New Testament Commentary - John 13

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 13 Jesus washes the feet of the Twelve—He identifies Judas as his betrayer—He commands them to love one another. ~ Washing of Feet ~ In the east, it is a custome of hospitality and of showing respect and honor to have the servants of a house wash the feet of the visitors to that house. Symbolically, Jesus was showing himself to be servant of all by his action, but not only this, as it is a priesthood ordinance of special witness and cleansing which the Savior was performing.	Jesus performs the ordinance of the washing of feet upon the twelve including Judas Iscariot—He the identifies, to the apostle John, Judas as his betrayer—He commands them to serve and love one another— Jesus details the course of his death. ~ Judas' Betrayal ~ After the sealing ordiance of special witness and cleansing, it does not guarantee salvation, though it seals Christ's atoning effect on a soul. If one willingly turns from and purposefully denies Christ, breaking the ordinance, turning totally therefrom as Judas in his betrayal, then one can be lost and stated to be a Son of Perdition.	*Sealing Ordinance of Atonement*
1 Now before the feast of the ^apassover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he ^bloved them unto the end. 2 And *supper being ended, the devil having now put into the ^aheart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son,* to betray him^a; 3 Jesus ^aknowing that the Father had given all ^bthings into his hands, and that he was ^ccome from God, and went to God; 4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself^a**.	2^a supper being ended, the devil having put ito the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him There is some discussion as to the timing of events within the last supper. Here John clearly states that the 'supper portion' of the Sadar ceremonial meal has ended. what the Savior institues after the supper is of the new covenant and not a part of the old. With all of the 12 still present, what the Savior does next is clearly out of character and unpresetented as ever being a part of the Sadar meal. True, when the quests would arrive, the servant of the house would have washed all of their feet. Now after the meal, the Savior is going to again wash the feet of those particular twelve who are at the Last Supper with him. 2^a He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel and girded himself With supper ended, the Lord now prepares himself for a 'ceremonial ordinance washing of the feet of the Appostles of the Kingdom'. This was clearly NOT the ordinary washing of feet of the tradition of the households of the Jews as that would have already been performed prior to the beginning of the Sadar Meal when first the group had entered the house and was then performed by a servant of the house. While Peter was the only appostle bold enough to speak, many of the appostles must have sat or reclined in wonderment as to the act which now Jesus was about to perform. In fact, in order of priority, Peter would have been the first to whom Jesus would have come to wash his feet first. This gave Peter the full opportunity to speak what would have been upon the uneasy minds of many of the rest of the disiples.
The Servant of All In every high house all honored quests to the house would be received with respect and by the owner's servant, that sojourner would have his feet washed by the servant of the house upon entering into the house. The House is the Father's and the Servant of the house is Jehovah, the Son. He it is who decended below all things, becoming the servant of all, taking upon himself the sins of all the world, being the redeeming servant of all unto the adoptive posture of surrogate in the stead of the Father performing the atonement for all mankind, that all might be redeemed from the fall and gain immortality and be resurrected; and to provide the way that all might have the opportunity of entering back into the presence of the Father. The ordinance of the washing of feet is perhaps not totally understood. But the symbolism of the ordinance is clear, that Jesus, He who is greatest amoung them (us), positions himself to be the servant of all, serving them in the humblist of servant tasks, the washing, cleansing, of the soujourner that the soujourner might enter into the Master's House, that is the Kingdom of the Father.
5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to ^awash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. 6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? 7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.
8 ^aPeter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I ^bwash thee not, thou hast no part with me. 9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. 10 Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is ^aclean every whit: and ye are ^bclean, but not all. 11 For he knew who should ^abetray him; therefore said he, Ye are not ^ball clean.
12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?
13 Ye call me ^aMaster and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and ^aMaster, have ^bwashed your feet; ye also ought to ^cwash one another's ^dfeet. 15 For I have given you an ^aexample, that ye should do as I have done to you.
16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him^a. 17 If ye know these things, ^ahappy are ye if ye do them.	16^a neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him This lesson of truth Satan sought to undermine in his attempt to place himself above or to be greater than God, taking that glory unto himself. Christ was the humble and meek Son, the Firstborn of the Father, and he subjected himself unto the Father's will and unto the Father's glory in all things. Thus the true Son of God does honor the Father who has sent him and does not place himself above the Father as had designed Satan to so do.
18 ¶ I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me. 19 Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am ^ahe.
20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send ^areceiveth me; and he that ^breceiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
21 When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall ^abetray me. 22 Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake.
23 Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his ^adisciples, whom Jesus loved. 24 Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake. 25 He then lying on Jesus' breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it? 26 Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a ^asop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.
27 And after the sop ^aSatan entered into him^a. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly^b. 28 Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him. 29 For some of them thought, because Judas had the ^abag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor. 30 He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night.	27^a after the sop Satan entered into him We are all somewhat responsive to the enfluence of others upon us. The apostles in the presence of Jesus himself, were very much so inflenced by the very presence of the Lord. Yet at this moment, Jesus seems to relinquish his influence of presence upon Judas. Not that Jesus was 'forsaking him' unto evil, but that Judas to this point had been so exercising his own free agency in planning and devising with the Jewish leaders as to how to betray Jesus the Christ into their hands for money. And particularly at this point, at a point when the Lord's supper, the sacrement, had been given and partaken unworthily by Judas did the promise that the Lord's spirit was to be with him did cease. And it was at that time of unworthiness, when the covenant was broken by Judas, that the Lord's spirit did withdraw from him leaving him empty and Satan's spirit did enter in and take Judas over to become a Son of Perdition. This is a frightening and all too real perspective of the actual possibility of the denying of Christ. 27^b Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly Nothing is hid from the Lord. He knew Judas' heart, intent and purpose. One asks why did he not stop him. God has given and allows men their free agency. He does not interfere with it. That he uses that knowledge to bring about his purposes is another matter. By Judas' betrayal the death and subsequent resurrection of Christ was placed into action. One wonders if Judas had not given in to Satan, would Lucifer have sought another of the twelve to have betrayed Jesus? Certainly, and perhaps he had already been attempting to do so. Remember Jesus warned Peter that Satan had desire and designs upon his soul as well, to sift him him as wheat (Luke 22:31). Remember all of the diciples asked if it was not themself who might betray them. Perhaps all had had some thought upon it, being tempted by it by Satan. And Jesus could have been easily taken before this, but as his 'time was not yet', Jesus had purposefully and protectively been preserved and protected from it. It was not a matter of 'if' but 'when' it was to occur. And it was Judas who had risen or rather fallen to that time and occasion of his own free will and agency.
31 ¶ Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the ^aSon of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him.
33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall ^aseek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you^a. 34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye ^alove one another; as I have loved you, that ye also ^alove one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have ^alove one to another.	33^a as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you Though not in the same vein and meaning of denouncement of the disciples as it had been of the Jews, Jesus was stating that he would now die and it was not yet their time to follow after him. This was certainly Peter's understanding when he asked Jesus why he could not follow him 'now', as he was also ready and willing to lay down his life also.
36 ¶ Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards^a. 37 Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I ^afollow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake. 38 Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.	36^a Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards Distinct and apart from that like message to the Jews that they would not come where Jesus would go, he qualifies it to the disciples, particularlay to Peter, that while they cannot go with him at this time, they would follow afterward in like deaths of martyrdom for the cause unto the Lord's salvation and presence.