For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Christ isn't just telling you to do the same action as he did, but to follow the same spirit. The real example is his self-sacrificing humility and love, which you're meant to apply in all your relationships, not just in a specific ritual.
For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just finished washing his disciples' feet, an act of profound humility that surprised and, in Peter's case, initially resisted. He's now explaining that this wasn't just a symbolic gesture about spiritual cleansing, but a practical demonstration of how they should treat each other. He wants them to understand that true leadership and love involve self-sacrificing service, just as he, their Lord and Master, has shown them.
Jesus just washed his disciples' feet. Was he telling them to literally do that exact thing forever?
When Jesus says, 'do as I have done to you,' he's not just prescribing a foot-washing ceremony. The scholars point out that the 'example' (the Greek word hypodeigma) here is about the principle behind the act, not the specific action itself.
A Deeper Meaning
It's about the spirit of self-sacrificing humility and brotherly love that Jesus demonstrated. The imitation isn't about replicating the physical act of washing feet, but about applying that same attitude of service and humility in all the different situations and challenges we face in life.
What does it say about us when the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, kneels to serve?
Jesus, who is rightly called Master and Lord, deliberately chose to wash his disciples' feet. This wasn't just a nice gesture; it was a powerful, humbling act designed to teach a profound lesson.
The Argument from the Greater to the Less
Jesus uses his own status to make his point. If He, the supreme authority, stoops to perform a task considered lowly even in that culture, how much more should His followers, who are equals and brothers in faith, be willing to serve one another? Pride is the great barrier to Christian unity and service; Jesus’ action directly confronts and shames any pride that makes us look down on others or refuse to help them.
Ask a follow-up
Understand the original words
hypodeigma · Greek Noun
A pattern, model, or prototype intended to be imitated; in a moral or spiritual context, it serves as an archetype for the behavior expected of believers.
This act occurred during Jesus' final Passover meal, just before his crucifixion, emphasizing the humility and selfless love he wanted his followers to embody as they carried on his work.
c. AD 30— this verse
Jesus' Last Supper with Disciples
During the Passover meal, Jesus washed his disciples' feet, a profound act of service and humility.
c. AD 30
Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection
The core events of Christian faith, establishing Jesus' authority and the promise of spiritual cleansing.
c. AD 40-50
Early Church Expansion
The Gospel spreads, and the apostles begin to teach and lead new communities, carrying Jesus' example forward.
c. AD 60-70
Writing of the Gospels
The accounts of Jesus' life, teachings, and actions, including the foot-washing, are recorded for future generations.
This passage directly echoes John 13:15 by urging believers to adopt the 'same mindset' as Christ, emphasizing humility and self-emptying, which is the very heart of Jesus' example in washing the disciples' feet.
1 Peter 4:10Peter, who was present when Jesus washed their feet, exhorts believers to 'use their gifts to serve one another' faithfully, reinforcing the practical, service-oriented nature of the example Christ set.
Galatians 5:13This verse speaks to the spirit of service exemplified by Jesus, encouraging believers to 'serve one another humbly in love,' highlighting that Christ's action was a demonstration of this core principle of Christian living.
1 John 3:16John, who leaned on Jesus' breast at the Last Supper, reflects Jesus' actions in this passage, stating that 'by this we know love, that he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers,' illustrating the ultimate application of Jesus' example.
calvinJohn 13:12-17: "So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?"
- After then he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, sitting down again at table, [45] he saith to them, Know ye what I have done to you? 13. You call me Master and Lord; and you say well, for so I am. 14. If I then, who am the Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you ought also to wash one another's feet. 15. For I have g…
henryJohn 13:1-17: "Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end."
13:1-17 Our Lord Jesus has a people in the world that are his own; he has purchased them, and paid dear for them, and he has set them apart for himself; they devote themselves to him as a peculiar people. Those whom Christ loves, he loves to the end. Nothing can separate a t…
Christ isn't just telling you to do the same action as he did, but to follow the same spirit. The real example is his self-sacrificing humility and love, which you're meant to apply in all your relationships, not just in a specific ritual.
Jesus has just finished washing his disciples' feet, an act of profound humility that surprised and, in Peter's case, initially resisted. He's now explaining that this wasn't just a symbolic gesture about spiritual cleansing, but a practical demonstration of how they should treat each other. He wants them to understand that true leadership and love involve self-sacrificing service, just as he, their Lord and Master, has shown them.
Jesus has just finished washing his disciples' feet, an act of profound humility that surprised and, in Peter's case, initially resisted. He's now explaining that this wasn't just a symbolic gesture about spiritual cleansing, but a practical demonstration of how they should treat each other. He wants them to understand that true leadership and love involve self-sacrificing service, just as he, their Lord and Master, has shown them.
"For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you." — Christ isn't just telling you to do the same action as he did, but to follow the same spirit. The real example is his self-sacrificing humility and love, which you're meant to apply in all your…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026