Observing the Passover this past Sunday night, I was struck by a statement Peter made to Jesus when He instituted the foot-washing ceremony. He first protested the idea of his Lord and Master washing his feet. “No…you will never ever wash my feet!” (John 13:8, New Living Translation). As was common, Peter was presumptuous and quick-tongued. Jesus knew Him well and was patient though. He calmly explained, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.”

Peter’s next statement was what hit me: “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!” (verse 9). Even though Peter didn’t yet fully understand what Jesus was trying to communicate with this ceremony, he knew something important about himself. He knew that he needed to be cleansed fully. He was aware of his sinful nature—he was completely unworthy in the company of His Master.

Thanks to the sacrifice and intercession of Jesus Christ as our Savior and High Priest, Christians are undergoing a continual purification process. Like Peter, we need to realize that, on our own, having our feet washed once a year just won’t cut it. We need to be fully cleansed of our sinful nature.

Especially at this time, with the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread reminding us of the redemptive power of Jesus’ shed blood, we can be thankful for His continual intercession for us at the throne of God. If you want to know exactly why Jesus chose to give up His place at the throne of God, come to earth as a servant, and die for those who killed Him through their disobedience, I highly recommend that you take some time and read and reflect on Hebrews chapter 9 during this Passover season.

May your Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread be positive, uplifting, and full of joy as we recognize that we can be truly unleavened (1 Corinthians 5:7) as we take in and “put on” the nature of Christ (Romans 13:14).