We cannot give out to others what we do not have. For example, when we have no money, can we give money to others? When we have nothing to eat, can we give anything to others so that they can eat and be satisfied? We can give only what we have.
Spiritually, it is the same. We cannot give what is not in us. When there is no love in us, can we share love to others? When we have no patience, can we be patient to others? When we have no mercy in us, can we show mercy to others? We cannot. We can give only what is in us.
For this reason, Paul emptied out from inside what belonged to him, and he filled himself with Christ.
Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.
Since Christ lived in him, he could live the life Christ gave as example. It is the same with us. We also must crucify ourselves and fill ourselves with Christ: love, compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, etc.. God is holy and God wants us to be holy like Him. We should resemble God in every way. Then we can give to others good things stored in us.
Many of the teachings of God are sometimes beyond our comprehension. To destroy the wall of Jericho, God commanded his people to turn around the wall for seven days. To defeat the Median Army, God chose his army by observing how they drink water and gave them trumpets and torches to fight in a war. All these things does not make sense in the human understanding, but when God’s people obeyed him completely, they could see the work done according to the pleasing will of God. Then what about the feet-washing ceremony?
One of the similar commands of God is the feet-washing ceremony which Jesus practiced with his disciples just before the night of the Passover. It was so much incomprehensible even to the disciples and one of them even almost disobeyed Jesus’ teaching by refusing to have his feet washed during the ceremony. And receiving a warning from Jesus, immediately he let go of his thought and obeyed his teacher. Let us take a look at what happened at that time.
John 13:1 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
Just before the Passover mean with bread and wine, Jesus poured water in a basin and started to wash the feet of the disciples. At that time, Apostle Peter refused to have his feet washed by Christ, thinking that it would be dishonorable for God to wash a sinner’s feet. He had a very respectful and reverent mind toward Jesus Christ and out of humility he did not want his teacher to wash his feet. However, when he realized that his opinion was different from the will of God, he changed his thought on the spot, following God’s commands.
John 13:6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” 9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” 10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.”
Christ washing the feet of the disciples before eating the Passover. What is the meaning of this ceremony?
When Jesus said that he could not have any part with Christ unless he let Christ wash his feet. He was alarmed because his only wish was to have everything with Christ. That is why he changed his mind as soon as Che knew that he was not acting according to the teachings of God. To teach that it was necessary for him to wash their feet, Jesus said, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” This teaching is true to all the incomprehensible teachings of God found in the bible. God was teaching his people the same lesson over and over again, “Even though you don’t understand now, later you would know. Therefore, just for now, obey what I command.” He was asking the first virtue as God’s people, the complete obedience to the words of God.
Since Peter also realized the fact through the teachings of Christ, he could obey the teachings even though he could not fully understand the meaning of the ceremony at that time. Then what was the meaning of the feet washing ceremony? Why was it so important? Why should it be performed before the Passover? It would be graceful if we obey and have our feet washed before keeping the Passover even though we do not know the meaning of it. And also it would be even more graceful if we know and keep the ceremony. Therefore, now let us know the meaning behind it so that we may completely understand the ceremony and keep the ceremony with firm faith in God.
Just like all other laws and regulations of God, there was a regulation of feet washing in the Old Testament as copy and shadow which would be fulfilled by Christ in the New Testament.
Colossians 2:16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
Paul teaches that all the regulations of the Old Testament was only a copy and shadow and the reality was fulfilled by Christ. Therefore, let us take a look at the regulation of feet-washing in the past as copy and shadow and then find out how it was fulfilled by Christ. If we look at the model of sanctuary in the time of Moses, just before enter into the tabernacle God commanded to put a water basin so that the priest who entered the tabernacle could wash their hands and feet.
Exodus 30:17 17 Then the Lord said to Moses, 18 “Make a bronze basin, with its bronze stand, for washing. Place it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 19 Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet with water from it. 20 Whenever they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die. Also, when they approach the altar to minister by presenting a food offering to the Lord, 21 they shall wash their hands and feet so that they will not die. This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come.”
God commanded to set up a water basin on the courtyard of the temple and he commanded the priests to wash their hands and feet before entering the temple.
God commanded that the priests, before entering the tent to serve God, must wash their hand and feet and otherwise they could be put to death. Therefore, it was a life-or-death regulation to the priests who had to constantly enter the tent day and night to serve God according to the law of God. And the bible says that this regulation in the Past was just a copy and shadow given to us to teach us the reality which can be found in Christ. Then what is the reality of all these? Let us first find out who the priests of God are.
1 Peter 2:4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. …….9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
The bible says that in the New Testament all the people of God are considered as priests of God who must serve God in the tabernacle. And therefore, just as priests must wash their hands and feet before entering the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place, we as priests must enter the Holy Place to serve God and before entering the tent we must also perform the ceremony of feet-washing.
Then what is the sanctuary at which we can serve God? Since we do not have a physical sanctuary or temple anymore, we must understand this spiritually. Then what is the spiritual temple or the reality of temple? Jesus let us know what the reality of temple is.
John 2:18 The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” 20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21But the temple he had spoken of was his body.
During the baptism ceremony, Christ Jesus received the Holy Spirit which descended upon his body of temple. For this reason, we can say that the body of Christ worked as the temple of God where the Spirit of God dwells.
The temple is the place where the Spirit of God dwells. But when Jesus came down 2000 years ago, he put the Spirit of God in his body. Therefore, he called his body a temple because the Spirit of God was dwelling in his body. Through this we can understand the reality of the temple, the body of Christ. Then how can we enter the spiritual temple, the body of Christ to serve God? God gave us one regulation so that we could enter the spiritual temple, his body.
John 6:53 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them.
What does it mean, “We remain in God and God remain in us”? It means God’s people who ate the flesh and blood of God can spiritually enter into the temple of God to remain in it. Through this we can understand that eating Christ’s flesh and drinking his blood is the ceremony through which we can enter the body of Christ to remain in it. Then how can we eat his flesh and drink his blood? Through the Passover of the new covenant. Therefore, the Passover is the ceremony given to us to enter the spiritual temple the body of Christ to serve God. Then in the Old Testament what should the priests do before entering the temple of God? They should wash their hands and feet. In the same way, since we can enter the spiritual temple of God through the Passover, before the Passover what should we do? We must wash our hands and feet. But Jesus said those who washed already need to wash only their feet.
John 13:10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean.
Then what is the meaning of bath? It is the baptism they should receive before keeping the Passover. In the Old Testament, to keep the Passover all the males must be circumcised in advance. And Paul teaches that the spiritual circumcision is the baptism. Therefore, before the Passover, we must spiritually get circumcised by receiving the baptism. Figuratively Jesus compared the baptism to bath. Since we already took bath through the baptism, we need to wash only our feet.
Spiritually, the Passover is the ceremony through which we enter into Christ’s body of temple to remain in Christ. That is why Christ taught the disciples to wash their feet before eating the Passover.
We must now realize the mind of Peter when he said, “not just my feet, but my hands head, too.” How much eagerly he wanted to have a relationship with Christ. God commanded us to have our feet washed and enter his body of temple to be blessed with forgiveness and eternal life. Now we must listen to the teachings of God by getting rid of our own thoughts just like Peter. Christ Ahnsahnghong and Heavenly Mother gave their flesh and blood to lead us into the Most Holy Place of the temple for salvation. Now let us keep the Passover with a thankful mind. It is not late.
Today let us think about how we can remain in God. Jesus taught his disciples about the importance of remaining in God. One day Jesus who was the master for the disciples brought a water basin and started to wash the feet of the disciples. Peter who believed Jesus to be God who came as man in the flesh could not let Jesus wash his feet who are a mere sinner. So he rejected what Jesus was trying to do to him, and said that Jesus should not wash his feet because it is a servile work belonging to a servant.
Jn 13:8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” 9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!
When Jesus said that he who did not wash his feet had nothing to do with him, Peter was alarmed because he wanted to have every part with Christ so he immediately changed his thought and asked Jesus to wash his head and body as well as feet if that is that much important. Sharing a part with someone who is important to you is natural for both of them. That is why Peter more than anything else wanted to share every part with Christ. This is also a teaching of Christ too. He taught us that if we are the disciples of Christ, we must share everything with him. And we should be completely one with Christ by sharing everything with Christ.
John 15:4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
Jesus emphasized over and over again that God’s people must remain in him and then they can bear much fruit and give glory to God. If they do not remain in him, they are like dead branches which would be thrown into fire. It means to receive salvation we must remain in Christ and Christ must remain in us. When we remain in God we can receive abundant blessings from God just as a branch can receive a lot of water and nutrients from the vine when it remain in the vine. Then how can we have Christ in us?
1 John 2:24 As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he promised us—eternal life.
How can we remain in Christ and Christ in us? Christ said we must have in us what we have heard from the beginning. Then what was it that the disciples heard from the beginning?
1 John 2:7 Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard.
What is the thing that they had already heard and known even from the beginning? What they had already heard is “the message” or the commands of God which Jesus taught them. Therefore, to remain in Christ, we must remain in the words of God and the words of God remain in us. Then we can remain in Christ.
1 John 3:24 The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
Therefore, it is the words of God that must remain in us and if we remain in the words of God by obeying the words, then we can remain in God and God in us. Then what is the commands of God we must have in us? In the past, God gave the old covenant to the physical Israelites, but for the spiritual Israelites God gave a new covenant. The new covenant is the words of God that must remain in us and we must remain in by obeying it.
Jeremiah 31:31 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“when I will make a new covenantwith the people of Israel
and with the people of Judah.
32 It will not be like the covenant
I made with their ancestors
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they broke my covenant,
though I was a husband to[d] them,[e]”
declares the Lord.
33 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel
after that time,” declares the Lord.
“I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.I will be their God, and they will be my people.
The law of God that we must remain in and that must remain in us is the new covenant and through the new covenant we can become God’s people who can receive salvation. Therefore, the message we already heard which should remain in us is the word of God in the new covenant. When the new covenant is in us, we can remain in God and God in us. Let us confirm how God remain in us through the new covenant.
Luke 22:19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
On the night of the Passover, Jesus gave bread and wine which symbolizes his flesh and blood and he established the new covenant through his flesh and blood. Then why did he give the new covenant of the Passover? Through the new covenant Christ can remain in us and we can remain in Christ.
John 6:53 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.
What is the promise of Christ in the new covenant? Through the new covenant of the Passover, his flesh and blood can remain in his people and his people can remain in Christ because they belongs to Christ through his flesh and blood. By eating his flesh and blood we can become his people and he gives eternal life to everyone who belongs to him. This is the blessing of the new covenant. Through the new covenant we can have everything with Christ and we can become one body with Christ. (1 Corinthians 10:17) Since we are one with Christ, just as God put his Spirit in Christ, God will put his Holy Spirit in us too who have become one with Christ. And through the Spirit in us we can have eternal life.
John 6:63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.
In conclusion the words of God is the Spirit that gives life. And to those who heard the words of God and obeyed his commands, God puts his Spirit in them and they can remain in God and God in them. And the words that we must have in us is the words of God in the new covenant. When we keep the Passover of the new covenant, Christ’s flesh and blood (or the word of God) can remain in us and through the words of God in us we can receive salvation, the eternal life. This mysterious work of God’s salvation is hidden in the new covenant of the Passover. Therefore, we must keep the new covenant of the Passover.
Even though there is no other church on this earth which keeps the new covenant of the Passover according to all the regulations of the Passover, there is only one church which keeps the truth of the new covenant including the feet washing ceremony which Peter rejected to receive at first. This is the World Mission Society Church of God or WMSCOG, which was established by the Second Coming Christ Ahnsahnghong. He restored the new covenant of the Passover so that his people can remain in him and him in them. And he let us know the true reality of the new covenant, the Heavenly Jerusalem our Mother who is the true source of eternal life. Let us keep the new covenant of the Passover by obeying the words of God so that we may remain in God bearing many fruits. Amen
![[WMSCOG] Feet-Washing Ceremony and Temple](https://lastadamandeve.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/1114px-Washing_of_the_Feet_-_Capella_dei_Scrovegni_-_Padua_2016-672x372.jpg)
