John
Chapter 13
Overview
Passover, a major Jewish festival, is near, and Jesus shares a final evening meal with his closest followers. Meals were eaten reclining around a low table, and washing dusty feet was normally a lowly task. Jesus knows that betrayal and death are approaching, yet he chooses a towel and basin to show what leadership shaped by love looks like. Here greatness bends down. The chapter moves from that unforgettable act to the identification of the betrayer, a new command to love, and Peter’s confident promise—followed by Jesus’ unsettling prediction. Jesus calls himself “the Son of Man,” a title for his appointed role.
1Before the Passover festival, Jesus knew that his time had come to leave this world and go to the Father. He had loved his own people who were in the world, and he loved them fully, to the very end.
2During the meal, the devil had already planted in the heart of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, the decision to hand Jesus over to his enemies.
3Jesus knew that the Father had placed everything under his authority. He knew that he had come from God and was returning to God.
4So Jesus got up from the meal, took off his outer clothes, and wrapped a towel around his waist.
5Then he poured water into a basin and began washing his followers’ feet and drying them with the towel around his waist.
6When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter asked him, “Master, are you going to wash my feet?”
7Jesus answered, “You do not understand now what I am doing, but afterward you will understand.”
8Peter told him, “You will never wash my feet!” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.”
9Simon Peter replied, “Master, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head!”
10Jesus told him, “Someone who has bathed needs only to wash his feet; then he is clean all over. You are clean—but not all of you.”
11Jesus knew who was going to hand him over. That was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
12After Jesus had washed their feet, put his outer clothes back on, and returned to his place at the meal, he asked them, “Do you understand what I have done for you?”
13Jesus continued, “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Master,’ and you are right, because that is what I am.
14So if I, your Master and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.
15I have given you an example so that you will do for one another what I have done for you.
16I tell you the absolute truth: a slave is not greater than his master, and a messenger is not greater than the one who sent him.
17If you know these things, you are fortunate when you put them into practice.
18I am not speaking about all of you. I know the people I chose. But the sacred writing must be fulfilled: ‘The one who eats my bread has lifted his heel against me—he has turned on me.’
19I am telling you now, before it happens, so that when it does happen, you will believe that I am who I claim to be.
20I tell you the absolute truth: whoever welcomes anyone I send welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.”
21After saying this, Jesus became deeply troubled and declared, “I tell you the absolute truth: one of you will hand me over.”
22His followers looked at one another, unable to tell whom he meant.
23One of them—the follower Jesus loved—was reclining beside Jesus, close to his chest.
24Simon Peter gestured to him to ask Jesus whom he was talking about.
25So that follower leaned back against Jesus’ chest and asked, “Master, who is it?”
26Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread after I dip it.” Then he dipped the bread and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.
27After Judas took the bread, Satan entered him. Jesus told him, “What you are doing, do quickly.”
28No one reclining at the meal understood why Jesus said this to Judas.
29Because Judas kept their money box, some thought Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the festival,” or telling him to give something to the poor.
30After taking the bread, Judas went out immediately. It was night.
31When Judas had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been shown in his true greatness, and through him God has been shown in his true greatness.
32If God’s true greatness has been revealed through him, God will also reveal the Son’s true greatness through himself, and he will do so at once.
33My dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me. What I told the Jewish leaders, I now tell you: ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’
34I give you a new command: love one another. Just as I have loved you, you too must love one another.
35Everyone will know that you are my followers if you have love for one another.”
36Simon Peter asked him, “Master, where are you going?” Jesus answered, “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, but you will follow later.”
37Peter asked him, “Master, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you!”
38Jesus answered, “You will lay down your life for me? I tell you the absolute truth: before a rooster crows, you will deny me three times.”