John 13:1-38
Feet washing. Entered by Satan. When Jesus is glorified. The new commandment. Lay down your life?
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JOHN 13:1-38
1 Just before the Passover feast, Jesus knew that his time had come to depart from this world to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now loved them to the very end. 2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, that he should betray Jesus. 3 Because Jesus knew that the Father had handed all things over to him, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 he got up from the meal, removed his outer clothes, took a towel and tied it around himself. 5 He poured water into the washbasin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to dry them with the towel he had wrapped around himself.
6 Then he came to Simon Peter. Peter said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" 7 Jesus replied, "You do not understand what I am doing now, but you will understand after these things." 8 Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet!" Jesus replied, "If I do not wash you, you have no share with me." 9 Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head!" 10 Jesus replied, "The one who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not every one of you." 11 (For Jesus knew the one who was going to betray him. For this reason he said, "Not every one of you is clean.")
12 So when Jesus had washed their feet and put his outer clothing back on, he took his place at the table again and said to them, "Do you understand what I have done for you? 13 You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and do so correctly, for that is what I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you too ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example - you should do just as I have done for you. 16 I tell you the solemn truth, the slave is not greater than his master, nor is the one who is sent as a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you understand these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
18 "What I am saying does not refer to all of you. I know the ones I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture, 'The one who eats my bread has turned against me.' 19 I am telling you this now, before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I am he. 20 I tell you the solemn truth, whoever accepts the one I send accepts me, and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me."
21 When he had said these things, Jesus was greatly distressed in spirit, and testified, "I tell you the solemn truth, one of you will betray me." 22 The disciples began to look at one another, worried and perplexed to know which of them he was talking about. 23 One of his disciples, the one Jesus loved, was at the table to the right of Jesus in a place of honor. 24 So Simon Peter gestured to this disciple to ask Jesus who it was he was referring to. 25 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved leaned back against Jesus' chest and asked him, "Lord, who is it?" 26 Jesus replied, "It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread after I have dipped it in the dish." Then he dipped the piece of bread in the dish and gave it to Judas Iscariot, Simon's son. 27 And after Judas took the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, "What you are about to do, do quickly." 28 (Now none of those present at the table understood why Jesus said this to Judas. 29 Some thought that, because Judas had the money box, Jesus was telling him to buy whatever they needed for the feast, or to give something to the poor.) 30 Judas took the piece of bread and went out immediately. (Now it was night.)
31 When Judas 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 he will glorify him right away. 33 Children, I am still with you for a little while. You will look for me, and just as I said to the Jewish religious leaders, 'Where I am going you cannot come,' now I tell you the same.
34 I give you a new commandment - to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 Everyone will know by this that you are my disciples - if you have love for one another"."
36 Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus replied, "Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, but you will follow later." 37 Peter said to him, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you!" 38 Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for me? I tell you the solemn truth, the rooster will not crow until you have denied me three times! (John 13:1-38)
FEET WASHING
6 Then he came to Simon Peter. Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus replied, “You do not understand what I am doing now, but you will understand after these things.” 8 Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus replied, “The one who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean. … 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you too ought to wash one another’s feet. (John 13:6-10;14)
During my early years as a Christian, a colleague and I enjoyed having lunch together while listening to Dr. J. V. McGee or engaging in discussions that lifted our spirits to heavenly heights. We used to affectionately refer to these gatherings as “feet washing time.” We wondered if it was appropriate to apply the literal act of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet to a more symbolic meaning.
However, Jesus’ act of feet washing appears to address a more profound issue than merely keeping our physical or spiritual feet clean. He stated, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with me.” What could this washing signify that is so crucial that without it, one cannot be a part of Jesus?
In a previous chapter, John 3, Jesus mentioned being born of water: “I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born of water and spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” The significance of water in this context seems to align with its importance in John 13.
In John 15, Jesus clarified the meaning of water further: “You are clean already because of the word that I have spoken to you.” (John 15:3) In chapter 17, verse 17, Jesus emphasized that it is the word that makes one clean: “Set them apart in the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:17) Therefore, by combining John 15:3 and John 17:17 with verse 8 of this chapter, we can conclude that water symbolizes God’s Word, the gospel, the New Covenant, and the new law of the spirit of life, rather than the old law of sin and death.
Let’s examine another verse that illustrates the function of the word as water.
25 … Christ loved the church and gave himself for her 26to sanctify her by cleansing her with the washing of the water by the word, 27so that he may present the church to himself as glorious - not having a stain or wrinkle, or any such blemish, but holy and blameless. (Ephesians 5:25-27)
Let’s conclude this section with John 15:3: “You are already clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.” This cleansing is a one-time event, not something that needs to be repeated over and over again. You are already clean. It’s similar to how once you are born of God from above, you don’t need to be reborn repeatedly.
I can almost deduce that the act of washing one another’s feet is like assisting each other in gaining a better understanding of and finding assurance in their salvation, which aligns with the purpose of our Sunday School class.
ENTERED BY SATAN
27 And after Judas took the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. (John 13:27)
Satan did not enter Judas Iscariot until after he received the piece of bread from Jesus. We can draw a parallel with the story of Job to speculate about this moment when Satan entered Judas’ heart. While God permitted Satan to test Job’s faith, it can be inferred that God must have allowed Satan’s influence in Judas as well. However, we can be confident that God would not have permitted it if Judas had recognized Jesus as his true master from the beginning.
WHEN JESUS IS GLORIFIED
31 When Judas had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in him. (John 13:31)
As soon as Judas took the piece of bread and departed, Jesus declared, “Now the Son of Man is glorified.” This statement seems to mark the beginning of a sequence of events that ultimately leads to Jesus’ crucifixion. But why does Jesus consider his crucifixion as the time for his glory?
Although Jesus, as God of the entire universe, doesn’t require glorification, he willingly chose to go to the cross to redeem humanity. He finds delight when his sacrificial act of dying for their sins is accepted and embraced. He doesn’t seek reciprocation from those he died for; in fact, their attempts to repay his kindness could be seen as an affront.
And if it is by grace, it is no longer by works; otherwise, grace would no longer be grace. (Romans 11:6)
Where is the glory if those receiving grace could somehow repay the debt?
THE NEW COMMANDMENT
34 I give you a new commandment - to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. (John 13:34)
This new commandment appears to be similar to the one in Luke 10, but they are from entirely different contexts and target audience.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.”” (Luke 10:27)
In Luke 10, his target audience is the legal experts of the day, while in John 13, it is his small group of chosen disciples. There are also differences within the commandments themselves.
The commandment in Luke 10 resembles an Old Covenant law, as it includes a requirement to love God, accentuated by the conditional statement in Luke 10:28: “Do this, and you will live.”
In contrast, the commandment in this chapter focuses solely on loving one another. In this context, Jesus’ disciples, having experienced His love, naturally love one another as an expression of their transformed identity in Christ. They are not obligated to love one another as a prerequisite for receiving Christ’s love.
LAY DOWN YOUR LIFE?
36 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, but you will follow later.” 37 Peter said to him, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you!” 38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? I tell you the solemn truth, the rooster will not crow until you have denied me three times! (John 13:36-38)
I’m sure Peter will later understand this about loving God:
In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. (I John 4:10)
Nghi Nguyen
- Scripture quoted by permission. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Disclaimer: This is my own opinion on the topic, which does not necessarily reflect the church's theology, or beliefs of the individuals in it — Nghi Nguyen
