Written ~ 04-22-2024
Read John Chapter Thirteen
John 13
In our chapter for today, this Last Supper scene is set a little differently than the other Gospels, the other accounts are found in Matthew 26:17-30, Mark 14:12-26 and Luke 22:7-30. Each Gospel tells the same story, each with distinct differences. Jesus is enjoying supper with His disciples, as we read the narrative from John in the first three verses, we see Jesus in full control. Jesus knows He is going to be betrayed and that He will be taken away from the disciples He loved so dearly… in verse 13:3 it says…
3 “Jesus knew that the Father had given Him authority over everything and that He had come from God and would return to God.”
This was not someone who was being caught off guard by anything that was going to happen, He fully trusted His Father and knew He would be back home soon. The “Expositor’s Bible Commentary” says…
- John emphasizes the fact that Jesus was not the innocent victim of a plot, unaware of what was transpiring around Him. Rather, He was fully aware of His authority, His divine origin, and His destiny. John says much more about the inner consciousness of Jesus than the other three Gospel writers do, either because he was more observant or because Jesus confided in him.
John is the only one to record what Jesus does next…
Verses 13:4-5…
4 “So He got up from the table, took off His robe, wrapped a towel around His waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then He began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel He had around Him.”
This showed the disciples the humble servanthood of their Master and they were taken by surprise by His actions, Simon Peter was the only one to speak up with protest, even though the consensus would have been the same in everyone’s mind.
Verses 13:6-9…
6 When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.”
8 “No,” Peter protested, “You will never ever wash my feet!”
Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to Me.”
9 Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!”
The washing of feet would have been a primary role for a servant, it was considered the lowliest of all services, so for the disciples to see Jesus, their revered Teacher and Master, place Himself in that role did not go over very well. But Jesus knew their hearts, He knew they did not understand the lesson He was teaching them. When Peter said he wanted his “hands and head washed as well,” shows he didn’t understand why Jesus was humbling Himself in this manner. The disciples would have thought it demeaning for Jesus to wash their feet.
Luke 22:24-27 gives us a clearer picture as to what the disciples were arguing about right before Jesus got up from the table and changed out of His robe…
24 Then they began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them. 25 Jesus told them, “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’ 26 But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. 27 Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course.”
“But not here! For I am among you as one who serves.”
The example of servanthood that Jesus is displaying would have stunned the disciples, it would never have occurred to the twelve to wash each other’s feet. Especially since they were just arguing about who would be the greatest among them, shows where their hearts truly were.
When Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, lord, not just my feet!” Let’s look at the response Jesus gave…
John 13:10-11…
10 Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For Jesus knew who would betray Him. That is what He meant when he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
In this response Jesus is talking about physical bathing, and spiritual cleansing. So to respond to Peter’s request to have his hands and head washed, Jesus simply said, you’re already bathed, it’s only your feet that are dirty. But then He seamlessly switches to spiritual cleansing by stating they were all cleansed (except for one). You only need to be spiritually cleansed once.
When we become spiritually cleansed by believing and accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior our hearts and minds have a visible readjustment. When we become Christians, we have the Lord’s Holy Spirit living within us, along with other changes the Holy Spirit brings to our hearts we also take on the heart of a servant. Our attitude should change from “Me, Me, Me” to how can I be of the most help. When we put into practice the Spirit led humility of servanthood, that’s when the glory of God can be revealed through us.
John 13:12-17…
12 After washing their feet, Jesus put on His robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? 13 You call Me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. 15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. 16 I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. 17 Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.”
The example Jesus is setting isn’t just about the washing of feet. No, He sets an example for us to follow in everything we should do or say. Our behavior should reflect the Lord’s presence in our lives. That’s why Jesus said, “I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.”
In Philippians 2:3-5 it says…
3 “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.”
So in this demonstration of love, Jesus humbles Himself before His disciples and does a chore that is the lowliest of services. It might be that the disciples knew Jesus loved them, but this act of servanthood proved to them that He did not feel superior to them, yes He was Lord, yes He was Teacher and Master, but plain and simple He loved them and wanted them to follow His example.
Drop down to John 13:34-35…
34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
Are you proving to the world your love for the Messiah? Do you love others as Jesus loves you?
We can no longer be ignorant to what the Lord says. He wants us to follow His example and if one of those examples is having a servant’s heart, then we need to heed to the lessons we have learned. When we condition our hearts and minds to follow the example that Christ gives us over and over again in Scripture, the act of servanthood will become second nature. But if we haven’t ever considered this concept before, it may take some diligent practice to humble ourselves and truly have the servant’s heart that the Lord desires to see in us. That’s why it’s important to study the Bible the way we are each and every day. We may learn something new about Christ’s character every time we open our Bibles, which will give us yet another example to follow. In John 13:17, Jesus says…
17 “Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.”
~AMEN~