Identity
God has been speaking to me a lot about IDENTITY — knowing what my identity is, where it comes from, false identity, etc. And identity is what jumped out at me when I read John 13:1-5, especially verse 3.
[That] Jesus, knowing (fully aware) that the Father had put everything into His hands, and that He had come from God and was [now] returning to God, got up from supper, took off His garments, and taking a [servant’s] towel, He fastened it around His waist. Then He poured water into the washbasin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the [servant’s] towel with which He was girded. John 13:3-5 (AMPC)
The verses at the beginning of John 13 are powerful because Jesus, knowing what was to come (betrayal and crucifixion), washed His disciples’ feet. Facing more pain than we can imagine, Jesus humbled himself and served and cared for the people around Him.
I believe verse 3 tells us how Jesus was able to do that. It says He knew God had given Him everything He would need, where He had come from, and where He was going. Jesus knew His identity.
So even though He knew what was coming, He washed the disciples’ feet. The circumstances and the people didn’t define Him or His behaviour. Secure in His identity, Jesus was free to love unconditionally.
And how incredible that Jesus treated all the disciples the same in this moment. It was a last loving act for His faithful friends. But they weren’t all faithful, not in their hearts, and Jesus knew that. Judas was about to betray Him, yet He lovingly washed Judas’ feet.
If you knew a friend was going to betray you and cause you immense pain, could you still humbly care for them? It honestly seems impossible, at least from a human stance.
But if we know our identity — that God gives us everything we need, we know where we have come from, and know where we are going — could we do it then?
You are a beloved and cherished child of God. He promises to never leave you or forsake you, and you can spend every day on earth and eternity in heaven with Him. God also promises to give you everything you need. That is your identity. And it is from that place of security that we can choose forgiveness, humble ourselves, and unconditionally care for those who attack, betray, or hurt us.
Jesus modelled the way, and the Holy Spirit equips us to do it. We can’t do it on our own. We have to be secure in our true identity as a loved child of God.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
What did Jesus know about His identity in John 13:3, and how did that shape what He did next?
When I am hurt, overlooked, or threatened, what usually defines my response—my emotions, the situation, or what God says is true of me?
Is there someone in my life I struggle to love well? How might remembering my identity in Christ change how I treat them?
