Chapter Summary
Core Passages from John 13
John 13:1Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
This verse sets the stage by showing that Jesus' actions were driven by a love that reaches its full completion as He faces the cross.John 13:14-15If 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 also should do just as I have done to you.
Jesus explicitly states that His humble act of washing feet is a pattern for all believers to follow in their relationships.John 13:34-35A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
Jesus gives a new command that raises the bar for love, telling us to love others with the same sacrificial intensity He showed us.
Historical & Cultural Context
A Private Moment of Preparation
The scene opens in a private upper room in Jerusalem before the Passover Feast. Jesus knows that His time on earth is ending and that He is returning to the Father. Despite the weight of the coming cross, His focus remains entirely on His disciples. He chooses this moment to transition from public miracles to private, heart-to-heart preparation for His friends.
The King Becomes a Servant
As the meal begins, a heavy spiritual battle is happening behind the scenes. The narrative reveals that Judas has already decided to betray Jesus, yet Jesus continues to lead with grace. He stands up from the table, strips off His outer robe, and takes on the role of a common house servant. This sets the stage for a lesson that will forever change how the disciples view power.
The Last Supper and the New Command
In John 13:1-38, we find Jesus and His disciples gathered for their final meal together before the crucifixion. The atmosphere is a mix of deep affection, confusing lessons, and the dark shadow of an impending betrayal. Jesus uses these final hours to model humility and give His followers a new identity based on love.
The Act of Foot Washing (John 13:1-11)
1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
2 During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him,
3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God,
4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist.
5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, do you wash my feet?"
7 Jesus answered him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand."
8 Peter said to him, "You shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, "If I do not 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, "The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you."
11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, "Not all of you are clean."
Commentary:
Jesus shocks His disciples by performing the lowly task of washing their feet to show His love and the need for spiritual cleansing.
Related Verse Analysis
The Example of the Master (John 13:12-20)
12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, "Do you understand what I have done to you?
13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am.
14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.
15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.
16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.
17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
18 I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’
19 I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he.
20 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
Commentary:
Jesus explains that His act of service is a blueprint for how all His followers should treat one another.
The Betrayer Identified (John 13:21-30)
21 After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, "Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me."
22 The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke.
23 One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus' side,
24 So Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking.
25 So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, "Lord, who is it?"
26 Jesus answered, "It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it." So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.
27 Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, "What you are going to do, do quickly."
28 Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him.
29 Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, "Buy what we need for the feast," or that he should give something to the poor.
30 So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.
Commentary:
Jesus reveals that one of the twelve will betray Him and sends Judas out to complete his dark task.
The New Commandment (John 13:31-35)
31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.
32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once.
33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, 'Where I am going you cannot come.'
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
Commentary:
Jesus commands His followers to love each other sacrificially as the ultimate sign of their faith.
Peter's Overconfidence (John 13:36-38)
36 Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus answered him, "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? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.
Commentary:
Jesus predicts that Peter will deny Him three times despite Peter's boastful promises of loyalty.
The Heart of a Servant King
Humility as True Greatness
Jesus flips the world's definition of power upside down. By washing feet, He shows that in God's kingdom, the person at the top is the one who serves the most, not the one who is served by others.
The Mark of a Disciple
Jesus identifies love as the 'uniform' of the believer. He teaches that our theological knowledge or public miracles matter less to the world than the way we practically care for and sacrifice for our brothers and sisters.
Sovereignty Amidst Suffering
Even though Jesus is about to be betrayed and killed, the chapter emphasizes that He is in total control. He knows exactly what is happening, who is doing it, and why it must happen to fulfill God's plan for our rescue.
Living Out the Servant's Heart
In John 13:5, Jesus washes the feet of all the disciples, including Judas, whom He knew would betray Him. This teaches you that Christian service isn't reserved for people who deserve it or people you like, but is a gift of grace you give to everyone.
According to John 13:34, you are called to love others as Jesus loved you. This means moving beyond simple kindness to active sacrifice, looking for ways to 'wash the feet' of those around you through humble acts of help and support.
Jesus knew Peter would fail in John 13:38, yet He still shared the meal with him and washed his feet. This reminds you that your relationship with Jesus is based on His perfect love and 'cleansing' rather than your own ability to be perfectly loyal.
Greatness Found in Stooping Low
John 13 reveals that God's heart is not one of distant authority, but of intimate, serving love. In Jesus - the King who kneels - we see that God is willing to get His hands dirty to bring us close to Him. The message is clear: we are most like our Creator when we set aside our pride to care for the needs of others. This chapter invites us to receive His cleansing and then extend that same grace to the world.
What This Means for Us Today
faith begins with the humility to let Jesus serve us. Peter had to accept the foot washing to have a 'share' with Jesus. We must accept His grace before we can give it away. John 13 calls us to a life where our actions speak louder than our words.
- Whose 'feet' is God asking you to wash this week through a simple act of service?
- Are you trying to earn God's love through your own loyalty, or are you resting in His cleansing?
- How can you show a 'new commandment' kind of love to someone who has hurt you?
Further Reading
Immediate Context
Connections Across Scripture
A famous passage describing how Jesus emptied Himself of His status to become a servant for us.
A parallel account where the disciples argue about who is the greatest, providing context for why Jesus washed their feet.
Discussion Questions
- Why do you think Jesus chose foot washing specifically to teach about leadership instead of giving a speech?
- If love is the way people recognize us as disciples (v. 35), what are some 'unloving' things that might be confusing the world's view of Christians today?
- How does it change your perspective to know that Jesus served Judas even while knowing Judas's heart?