Church of God, New World Ministries

Bible Q & A

Q. Why do you wash the feet first when taking the Lord’s supper?
 
A. Turn in your Bible to John 13. We read in verse 2…“And supper being ended…” That should be interpreted, “during supper”. Notice in verse 4, Christ rose from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. Christ washed the disciples’ feet at this time. All twelve of them, Judas included.

After washing the disciples’ feet, they went back to the meal, to finish it. Notice verses 22-28. Here Christ gives sop, while still eating the meal, to Judas who will soon betray him. Now read Matthew 26:25. “Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said.” Now, go back to John 13 and read verse 30. After receiving the sop, Judas left, and it was still night.

Go back to Matthew 26 and pick up the story flow, in verse 26. “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples (the eleven that were left), and said, Take eat; this is my body…”

This is the order of events in which Christ gave us to observe the Lord’s Supper. The footwashing must come first to demonstrate a state of mind of humility prior to partaking of the body and blood of Christ.
 
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