The Way - Day 194 (John 13)

Pastor Tom's Journal on Today's Reading:
JOHN 13:1-20
John's gospel has, thus far, presented Jesus as the Son of God (John 1:19-4:54) and then detailed the opposition Jesus faced in His public ministry (John 5:1-12:50). Instead of being discouraged by those who rejected Him, Jesus concentrates His final efforts on those who did believe in Him as the Savior and Messiah. Because of Jesus' determination to teach and instruct His followers prior to His death, John 13:1-17:16 offers one of the most beautiful discourses about the certainty and possibility of the future. This section of John's gospel begins with a magnificent display of humility and servanthood.

John writes about the timing of the events to follow.

"Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end" (13:1).

John also adds the following details.

"And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God..." (13:2-3).

The actions and teachings of Jesus that follow occur on the night of His arrest and prior to His death. All of this was in God's plan to redeem the world. When Jesus was finished with supper, He got up from the table and began to wash the feet of the disciples. In Jesus' day, the streets of Palestine were dusty, which made it necessary for servants to wash the dirty feet of guests. Foot washing was an act of hospitality and humility. Luke 22:24 may hold the key about one of the reasons Jesus washed the feet of His disciples, "Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest." It is possible that this disagreement between the disciples caused Jesus to begin teaching them about serving others (Jesus' death on the cross would be the ultimate expression of serving others). The disciples seemed embarrassed that Jesus was washing their feet so Peter finally speaks up saying, "Lord, are You washing my feet? You shall never wash my feet!" (13:6-8).

Jesus' reaction to Peter shows that there is also a symbolic meaning behind His actions and the reader must closely follow the conversation between Jesus and Peter.

"Jesus answered him, 'If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.' Simon Peter said to Him, 'Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!' Jesus said to him, 'He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean...'" (13:9-10).

Jesus' expression of humility served as a symbol of spiritual cleansing and the exclusivity of cleansing through Himself. When Jesus speaks of "he who is bathed" He is referring to those who had been released (or cleansed) from the penalty of sin through repentance and faith. Those who had been forgiven (cleansed), now only need to wash their feet, which meant that they should continually seek forgiveness in everyday life. Everyone standing before Jesus that day had not been released from the penalty of sin and we will later find out that Judas is the one to whom Jesus refers (13:10b-11).

After washing the disciples' feet, Jesus sits down with them and begins to teach them a lesson in serving others.

"If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him" (13:14-17).

Jesus is not literally calling them to wash the feet of others, but on a greater scale He is commanding His followers to humbly serve others by meeting their needs. In a world where people are consumed with being served, Jesus commands those who follow Him to be consumed with serving. Are you serving or just being served?

JOHN 13:21-38
As Jesus finished washing the feet of His disciples, He taught them a clear lesson in humility and leadership (13:1-20). Instead of seeking to be served, Christ's followers should serve others and place the needs of others above their own to show the love of God (13:12-17). Also contained within Jesus' actions of washing feet, He symbolically taught them about spiritual cleansing and the exclusivity of forgiveness through Christ alone (13:6-11).

Upon finishing His lesson to the disciples, Jesus begins to feel "troubled in spirit" and reveals that someone would soon betray Him (13:21; see also 13:2, 10-11). Appearing confused by Jesus' revelation (13:22), John (the writer of this gospel) speaks up because of Peter’s prompting (13:23-24) and asks Jesus to identify that person (13:25). John then reveals Jesus' response.

"'It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.' And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, 'What you do, do quickly'" (13:26-27).

It appears that the other disciples did not fully understand Jesus' words and did not grasp Judas' betrayal until a later time (13:28-29). When Judas received the piece of bread from Jesus, he left and went out into the night (13:30).

After Judas' departure, Jesus unveils some details and instructions about the future. Although the disciples could not comprehend the complexity of what would soon follow, Jesus tried His best to prepare them so that when He had departed, they would remember His words. Jesus says, "Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him immediately" (13:31-32). His talk of glorification looked beyond His death and burial to the time when He would be resurrected and regain His rightful place beside the Father (see John 17:4-5). When Jesus would take this position beside God the Father, He would have already paid for sin to bring eternal life to all who would repent and believe in Him. Jesus’ following words would bring some confusion to His disciples.

"Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, 'Where I am going, you cannot come,' so now I say to you" (13:33).

Jesus announces His departure, but the place where He was going, they could not go. Simon Peter cannot keep quiet about Jesus' departure (13:36a), but Jesus repeats what He has already said, "Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward" (13:36b). The disciples could not follow Him in death, but they would soon give their lives for the sake of Jesus' message. Peter continued to argue with Jesus saying, "Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake" (13:37). Responding to Peter's confidence, Jesus speaks about his upcoming failure, "Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times" (13:38). Peter thought his love for Jesus was strong enough to stand in the face of death, but he was not fully aware of the circumstances which were to follow. Eventually Peter would deny Jesus just as He had said (18:15-27).

In the midst of  all the talk of His departure, Jesus says something which He hoped would characterize His followers after He had left.

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (13:34-35).

Loving others was not a brand new commandment (Leviticus 19:18), but it would certainly take on a new dimension as Jesus' death for sin would become the supreme example of sacrificial love for others. Jesus was asking His disciples, and all who believe, to love others as He had loved them. This kind of love is not normal - it loves even when the other is unlovable (Romans 5:8). Humanly speaking, this type of love is impossible to lavish upon others, but the indwelling Holy Spirit of God, whom Jesus would soon promise to them (Galatians 5:22), would enable them to manifest a self-sacrificing love. When Jesus' followers demonstrated this type of love, it would become the identifying factor that they were His disciples. Jesus had displayed His love to many people throughout His ministry, but His departure would leave this responsibility to His disciples. John would later write…
"Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us" (1 John 4:11-12).

Others cannot see God with their eyes, but they can see God in us as we love one another.

Dear God, help others to see God through me as I display love toward them.