“Something ordained or decreed by God,” is one definition of an ordinance. Many accept the Lord’s Supper as being ordained by God, while relegating Foot Washing to insignificance, even though both were set forth by Jesus as ordinances to be observed by His followers. God had instructed the Jews to keep the Passover feast once a year. Jesus was keeping the Passover feast with His disciples, and during the meal, He instructed His disciples to observe another supper—the Lord’s Supper. Though there is no saving grace in the ordinance itself, it depicts the total work of Christ in man’s behalf.
QUESTIONS
- The Children of Israel were to take a lamb from the flock on the tenth day of the month and keep it separate until the fourteenth day when they were to kill it in the evening and eat it roasted with fire. They were to place the blood over their doors. What did this point to?
- What does our observance of the Lord’s Supper point to?
- What do we partake of at the Lord’s Supper? What is represented by the bread? by the grape juice?
- The disciples and Jesus were present at the first Lord’s Supper. These men were His most trusted followers, those closest to Him. Explain who is to partake of the Lord’s Supper today by defining what is meant by the word unworthily in 1 Corinthians 11:27. Explain what it means in the next verse when it says, “let a man examine himself.”
- Explain what it means to discern the Lord’s body.
- How did Jesus’ washing the disciples’ feet differ from the foot-washing customs of the day?
- Why did Peter change his mind after first telling Jesus, “Thou shalt never wash my feet?”
- 1 Timothy 5:10 lists several good works which Paul said were commendable. What are they?
- Read Matthew 28:19-20. How does this Scripture relate to Foot Washing?