John 13 - What's So New About Jesus' Command to "Love One Another"?
Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet
13 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
We often use the phrase about someone giving their, "famous last words". Today, we read about, "Jesus' last actions". This is one of the last nights Jesus is going to have with his disciples, so he does something they will never forget. In the midst of being betrayed by Judas, Jesus washes the disciples' feet. At any meal where guests were invited in Jesus' day, the servants would wash the feet of the guests as they arrived. Jesus' last message to his disciples was clear. If he was a servant, they would be too.
This was an extreme act of servanthood. According to the Jewish laws and traditions regarding the relationship between a teacher and his disciples, a teacher had no right to demand or expect that his disciples would wash his feet. It was absolutely unthinkable that the Master would wash His disciple’s feet. - Guzik
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” 9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” 10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
It is not surprising Peter had the hardest time with Jesus offering to wash their feet. After all, Peter's mind was made up about the type of Messiah Jesus was going to be. He was not expecting the coming King to wash his feet. After all, wasn't that beneath him. No, it wasn't.
In fact, Jesus is so adamant about what he is doing that if Peter won't let him was his feet, he is not fit to be his disciple. Jesus was compassionate with Peter, as he had not yet realized Jesus' true purpose for coming to earth. He will continue to demonstrate this throughout the rest of the night.
Then, Peter flip flops the other way and asks for a whole bath. Jesus then switches to a spiritual metaphor, when he tells Peter is already clean because of what Jesus is about to do for him on the cross. But there was one Jesus knew who would never be clean because it had been predestined for Judas to betray him.
Sometimes we show a servant’s heart by accepting the service of others for us. If we only serve, and refuse to be served, it can be a sign of deeply rooted and well-hidden pride. “Man’s humility does not begin with the giving of service; it begins with the readiness to receive it. For there can be much pride and condescension in our giving of service.” (Temple)
12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
Jesus' act of servanthood was meant to teach his disciples the way they should lead. If he, their Lord and teacher, could wash their feet, they should certainly do the same for others. This story is only in the gospel of John. I am not sure why. Perhaps the other gospel writers thought it was beneath Jesus to wash the disciples' feet too.
This story reminds us that there is no act of service beneath us. We should always be ready to show the world who we are as Jesus' disciples. If the floor in the church Fellowship Hall needs to be mopped, it is not beneath us. If the toilet is clogged it is not beneath us to unclog it. If an annoying and irritating person is bothering us, we should have the patience to show them Jesus' love.
Importantly Jesus said we would "be blessed if we do these things". When we serve Jesus, we are blessed because we are doing the things he would do if he were us.
It is easy for us to criticize those with dirty feet instead of washing them. “In the world they criticize: this is the business of the public press, and it is very much the business of private circles. Hear how gossips say, ‘Do you see that spot? What a terrible walk that man must have had this morning: look at his feet! He has been very much in the mire you can see, for there are the traces upon him.’ That is the world’s way. Christ’s way is very different. He says nothing, but takes the basin and begins to wash away the stain. Do not judge and condemn, but seek the restoration and the improvement of the erring.” (Spurgeon)
Jesus Predicts His Betrayal
18 “I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has turned[a] against me.’[b] 19 “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am. 20 Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.” 21 After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.”
In Psalm 41:9 David quotes this verse foreshadowing Judas' betrayal of Jesus. The fulfillment of this prophecy would be yet another sign that Jesus was the Messiah. What I picked up reading this story this time is when Jesus says, "Jesus was troubled in spirit." Even though Jesus knew Judas would be betray him, it still caused him great anguish. There is nothing worse than the betrayal of a friend.
He was troubled in spirit: Judas’ betrayal of Jesus troubled Him. Jesus was not unfeeling or emotionally detached from the events surrounding His passion. He loved Judas, and was troubled for Judas’ sake, much more than His own. (Guzik)
“Though John pictures Jesus as in control of the situation he does not want us to think of Him as unmoved by the events through which He is passing.” (Morris)
22 His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. 23 One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. 24 Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.” 25 Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.
The disciple whom Jesus loved is most often thought to be John, the writer of this gospel. Peter was afraid to put his foot in his mouth again, so he asked John to ask Jesus what he meant. Jesus made it clear to John the one who he gave the bread to was his betrayer. After Judas took the bread, it says "Satan entered Judas".
In order to commit such a heinous act of betrayal, Judas had to be completely controlled by the devil. Whether this is a full demonic possession is not clear. The bottom line is Satan prompted Judas to betray Jesus. Satan was happy to bring about Jesus' demise, though it would only be for a short moment before he was defeated on the cross.
“Satan could not have entered into him had he not granted him admission. Had he been willing to say ‘No’ to the adversary, all of his Master’s intercessory power was available to him there and then to strengthen him.” (Bruce)
So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” 28 But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. 29 Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor. 30 As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.
Though the disciples knew at this point that Judas was going to betray him, they did not know what this entailed. Because Judas was the manager of the money, they thought it had something to do with that. In keeping with his imagery of light and darkness, Judas went off into the night to commit his deed of darkness. Soon the light would shine no more.
Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial
31 When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him,[c] God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once. 33 “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. 34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” 36 Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.” 37 Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” 38 Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!
Jesus tells them he is going to give them a new command to love one another. Since this is the same command that God gave Moses, is what sense was it new? The key thing is that it says, "As I have loved you, you must love one another." Jesus had just washed their feet in love, and now he was going to go to the cross to show the full extent of his love. The same sacrificial love Jesus showed that night was to be their "calling card" as his disciples.
As we sing, "They will know we are Christians by our love, by our love. Yes they will know we are Christians by our love." This is not the kind of the love the world knows, but the kind of love Jesus showed.
Peter was confused by all of this. He couldn't get over the part about Jesus leaving them. Always the brash one, Peter blurts out, "Lord, why can't I follow you. I will lay down my life for you!"
Jesus brings Peter down a notch. He tells him not only will he not do that but in fact he will deny him three times! Peter will go from laying down his life for Jesus to denying him to save his life!
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