Jesus washed the disciples’ feet as an example of humble service to each other.
13Verse 1When it was the evening before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that it was time for him to leave this world and to return to his Father in heaven. He loved us who were his disciples. He knew we would continue to live here in this world, so now he showed us how completely he loved us.Verse 2We were eating the Passover meal. ◄The devil/Satan► had already suggested to Judas Iscariot (OR, Judas, the man from Kerioth Town), the son of Simon, that he should ◄betray Jesus/enable Jesus’ enemies to seize him►.Verse 3But Jesus knew that his Father had given to him complete authority to control the situation. He knew that he had come from God and would soon return to God.Verse 4But before he left us, he wanted to show us how we should love each other. So he got up from where he was eating. He took off his outer cloak and wrapped a long towel around his waist, as a slave would do.Verse 5Then he poured some water in a basin. He began to wash our feet, and then dry them with the towel that he had wrapped around himself.Verse 6When he came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, it is not right for you [RHQ] to humble yourself by washing my feet!”Verse 7Jesus replied to him, “Now you do not understand the meaning of what I am doing, but you will understand later.”Verse 8Peter said, “I will never, ever, allow you to wash my feet!” Jesus replied to him, “If I do not wash you, you cannot continue ◄to be my disciple/to belong to me►.”Verse 9So Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, in that case, do not wash only my feet. Wash my hands and my head, too!”Verse 10Then, to show him that after God had cleansed people from being guilty for sin, they needed only for God to forgive their daily sins [MET], Jesus said to him, “Those who have recently bathed need only to have their feet washed, because they get dirty very quickly on the dusty roads. The rest of their bodies are clean. Similarly, I have made you disciples free/clean from the guilt of your sins, although not all of you are free from guilt.”Verse 11He knew which one of us was going to betray him. That is the reason he said, “Not all of you are free from guilt.”Verse 12After he finished washing our feet, he put his cloak back on. Then he sat down and said to us, “Do you understand what I have done for you?Verse 13You show that you respect me by calling me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord’. You are right to say that, because I am your teacher and your Lord.Verse 14But if I, who am your teacher and your Lord, have washed your feet, you ought to serve each other by doing things like washing each other’s feet.Verse 15I have made myself an example for you in order that you should humbly serve each other as I have done for you.Verse 16Listen to this carefully: A servant is not greater than his master. A messenger is not greater than the one who has sent him. So, since you are not greater than I am, you should not be proud and unwilling to serve each other.Verse 17Since you now know these things, God will be pleased with you if you do them.”
Jesus predicted that one of them would betray him to his enemies.
Verse 18“I am not saying that God will bless all of you. I knew what all of you were like when I chose you. But I also chose the one who will betray me, in order that what is written in Scripture might be fulfilled {to fulfill what someone/the psalmist wrote in Scripture}, ‘The one who is acting like he is my friend by eating with me has become my enemy [IDM].’Verse 19I am telling you about someone betraying me before it happens, in order that when it happens, you may continue to believe that I am ◄the Messiah/who I say I am►.Verse 20Listen to this carefully: Those who accept any one of you whom I am sending out, God will consider that they are accepting me. And those who accept me, God will consider that they are accepting my Father, who sent me.”Verse 21After Jesus said this, he was very troubled. He solemnly declared, “Listen to this carefully: One of you is going to enable my enemies to seize me.”Verse 22We looked at each other. We had no way to know whom he was talking about.Verse 23I, the man other people call ‘the one Jesus loved’, was sitting very close to Jesus.Verse 24Simon Peter motioned to me to indicate that I should ask Jesus whom he was talking about.Verse 25So I leaned close to Jesus and asked him, “Lord, who is it?”Verse 26Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread after I dip it in the sauce in the dish.” Then, to show us that he knew who would enable his enemies to seize him, after he dipped the bread in the sauce, he gave it to Judas Iscariot (OR, Judas, the man from Kerioth Town).Verse 27As soon as Judas ate the bread, Satan took control of him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.”Verse 28But none of the rest of us who were sitting there knew why Jesus said that to him.Verse 29Since Judas took care of the money people gave us to help us, some thought Jesus was telling him to go and buy some things we needed for the Passover celebration. Some thought he was telling him to give some money to poor people.Verse 30As soon as Judas had eaten the bread, he left. It was dark outside, and it was dark [MET] in his soul, too.
Jesus commanded his disciples that they should love each other.
Verse 31After Judas left, Jesus said, “Now it will be shown {my Father will show} how wonderful I, the one who came from heaven, am. And by what I do it will be seen {people will see} how great God is.Verse 32Since by what I do people will see how awesome God is, God himself will show people how awesome I am. And he will do that very soon.Verse 33You whom I love as though you were my children, I will continue with you only a short time longer. Then you will look for me, but I will not be here. Just like I told the Jewish leaders [SYN], I am telling you now, that where I am going, you cannot come yet.Verse 34Now I am giving you a new commandment: You must love each other. You must love each other in the way that I have loved you.Verse 35If you keep loving each other, everyone who is aware of that [HYP] will know that you are my disciples.”
Jesus also prophesied that Peter would deny that he knew Jesus.
Verse 36Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, “The place where I am going, you cannot come with me now, but you will come there later.”Verse 37Peter said, “Lord, why can I not come with you now? I am ready to die for you!”Verse 38Jesus answered, “You say [RHQ] that you are ready to die for me. But the truth is that before the rooster crows early tomorrow morning, you will say three times that you do not know me!”