THE DECLARATION OF THE BASIS FOR THE PERPETUATION OF FEETWASHING

The Declaration of the Basis for the Perpetuation of Feetwashing

Vss. 12b-13

".....Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am."

ld. The Person and His performance. This is not a question but a statement and should read: "you know what I have done unto you." This is in order. They have just seen what He did. They know intellectually the operations through which He and they have passed, but they do not know experientially the spiritual cleansing which this symbolizes.
They know the Person who has performed this task, and they are coming to know more of Him daily. Later they shall know even more when the Holy Spirit comes upon them.

2d. The Position and its authority. "Ye call me . . . Lord . . . and ye say well; for so I am."

A Lord is One Who stands in the place of sovereign authority over His servants. He has the right to command and to expect obedience. They owned Him as Lord, and this was doubtless because they recognized intuitively that He held this place. But He did not allow them to doubt. He definitely asserts that He was their Lord.

3d. The Teacher and His example. "Ye call me the teacher . . . and ye say well; for so I am."

A teacher is one with doctrinal authority. He is one who not only has information which He is able to impart, but because it is authoritative, He should be believed and followed as one pointing to the proper way in which to walk.

These disciples also recognized in Christ the fact that He was the Supreme Teacher. And they had joined Him as the one with the words of eternal life.

And they were not wrong. The Lord himself affirmed that they were right.