John
Chapter 13
(John 13:1 NASB) Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He should depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.
John 13:1: Yeshua knew His time had come. He is soon going to pay the ultimate price. He loved His followers. It says He loved them to the very end.
The timing of this event is very important. There is some confusion as to when this happened. We are told it was “before the Feast of Passover.” In Matthew, it appears to say it was the next day. But that is because of a translational nuance of a Greek word (Matt. 26:17-19).
This event occurs after sundown on the day of Passover itself. By our reckoning, it would be the day before Passover sometime shortly after sunset. But according to Scripture, the day starts at sundown. The Passover lamb will be killed as a sacrifice later that day at about 3:00 PM.
(John 13:2 NASB) And during supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him,
John 13:2: Judas was full of greed and deception. Yeshua recognizes Judas as “the son of perdition (destruction)” (John 17:12). Yeshua included him in their group of followers so that Scripture might be fulfilled (John 13:18).
(John 13:3 NASB) Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God, and was going back to God,
(John 13:4 NASB) rose^ from supper, and laid^ aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself about.
John 13:4: It says that Yeshua “laid aside His garments” and girded Himself with a towel. That means Yeshua took off His robe, or upper coat.
Many people look at this incident as an example of how to celebrate Passover. But the fact of the matter is that they were already eating the Passover meal when Yeshua did this. This is something that ordinarily would have something that a servant would do for the guests right away as they entered. But no one would do it.
Yeshua was already having difficulty with the disciples concerning their egos and arrogance (Mark 9:33-35, Luke 9:46). It is not surprising that no one would volunteer right away to wash the others feet. But Yeshua was the consummate teacher. He did not just tell others what to do and how to do it , even though He is the Master. He demonstrates to them how to act to one another (Luke 12:35-38, 22:24-27).
(John 13:5 NASB) Then He poured^ water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.
John 13:5: As previously mentioned, the disciples had been arguing over who would be the greatest in heaven. This action of the Master really worked in their hearts. They had argued this point previously, but never would after that.
(John 13:6 NASB) And so He came^ to Simon Peter. He said^ to Him, “Lord, do You wash my feet?”
(John 13:7 NASB) Jesus answered and said to him, “What I do you do not realize now, but you shall understand hereafter.”
John 13:7: Simon Peter does not understand this demonstration of servant hood by Yeshua. Yeshua tells him that he will understand it later.
(John 13:8 NASB) Peter said^ to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”
John 13:8: Yeshua has a deeper meaning for what He is doing. He told Peter that he would understand it later. Yeshua is demonstrating the New Covenant to His disciples (Ezek. 36:25-29. Psalm 51:1-7).
It is prophesied that Yeshua would wash the sins of many and He is demonstrating that (Isa. 52:15). The fact that He washed their feet speaks of their walk in this world. After the cleansing of Yeshua, they are to walk in their Father’s Torah (Rev. 7:14).
Peter does not realize that washing and being cleansed of unrighteousness is not optional, but mandatory (Lev. 17:15-16).
(John 13:9 NASB) Simon Peter said^ to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.”
(John 13:10 NASB) Jesus said^ to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.”
John 13:10: Yeshua is saying that if you’ve just had a bath, you only need to wash your feet off when they are dirty. Peter tends to get confused and says the wrong things at the wrong times.
Yeshua then says that one of them is not clean. He is speaking of Judas Iscariot.
(John 13:11 NASB) For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, “Not all of you are clean.”
(John 13:12 NASB) And so when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments, and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you?
(John 13:13 NASB) “You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am.
(John 13:14 NASB) “If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.
(John 13:15 NASB) “For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.
John 13:15: This lesson of humility applies to His people. We are to serve one another in most menial tasks with all humility. The example of foot washing is not much applicable today, but there are many needs today that require the service of loving individuals. Yeshua will later focus on their need to love one another in unity with one another.
(John 13:16 NASB) “Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master; neither is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him.
(John 13:17 NASB) “If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.
John 13:17: Yeshua came to us as a carpenter and servant. He did not order others around and demand respect. He was meek and humble. He always provided for others, fed them, healed them, and sympathized with them. If He is truly our Master, then we, as His servants, should at least serve one another as He did for us.
(John 13:18 NASB) “I do not speak of all of you. I know the ones I have chosen; but it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘HE WHO EATS MY BREAD HAS LIFTED UP HIS HEEL AGAINST ME.’
John 13:18: This was the fulfillment of Psalm 41:9.
(John 13:19 NASB) “From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am He.
John 13:19: Yeshua is clearly warning them against the fact that one of them is going to betray Him. After it happens, they would not be able to say, “Too bad He didn’t see it coming. He was blindsided”
Yeshua said that He is telling them of this thing that will happen before it happens in order that they may believe “I Am.” The “He” is not in the original Greek. Only Elohim can tell the end from the beginning (Isa. 46:9-10, 44:7-8, 48:5).
(John 13:20 NASB) “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”
John 13:20: This is a constant theme in Scripture. If one receives His people, they receive Yeshua. If they receive Yeshua they receive the Father also (Matt 10:40-42). That is why it is so important for us to love one another. Even if we are not a very lovable people at times, if we reject one of His people, we are rejecting Yeshua and rejecting the Father (Luke 10:16).
(John 13:21 NASB) When Jesus had said this, He became troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray Me.”
John 13:21: Yeshua was very upset by the fact that one of His close friends is going to betray Him. It says He was “troubled in spirit.”
(John 13:22 NASB) The disciples began looking at one another, at a loss to know of which one He was speaking.
(John 13:23 NASB) There was reclining on Jesus’ breast one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.
John 13:23: John doesn’t reveal himself as the author of this Gospel. But he does call himself the disciple whom Yeshua loved several times (John 19:26).
(John 13:24 NASB) Simon Peter therefore gestured^ to him, and said^ to him, “Tell us who it is of whom He is speaking.”
(John 13:25 NASB) He, leaning back thus on Jesus’ breast, said^ to Him, “Lord, who is it?”
John 13:25: Judas did a very good job of hiding his evil. The disciples were busy looking at each other and at themselves. It doesn’t say that anyone pointed the finger at Judas.
(John 13:26 NASB) Jesus therefore answered^, “That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him.” So when He had dipped the morsel, He took^ and gave^ it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.
John 13:26: It was customary in that day to dip the bread in the sauce and give it to the guest of honor. Yeshua just made Judas the guest of honor. He reached out to him and made a gesture of friendship to Judas. It deeply troubled Yeshua that Judas would do this, but it was prophesied that he would betray Him.
(John 13:27 NASB) And after the morsel, Satan then entered into him. Jesus therefore said^ to him, “What you do, do quickly.”
(John 13:28 NASB) Now no one of those reclining at the table knew for what purpose He had said this to him.
(John 13:29 NASB) For some were supposing, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus was saying to him, “Buy the things we have need of for the feast”; or else, that he should give something to the poor.
John 13:29: The disciples were all in the fellowship of the Passover Seder with one another and weren’t paying real close attention to what Yeshua was telling Judas. Judas had the money that the group had collected and they assumed that Yeshua wanted him to do something with that.
(John 13:30 NASB) And so after receiving the morsel he went out immediately; and it was night.
John 13:30: Judas walked out into the night, into darkness. He is now under control of the prince of darkness.
(John 13:31 NASB) When therefore he had gone out, Jesus said^, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him;
(John 13:32 NASB) if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately.
John 13:32: Elohim is going to be glorified in His Son’s death (Isa. 53:10-12). And through the Father being glorified, the Father will bring glory to the Son.
(John 13:33 NASB) “Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You shall seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, I now say to you also, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’
John 13:33: Now that Judas has disappeared into the night, Yeshua can refer to them as His children. He is going to His death and they cannot follow Him. He is going to suffer alone. He is going to go through the most terrible of deaths and there not be any loved ones allowed to comfort Him.
(John 13:34 NASB) “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
(John 13:35 NASB) “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 13:35: Yeshua tells us that we are to love one another. But He didn’t stop there. He had previously said that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves (Luke 10:27-28). He has demonstrated how to do that with the way He loved and cared for His people.
This commandment is started as far back as the time of Abram (Gen. 13:7-8).
(John 13:36 NASB) Simon Peter said^ to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered, “Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you shall follow later.”
John 13:36: Yeshua is saying that Peter cannot follow Him now, but Yeshua will come back for him and all of His people (John 14:1-3).
(John 13:37 NASB) Peter said^ to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You.”
(John 13:38 NASB) Jesus answered^, “Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a cock shall not crow, until you deny Me three times.
John 13:38: Judas will betray Yeshua for 30 pieces of silver. He deliberately schemed and planned to turn Yeshua over to His enemies.
Peter is a man like the rest of us. He does not have Satan in his heart, but he has confidence in himself, which is his problem (Prov. 16:18, 28:26, 29:23). Peter was brought low by his pride.
Patrick McGuire
Copyright 2015
Patrick McGuire and Beit Yeshua Torah Assembly
All rights reserved, no portion of this Lesson may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations in articles and reviews.
Beit Yeshua Torah Assembly
Fort Smith, Arkansas