John Chapter 13 - Commentary

1-17 Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet

[1] His Own

Jesus loved ‘His own’ that were in the world. Is everyone ‘His own’? (verse 18)

[2] The Devil put it my heart… What is our proper response to temptation?

[14] Jesus models humility - Philippians 2:

⁵Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, ⁷but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. ⁸And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Are good works then also required of us? (¹⁷If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them) A bondservant was a voluntary role, fulfilled by a servant, who once freed, willingly takes the sign of the servant in love for his master by having his ear pierced.

Service for the Lord is prescribed in Deuteronomy 10:

¹²“And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, ¹³and to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes which I command you today for your good?

Jesus reiterates with these chilling words in Matthew 7:

²¹“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

And again in John 14… ⁵“If you love Me, keep My commandments.

18-30 Judas betrays Jesus

[18] Is everyone ‘His own’?

Jesus loved ‘His own’ that were in the world. What about everybody else?

[27] Satan entered him….

In John 14:30, Jesus states the “ruler of this world is coming”. Could this be literally fulfilled at the arrival of Judas with the Roman guard? Spiritual warfare is real – to ignore that it exists if folly. Our adversary is “The Prince of this World”, and the “god of this age”, and is referred to as an “Angel of Light”. II Corinthians 11:

¹³For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. ¹⁴And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. ¹⁵Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

His minions are at work even today: Acts 20:

²⁹For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. ³⁰Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.

They attack the Word of God for their own purposes. II Corinthians 4:

²But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. ³But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, ⁴whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

We will see how this applies to Peter; how in a moment of weakness, we can be taken down, how are witness can be damaged, or we can suffer regret and remorse. We are warned by Paul in Ephesians 6 of this truth, and to be on guard:

¹⁰Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. ¹¹Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹²For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

However, Christ came to ultimately tear down the evil strongholds and destroy the “god of this world”, I John 3:

⁸He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

With the power of Satan mortally wounded, we can now resist the Accuser. James 4:

⁷Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

[29] What day was this?

“Buy those things we need for the feast,” would make no sense if this Last Supper was the “Feast” of Unleavened Bread. In fact, this is the evening of the “Day of Preparation”, 13 Nisan, or after sundown the 14^th which had to be Wednesday night!

31-35 “A New Command I Give You…”

John echoes this in I John 2:

⁸Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining. ⁹He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. ¹⁰He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.

36-38 Not just Judas will betray me…

The only difference between Judas and Peter was God’s grace…


Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.