John 13:12 “When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. ‘Do you understand what I have done for you?’ he asked them.”

It is the night of the Last Supper. Jesus is at the end of his mission here on earth. Jesus once again takes on the servant role as he washes the feet of his disciples (and my guess is they have really dirty feet!). Jesus washes their feet to make their entire body clean, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. (John 13:10) And after he finishes, Jesus asks “Do you understand what I have done for you?” I can see the disciples now—probably because they are so “me”—saying “yeah, you showed us how to be a servant by washing our feet that are just downright nasty.” But inwardly they are most likely saying “but you know with Jesus it is never that simple, I am sure there is more that we are supposed to be saying. I probably don’t get it yet again.”

We have the privilege of knowing the ending to this story. But do we understand what Jesus has done for us? Do we understand what Jesus is really asking? Jesus is foreshadowing his death, resurrection, and ascension, where he will clean not only the outward parts but also the inward parts that are really dirty of any who will but believe. Jesus will clean the inner me who continues to sin, continues to think that I can do it alone, and continues to think at times I am not in need of God. Yet Jesus says to all of us, “I love you so much that I am willing to die for your sins so that we can be together always if you would just believe. I want you to get this. I want you to understand.”

The greatness of what Jesus has done is almost incomprehensible. Jesus knows that his disciples can't even scratch the surface of understanding and yet later I am sure they thought of this question as they saw him ascend into Heaven “Do you understand what I have done for you?” I can see the tears streaming out of their eyes as they are looking up. I am sure they wanted to scream in a collective voice “we understand. We finally grasp all that you were about—all that you did—all that you were trying to tell us.”

And isn’t this the way for us? When we finally see and understand what Jesus really did for us, we feel like the veil has been lifted. It is though we were given a new pair of eyes that can finally see for the first time. And yet we realize that because we are human we never will be able to take in all that happened on the cross, all that happened when Jesus arose from the dead, and what happened when Jesus ascended into Heaven.

I was talking to a friend of mine weeks ago about his conversion story. He said quite simply but quite profoundly “I knew there was a God… when… when… when I realized that God was greater… so much greater than I could ever dream or hope for.. God is so far beyond my imagination… God is just so great.” He stammered his way through the words as he looked to Heaven. It was as though he could see a glimpse of God as he spoke.

This question challenges us to question as well as assert our beliefs. Do you understand what I have done for you? Do you have even a glimpse into the greatness of what I have done? Do you have even the smallest inkling of the greatness of who I am? How do you know that I am who I say I am? Is it your heart felt belief or is it a belief that has been handed down to you? If you do understand, tell me—tell others what you know—what you feel—what you see.

One of my favorite hymns is Jesus Paid It All. The refrain goes like this: “Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe; Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.” Jesus did indeed pay it all. Jesus did indeed wash us “white as snow.”

Jesus continues to ask us: “Do you understand what I have done for you?”