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John 13

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Jesus Washes the Disciples' Feet 1–11

1
Now before the feast of the passover, Jesus knowing that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own that were in the world, he loved them unto the end. ​
2
And during supper, the devil having already put 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 came forth from God, and goeth unto God, ​
4
riseth from supper, and layeth aside his garments; and he took a towel, and girded himself.
5
Then he poureth water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. ​
6
So he cometh to Simon Peter. He saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?
7
Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt understand hereafter. ​
8
Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. ​
9
Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.
10
Jesus saith to him, He that is bathed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. ​
11
For he knew him that should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.

The Meaning of the Example 12–20

12
So when he had washed their feet, and taken his garments, and sat down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?
13
Ye call me, Teacher, and, Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
14
If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. ​
15
For I have given you an example, that ye also should do as I have done to you.
16
Verily, verily, I say unto you, A servant is not greater than his lord; neither one that is sent greater than he that sent him. ​
17
If ye know these things, blessed are ye if ye do them.
18
I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth my bread lifted up his heel against me. ​
19
From henceforth I tell you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.
20
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.

Jesus Predicts His Betrayer 21–30

21
When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in the spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. ​
22
The disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake.
23
There was at the table reclining in Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. ​
24
Simon Peter therefore beckoneth to him, and saith unto him, Tell us who it is of whom he speaketh.
25
He leaning back, as he was, on Jesus’ breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it?
26
Jesus therefore answereth, He it is, for whom I shall dip the sop, and give it him. So when he had dipped the sop, he taketh and giveth it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. ​
27
And after the sop, then entered Satan into him. Jesus therefore saith unto him, What thou doest, do quickly. ​
28
Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him.
29
For some thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus said unto him, Buy what things we have need of for the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor.
30
He then having received the sop went out straightway: and it was night. ​

The New Commandment: Love One Another 31–35

31
When therefore he was gone out, Jesus saith, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him; ​
32
and God shall glorify him in himself, and straightway shall he glorify him.
33
Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say unto you.
34
A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; even as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. ​
35
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. ​

Jesus Predicts Peter's Denial 36–38

36
Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow afterwards. ​
37
Peter saith unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee even now? I will lay down my life for thee. ​
38
Jesus answereth, Wilt thou lay down thy life for me? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for John 13

Verse 1

unto the end — Telos is the point aimed at, the limit or completion, so 'to the end' reaches to the uttermost. 'His hour' is the hour of 12:23, 'The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.' 'His own' (idios) are those he calls in v.18 'whom I have chosen'.

Verse 2

put into the heart of Judas Iscariot — Ballo, to cast or throw, here of a thought thrown into the heart (kardia). Christ had said of him, 'one of you is a devil' (John 6:70–71). Luke 22:3 records the same moment, 'Then entered Satan into Judas'; the entry itself comes in v.27.

Verse 3

all things into his hands — This is the Father's gift named in John 3:35, 'hath given all things into his hand', and Matt 28:18, 'All power is given unto me'. Knowing it, he takes the towel (v.4). 'Went to God' uses hypago, the verb of 'Whither I go' in v.36.

Verse 5

began to wash — Nipto is to wash a part of the body, in contrast to louo, to bathe the whole person (v.10). The water for the feet was a host's courtesy, which Simon had not given: 'thou gavest me no water for my feet' (Luke 7:44). The towel is the one 'wherewith he was girded' (v.4).

Verse 7

thou knowest not now — Two Greek verbs for knowing: eido ('knowest', perceiving) and ginosko ('shalt know', coming to understand). The disciples' later understanding is a pattern in this Gospel: 'when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they' (John 12:16); the Comforter 'shall teach you all things' (John 14:26).

Verse 8

Thou shalt never wash my feet — Peter's refusal is ou me eis ton aiona, the strongest Greek negative, literally not ever, for the age. The reply uses meros, a share or allotted portion: without the washing Peter has no portion 'with me' (meta emou), that is, in fellowship with Christ.

Verse 10

He that is washed — Two verbs: louo, bathed all over ('washed'), and nipto, to wash a part ('wash his feet'). The one bathed is 'clean every whit' (holos, whole); the disciples' cleanness is 'through the word which I have spoken' (John 15:3). 'Not all' is explained in v.11: 'he knew who should betray him'.

Verse 14

ye also ought — Opheilo, to owe, to be under obligation, the word of a debt. The example becomes a duty because the one who stooped is 'Lord and Master'. The same ground is taken in Luke 22:27, 'I am among you as he that serveth', and Gal 5:13, 'by love serve one another'.

Verse 16

he that is sent — Greek apostolos, the noun behind 'apostle', here meaning one sent. 'Servant' is doulos, a bondman. The saying recurs in Matt 10:24 and John 15:20, there with the warning that 'if they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you'.

Verse 18

lifted up his heel against me — Quoted from Ps 41:9, 'which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me'; pterna is the heel. 'I know whom I have chosen' (eklegomai) recalls 'Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?' (John 6:70). Judas is 'the son of perdition' (John 17:12).

Verse 21

troubled in spirit — Tarasso, to stir up as water is stirred. It is the verb used of Jesus when he saw Mary and the Jews weeping for Lazarus (John 11:33) and in 'Now is my soul troubled' (John 12:27). He 'testified' (martyreo) before saying it: 'one of you shall betray me', as in Matt 26:21.

Verse 23

leaning on Jesus' bosom — The disciples reclined at table, so one lay against the breast of the next. Kolpos, bosom, is the word of John 1:18, 'which is in the bosom of the Father'. The same disciple 'leaned on his breast at supper' (John 21:20) and stood by the cross (John 19:26).

Verse 26

a sop, when I have dipped it — Psomion, a morsel of bread, dipped in the dish. Matt 26:23 gives the sign as 'He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish', and it fulfils Ps 41:9, 'which did eat of my bread' (v.18). The morsel is given to 'Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon', as in 6:71.

Verse 27

Satan entered into him — Eiserchomai, to go in, shows that what v.2 calls putting the thought into the heart now becomes entry (Luke 22:3). 'That thou doest, do quickly' is a word of release, yet 'no man at the table knew for what intent' (v.28); some thought he was sent to buy for the feast (v.29).

Verse 30

it was night — Nux. The hour Jesus names at his arrest is 'your hour, and the power of darkness' (Luke 22:53). Judas goes out 'immediately' (eutheos), at once on receiving the sop; only after he has gone does Jesus say 'Now is the Son of man glorified' (v.31).

Verse 31

Now is the Son of man glorified — Doxazo, to glorify, occurs five times in vv.31–32, twice in v.31 and three times in v.32. It answers 'The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified' (John 12:23) and anticipates 'Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son' (John 17:1).

Verse 34

A new commandment — Kainos means new in freshness, not in time; loving one's neighbour was already written (Lev 19:18). What is new is the measure, 'as I have loved you', just shown in the towel and basin. It is repeated in John 15:17, 'These things I command you, that ye love one another.'

Verse 35

By this shall all men know — The mark of discipleship is agape, love, 'one to another' (allelon), the word of v.34. The mutual love is visible to 'all men'. John 17:21 prays for unity 'that the world may believe', and 1 John 4:20 says the one who 'hateth his brother' and claims to love God 'is a liar'.

Verse 36

whither goest thou? — Peter takes up the 'Whither I go' of v.33 (hypago). 'Thou shalt follow me afterwards' is fulfilled in John 21:18–19, where Christ foretells Peter's death, 'signifying by what death he should glorify God', and then says, 'Follow me.'

Verse 37

I will lay down my life for thy sake — Tithemi psyche, to lay down one's life, the phrase Christ turns back on him in v.38. The vow matches the one made that night by all the disciples: 'Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee' (Matt 26:35).

Verse 38

The cock shall not crow — Alektor, a cock. The prediction is also in Matt 26:34 and Luke 22:34. It is fulfilled at John 18:27: 'Peter then denied again: and immediately the cock crew'; Matt 26:75 and Luke 22:62 add that he 'went out, and wept bitterly'.