19: Jesus washes his disciples’ feet — John 13:1-38

13 Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour  had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. ² The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper ³ Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God,
⁴ got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. ⁵ Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. ⁶ He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” ⁷ Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” ⁸ Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” ⁹ Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” ¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.” ¹¹ For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

¹² After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? ¹³ You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. ¹⁴ So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. ¹⁶ Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. ¹⁷ If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. ¹⁸ I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But it is to fulfill the scripture, ‘The one who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ ¹⁹ I tell you this now, before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am he.^{a  20} Very truly, I tell you, whoever receives one whom I send receives me; and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.”

²¹ After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, “Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.” ²² The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking. ²³ One of his disciples—the one whom Jesus loved—was reclining next to him; ²⁴ Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. ²⁵ So while reclining next to Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?” ²⁶ Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.”^a So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot.^{b  27} After he received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “Do quickly what you are going to do.” ²⁸ Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. ²⁹ Some thought that, because Judas had the common purse, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the festival”; or, that he should give something to the poor. ³⁰ So, after receiving the piece of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.

³¹ When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. ³² If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. ³³ Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ ³⁴ I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. ³⁵ By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

³⁶ Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered, “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now; but you will follow afterward.” ³⁷ Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” ³⁸ Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Very truly, I tell you, before the cock crows, you will have denied me three times.  NRSV

Get into the Word

1. What is the setting for the incident John describes in this section? What prompts Jesus to do what he did? How do you suppose Jesus felt about the evening and the meal as he prepared to wash the disciples’ feet? What might he have been thinking about?

2. How does Peter react to the situation? What is he missing about the action? How does Jesus interpret his actions for the disciples? What lesson should they take away from this? 

3. Who is Jesus referring to in verse 18? How does he relate it to his mission? Why does he share this information with the disciples now? How do the disciples react? What assurance are they seeking?

7. What is significant about the way Jesus indicates his betrayer? At this point who knows it is Judas? How do the others react to his departure?

8. Where does Jesus take the conversation after Judas leaves? Why do you suppose he starts talking about his own leaving? What does Jesus tell the disciples about the future? 

9. How does Peter take the news of Jesus’ departure? How does Jesus deal with Peter’s vow?

Get Personal

How has Jesus washed your feet recently? Whose feet have you “washed” recently? How have you been blessed by doing these things (v. 17)? How are you demonstrating to others that you are one of
Jesus’ disciples?

13:2. Devil — John means Satan [v. 27]. The irony is that Judas helps make our salvation possible — he puts Jesus into the Jews’ hands.
13:5. Wash the disciples’ feet — a common gesture of hospitality. Jesus demonstrates how radically different things in God’s kingdom are from things in this world. Jesus is also previewing his ultimate role as the “suffering servant” of Isaiah 53.
13:8. Peter gets high marks for loyalty and assertiveness but he misses the point (which Jesus had just said): he is reacting to the relationships in this world.
13:9. But also — Peter again reacts according to the values of this world: if washing one part is good, wash the whole thing – and Jesus has to explain the spiritual meaning of his actions.
13:12. Do you know — Jesus explains the new and radically different role

of servants and leaders in the kingdom of Heaven – as radically different as what he just did for the disciples. 
13:18. Scripture — Jesus quotes Isaiah 41:9.
13:19. So that . . . you may believe — God predicts things in the future as a demonstration of his power so people will believe him when the prediction comes true.
I AM — Jesus again uses the name God told Moses.
13:21. Troubled — John shows Jesus as having the same emotions and feelings as we do.
13:34. New commandment — well, not exactly new: God told the Israelites to love their neighbor [Lev 19:18]. 
13:38. Die for me — Peter did actually die for Jesus as a martyr in Rome, but many years later.