John 13
John 13:1-38
1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.
2 And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him,
3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God,
4 rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself.
5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.
6 Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?”
7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.”
8 Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”
9 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!”
10 Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.”
11 For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, “You are not all clean.”
12 So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you?
13 You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am.
14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.
15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.
16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.
17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
18 “I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘HE WHO EATS BREAD WITH ME HAS LIFTED UP HIS HEEL AGAINST ME.’
19 Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am He.
20 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”
21 When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.”
22 Then the disciples looked at one another, perplexed about whom He spoke.
23 Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.
24 Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke.
25 Then, leaning back on Jesus’ breast, he said to Him, “Lord, who is it?”
26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.“ And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.
27 Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.”
28 But no one at the table knew for what reason He said this to him.
29 For some thought, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus had said to him, “Buy those things we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor.
30 Having received the piece of bread, he then went out immediately. And it was night.
31 So, when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him.
32 If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him immediately.
33 Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ so now I say to you.
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
36 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward.”
37 Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake.”
38 Jesus answered him, “Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times.
The chapter begins with reasserting the love Jesus had for those He came to serve, and His faithfulness in it to the very end. There is something directing His actions, though, indicated in the third verse. It was knowing the One He had come from and was returning to that prompted Him to perform this precious exercise in what He was about to do for them on a much larger scale. It was an amazing illustration of His sacrifice’s real purpose – to empower us to love and serve as He did. Instead of insisting on being cared for and honored as the Son of God that He was, He positioned Himself below those He cared for, but in so doing, also below the Father who had sent Him to serve them. By receiving this washing from Jesus His disciples were actually cared for by the Father Himself.
The love of our Father for each of us is on a level that can’t be understood from a worldly perspective. It’s only in being secure in what is already in your hands, who you’re representing, and whom you’re returning to that you are able to carry out His actions. We’re equipped to care for the cleansing of others when it’s not about us, but about obedience and love for the One whose care is being administered. This demonstration from Jesus is a key to the acts of love that will represent the Father and not just some worldly attempt at being good. When it’s His love that is served, it will be Him who gets the glory and not us. It will be a shield against offense and pride that are crouching and ready to launch, especially when your own life is being poured out. If love isn’t about you, there is no place available for these things. For Jesus, this love included the washing of the one who would betray Him to be killed. The love of the Father doesn’t discriminate in its service and care, extending even to the very ones that would do the most harm.
We are still being loved to the very end, and so enabled to love others as He does – to the very end.
I think about the love for the disciples that Jesus had and these scene where He washes their feet. I think I, like Peter, would have had a hard time wrapping my head around Him wanting to wash my feet!
I love Peter’s heart here as Jesus says that he is demonstrating who is His, and Peter offers the rest of him, not just his feet to be washed by Jesus! Peter was always trying to see things beyond what was actually in the flesh, just as when he walked in the water, or when he declared who Jesus was, or when argued with Jesus that they could fight off soldiers, or that he was worthy of Jesus to wash him.