John 13
John 13:1 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.
In this chapter, John is
giving us more information about what happened before and after Jesus’ last
supper. At this point in our study, I want us to understand more about the
Passover and the feast of the unleavened bread. The Passover was a yearly
remembrance of how God passed over the children of
Exodus 12:1 Now the
LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2 "This month shall be your
beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to
you. 3 "Speak to all the
congregation of
Not only was God
instituting the Passover, He was making this a new year and a new beginning for
the Children of Israel. Their new year begins in our March or April. On the 10th
day of their new year, a goat or a lamb was to be selected. The Passover was a
family event and every household was to participate. God would allow two
smaller families to share a goat or lamb. They could not use any lamb or goat
because it had to be carefully chosen, it could not have any blemishes, and it
was supposed to be one of your best. The second provision was it had to be a
male, and it had to be within its first year. On the 14th day, the
animal was to be killed at twilight or the evening (tradition says between 3
and 5 P.M.), and some of its blood was to be applied to the two door post and
the lintel (the top part of the door).
Exodus 12:8'Then
they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and
with bitter herbs they shall eat it.
The bitter herbs were to
remind the children of
Exodus 12: 9 'Do not eat it raw, nor
boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire -- its head with its legs and its
entrails. 10 'You shall let
none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall
burn with fire.
The lamb had to be
roasted and it was not to be eaten raw or boiled. Every part was to be eaten
from its head to its feet before morning came. Historical tradition teaches
that each person’s portion was not very big. Whatever was left over was to be
burned in the fire.
Exodus 12:11 'And thus you shall eat
it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff
in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD's Passover.
The children of
Exodus 12:12 'For I will pass through the
This passage teaches us
the purpose of Passover meal. It was to be observed as a memorial for how God
passed over the children of
Exodus
The feast of the
unleavened bread (sometimes called the feast of the Passover) also represented
their escape from Egyptian bondage because they did not have time to make bread
with leaven before they left
Exodus
Children are always
watching and learning. When they saw their parents keeping the Passover and the
feast of the unleavened bread, they would want to know why, which would give
them the opportunity to teach them about God. Again, this shows how the
Passover and the feast that followed were to be kept throughout their
generations.
While we are on this
topic, I want to show how the Passover is the type and Jesus is the antitype.
Notice the following chart:
The Passover in Egypt was a type of
Christ, our Passover
Similarities |
Passover |
Christ |
An unblemished lamb |
Ex. 12:5 |
Jn. 1:29; Heb. 4:14-15 |
Lamb selected in
advance |
Ex. 12:3 |
Christ foreknown 1 Pet.
1:19-20 |
Lamb slain |
Ex. 12:6, 21 |
Rev. 5:6; 13:8 |
Not a bone broken |
Ex. 12:46; Num. 9:12 |
Jn. 19:33, 36 |
Blood applied to doors
caused death to pass by. |
Ex. 12:7, 22 |
Jesus washes us with
His blood to cause spiritual death to pass by. Rev. 1:5 |
Leaven must be removed |
Ex. 12:15; 19-20 |
Sin must be removed 1
Cor. 5:7-8 |
Only those that were
circumcised could partake of the Passover. |
Ex. 12:43-48 |
Only those that have
been spiritual circumcised should partake of The Lord’s Supper. Col. 2:11-12;
1 Cor. 10:16-17 |
.
Now that we have a better
understanding of the Passover and the feast of unleavened bread, let’s get back
to our text.
In verse 1, Jesus knew
His death was getting closer, and John expressed how Jesus loved His disciples
until the end. Verse 2 teaches us that the devil had already put the temptation
to betray Jesus in Judas’ heart while they were eating. This does not mean
Judas had no choice in the matter because he did. He simply chose to indulge in
this temptation because he had a free will. It is important to remember that a
temptation does not become a sin until we yield to the temptation (
John 13:3 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.
Jesus was fully aware of
His Deity and what was going to happen to Him, and He was about to teach His
disciples about humility and servitude. Before people ate during the first
century, a servant would clean the feet of the guest, which was necessary
because the people wore open sandals and their feet were always getting dirty.
Foot washing was an act of kindness, and it made the guests more comfortable as
they ate.
However, this act of
kindness had been neglected, so Jesus got up from the supper and removed His
outer garment, which would allow Him to perform the foot washing. He then
girded Himself with the towel taking the position of a hired servant. He put
water in a basin and started washing His disciples’ feet and wiping them with
the towel He girded Himself with.
John 13:6 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."
Peter could not
understand why Jesus wanted to wash his feet because it was unheard of for the
master to wash his servants’ feet. Peter or one of the other apostles should
have done this service, but they had not. They may of have thought they were
too important to serve each other this way because Luke’s account notes that
they were disputing among themselves that night who should be the greatest (Lk.
22:24). Sometimes Jesus’ disciples were more concerned about their position in
Jesus’ kingdom than seeing the truth. Without saying a single word, Jesus
humbled His disciples by washing their feet. He wanted them to understand that
it was more important to serve others than to be served.
Peter was so shocked by
what Jesus was doing that he told Him that He was never going to wash his feet.
But Jesus told him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” Jesus was
teaching more than just about washing feet. He was teaching them a spiritual
message because only Jesus can wash us and make us clean with His blood. When
Peter realized that He must be washed by Jesus, he goes to the extreme and
wanted Jesus to wash his hands and his head.
Jesus’ response in verse
10 refers to the physical and the spiritual. He is saying if a person took a
bath then all he needs to be physical clean is to have his feet washed. If a
person is spiritual clean and his feet are dirty, he is still spiritual clean.
However, not all His disciples were spiritually clean, namely Judas. Even
though Jesus knew Judas would betray Him, He washed his feet as well.
John 13:12 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.
When Jesus finished
washing their feet, He took His outer garments and sat down. While His
disciples thought about what Jesus did for them, He wants to know if they
understood what He had done to them. He continued to expound on what He wanted
them to understand. They knew He was their Teacher and Lord, and if He was humble
enough to serve His disciples by washing their feet, then they should be willing
to do the same.
Some teach that verse 15
is commanding us to practice foot washing, but they have missed Jesus’ point.
He was not telling them or us that we should practice foot washing, but that we
should be willing to serve one another in humility because we are not better
than each other; we are equal in the site of God. To prove that Jesus was not
specifically talking about foot washing, one cannot find foot washing being
commanded anywhere in the New Testament as being part of our worship to God.
The only other place foot washing is mentioned after Jesus’ death is found in:
1 Timothy 5:9 Do not
let a widow under sixty years old be taken into the number, and not unless she
has been the wife of one man, 10
well reported for good works: if she has brought up children, if she has lodged
strangers, if she has washed the saints' feet, if she has relieved the
afflicted, if she has diligently followed every good work.
This passage is talking
about the qualification of a righteous widow. One of the good works that she
could posses was being hospitable and washing the saints’ feet. Again, this was
done in her home and it was the custom for the host to wash the guests’ feet.
As Lipscomb noted:
There is nothing in this that could indicate a special ordinance or formal observance to be perpetuated in the church. The foot washing of both the Old Testament and the New Testament was an act of helpful kindness when needed” (David Lipscomb, A Commentary on the Gospel of John (Nashville: The Gospel Advocate Company, 1960), p. 210).
Jesus wanted His disciples to follow His example in serving
others. If they are willing to humble themselves as Jesus did, they will be
blessed. We must learn from this example and realize we are not better than our
brother or sister in Christ, and we should be willing to serve one another. As
Paul said to the Galatians: “For you,
brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity
for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (Gal. 5:13).
John 13:18 "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."
The one person He was excluding was Judas because Judas was not clean, and he would not learn to serve others. Instead, his actions would fulfill the prophecy of Psalm 41:9 as we will see momentarily. Jesus foretold His disciples about this betrayal, so when it happened it would prove once again that He is the Son of God.
Verse 20 is teaching that whoever receives those whom Jesus has sent by His authority is the same as receiving Him. When someone receives Jesus, he receives the Father as well. When someone goes out to preach the gospel, he is doing so by the authority of Jesus. When someone receives that person into their home, it is just like he has received Jesus into their home because that evangelist is representing Jesus. In fact, all Christians need to remind themselves that they are supposed to be an example of Christ in everything they do. When we live our life for Christ, whatever is done to us is just like it is done to Christ.
John 13:21 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."
The end of Jesus’ life
was growing closer, and as He thought about it, it bothered Him deeply.
Throughout this event, He taught that someone would betray Him, but now He
states it with clarity.
John 13:22 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.
When Jesus made His statement it caused the disciples to become anxious and perplexed because they could not believe that one of them would betray Him. Even though he is not named in our text, most believe it was John that was leaning on Jesus’ bosom. Peter wanted John to ask Jesus who was going to betray Him. The other accounts have all the disciples asking Jesus, “Is it I?” Once again, Jesus refers to the prophecy of Psalm 41:9 and He fulfills it by dipping the bread and giving it to Judas. After that, Satan entered Judas. Satan had already been working on Judas, but now he had won Judas to his side, so Jesus told him to go and do what he was going to do quickly.
This is how the devil works on people. He persistently tempts
them by heightening what they are tempted by. For example, after the devil had
tempted Jesus in the desert, Luke writes: “Now
when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an
opportune time” (Lk. 4:13-14). So, we should never think our battle with the
devil is ever over. When we start thinking that way, he will come into our life
and take us down like he did Judas.
As interested as everyone
was in finding out who the betrayer was, one would think the disciples would
have figured out it was Judas, but they did not. When Judas got up and left,
they thought he left to buy more supplies for the feast or to give some money
to the poor. Of course, we know he was going to betray Jesus. From the other
accounts, we can know this happened around the time Jesus instituted the Lord’s
Supper, and our text tells us it was dark outside.
John 13:31 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."
Judas betrayal would
bring about Jesus’ death, which would bring about Jesus’ glorification. God’s
plan to save man would come to pass, and it would happen on God’s terms not
mans’ terms. We can prove this because the Jews did not want to kill Jesus
during the Passover feast, but Jesus said this is when it would happen (Mt.
26:1-5), which proves that Jesus was in control of when He would die.
In verse 33, Jesus is
repeating what He had taught before, but this time His death was closer than ever
before. His disciples would not be able to follow Him or find Him because He
would be in heaven.
In verse 34, Jesus gives
a new commandment that is similar to the one Moses gave, which was to love your
neighbor as yourself. However, Jesus commandant is different because He is
commanding us to love one another like He loves us, which is a stronger form of
love we are to follow.
Notice Reynolds said about this:
So a new type of love is given, as the
Greek expositors generally have urged. There is a deeper intensity in this love
than can be found in Moses' "Love thy neighbor as thyself." In that
commandment which embraces the whole law, self-love is assumed and made the
standard for the love of neighbor. The new commandment, on the other hand, is
based on a new principle, measured by a higher standard than love of self. This
is based on Christ's love, which was self-abandoning and self-sacrificing love (H.
R. Reynolds, The Pulpit Commentary (
When we show this higher level of love for one another, Jesus said this will cause everyone to know that we are His disciples. As Christians, we must do our best to love one another as Jesus loves us.
John 13:36 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.
Peter did not understand what Jesus meant, so he wants to know where Jesus was going. Jesus assures him that he cannot follow Him to where He was going, but later He could. Before this could happen, Jesus had to die to make it possible for others like Peter to be able to follow Him into heaven at the general resurrection.
We have no reason to doubt the sincerity of Peter. He felt like he was ready to follow Jesus all the way even if it meant his death. But Jesus let him know that he would stumble and deny Him three times before the rooster crowed. We also learn in Matthew 26:35 that all the disciples made this claim as well, but sadly all of them would deny Jesus before the night was over.