Section 7
between the disciples and God be maintained? It is to be maintained by the foot-washing. Foot washing is to wash away from the feet all the dirt that frustrates the fellowship of the relationship between God and man. In doing it, the Lord showed His disciples the way for them to main tain their relationship with God in Him.
This kind of understanding can be confirmed in a negative sense by verse 2, which says that at that time the devil had "already put into the heart of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, that he should betray Him." The aim of the devil's evil doing is to keep people away from the relationship with God. But what the Lord did in washing the dis ciples' feet was to keep His disciples in the rela tionship with God in Him. While the devil was working to keep people away from this relation ship with God, the Lord did the work of foot- washing as a way to keep His disciples in the relationship with God in Him.
LAYING ASIDE HIS GARMENTS
When the Lord Jesus was about to wash His disciples' feet, He laid aside His garments (v. 4). Garments here, in figure, signify the Lord's vir tues and attributes in His expression. Hence, to lay aside His garments signifies the putting off