John 13 · Read 10 min · think and write 15 min
In the last lesson, at Caesarea Philippi, Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt 16:16).
This lesson comes to the evening when Judas would betray Jesus (v. 2). John 13 opens: “Now before the feast of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that his time had come that he would depart from this world to the Father” (v. 1). Jesus was at supper with his disciples, and during that meal he washed their feet.
1Now before the feast of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that his time had come that he would depart from this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
2During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him,
3Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he came from God and was going to God,
4arose from supper, and laid aside his outer garments. He took a towel and wrapped a towel around his waist.
5Then he poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
6Then he came to Simon Peter. He said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?”
7Jesus answered him, “You don’t know what I am doing now, but you will understand later.”
8Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I don’t wash you, you have no part with me.”
9Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!”
10Jesus said to him, “Someone who has bathed only needs to have his feet washed, but is completely clean. You are clean, but not all of you.”
11For he knew him who would betray him; therefore he said, “You are not all clean.”
12So when he had washed their feet, put his outer garment back on, and sat down again, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you?
13You call me, ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord.’ You say so correctly, for so I am.
14If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.
15For I have given you an example, that you should also do as I have done to you.
16Most certainly I tell you, a servant is not greater than his lord, neither is one who is sent greater than he who sent him.
17If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
Jesus said that one of the disciples would betray him, and Judas went out. Jesus spoke of going where the disciples could not come, and gave them a new commandment: love one another. (vv. 18–35)
36Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered, “Where I am going, you can’t follow now, but you will follow afterwards.”
37Peter said to him, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”
38Jesus answered him, “Will you lay down your life for me? Most certainly I tell you, the rooster won’t crow until you have denied me three times.
To read the whole chapter: John 13, 38 verses.
He loved them to the end. The chapter’s first sentence says first what Jesus knew, then how he loved: “having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end” (v. 1). The washing of feet that follows takes place under that sentence.
Knowing, then the towel. The passage says Jesus was “knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he came from God and was going to God” (v. 3). What follows is not a proclamation but a string of actions: he “arose from supper, and laid aside his outer garments. He took a towel and wrapped a towel around his waist” (v. 4); “he poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him” (v. 5).
Do you wash my feet? When Jesus came to Peter, he asked, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” (v. 6). Jesus said, “You don’t know what I am doing now, but you will understand later” (v. 7). Peter answered, “You will never wash my feet!” (v. 8). The passage does not explain why Peter said this; it only records that he refused.
No part with me. Jesus answered, “If I don’t wash you, you have no part with me” (v. 8). Peter turned at once: “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!” (v. 9). Jesus said, “Someone who has bathed only needs to have his feet washed, but is completely clean” (v. 10). In three sayings Peter went from ‘never’ to ‘my hands and my head,’ and Jesus answered him each time.
An example. When he had finished, Jesus sat down and asked, “Do you know what I have done to you?” (v. 12). He said, “If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (v. 14), and “For I have given you an example” (v. 15). He also said, “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them” (v. 17).
I will lay down my life. That same evening Jesus said that where he was going, the disciples could not follow now. Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you” (v. 37). Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Most certainly I tell you, the rooster won’t crow until you have denied me three times” (v. 38).
The feet already washed. When Jesus said this, he had already washed Peter’s feet. Earlier the passage says, “For he knew him who would betray him” (v. 11) — he knew, and still “he had washed their feet” (v. 12). In the next lesson, the night of the rooster’s crowing comes.
Jesus himself named what this meant at the time: “a servant is not greater than his lord, neither is one who is sent greater than he who sent him” (v. 16). The disciples called him ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and he said, “You say so correctly, for so I am” (v. 13).
What the passage records is the lord doing the servant’s work.
Sometimes the hardest thing is not doing something for others, but letting someone do something for you — like Peter saying, “You will never wash my feet!” (v. 8).
And sometimes, like Peter, we say very big words: “I will lay down my life for you” (v. 37). This lesson does not mock him. It only lets you see that Jesus already knew what would happen, and still washed his feet first.
This week: Do one ‘foot washing’ this week: a small task no one wants to do and no one will notice, for someone at home or at work. Then think: is there something someone wants to do for you that you keep turning down?
Scripture: World English Bible.