet of His disciples, to the meek, loving language of a friend who is separated from His beloved, He is here filled with the light of His Divinity, shining in His every action and word, surrounded by some inexplicably touching greatness, in which the Divine is dissolved with the human, Tabor is connected with Golgotha. From the midst of this dissolution will blow on the disciples spirit of cold tonka(in which only the Divine can be revealed to mortals) and from time to time kindle in their hearts the flame of pure love and faith. But only at times. Having not yet been cleansed of some weaknesses, they could not bear and contain much (John 16:12). And the failure to comprehend the mystery of the cross, which would be revealed to them later, made them generally incapable of fully sharing the feelings of their Teacher and Lord. If only they knew the future the way their Master knew it! Not so, no doubt, they would have shown themselves at the supper! Not a dispute about primacy would occupy their soul! Not sleep would take possession of them in the garden of Gethsemane! But the Teacher did not intentionally reveal to them the full details of the future, and when he revealed something from it, if they did not understand the revelation in all its terrible reality, he did not forcefully insist on the fullness of the concept. Thus, not only about one ablution, but about almost all the actions and words of the Lord, one could now say to each of the disciples: Do not weigh now, but understand from now. One of the disciples had the deplorable advantage of knowing something more than everyone else knew - a traitor. Therefore, from this point of view, on the plane of the Divine picture, he represents a terribly significant, special person, opposite to the person of the Son of God. It was in the form of a human representative of the region of darkness, which possesses considerable secrets of knowledge, but does not have a single spark or ray of holy love. With all the illuminations from the Divine face of Jesus, the soul of Judas will remain cold and gloomy, like coal.

Hoping, probably, for success over the unfortunate traitor, the spirit of darkness now extended its absurd hopes to the point that, according to the testimony of the God-Man Himself, he dared to ask the Supreme Ruler of human destinies for permission to sow the other disciples of Christ like wheat (Luke 22:31), that is, to have access to them with all the temptations possible for him. Another expression used by the Savior when referring to this hellish petition shows that the spirit of darkness, in the present case, was indeed allowed by the Wisdom of God to do something similar to what it was given to him to do with Job, that is, to put them in especially difficult and especially dangerous circumstances for faith and virtue. For the Savior says that He prayed that in this hellish wind the faith of Petrov would not fail, and that he, having risen from the fall himself, would strengthen the wavering brethren; but it does not at all show that the fruit and even the subject of His prayer was the removal of the very inspiration, the removal of the very temptations and temptations.

We do not sin if we attribute to this secret temptation of the disciples such an inappropriate and untimely dispute about primacy that has now opened between them.

After a long journey from a country estate, for such a supper as Easter, it was necessary to sit down, according to Eastern custom, with feet washed. Everything needed for ablution was prepared in advance in the chamber: there was only a servant who would have washed everyone's feet. For mutual love, this was a great opportunity to render mutual service. But the disciples, beyond all expectation and, probably, not without temptation from the infernal blower, reacted to this case in a completely different way: instead of the spirit of humility and fraternal unanimity, the spirit of exaltation was revealed; even questions were heard, who is bigger and better and who is smaller and worse. No one wanted to be lower than the other, and even more so - all; and the feet of all remained unwashed.

An unbearable chill blew from such a dispute on the loving heart of Jesus. He was silent, expecting that the mutual love of the disciples (not weakened by such contradictions) would itself take precedence over childish piety. But when he saw that the disciples were already ready, without finishing the argument, to sit down at the table, he immediately got up from the supper, took off his outer garments and, girding himself with ribbon (the argument, no doubt, immediately ceased in anticipation of what would happen), took one of the vessels that stood for ablutions, poured water into the washbasin and (to the amazement of everyone) began to wash the disciples' feet and wipe with ribbon. The first (Judas?), in confusion, involuntarily obeys; others silently follow his example; no one dares to stop the Teacher, although everyone feels that they were the cause of such an extraordinary act, they grieve in their souls that they gave him a reason with inappropriate exaltation.

At last the line reached Simon Ionin. His fiery soul could not bear the thought that Christ, the Son of the living God, would serve him instead of a slave. Lord, are you my washed feet? ..

Even Az I create- answered the Lord, - you do not weigh now, but you will understand from now.

The quiet and mysterious importance of these words demanded immediate and unconditional obedience. But Peter was accustomed in his actions to follow more feeling than reason. “What is there to understand,” he thought, “where is the matter of such a humiliation of the Teacher and the Lord?”

Do not wash my foot forever. All the movements of the speaker showed that he would keep his word.

In another time such humility might have earned praise from Him who was Himself meek and lowly in heart. But now there was no time for a new dispute about who was more humble - the Teacher or the student. The curtain had to be lifted.

I won't wash you- the Lord answered in a most exalted voice, - have no part with me.

With these mysterious words, it was already impossible not to understand that it was more than a matter of sensual ablution. Peter immediately woke up from self-conceit, and all the flames turned to the opposite side.

Lord, not only my feet, but also my hand and my head.- Do with me whatever You want; just don't deprive yourself of the part with you.

Izmovenny(in the soul and conscience - by means of My teaching and spirit and the blood that will be shed on the cross, what are you), - answered the God-man, washing Peter's feet, - does not require(more like) tokmo nose wash(by a new influx of the Holy Spirit, whose present ablution serves as a prelude and a symbol for complete cleansing of prejudices and weaknesses, which were in Peter: excessive hope in one's courage and in one's love for the Teacher).

And you are clean- added the Lord, turning to the other disciples, - but not all...

« He knew, - St. John remarks, - that there is one among them - a traitor, therefore he said: not all are clean ”(John 13:11).

Despite the importance of such a denunciation of impurity and its vagueness, due to which it could fall on everyone, none of the students dared to ask the Teacher about what kind of impurity and who is unclean? The garrulous Peter himself remained silent. By the all-pacifying act of humility, Jesus' hearts were restored to their natural simplicity and calmed down to the point where they could not even be agitated by curiosity. There remained only in the depths a feeling of regret that by their inappropriate dispute about primacy they forced the Teacher and the Lord to such a humiliated service, and in Simon also that he, even for a minute, dared to pretend to be a person who did not need washing from Him Who alone can cleanse the uncleanness of everyone and everyone.

Having thus washed the feet of all the disciples, Jesus put on His clothes and again lay down at the supper.

Do you know, he said to them, what shall I do to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord; and kindly say: I am more(I am exactly that). If so, I washed your nose, Lord and Teacher, and you should wash each other's nose. God gave you an image, yes, as I created it for you, and you create. Amen, amen I say to you: there is no servant of the pains of his Lord, nor a messenger of pains who sent him(John 13:12-16). The king's tongue rules over the people, and the benefactors who possess them are condemned. You are not taco; but let the pain in you be like an opinion, and serve as an old man! Who is better, lie down or serve? Don't lay down? I am in the midst of you as if you serve(Luke 21:25-27). More this news(some of the disciples could show in some way that they did not equate themselves with the Teacher in any way), blessed are you, if I do(John 13:17).

You the Lord continued, be with me in all my troubles(remained constantly faithful, despite the slander and persecution of my enemies), and Az(as a reward) I bequeath to you(no one cares) as my Father has bequeathed to me, the kingdom(everything will get more than you want), eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones, judging by the deception of the ten tribes of Israel(Luke 21:28-30), the Lord added, wishing to present to the disciples as clearly as possible the reward awaiting them.

With such a great promise, the gaze of the God-man fell on Judas. Generous lips involuntarily closed.

I'm not talking about all of you- He said with regret (even though he wanted to talk about everyone in this way), - Az we know, I have chosen them(I know for sure which of you is truly Mine and who is the traitor; and therefore I could resist his plans, expel him from My society, but I endured and will endure him among you to the end), let the scripture be fulfilled: whoever eats bread with me, lift up your heel on me. Now I tell you(about it), there won't even be before, yes, there will always be(when I am betrayed and crucified) you have faith, for I am(the same as before, the Son of the living God). Amen, amen I say to you- concluded the Lord with a special feeling, - accept, if I send anyone, he accepts me; but accept me, accept the one who sent me(John 13:18-21). (The honor of being My apostle, even if one of you exchanged it for thirty pieces of silver, will always be above all the honors of the world. In your person, as in Mine, God Himself will be accepted or rejected).

In silence, the disciples listened to the words of the Lord and Teacher, which, strong in themselves, were even more effective after His unparalleled humility.

What was at the same time in the soul of the son of the perilous, but not yet dead? .. And his feet were washed, and he was taught a lesson in humility; and complaints about impurity were mainly directed at him alone!.. It is impossible that from the seeds of the word of life that fell in such abundance from the hands of the heavenly Sower, not one fell on his heart either: the Savior, not without special intention, indicated with such fullness the great rewards awaiting His faithful disciples. The very passion of a traitor - to evaluate everything - could be touched by the thought of losing something priceless. But the heart of the unfortunate disciple was already hardened for good impressions, everything was covered with the thorns of the worries and sorrows of this age (Matthew 13:21). And the devil, who so long ago prepared the soul of the unfortunate as a tool and dwelling for himself, no doubt now especially guarded all its entrances and exits and immediately snatched away from it every good seed (Matt. 13:19) at its very, so to speak, sowing.

The supper, interrupted at the very beginning, continued. Rite followed rite. With the general melancholy mood, all this was done now, perhaps more than usual. The Passover lamb itself seemed to lose importance in the presence of the true Lamb of God, who was ready to take away the sins of the whole world. Despite the sacred custom, which turned into an almost immutable law, to eat from the sacred cups, which, according to legend, were served at suppers, the Teacher did not eat from a single one, even when the so-called cup of blessing (the most sacred) appeared. He only blessed it, according to custom, and, not eating from it Himself, served it to the disciples, saying: Take it and divide it among yourselves; for I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes(Luke 22:17-18).

Nobody's eyes shone with joy; but on the face of the God-man one could even see a certain embarrassment, all the more noticeable, the more rarely His most holy soul left his ordinary, pre-eminent state, even in the most unusual cases. Now she suffered greatly from the presence of a traitor. The sight of cold betrayal and hypocritical friendship was all the more unbearable because it prevented the heart from fully opening before His beloved disciples, from speaking to them the last commandment of love and the last word of hope.

Jesus be disturbed in spirit(John 13:21)! The disciples, noticing this, naturally expected something special. Amen, amen I say to you- said the Lord, as if in an explanation of His spiritual state, - as if only one of you will betray me! With these words as clear as they were striking, deep sadness seized everyone (the supper, if it had not yet ended completely, had to be interrupted for a while). Each looked at the other, involuntarily imagining that such a traitor could not fail to discover his dark soul in his face (John 13:22). But the traitor looked at each one more boldly than anyone else, and he himself looked for the traitor with his eyes. Who would it be that would do this?- they asked each other, and the eyes of all of themselves turned to the Teacher, Who alone could tell who this terrible man was. Some still wanted to think that he could not be in their small friendly company, but perhaps from among the other (70) students. One out of ten, dipping with Me in a salted hand(out of four, therefore, or six near those sitting), betray me(Matt. 26:23), the Lord answered. Both the Son of Man goes, as it is written about Him: woe to that man, to whom the Son of Man is betrayed! Una would have been, if that person had not been born! ..(Matthew 26:24) Such words could not comfort the disciples. At the thought that the traitor was so close and that such a terrible fate awaited him, everyone began to distrust himself. Isn't it me, Rabbi? Isn't it me?- heard from everyone and everyone. The Lord was silent: the childish simplicity and sincerity of all made up for His heart the hardness of one. In order not to remain among all those who asked alone in silence and not reveal himself, this unfortunate one also dared to open his mouth and was not ashamed to ask, like the others: Rabbi, isn't it me? - You advertised(Matt. 26:25), Jesus answered, deeply offended by such a shameless hypocrisy of a traitor. However, this answer was uttered so quietly and meekly that, apparently, no one heard it, at least no one understood it, except for Judas, as can be seen from what follows. The traitor took the reproach in silence, avoiding the greater shame of being discovered in front of everyone. And the other disciples did not continue their questions, seeing the unwillingness of the Teacher to point out the traitor directly.

Only Peter could not calm down. The thought that the traitor, about whom the Teacher speaks, may be sitting next to him, an even darker thought: whether the Teacher himself is referring to him, whether he himself may subsequently undergo some terrible temptation (ah! he already had the misfortune to earn once the name of Satan - Mt. 16:23), did not give him rest. In order to reveal the secret, he turned in this case to a special means - the very one that is so effective before the powerful of the earth for obtaining more or less well-deserved favors from them, and in the holy community of Jesus could only serve for such an innocent goal as Peter's - to reveal a traitor. The God-man especially loved and distinguished one disciple, who now reclined at His very chest. Simon turned to him and made a sign that he asked (secretly) Jesus, who is this, whom He spoke about? The disciple (this is how he himself describes this incident), leaning close to the Persians of Jesus, immediately asked Him: who is the traitor? No one heard or noticed the question, except for Peter and, probably, Judas himself, who, as the guilty one, suspected everyone and was on his guard. That- answered Jesus (quietly), - to whom, having dipped a piece, I will give; and having dipped a piece in a dish, he gave it to Judas Simonov of Iscariot. There was nothing offensive to Judas in this action: at the end of the supper it was customary to take and eat a piece from the remains of the Passover, and to receive such a piece from the hands of the leader of the supper meant to be distinguished from others. Therefore, the friendly offer of food was for the perishing apostle the last call to repentance.

But in the soul of Iscariot, quite the opposite happened. He took a piece and forced himself to eat it. Following the bread, according to the remark of John, who was watching Judas at that time, Satan immediately entered into him. The mask of meekness and friendship completely melted away from the fire of reproof that flared up in the heart: the appearance of the traitor became gloomy and terrible. The holy society of Jesus was already unbearable for a man with a devil in his heart: a secret force drew him out...

The seer of hearts saw everything that happened in the soul of the pernicious son—how the last drop of goodness dried up, how the devil took possession of the very foundation of spiritual life: and Jesus no longer wanted to force Himself to fruitlessly endure the presence of a traitor. Hedgehog create, create soon- He said to him, ready already to go out. This gave him a plausible excuse to leave the supper (although already over) alone, without arousing the suspicion of the disciples. But at the same time, these mysterious words, it seems, contained more: they finally broke the invisible bonds of grace that still kept the perishing apostle in the holy circle of the society of Jesus and did not allow Satan to drag him to hell. Meanwhile, the meek half-reproach for the one left by grace probably seemed like a strong reproach. “I will not delay in my work,” he thought, and went out.

Be the night- remarks St. John, - always gone, that is, according to Palestinian time, not earlier than 9 pm, and therefore, at the end of the Passover supper.

Since the traitor saw that the Teacher knew about his betrayal, could assume that the students would find out about it and take all measures to save the Teacher and themselves, then the question arises by itself: how did he now hope for success in his betrayal? Could he have imagined, for example, that Jesus would quietly wait for him in the garden of Gethsemane and would not immediately take refuge in some more secret place? Why, in order to avoid this inconvenience, did they not hasten to surround the guards at the house where the supper was held and where Jesus talked with the disciples for a long time? To resolve these perplexities, we must remember that the chief priests wanted to take Jesus completely without the people; therefore they needed a godina and a region dark and deaf; and now no one was sleeping yet, and hundreds of thousands of people could come running at the slightest noise. On the other hand, despite all the Teacher's hints of betrayal, Judas could think that his intention was known to Him only in general, without details, especially without the circumstance that this betrayal was conceived precisely on Easter night; and therefore he could be sure that the place chosen for the night (Gethsemane) would not be changed to another. In addition, in order to better hide the hour of betrayal, perhaps the cunning lover of money thought up in advance some business for which, with the knowledge of the Teacher, he was to leave immediately after the end of Easter, without waiting for the final singing of the psalms. This explains the words of the Lord: hedgehog create(what you need to do) create soon: - words that, without this assumption, so to speak, have only one half of the thought - moral, and do not have the other - historical, which they would be associated with previous events.

The disciples could not fail to notice the premature departure of Judas, but after the words of the Teacher to him, no one (not excluding, perhaps, John himself) thought to interpret this departure in a bad way. Some thought that Judas was sent to buy something for the upcoming (eight-day) holiday, others - that he was ordered to distribute alms to the poor for the sake of the holiday (John 13:23-26). Both assumptions were not quite natural. It was difficult to do shopping during the Easter evening and so late. And beggars were not easy to find in such a sacred time for everyone. But the disciples were ready to believe any guess rather than dwell on the terrible thought that Judas Iscariot - because of the Paschal supper, after the washing of the feet by the Teacher - went straight to Caiaphas for pieces of silver and spirit! ..

Otherwise, the Teacher looked at the removal of the traitor. With his departure, the entire region of darkness was cast out, which for such a long time invaded the purest, divinely luminous circle of the disciples of Jesus. Now, around the parting Teacher and Friend, there remained only those who could safely be called children; for they, having been born of him in the spirit, were united to him even more closely than an infant is to its mother. The heart of Jesus, hitherto constrained by the presence of a traitor, expanded: his eyes brightened. All the past and all the future suddenly appeared in free thought, and the end of the Old Testament with the end of its own earthly career, and the beginning of a new grace-filled Church with a new way of its own being, exalted in humanity through the cross over everything and everyone. On this side, the cross itself, as the main instrument for the overthrow of the kingdom of darkness, as the foundation of the Church and the New, Eternal Testament, as the focus of all past and future decrees of Providence, as an antidote and medicine against the fruits of the terrible tree of the knowledge of good and evil, seemed to be shining with the glory of God and the entire Calvary rite, which in some way began with the exodus of the traitor, lost its gloom and took on the appearance world-wide triumph for Him who should be its High Priest.

Now be glorified Son of Man- He suddenly exclaimed, as if in the midst of a vision, - and God be glorified in Him. If God be glorified in Him, and God will glorify Him in Himself, and abie will glorify Him!

The disciples listened in silence to the words of Divine delight, probably expecting after them some kind of instructive conversation. But it was a step to another, higher. The time has come to talk no longer in words, but in deeds; the last hour of the Old Testament had struck, it was necessary to preface the New, not with a lamb from the flocks, but with His body and blood. Meanwhile, the face of the God-man shone with a heavenly light. He takes the bread that lay before Him, blesses it, breaks it into pieces according to the number of the disciples, and distributes it to them.

Already from this blessing it was clear that this was done not according to the custom of the Paschal supper (the so-called blessed bread had already been consumed), but for a different reason and for a different purpose.

Accept- said the Lord, explaining the matter, - take and eat: this is my body, which is broken for you for the remission of sins.

The disciples in silence ate the Body of the Teacher and the Lord, given under the guise of bread, believing with all their hearts that if it is broken, then for nothing else, but for human sins, and for nothing else, but for leaving them. Question from the Capernaum co-questioners: How can this one give us His flesh to eat?(John 6:52) - was now far from them: for they then heard from the Teacher that the flesh of the Son of Man is the true brushy, and that, however, His then verbs about this, all the more real action - the spirit and the stomach are the essence; therefore, they must be accepted not in the crude Capernaumian sense, but in the highest, purest sense.

The disciples also continued to plunge into the depths of the new mystery of love, which nourished them with His Body, as a new miracle of the same love followed.

The Lord took a cup of wine, blessed it in the same way as bread before, with a special new blessing (which showed its special purpose, completely different from the Paschal cups), and, giving it to the disciples, said: Drink from her all! This is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for you and for many things, for the remission of sins..

The disciples, having accepted the cup, with the same silence partook of the Blood of their Teacher and Lord; for from His long-standing conversations they already knew that the Blood of the Son of Man is the true drink (John 6:55), which alone can quench the eternal thirst of the human soul. How can one eat the Body and drink the Blood of the Lord when it is still before them in its former form? - this question, now so difficult for many, in all likelihood, did not even occur to them; for they knew and knew from countless experiences that the Body of their Teacher and Lord, although similar in everything to a human, nevertheless possesses many supernatural qualities and therefore, for example, with one touch it could heal the most incurable diseases.

Do this- said the Lord at the conclusion of the sacrament, - do this in remembrance of me.

This testament, because of the special importance and touchingness of what was bequeathed, so took root in the memory of the disciples and through them spread so quickly throughout the entire primitive Christian Church that, as we see from the book of the Acts of the Apostles, the celebration of the Eucharist in memory of the beloved Savior was the first and main deed of every Christian meeting. And the Apostle Paul, despite the fact that he was not from the 12th and was not present at the Last Supper, in one of his epistles, no doubt, by inspiration from above, he already teaches a detailed doctrine about the mysterious Body and Blood of the Lord and with firmness and clarity assumes the existence of this sacrament until the day of the future coming of the Lord.

Notes

1. See Theophilus. on Luke 22.
2. It was impossible for the priests to slaughter all the lambs themselves, for their number, according to Flavius, extended up to 2,000,000.
3. Evfim. to the point on Luke 22.
4. Who exactly? - Joseph of Arimathea? Nicodemus? Simon the leper? John Mark, whose house, even after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, was a meeting place for the followers of Christ? (Acts 12:12) The latter is more likely. Only in no case could John himself be the owner of the house, who allegedly bought the house from Caiaphas shortly before, although Cyril of Jerusalem adhered to this opinion; otherwise it will come out that John was sent to John.
5. Did the controversy really arise over the washing of the feet? - It seems to us that this is most likely, because this reason could easily cause such a dispute. There were no servants in the holy company of Jesus, and it was not possible to find them on Easter evening. Therefore, the apostles themselves had to take care of the observance of the traditions. The washstand, water and lention have been ready for a long time: but, as we see, they were never used (otherwise they would have been put away): why? - because everyone is arguing and no one wants to take on the duties of a servant. And so, the Savior, washing the disciples' feet, heals their pride with his own humility. Other reasons put forward as grounds for the primacy dispute are much less convincing; for example, that it arose because of the most honorable places at the table. This would be a manifestation of sheer rudeness and therefore unlikely. Besides, who could argue about reclining in the bosom with “whomever Jesus loves,” that is, with John?! - It is even less likely that the disciples argued about their merits because of the long-standing dream of the earthly kingdom of the Messiah: firstly, it is not clear that this dream served as the topic of the next conversations, and secondly, the words of the Savior, Who promised the apostles the thrones in His Kingdom, were in this case not a cure for this dreaminess, but a taming of it.
6. That the dispute about primacy gave occasion to the washing of the feet, anyone can be convinced of this by comparing the words of St. John, describing the washing, with the words of St. Luke, setting out the dispute. At St. Luke, the Savior says to the disciples: Who is the pain: lie down or serve? It is clear that here the washing of the feet is meant by service. And if so, then the reason for it was a dispute about primacy, since it is impossible to assume that the disciples started such a dispute after the extraordinary example of humility set by the Master.
7. A new sign, this bowl was no longer Easter, because no one could refuse Easter.

Second. The Lord washes his feet. The feet resemble walking, the way, the mode of action, and with the apostles the mode of action is in the apostolate. So, washing the feet of the apostles with his own hands, making them clean and showing them in their present form, the Lord admonished that the mode of action of the holy apostles in the works of the apostles would then only be pure, would be revealed in its true form, when it was controlled by the hands, or by the power of the Lord Himself. On the part of the apostles, therefore, perfect devotion must be shown to the Lord: go where the Lord leads; act as the Lord inspires; say what the Lord gives. Perfect devotion to God is the hallmark of the Apostleship. “Yin will gird thee and lead thee if thou wilt not” (Jn. 21:18). “You will not be the one who speaks, but the Spirit of my Father, speak in you” (Matthew 10:20). I wanted to go, says the Apostle Paul, to Asia, but the Spirit rebuked me. This is how it happened with the apostles, and this is why the apostle Peter received such a strict reproach when he refused to bathe. He showed that he wants to act himself ...

In ancient Israel, many ordinary people went barefoot while going about their daily business. And if anyone wore shoes, they were sandals, which were nothing more than soles attached with straps to the foot and ankle. Because the roads and fields were muddy and dusty, people's feet inevitably got dirty. For this reason, before entering the house, it was customary to remove sandals. According to the law of hospitality, the guest was supposed to wash his feet. This was usually done by the master of the house or a servant. The Bible mentions this common practice more than once. For example, Abraham suggested to the people who came to his tent, “Please let me bring some water and wash your feet. And then lie down under a tree. But I will bring bread so that you can refresh your hearts” (Genesis 18:4, 5; 24:32; 1 Samuel 25:41; Luke 7:37, 38, 44). These historical accounts help explain why Jesus washed the feet of his disciples when he celebrated the last Passover with them. In that case, there was no master of the house, no servant who could...

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Priest George Chistyakov
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"Light shines in darkness"

Chapter 17 Washing the Feet

Icon of Andrey Rublev's school
from the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius

The 13th chapter of the Gospel of John begins with the story of the washing of the feet that Jesus performs on His disciples.

“Before the feast of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that His hour had come to pass from this world to the Father, showed by deed that, having loved His beings in the world, He loved them to the end. And during the supper ... Jesus, knowing that the Father had given everything into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, got up from the supper, took off His outer garment and, taking a towel, girded himself ”(John, 13: 1-4).

Let us pay attention to the words “before the feast of the Passover”, “and during the supper”, “rose from the supper”. It is clearly indicated here that the washing of the feet takes place during the very supper before the Passover feast, which is described in the Synoptic Gospels - in Matthew, Mark and Luke - and which we call ...

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"Foot washing"

David Wilkerson

(sermon, text)

For many months I spent hours praying for the message that God would like to convey through me to the ministers and pastors at the upcoming conference. And for a whole month I wrestled with the "problem" of my belonging to the richest nation in the world. My payment for renting an apartment was more than the annual salary of someone invited to the conference. I had very expensive suits in my closet that I bought when I was holding meetings in Italy. And now I'm wearing an Italian suit. I eat like a king. I drive a car that they can only dream of. Many pastors have survived persecution and extreme hardship with only one suit and no car at all. Yes, cars, having no meat at all, but only two or three eggs a week. They were only trying to survive. And I was traveling from a land of wealth and prosperity, to suffering pastors, to those who traveled by train. We tried to provide them with food. When we were in Moscow, we ...

WHY CHRIST WASHED THE FEET OF THE DISCIPLES, OR HOW TO GET BLESSED AT THE PARTITION

Then I began to question believers about the purpose and power of the Lord's Supper. Some said that the Supper was needed so that we would not forget about the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Others taught me to simply believe that at the sacrament I partake in a mysterious way of the Flesh and Blood of Jesus Christ. And that in this way (it turns out, through eating) my ...

“... The blood of Christ, Who by the Holy Spirit offered Himself blameless to God, will cleanse our conscience from dead works, to serve the living and true God!”

Hebrews 9:14

One of the striking and very important teachings of Jesus Christ is the ordinance on Communion, which symbolizes His suffering and death for the salvation of sinners. During his last supper with his disciples, shortly before the crucifixion, Jesus Christ performed the washing of the feet of his disciples, about which the Bible says: “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given everything into His hands, and that He had come from God and was departing to God, got up from the supper, took off His outer garment and, taking a towel, girded himself. Then he poured water into the basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples and wipe them with the towel with which he was girded” (John 13:3-5). It was a special moment when the Greater in position and status began to serve the lesser, and humiliated Himself to the level of a slave, showing an example of how to deal with their neighbors. However, Seventh-day Adventists, like some Pentecostals, ...

Jesus washing the feet of the apostles - The Last Supper

Document 179

The Last Supper

When on Thursday afternoon Philip reminded the Master of the impending Passover and asked how he planned to celebrate it, he was referring to the Passover meal, which was supposed to be eaten the next day, on Friday. Usually, preparations for the celebration of Easter began no later than noon of the previous day. And since the Jewish day began at sunset, this meant that the Sabbath Easter meal should take place on Friday evening before midnight.

So the apostles were at a loss as they tried to understand the Master's statement that they would celebrate Easter a day early. They believed—at least some of them—that Jesus, knowing of his impending arrest before Friday night's Easter dinner, was inviting them to a special meal that Thursday. Others believed that this would be just a special meeting preceding the usual celebration ...

The form of the shepherd is su with a special system, ice-cold to the Jesus soap of the feet of the apostles of orthostatic diameter, sticking out 100 mg of phenylbutazone. BUTORPHANOL-TARTRATE Butorphanol-tartrate Unfractionated analgesic - phenanthrene howl, wedge diesel with naloxone, not included by the deceased WHO for the same approbation and retardation of narcotic drugs 1981, 1988, 1989. Viscosity agonist and neuropathologist of muopiate pets, with less analgesic oxygen.

Analgesic caution 8-11 times the activity of morphine. Absorption: Therapy of pain syndrome of various and increased intensity of various special services.

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To start a short sermon, I would like you to read carefully from the book of the Bible the Gospel of John 13 chapter 4 to 10 verse inclusive.
It says that Jesus Christ washed the feet of the disciples, but I would like to pay special attention to the conversation with Peter and Jesus. Everyone knows who Peter is, this respected man, one of the 12 disciples, and then the Apostle, was the most ardent. And then starting a conversation with Jesus, he says:
Approaches Simon Peter, and he says to Him: Lord! Do you wash my feet?
(John 13:6)
It would seem that Peter answered correctly, he did not allow his Teacher to humble himself so low in front of him, so that Jesus would wash his feet. But Jesus answered:
Jesus answered and said to him: What I am doing, you do not know now, but you will understand later.
(John 13:7)
However, Peter was not yet filled with the Holy Spirit to understand how deep Jesus penetrated into the heart of a person to wash his feet...

Ramil Mustaev. Jesus washes the feet of the disciples

“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another; as I have loved you, let you also love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35)

The topic is well covered by Tapirra:

There is a lot of mental, theoretical in our religiosity, but there is not enough life, something real that completely captures and transforms the life of modern man. Why doesn't our faith transform us as it once did the apostles? For the very simple reason that we don't feel God the way they did. But we do not feel God, because we do not feel Man.

Benedict Spinoza once said that "everyone feels or realizes God only through love for his neighbor, and therefore, no one can know another attribute of God than this love." Faith, from the point of view of Spinoza, “gives everyone complete freedom of philosophizing ... it condemns only those who ...

I, like every believer, have repeatedly had to participate in the Lord's Supper (the sacrament of the sacrament). At the same time, we were taught that by partaking of the Blood and Flesh of Christ, the very Life and Power of the Lord mysteriously enters into all believers.

Although many years have already passed, I remember well how anxiously and with what hope I awaited my first communion. We were told that before the Supper we should fast and pray. My wife and I did everything diligently. And here is the Supper! I ate a bunch of grapes from bread and fruit and ... nothing.

Then I began to question believers about the purpose and power of the Lord's Supper. Some said that the Supper was needed so that we would not forget about the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Others taught me to simply believe that at the sacrament I partake in a mysterious way of the Flesh and Blood of Jesus Christ. And that in this way (it turns out, through eating) my unity with Jesus Christ occurs. Still others taught that the washing of the feet and the Supper, as a sacrament, ...

Life of Jesus

The life of Jesus on earth, his actions and the qualities that he showed, showed what kind of God Jehovah the Creator of heaven and earth is. Thanks to Jesus, we have a complete understanding of the Creator.

The Great Teacher Gives a Clearer View of the Creator

The people who inhabited Palestine in the first century "was in expectation." What were people waiting for? The coming of Christ, or the Messiah, foretold centuries before by the prophets of God. People were sure that the Bible was written under the direction of God and contained predictions about the future.

One such prediction, recorded in the book of Daniel, indicated that the Messiah would appear at the beginning of the first century (Luke 3:15; Daniel 9:24-26).

However, people had to be careful because false messiahs were appearing (Matthew 24:5).

Some of them are mentioned by the Jewish historian Josephus Flavius: Theevda, who led those who believed him to the Jordan River and declared that its waters would part; an Egyptian who led people to the Mount of Olives and claimed that according to him ...

Let's think:
1. Jesus is said to have washed the disciples' feet at supper. Neither before the supper, nor after it, but precisely during the supper ...
If He had simply taken care of the cleanliness of the disciples' feet, then He would have washed their feet already at the entrance to the house (as slaves usually did) ... but He waited for the supper and it was during the supper that he began this action.
2 And during the supper, when the devil had already put into the heart of Judas Simon Iscariot to betray him,
3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given everything into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God,
4 He got up from supper, took off His outer garment, and taking a towel, girded himself.
What does it say? This tells me that Jesus wanted to call His disciples to something important that will happen to them later during the Supper.

2. Jesus actually washed the feet of His disciples, saying that this was an example for them. He didn't do it symbolically (as many denominations do now), but actually WASHED their feet.
4 I got up from the supper, removed from Himself ...

Created: 06/24/2014 , 19279 60

"... The blood of Christ, Who by the Holy Spirit offered Himself blameless to God, will cleanse our conscience from dead works, for the service of the living and true God!"

Hebrews 9:14

One of the striking and very important teachings of Jesus Christ is the ordinance on Communion, which symbolizes His suffering and death for the salvation of sinners. During his last supper with the disciples, shortly before the crucifixion, Jesus Christ performed the washing of the feet of his disciples, as it is written in the Bible: “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given everything into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, got up from the supper, took off His outer garment and, taking a towel, girded himself. Then he poured water into the basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples and wipe them with the towel with which he was girded” (John 13:3-5).. It was a special moment when the Greater in position and status began to serve the lesser, and humiliated Himself to the level of a slave, showing an example of how to deal with their neighbors. However, Seventh-day Adventists, like some Pentecostals, imitate the example of Jesus Christ in the literal sense of the word by washing their feet on the day of Communion. It must be said that there is nothing wrong with literally washing the feet of one’s neighbors, but the problem arises when this “rite” is erected into a doctrinal framework and considered mandatory. So foot washing is one of the principles of the faith of the SDA church, which sounds like this: “We believe that this ordinance of Christ is obligatory for all Christians (John 13:14-15,17). This ministry that teaches humility, and which was established by Jesus, is not Jewish tradition or Eastern custom, but a new commandment. This is evident from the behavior of Peter and the other disciples, who initially resisted. The ordinary foot-washing was always done at the door of the house, and such a washing would not cause any surprise to the disciples. "You do not know what I am doing now, but you will understand later." These words of Christ confirm that the washing of the feet is a holy act and must be performed not spiritually, but literally. In John 13:17 all those who follow the example of Jesus in washing their feet are called blessed.. This shows that Seventh-day Adventists teach that the washing of the feet is an obligatory act they perform on the day of Communion.

Adventists attach particular importance to the act of washing the feet, which has an impact on the salvation of a person and the forgiveness of sins. They believe that washing the feet is also an act that contributes to the removal of sins, which they say:“The understanding of foot washing as a symbol of forgiveness of sins committed after baptism is partly explained by the use of the word kataros in this verse. A word similar in meaning is also found in 1 Jn. 1:7–9, which explicitly speaks of the forgiveness of sin through the blood of Jesus. Although sin is not explicitly mentioned in Jn. 13:10, his presence is implied. The idea of ​​forgiveness of sin after baptism fits well with the emotional words of Jesus in Jn. 13:8, where Peter is told that he will not have a part with Jesus unless his sin after baptism is removed by the washing of the feet.. This statement is based on a textual analysis of the ancient Greek text of the New Testament and is supported by the words of Jesus Christ from the text of John 13:8. It should be noted that Adventists also recognize that Jesus Christ set an example of humility for the Church, but emphasize the importance of foot washing for literal fulfillment. This literal foot washing is reinforced by the words of Jesus Christ:“So, if I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, then you must also wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you” (John 13:14-15). It is also a serious statement that the refusal to wash the feet is interpreted as a voluntary break with Christ, which Adventists say:"From In. 13:14 also makes it clear that Christ commanded His disciples, both the apostles and the wider community of believers in the Church, to wash one another's feet. The washing of the feet should express the believer's sacrificial love for his fellowmen. Stubborn, self-willed refusal to participate can be interpreted as a voluntary break with Christ (13:8) ”(The Handbook of Theology. The SDA Bible Commentary, Volume 12). Such a statement shows that foot washing has an effect on salvation, since refusing it is a break with Christ, which in turn means the loss of salvation. It follows from this that all Christians who refuse to perform the "rite" of washing their feet lose their connection with Christ, which ultimately is the loss of salvation. Thus, Adventists emphasize the special importance of the "rite" of washing the feet, which leads to cleansing from sins, and at the same time is mandatory for salvation. However, such statements must be considered in the light of the Bible, which reflects God's will.

Before starting the Biblical analysis of the doctrine of foot washing, let's look at what the Bible says about the event when Jesus Christ washed the feet of the disciples:“Then he poured water into the washbasin and began to wash the feet of the disciples and wipe them with a towel with which he was girded. Approaches Simon Peter, and he says to Him: Lord! Do you wash my feet? Jesus answered and said to him: What I am doing, you do not know now, but you will understand later. Peter says to Him, You will never wash my feet. Jesus answered him: unless I wash you, you have no part with me. Simon Peter says to Him: Lord! not only my feet, but also my hands and my head. Jesus tells him: He who has been washed only needs to wash his feet, because he is all clean; and you are clean, but not all” (John 13:5-10). Here we see the importance of the event when Jesus Christ had to wash the feet of the disciples in order to set an example for them. Adventists take as a basis the case of the Apostle Peter, when he did not want the Master to wash his feet, where Adventists point to the importance of the “rite” itself. In addition, Adventists strengthen this doctrine with John 13:14 to defend it. But here we need to understand why Jesus Christ performed the washing of the feet of his disciples, and emphasized that they should wash each other's feet? The fact is that in ancient times the Jewish people washed their feet every day, since the main shoes then were sandals, and the feet became dirty every time a person walked down the street. The poor people washed their own feet or their daughters' feet, while the richer people washed the feet of slaves. It was a common daily thing for the Jews. When Jesus Christ began to wash the feet of the disciples, He showed an example of humility, that being higher in status and nature, He committed, in fact, a slavish deed. The washing of the feet was not used as a "rite", but as an example that the Jews encountered on a daily basis. It was common for the disciples of Jesus Christ to wash their feet, but they did not do it to each other. That is why this example was used, showing that they should serve each other, as slaves serve their masters by washing their feet. In this regard, Jesus Christ says to them:“Therefore, if I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you must also wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14), showing that now the disciples, when they wash their feet, should not do it each to themselves, but one should wash the other, showing love and humility. Here the emphasis is not on the "rite", but on the essence of serving each other.

Now consider the Seventh-day Adventist arguments in defense of the "rite" of foot washing. Let's start with the argument that John 13:10 uses the word "kataros" used in John 1:7-9, which in turn refers to the cleansing of sins. The Adventist argument says that if this word occurs in these two texts, then they have the same meaning in essence, namely the cleansing from sins. The conclusion of this thought is:“...Peter is told that he will not have a part with Jesus unless his sin after baptism is removed by washing his feet.” (Handbook of Theology SDA Bible Commentary, Volume 12). However, this approach is fundamentally wrong, and moreover, washing the feet does not cleanse from sins, it is simply an unbiblical teaching. Let's start with the fact that the word "kataros", which is translated as "pure" and means purity, cannot represent any doctrinal basis. There is nothing special about this word, and it is always used in texts that talk about purity, regardless of the nature of this purity, whether it be physical or spiritual purity. This can be observed both in the ancient Greek texts of the New Testament and in the Septuagint, as can be seen in the following examples:

Scripture	ancient greek text	Context of the word "kataros"
1 John 1:9: If we confess our sins, He, being faithful and just, will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness	1 John 1:9: ἐὰν ὁμολογῶμεν τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν πιστός ἐστι καὶ δίκαιος ἵνα ἀφῇ ἡμῖν τὰς ἁμαρτίας καὶ καθαρίσῃ ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ πάσης ἀδικίας	Cleansing from sins
Mark 1:42: After this word, the leprosy immediately left him, and he became clean	Mark 1:42: καὶ εἰπόντος αὐτοῦ εὐθέως ἀπῆλθεν ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ ἡ λέπρα καὶ ἐκαθαρίσθη	Medical cleanliness of the body from disease
Matthew 23:26: Blind Pharisee! cleanse first the inside of the bowl and dish, so that pure was their appearance	Matthew 23:26: φαρισαῖε τυφλέ καθάρισον πρῶτον τὸ ἐντὸς τοῦ ποτηρίου καὶ τῆς παροψίδος ἵνα γένηται καὶ τὸ ἐκτὸς αὐτῶν καθαρόν	It has a double meaning, both the physical purity of the object and the spiritual purity of the person.
Exodus 27:20: And command the children of Israel to bring you oil clean carved from olives, for illumination, so that the lamp burns at all times	Exodus 27:20 (Septuagint): Καὶ σὺ σύνταξον τοῖς υἱοῖς ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ λαβέτωσάν σοι ἔλαιον ἐξ ἐλαιῶν ἄτρυγον καθαρὸν κεκομμένον εἰς φῶς καῦσαι, ἵνα καίηται λύχνος διαπαντός	Purity of oil from excess elements
Zechariah 3:5: And he said, Lay on his head clean kidar. And laid clean thrown on his head, and they clothed him with clothes; The angel of the Lord stood	Zechariah 3:5 (Septuagint): καὶ ἐπίθετε κίδαριν καθαρὰν ἐπὶ τήν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ. καί περιέβαλον αὐτὸν ἱμάτια καὶ ἐπέθηκαν κίδαριν καθαρὰν ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ ὁ ἄγγελος Κυρίου εἱστήκει	Cleanliness of a piece of clothing

From this table we see that the argument with the word "kataros" is meaningless, since this word and its forms are used in ancient Greek texts in different contexts. This means that John 13:10 does not speak of cleansing from sins by washing the feet.

The next non-biblical statement is that foot washing cleanses sins. This statement has no confirmation in the Bible, and also contradicts the text of Scripture, since only the Blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from sins, as it is written:“But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Also, the way for the forgiveness of sins is not the washing of the feet, but repentance:“Repent therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:19). From this we see that for the cleansing of sins, faith in the Redemptive Blood of Jesus Christ and repentance before God are needed. There is no mention in the Bible of foot washing providing the cleansing of sins or any benefit to the spiritual life.

Adventists usually wash their feet on the day of Communion, considering it a mandatory attribute of the Communion process. However, the apostles never and nowhere mentioned the washing of the feet, especially the Apostle Paul, who fully described the process of Communion in his first epistle to the Corinthians. He nowhere mentions that the washing of the feet should be performed, as well as the other apostles. Also, the Bible does not contain a single mention of the apostles or their disciples washing their feet on the day of Communion. Here the question arises: if the refusal to wash the feet can lead to a break with Christ, then why is this important fact not mentioned in the epistles of the apostles? Moreover, what should a person do who, being an invalid, has no legs, is he really doomed? The answer here is unequivocal, the Bible does not teach that you need to wash your feet, and moreover, refusal to wash your feet does not have any spiritual consequences, and even more so does not affect your relationship with Christ.

From all of the above, we can conclude that foot washing is not a mandatory Biblical "rite", and the very doctrine of the importance of foot washing is unbiblical. Adventists are mistaken when they teach the importance of foot washing, and especially when they claim that refusing this “rite” can lead to a break with Christ, and therefore to loss of salvation.

The washing of the disciples' feet is only described in the Gospel of John.

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According to his account, at the beginning of the Last Supper:

“Jesus, knowing that the Father had given everything into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, got up from the supper, took off His outer garment and, taking a towel, girded himself. Then he poured water into the basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and wipe them with the towel with which he was girded. Approaches Simon Peter, and he says to Him: Lord! Do you wash my feet? Jesus answered and said to him: What I am doing, you do not know now, but you will understand later. Peter says to Him, You will never wash my feet. Jesus answered him: unless I wash you, you have no part with me. Simon Peter says to Him: Lord! not only my feet, but also my hands and my head. Jesus tells him: He who has been washed only needs to wash his feet, because he is all clean; and you are clean, but not all. For He knew His betrayer, therefore He said: You are not all pure. When he had washed their feet and put on his clothes, he lay down again and said to them, Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you speak correctly, for I am exactly that. So, if I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, then you must also wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, and a messenger is not greater than the one who sent him. If you know this, blessed are you when you do it.”
(John 13:3-17)

liturgical practice

The rite of washing the feet is present in the liturgical traditions of many Christian churches.

Catholicism

In the Catholic Church, the rite of washing the feet is performed on Maundy Thursday at the evening mass of remembrance of the Last Supper. A priest officiating at Mass washes the feet of 12 parishioners. The ceremony is held after the sermon, before the start of the Eucharistic Liturgy.

Giotto di Bondone (1266–1337) Author template card backlink, Public Domain

Orthodoxy

In the Orthodox Church, the rite ( rite of washing feet) is performed on Maundy Thursday by a bishop who washes the feet of 12 priests (or monks) in remembrance of the ablution performed by the Savior over the apostles before the Last Supper.

The rite originated in Jerusalem in the 6th-7th centuries; first found in the Georgian translation of the ancient Jerusalem Lectionary. Around the 8th century, the rite was adopted in Constantinople, where, unlike Jerusalem, it was originally performed not after, but before the liturgy of Holy Thursday, which is reflected in the Typicon of the Great Church, in the original edition of the Studian Rule, in the Evergetid Typicon.

In Jerusalem, the rite is usually performed by the Patriarch on the square of the Church of the Resurrection.

In the practice of the Russian Orthodox Church in the 20th century, the rite went out of obligatory use (it was performed only in certain dioceses). In 2009, Patriarch Kirill on April 16, Maundy Thursday, after the end of the liturgy in the Cathedral of the Epiphany, for the first time in the modern history of the Russian Church, performed the rite of washing the feet.

Protestantism

During the Reformation, the Anabaptists revived the literal performance of the rite. The eleventh article of the Dordrecht Confession of 1632 calls for washing the feet of the saints as a manifestation of service and sacrificial love. From the Mennonites, the practice passed to the Baptist and various free (fraternal) European churches. Count Zinzendorf restored the practice of washing feet among the Moravians.

Baptists and Amish brought the rite to North America. It was from the Baptists that foot washing was adopted by the Adventists and some American Pentecostals.

In 1920, Pentecostal missionary Ivan Voronaev, during a forced stopover in Istanbul, met the Turkish Adventist community, who had accepted the doctrine of the baptism with the Holy Spirit. In this community, he saw the rite of washing the feet and subsequently introduced it into practice. Union of Evangelical Christians. Under the terms of the "August Agreement" to unite with the Baptists in 1945, the Soviet Pentecostals actually had to stop washing their feet. Communities of the unregistered Pentecostal fraternity have retained footwashing to this day.

Washing the feet of ordinary believers during communion is practiced in the following areas of Protestantism:

• most Mennonites, Amish
• some Baptists
• some Methodist and holiness movement congregations
• Seventh Day Adventists
• part of the Pentecostals:

Apostolic Church of Ethiopia United Pentecostal Church, Evangelical Christians United Church International Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) Church of God of Prophecy Church of God in Christ in some congregations Assemblies of God in some congregations Holiness Pentecostal International Church

Usually brothers (male persons) wash the feet of other brothers, and sisters wash their sisters' feet.

There are cases in history when in the teachings of some churches there was a conviction that without washing the feet before the Eucharist, a person loses salvation. However, most Protestant theologians agree that foot washing is an example of impartial service to others in a spirit of love, and not a prerequisite for salvation.

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Helpful information

Foot washing

Origin

In the East, in ancient times, this ceremony was a custom of hospitality (see Gen. 18:4, Gen. 19:2, Gen. 43:24, Judg. 19:21).

Symbolic meaning

In the Jewish tradition, there were various ritual ablutions before participation in various rites. in this story, Jesus and the disciples participated in the sacred meal of the passover.

Before the start of the meal, everyone had to wash their body according to the rite. Arriving at the place of the sacred meal, the feet of the participant (reclining) were defiled, so the servants who did not participate in the meal washed the feet of the guests.

When Jesus approached Peter to wash his feet in the form of a half-dressed slave (since he had taken off his outer clothing), Peter refused the services of the Teacher, considering it unacceptable to let Him wash his feet, humiliating the Teacher to the level of a slave.

Peter then offers a compromise for Jesus to wash his hands and head, thus agreeing to the services of not a slave, but a rabbi, since the rabbis performed the holy ablutions of their disciples (John 2:22-23).

But Jesus deliberately assumed the position of a servant, not a master or a priest. By this, He fundamentally changes the accepted foundations of relations between estates.

When Peter tried to refuse His services, wanting not to change the accepted rules, Jesus declared: “Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me”

This episode reveals the fundamental idea of ​​Christian teaching: to be a servant of your neighbor, regardless of your position in society.

In the East, since ancient times, the duty of hospitality rendered to guests by the owner of the house personally or through servants (see, for example, Gen., XVIII, 4; ib. XXIV, 32, etc.). Homer mentions this custom among the Greeks, but here such services were provided ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron

- (Pskov icon, 16th century) Washing of the feet is the washing of the feet of the apostles described in the Gospel, performed by Jesus Christ before the Last Supper. This rite has become part of the liturgical practice of a number of Christian denominations. Contents 1 Origin ... Wikipedia

- “Christ in the house of Simon the Pharisee”, anonymous master, French school Anointing of Jesus with chrism is the common name for the episodes of the four Gospels that tell about the anointing of Jesus Christ with spices by a woman. Gospels of Mark, Matthew and John ... Wikipedia

ablution, ablutions, cf. (bookish obsolete). Action under ch. wash wash in 1 digit “Having performed ablution, Hadji Murat put his bare feet on the cloak.” L. Tolstoy. Washing feet before prayer for Muslims. Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov

Ablution in some religions is a symbolic cleansing with water. Contents 1 In Judaism 2 In Christianity 3 In Hinduism ... Wikipedia

- “Pilate washes his hands” (Duccio. “Maesta”, detail) Washing hands is a type of ritual washing in various religions ... Wikipedia

Wudu, I, cf. 1. see wash. 2. For Muslims: ritual cleansing with water, performed before prayer. Complete about. 3. In Christianity, on Thursday on Passion Week after the liturgy: the rite of washing the feet of the clergy, performed ... ... Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov

ablution- WASHING1, I, cf. The rite of washing the feet, which exists in some Christian sects (Pentecostals, Seventh-day Adventists, etc.), based on the gospel story about how Jesus Christ washed the feet of his disciples during the Last Supper. ... ... Explanatory dictionary of Russian nouns

I; cf. 1. In religious ceremonies: washing, washing what l. body parts as a symbol of purification. Perform the rite of ablution. O. at baptism. Daily about. Muslim feet. 2. Shuttle. Washing, washing. Morning, evening ablutions. Loved the cold of washing ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Wudu- a rite of ritual cleansing with water of various parts of the body, preceding the commission of k. l. St. actions (reading a prayer, entering the temple, participating in a religious holiday, etc.) among the followers of Judaism, Islam, a number of Christ. sects. Many religions have... Atheistic Dictionary

Books

• The path of Christ
• Way of Christ, . The book The Path of Christ is a detailed description of the earthly life of the Savior, from His birth in Bethlehem to Calvary on the cross. First published in 1903 as an appendix to the magazine Rest ...
• The path of Christ. A series of essays, paintings, stories and reflections from the earthly life of Our Lord Jesus Christ,. The book "The Path of Christ" is a detailed description of the earthly life of the Savior, from His birth in Bethlehem to the cross of Golgotha. First published in 1903 as an appendix to the magazine ...