Love can be a noun or a verb. In this lesson Jesus is teaching about the verb love.

Roads were dusty and shoes were open, so The washing of the feet of a guests was expected in Jesus’ day. the host would normally not do this washing, because it was regarded as a very demeaning task.

Putting this lesson in context before this part of the lesson the disciples had been arguing about who would be the greatest so as Jesus Kneels he is demonstrating a love so great he was willing to do a demeaning task.
They are about to eat the Passover feast, this is a solemn occasion in Jewish tradition. Jesus knew His earthly mission was nearly complete, and that He was returning to the Father in heaven. He knew that everything had been given over to Him by the Father. In essence, He knew that everything was as it should be.

Obviously knowing that this would be one of his last acts of kindness to his disciples, as the evening meal progressed, Jesus Motivated by his love, arises from the meal removes his outer garment wraps a towel around him and grabs a basin with water and washes and drys the feet of his disciples.

Jesus, the teacher, Messiah, the leader of this group washed the disciples’ feet at a time when others would not have been inclined to do such a demeaning act. During a time when his future was obviously weighing upon him, Jesus turns to serve others demonstrating a love that serves. This is the son of God. He could have required men to minister to Him but Jesus humbled Himself by washing the feet of His disciples. This was our Lord’s way of showing them (and us) how much He loved them.

When Jesus reaches Peter’s feet, he does what seems to be the humble thing to do—he declines. He asks Jesus do you thinks He is going to wash his feet, seeming to correct Jesus. His notion is that leaders are served not servants. Jesus is shifting the paradigm.

Jesus responded to Peter’s protests saying that He knew what He was doing and that it was right, but that Peter would understand this later. Jesus is urging Peter to trust and to obey Him. Corrected peter does not yield respectfully.

Jesus says to Peter: “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.”With this statement, Peter is brought back to reality, to his senses. Peter was speaking before thinking. Peter then asked wash my whole body. But Jesus answers I only need to wash your feet to cleanse and almost all of you are cleansed. Judas being the exception.

To make sure they understand what he is doing he tells them the importance of servant leadership and love saying the leaders of the Gentiles, the heathens exercise dominion over them really with no empathy. And while you refer to me with respect as the leader you should understand that leader ship in Christian love is about selfless sacrificial love and acts of compassion. They would understand that as he volunteered for the cross.

When Jesus gives a new commandment to love one another as he has loved. He is not speaking of the noun he is talking about the verb. The mark the christian, the christian ID card is not a cross shining around our neck it is the exhibition of that selfless sacrificial love for another.