Holy Thursday: Broken Bread, Washed Feet, and Betrayal

Read Mathew 26:26-46, John 13:1-17 NIV

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” . . . dinner was taking place, when the devil had already put into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot that he should betray him, ³ because he knew that the Father had given him all things into his hands, and that he had come forth from God and was going away to God, ⁴ he got up from the dinner and took off his outer clothing, and taking a towel, tied it around himself.— Matthew 26:26, John 13:2-4 NIV

“And while they were eating, he said, “One of you will betray me” (Matthew 26:21). How’s that for a dinner topic? He then took bread and told the disciples, Take and eat; this is my body” (Matthew 26:26 NIV).

Wondering how his body could be broken bread, what Jesus did next confused them even more. “He got up from the dinner and took off his outer clothing, and taking a towel, tied it around himself. Then he poured water into the washbasin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, and to wipe them dry with the towel which he had tied around himself. Then he came to Simon Peter. Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” (John 13:4-6 LEB) Peter protested because he had no idea how much he needed to be washed, but he was about to find out. 

After he washed them, Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me” (Matthew 26:31). Peter, the ringleader, protested, exclaiming, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will” (Matthew 26:33). We all know the story. Peter denied Jesus three times that night. But don’t be too quick to condemn Peter. Jesus had already washed him. Jesus knew Peter would recover from denying him and mightily advance the kingdom afterward.

Jesus washes what we call dirty because he has foresight—he knows “dirty people” can be redeemed beyond their present circumstances. His washing is still available to us when we, like Peter, miss it because we overestimate our love for Him. “If we confess our sins to him, he can be depended on to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. And it is perfectly proper for God to do this for us because Christ died to wash away our sins” (1 John 1:9 TLB). 

In this Holy Week and season of the Cross, thank Him for washing you. Thank Him for the cleansing power of His shed blood. Thank Him for choosing you, someone who, like Peter, is imperfect. His body was broken; He was betrayed and denied, but still, He humbled himself, took a towel, and washed us clean. 

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. – Revelation 5:12 KJV

Lenita Reeves

Lenita is the senior pastor of Action Chapel Baltimore and Action Chapel North Carolina churches. She is a podcaster, the author of nine books, and an international speaker on a mission to communicate with passion, propel people into their purpose, and teach transformative truth across the globe. Lenita is the founder of PurposeHouse Publishing, PrayerWatch with Pastor Lenita, and creator of the Purpose/full Institute, which helps people discover and hone their divine purpose. She is a former Accenture consultant with college teaching experience, professional instructional design experience, a member of the RAINN speaker’s bureau, and a trained counselor. Lenita is also a Christian International/Bishop Hamon authorized prophetic instructor. She has traveled the globe as a keynote conference speaker in the United States, London, Jamaica, Ghana, Uganda, Haiti, and Kenya. She has a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech, a Master of Arts in Dance Education from Ohio State, and an MBA from the University of Maryland, College Park. Sign up to connect, receive more blog posts, and updates on courses, books, and events.