Session 20: November 5, 2022

Scripture Reading: John 13:1-38

Just before the Passover Feast, Jesus knew that his time had come to depart from this world to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now loved them to the very end. 2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, that he should betray Jesus. 3 Because Jesus knew that the Father had handed all things over to him, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 he got up from the meal, removed his outer clothes, took a towel and tied it around himself. 5 He poured water into the washbasin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel he had wrapped around himself.

6 Then he came to Simon Peter. Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus replied, “You do not understand what I am doing now, but you will understand after these things.” 8 Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, wash not only my feet but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus replied, “The one who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 (For Jesus knew the one who was going to betray him. For this reason he said, “Not every one of you is clean.”)

12 So when Jesus had washed their feet and put his outer clothing back on, he took his place at the table again and said to them, “Do you understand what I have done for you? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and do so correctly, for that is what I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you too ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example—you should do just as I have done for you. 16 I tell you the solemn truth, the slave is not greater than his master, nor is the one who is sent as a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you understand these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

18 “What I am saying does not refer to all of you. I know the ones I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture, ‘The one who eats my bread has turned against me.’ 19 I am telling you this now, before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I am he. 20 I tell you the solemn truth, whoever accepts the one I send accepts me, and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.”

21 When he had said these things, Jesus was greatly distressed in spirit, and testified, “I tell you the solemn truth, one of you will betray me.” 22 The disciples began to look at one another, worried and perplexed to know which of them he was talking about. 23 One of his disciples, the one Jesus loved, was at the table to the right of Jesus in a place of honor. 24 So Simon Peter gestured to this disciple to ask Jesus who it was he was referring to. 25 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved leaned back against Jesus’ chest and asked him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus replied, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread after I have dipped it in the dish.” Then he dipped the piece of bread in the dish and gave it to Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son. 27 And after Judas took the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” 28 (Now none of those present at the table understood why Jesus said this to Judas. 29 Some thought that because Judas had the money box, Jesus was telling him to buy whatever they needed for the feast, or to give something to the poor.) 30 Judas took the piece of bread and went out immediately. (Now it was night.)

31 When Judas had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him right away. 33 Children, I am still with you for a little while. You will look for me, and just as I said to the Jewish religious leaders, ‘Where I am going you cannot come,’ now I tell you the same.

34 “I give you a new commandment—to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 Everyone will know by this that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.”

36 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, but you will follow later.” 37 Peter said to him, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you!” 38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? I tell you the solemn truth, the rooster will not crow until you have denied me three times!

Main Themes

The Setting

The Hour Has Come

You may recall that we started John’s Gospel with Jesus telling his own mother, “Woman, why are you saying this to me? My time has not yet come.” (John 2:4) You may also recall Jesus telling his brothers that he could not attend the Feast of Tabernacles with them because, “My time has not yet arrived . . . .” (John 7:6). You might even remember Jesus escaping unscathed from those who “tried to seize” him, “but no one laid a hand on him because his time had not yet come.” (John 7:30) Chapter 13 puts the suspense to rest, “Jesus knew his time had come . . . .” (John 13:1)

The story is coming to an end. Jesus will return to the Father through death. All that is left is to see the event through.

Love is the Theme

As Jesus nears his Passion (from the Latin passio, meaning suffering or enduring), notice that the focus of Chapter 13 is not that Jesus was brave to the very end, righteous to the very end, or obedient to God to the very end—although he certainly was all those things. Instead, the focus of the narrative is that Jesus loved “his own” to the very end. Of course, this is another double entendre. The phrase “to the very end” can imply “to the utmost” as it can also imply “to the point of death.” But far more noteworthy than the play on words is the focus on love. This focus on love is the theme for Chapter 13.

The Banquet

John does not mention who is present at the meal. However, if we think that the event described by John is the same as or connected with the last supper, then we can be confident that the twelve disciples were present. (The twelve disciples are expressly mentioned in the Synoptic Gospels, for example Matthew 26:20.) This would be a reasonable assumption even without the information found in the Synoptics. There could have been other people present as well, but practical considerations bar a crowd much larger. A Jewish home, particularly an upper room as the Synoptics describe (e.g., Mark 14:15), could not have hosted many more than Jesus and his twelve disciples.

Although Jewish people normally sat on chairs, they had adopted the Hellenistic custom of reclining for banquets. At a banquet, a square table would be surrounded by three couches (a triclinium). The word “couch,” however, is confusing for a modern audience. Imagine a table surrounded by three twin size mattresses (long end of each mattress facing the table). A guest would lie on his side with his feet away from the table, holding his head with his left hand. He would proceed to eat with his right hand. Several guests would lie on each couch “spooning” each other. Forgive my comical description, but this will matter later.

Foot Washing

I have discussed the uncleanness, both literal and ceremonial, of feet in prior sessions. Now I want to focus on the practice of foot washing. Washing one’s feet was common enough that “unwashed feet” became a proverbial way of describing “without preparation.” Normally foot washing would precede a meal. (Here, it seems to occur sometime in the middle of the meal.) A host was supposed to provide water for guests to wash their feet. Sometimes, as a welcoming act, a host may provide for a servant to wash a guest’s feet. Not only Jewish people, but Greeks and Romans also practiced foot washing. Foot washing was decidedly an act of service. Although sometimes a wife or young child may wash the feet of the home’s patriarch, it was a task almost exclusively reserved for slaves. Disciples of a teacher would do nearly anything for that teacher except wash his feet.

From a practical standpoint, how was a foot washing done? One could use a pitcher and pour water directly on the person’s feet. One could also use a basin in which the water was poured. The word translated washbasin in 13:5 could mean pitcher or basin, but since the story occurs indoors a basin was almost certainly used. Jesus girds himself with a towel, presumably se he can use both his hands. We can also speculate that the disciples remained in their reclining positions at the table while Jesus washed their feet because there is no indication they left their places at the table. This means our artistic depictions of this moment are probably incorrect. This detail (that the disciples remained in their reclining position) adds to Jesus’ humility during that moment.

Rank and Etiquette

Ancient Mediterranean etiquette observed rank carefully. Where one would sit during a meeting or a meal, when one should speak, and to whom one would bestow honor or a gift were all determined by rank. Certainly humility was praised as a virtue, particularly for the pious, but to ignore rank would have been socially awkward if not considered outright wrong. For a patron host to take the posture of a slave by washing his guests’ feet would have been unthinkable.

The Meaning of the Foot Washing

The meaning of the foot washing is informed by its immediate context: the passion of the Christ. Jesus will soon die. The chapter begins with that reminder. It is in light of Jesus’ impending sacrifice that we read of his humble act of service.

Additionally, the foot washing is meant to work on two levels: first, the necessity of Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf, and second, as an example of the love that believers must show for one another. Let’s consider each meaning in turn.

The Necessity of Jesus’ Sacrifice

The first meaning is expressed during the conversation with Peter. Peter exclaims, “You will never wash my feet!” Peter is not off base. The foot washing is wrong. Wait, don’t throw stones at me yet. I obviously do not mean morally wrong. But put yourself in a similar situation. Imagine someone you admire, someone you consider your superior in a truly meaningful way, someone to whom you are deeply grateful, someone you love, respect, and wish to honor, someone to whom you are dedicated, and he decides to serve you in a humbling, even humiliating way. Personally, I imagine meeting someone like C.S. Lewis and him offering to do my laundry. I would most certainly exclaim, “You will never do my laundry!” It’s all wrong. I should be doing his laundry!

And the surprising response from Jesus is: there is no other way. If I paraphrase, “You either allow me to serve you or you cannot take part in me.” The beauty and tragedy of this idea is hard to describe. The servant should serve the master—especially when the master is a good one! It’s all backwards and upside down, and yet there is no other way. No other solution will do because we cannot serve him first. The disciples claim they will follow Jesus to his death, but they all desert him. Every single one. Speaking more broadly, no one ever has or ever will serve God in a meritorious way. That is why we need to be washed by, covered by Jesus’ service to God. Without that substitution, there is no hope of being reconciled with God.

An Example for All Believers

The second layer of meaning of the foot washing is its power as an example for all believers. This is explained in the paragraph following Peter’s protest.

Jesus begins with a statement of authority: I am your Lord and Teacher. Notice that Jesus does not eliminate rank. There is no hint of egalitarianism. Instead, Jesus’ rank is key to the point he is trying to make: if I, your superior, have served you, how much more should you serve one another? The implied answer is obvious and powerful.

If we must serve one another, then how and to what extent? The foot washing is a scandalous example of how to love one another: with humility that defies belief. There is no indignity we should not endure to serve one another. Jesus’ passion will become the answer to the question of extent. We must be willing to lose our lives for one another.

Notice that these are the extreme claims of Christianity. Every Christian is a religious extremist. Not because of his views on sex, marriage, government, or any other tangential (although important) issue, but because of his views on love. Consider what John writes in one of his epistles (1 John 3:11-17):

11 For this is the gospel message that you have heard from the beginning: that we should love one another, 12 not like Cain who was of the evil one and brutally murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his deeds were evil, but his brother’s were righteous.

13 Therefore do not be surprised, brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have crossed over from death to life because we love our fellow Christians. The one who does not love remains in death. 15 Everyone who hates his fellow Christian is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. 16 We have come to know love by this: that Jesus laid down his life for us; thus we ought to lay down our lives for our fellow Christians. 17 But whoever has the world’s possessions and sees his fellow Christian in need and shuts off his compassion against him, how can the love of God reside in such a person?

Finally, notice that the foot washing discourse ends with a beatitude: you will be blessed if you do this. Blessings are notably hard to interpret. Will they be received now or in heaven? Are they internal (like a sense of joy) or external (like material or interpersonal gains)? Without spending too much time on this, I think the answer is all of the above. If you are a Christian and have felt your spiritual life grow stale, meditate on this commandment to love and practice it. I feel confident that the blessings will be noticeable.

Judas the Betrayer

Jesus Chooses His Betrayer

As Jesus concludes his lesson of love towards and among “his own,” he makes an eerie disclaimer: “this lesson does not apply to all of you.” What?! “The one who eats my bread has turned against me.” Jesus makes explicitly clear that he “know[s] the ones [he] has chosen,” and he knows that one of those he chose has “turned against [him].” This is important in two respects. It maintains Jesus’ divinity. Jesus knows all things as God does. It also proves that Jesus has walked to his death deliberately. Sure, one can say the Jews killed Jesus, the Romans killed Jesus, or Satan killed Jesus (see below), but in the deepest and most meaningful way, Jesus is responsible for his own death. He sacrificed himself willingly and purposefully.

Psalm 41 and Ancient Culture

As a quick note, the phrase translated as “has turned against me” is literally “has lifted up his heel against me” in the Greek. This phrase appears in Psalm 41, which also describes a scenario of betrayal, followed by retribution against the traitor, and God upholding the victim due to his (the victim’s) integrity.

In ancient culture (and probably today as well), betrayal by a friend was considered far more heinous than insults from an enemy. Moreover, just like loyal followers brought a teacher honor, disloyalty from followers brought a teacher shame.

The Places at the Table

The disciples are stunned by Jesus’ outright accusation that one of them would betray Jesus. They wonder who it will be. The exchange between Peter and “the one Jesus loved” (John) gives us insight into the seating arrangement. The center position on each couch was reserved for those of highest rank. Jesus was probably “seated” in the middle of the middle couch. John was “seated” on the same couch as Jesus but to his right. Peter, presumably on the couch to the right, asks John a question. Notice—however important you may consider this—that Peter does not seem to occupy a place of honor. John leans against Jesus’ chest (like little spoon leaning against big spoon) and asks, “who is the betrayer?” Jesus marks the traitor by passing him bread. Remember that everyone is leaning on couches, resting their heads on their left hands, with only their right hands available. This made it difficult to reach anything or anyone far across the table. Some speculate, therefore, that Judas was “seated” on the same couch as Jesus, to his left. According to an ancient tradition (although we are uncertain whether it applies), one showed greater honor to the one seated to one’s left because one’s left was more vulnerable to assault. Oh, the irony.

Satan Enters Judas

John rarely mentions the devil. The only instances are the “prince of this world,” which we discussed last week; three uses of the word devil (6:70, 8:44, 13:2); and only one use of the word Satan (13:27). The Gospel of John even omits Jesus’ exorcisms.

Let’s review these mentions of Satan or devil. In chapter 6, Jesus says, “Didn’t I choose you, the Twelve, and yet one of you is the devil?” (6:30). In chapter 8, Jesus says, “You people are from your father the devil, and you want to do what your father desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not uphold the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he lies, he speaks according to his own nature because he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44). In chapter 12, Jesus says, “Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out.” (John 12:31). Earlier in Chapter 13, John tells us that “the evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, that he should betray Jesus.” (13:2) Finally, in John 13:27, Jesus says, “And after Judas took the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.”

Notice the common theme. Satan is the murderer. He is the one who murders Jesus. Yet the truth remains that Jesus is fully in command. Jesus chose “one [who] is the devil” as a disciple. Jesus decided when Satan entered Judas. Jesus was never surprised by, but submitted to the murder that Satan had in store.

As we continue to read the Gospel of John, the idea of the Satan entering Judas to empower him for evil works will stand in stark contrast with the idea of the Holy Spirit entering the other disciples to empower them for good works.

The New Commandment

The Context

Jesus addresses his “children.” Children is a standard title for disciples in Johannine literature, just like father is a title of honor and authority. This was common at the time. Rabbis sometimes claimed greater respect than parents, claiming the title “abba” as much as the title “rabbi.” Elsewhere, Jesus refers to God as “abba” as well. Notice that “abba” is an Aramaic word for father. It denotes closeness with the one called father, which is why many Christians today understand it as “daddy.” Nonetheless, the word also implies obedience to and great respect of the “abba,” which the word “daddy” does not convey.

Jesus gives the disciples the “new commandment” in the context of his impending passion. Both the paragraph before and the paragraph after the commandment speak of Jesus’ death. This shows the extend of the commandment. Love one another to the point of laying down your life.

We should take Jesus’ new commandment very seriously since this is the only specific duty spelled out as a commandment in the entire Gospel of John.

What’s New About It?

We should be surprised by Jesus referring to his commandment as new. For example, consider Leviticus 19:18:

You must not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you must love your neighbor as yourself.

Leviticus is one of the oldest books in the Bible (part of the Pentateuch), so how is Jesus’ commandment in John new? Even John himself recognizes this tension in one of his letters (1 John 2:7-11):

Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have already heard. On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. The one who says he is in the light but still hates his fellow Christian is still in the darkness. The one who loves his fellow Christian resides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But the one who hates his fellow Christian is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

So what’s the answer? What is new is the standard for this love: “as I have loved you.” This is a self-sacrificial love. A love that is willing to serve brother and sister in utter humility to the very end.

Notice that John is focused on the community. This is the love that followers of Jesus should show one another. However, this focus on the community does not negate love for those outside of it. As Craig Keener points out, there are several reason this is the case:

[F]irst, the stated purpose for loving one another is as a witness to the world (13:35); second, they are not said to hate unbelievers as at Qumran (as noted above); third, God’s love for Jesus (17:23, 26) and the world of humanity (3:16) should be active in disciples (17:26); fourth, the Father’s love for Jesus (15:9) is the basis for his special love for disciples (15:12).

Notice as well that Jesus is about to exemplify a love towards the whole world. A love that forgives and is willing to offer grace to enemies.

Love is so central to the Gospel that in the Synoptics Jesus summarizes the entire Old Testament law in two commandments to love (Matthew 22:34-40):

Now when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they assembled together. And one of them, an expert in religious law, asked him a question to test him: “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 37 Jesus said to him, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

A New Ethical Model?

The next question we should ask is whether this new commandment represents a departure from the ethical model taught in the Old Testament. I do not think so. Biblical ethics already involved imitation of God’s character. Consider another verse from Leviticus (Leviticus 11:44): “for I am the Lord your God, and you are to sanctify yourselves and be holy because I am holy.”

With this new commandment, Jesus requires us to be like God in one more way. In a sense, Jesus is fulfilling the law by filling it full. Of course Jesus also fulfills the law, including this new commandment, by carrying it out perfectly.

I think it is appropriate to go a step further and state that the Christian ethic is to be like God. In the book of Romans, Paul tells us these two things: “[d]o not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” and that believers are “predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.” (Romans 12:2a, 8:29a) It is the goal and destiny of every follower of Jesus to be impeccable—to be good like Jesus is good. We may not get there in this life, but we are commanded to try. If interpreted correctly, the “what would Jesus do” bracelets had it right. Sure, the better statement is “what would I do if my character were like Jesus’ character,” but that doesn’t seem a commercially viable fashion accessory.