because He did it first

^{1 -2}Just before the Passover Feast, Jesus knew that the time had come to leave this world to go to the Father. Having loved his dear companions, he continued to love them right to the end. It was suppertime. The Devil by now had Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, firmly in his grip, all set for the betrayal.

^{3 -6}Jesus knew that the Father had put him in complete charge of everything, that he came from God and was on his way back to God. So he got up from the supper table, set aside his robe, and put on an apron. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, drying them with his apron. When he got to Simon Peter, Peter said, "Master, you wash my feet?"

⁷Jesus answered, "You don't understand now what I'm doing, but it will be clear enough to you later."

⁸Peter persisted, "You're not going to wash my feet—ever!"

Jesus said, "If I don't wash you, you can't be part of what I'm doing."

⁹"Master!" said Peter. "Not only my feet, then. Wash my hands! Wash my head!"

^{10 -12}Jesus said, "If you've had a bath in the morning, you only need your feet washed now and you're clean from head to toe. My concern, you understand, is holiness, not hygiene. So now you're clean. But not every one of you." (He knew who was betraying him. That's why he said, "Not every one of you.") After he had finished washing their feet, he took his robe, put it back on, and went back to his place at the table.

^{12 -17}Then he said, "Do you understand what I have done to you? You address me as 'Teacher' and 'Master,' and rightly so. That is what I am. So if I, the Master and Teacher, washed your feet, you must now wash each other's feet. I've laid down a pattern for you. What I've done, you do. I'm only pointing out the obvious. A servant is not ranked above his master; an employee doesn't give orders to the employer. If you understand what I'm telling you, act like it—and live a blessed life.

John 13

Jesus wasn't as concerned with hygiene, or in other words, how good we look or how nice we smell, but by this act, He was trying to tell us that holiness is what counts. He tells peter that he can't be apart what Jesus is doing if his feet aren't washed. we can't be apart of what God is doing unless we are made clean by Jesus Christ. before, when we came to God, we would be covered in soot, blacked with sin and shame. but through the blood of Jesus, we were made as white as snow, clean and new, we were made holy in God's eyes. therefore, it is necessary for Jesus to wash all of us before we come before the Father. also, from this we understand that Jesus was the Master. and if the Master washes your feet, his servants, we go and wash our servants' feet and so on. He does all these things for us. He humbles himself before us even though He doesn't have to but He wants to set an example for us. we have to follow His example of humility and service to those who need it and those who think (peter) they don't need it or would rather not have us do it. He tells us to follow his example and we will blessed because of it and not only that, God will be glorified because of it. the world will see this ridiculous way that we handle our lives that is just so counterculture and opposite of the way the world works. we wash our servants' feet? we cater to the needs of those who are, in the world's eyes, supposed to serve us? this is what Jesus did. now we go out and do the same. this is revolution.