Commentary - John 13:1-20

Bird's-eye view

John 13 marks a significant transition in this gospel. Up to this point, Jesus has revealed Himself to the world, and now He turns to reveal Himself more intimately to His disciples. This chapter opens the Upper Room Discourse, which runs all the way to the end of chapter 17. The setting is the final Passover, the night of His betrayal. The central actions are twofold: Jesus washes the disciples' feet, a shocking display of humble servanthood, and He identifies His betrayer, setting in motion the events that will lead to the cross. The entire scene is saturated with a sense of impending departure and final instruction. Christ's love, His authority, His example of humility, and the stark reality of covenantal treachery are all woven together here. This is not just a historical account; it is a profound theological statement about the nature of Christ's love and the shape of the community He is creating.

What we are watching is the King of the universe preparing His cabinet for His coronation. But His coronation is the crucifixion, and the preparation involves a towel and a basin. This is the logic of the gospel, where the way up is down. Jesus demonstrates the love He will shortly command them to have for one another (John 13:34), a love characterized by sacrificial service. He is establishing the central ethic for His new covenant community, an ethic that turns worldly notions of greatness completely upside down.

Outline

Context In John

As noted, John 13 begins the second major section of this gospel. The first twelve chapters were about Jesus presenting His signs and teachings to "the world," culminating in a summary of the world's unbelief (John 12:37-43). Now, the focus narrows dramatically. Jesus withdraws from the public eye to be alone with "His own." This section, often called the "Book of Glory," is not about the glory of a triumphal earthly king, but the glory of the cross. The foot washing is the overture to this theme. It is an acted-out parable of the incarnation and the crucifixion. The Son of God, who came from the Father and was returning to the Father, stoops to cleanse His people. This act of service is a microcosm of His entire ministry.

Key Issues

Commentary

John 13:1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.

John sets the stage with precision. It is Passover, the great festival of redemption, the remembrance of deliverance from bondage in Egypt. But a greater exodus is at hand. Jesus knows His "hour" has come. This is not a surprise to Him; His entire life has been lived in conscious awareness of this appointed time. He is not a victim of circumstance but a sovereign moving according to a divine timetable. His departure is not a tragic end but a return "to the Father." And the driving motivation for what follows is love. Not a sentimental, generic love, but a specific, covenantal love for "His own." He chose them, He possesses them, and He will love them "to the end", which means both to the very end of His life and to the fullest extent, completely and perfectly.

John 13:2 And during supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him,

The scene is intimate, a shared meal, but it is not insulated from the cosmic conflict. The devil is an active agent here. The betrayal of Judas was not a spontaneous decision born of simple greed or disillusionment. It was a satanic plot, a seed of treachery planted in a willing heart. John does not shy away from this stark spiritual reality. Yet, this demonic intrusion does not for a moment derail the divine plan. God is so sovereign that He can use the devil's most malicious schemes to accomplish His most glorious purposes. Judas is responsible for his sin, the devil is responsible for his temptation, and God is sovereign over it all.

John 13:3 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,

This is the foundation for the humility that follows. Jesus' act of service does not come from a place of weakness or low self-esteem. It flows directly from His absolute security in His identity and authority. He knows three things: His authority ("all things into His hands"), His origin ("He had come forth from God"), and His destiny ("was going back to God"). Because He is utterly secure in who He is, He is free to serve. True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less because you know who you are in God. Arrogance and insecurity are two sides of the same coin. The Son of God, the Lord of the universe, is about to take up a towel because He has no need to prove anything to anyone.

John 13:4 got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He tied it around Himself.

Here is the gospel in miniature. He "got up from supper," a picture of Him rising from His throne in glory. He "laid aside His garments," a picture of Him divesting Himself of the prerogatives of deity in the incarnation (Phil. 2:6-7). He took a "towel, and tied it around Himself," taking the form of a servant. This is a deliberate, methodical action. Every step is freighted with meaning. He is demonstrating what it means to be Lord by becoming the lowest slave in the room.

John 13:5 Then He poured water into the washbasin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel which He had tied around Himself.

The task of washing the feet of guests was reserved for the lowest of household slaves. That none of the disciples had offered to do it reveals the petty pride and rivalry that still infected them. They were likely still arguing about who was the greatest. And into this atmosphere of self-centered ambition, Jesus performs this menial, even unpleasant, task. He "began to wash" them one by one. This is not a rushed or symbolic gesture. He gets down on His knees and cleans the filth from their feet, the feet that would soon abandon Him in His hour of need.

John 13:6 So He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, “Lord, are You going to wash my feet?”

Peter, as is his custom, speaks first and thinks later. His reaction is one of shocked disbelief. The emphasis in his question is on the "You" and the "my." "You, the Lord, are going to wash my, a sinner's, feet?" Peter recognizes the incongruity of the situation. He understands the roles are reversed. His instinct is right, this is a shocking thing, but his understanding is shallow. He sees the social impropriety but misses the spiritual significance.

John 13:7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not realize now, but you will understand afterwards.”

Jesus is gentle with Peter. He acknowledges his lack of understanding but promises future clarity. This is often how God works with us. We are called to obey and trust even when we don't fully grasp the 'why' of His commands or actions. Understanding follows obedience. Peter will understand "afterwards", after the cross, after the resurrection, after Pentecost. The full meaning of Christ's servanthood can only be understood in the light of His completed work of redemption.

John 13:8 Peter said to Him, “You will never wash my feet, ever!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”

Peter's impulsive reverence now hardens into a stubborn refusal. "You will never wash my feet, ever!" This sounds humble, but it is actually a form of pride. Peter is dictating the terms of his relationship with Jesus. He is refusing to receive the grace that Christ is offering in the way Christ is offering it. Jesus' response is stark and absolute. "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me." This is not about dirty feet anymore. The foot washing points to a deeper, spiritual cleansing. To refuse this cleansing is to refuse Christ Himself. To have a "part with" Jesus means to share in His inheritance, His life, His kingdom. And the only way in is through the cleansing He provides.

John 13:9 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.”

Peter's pendulum swings to the other extreme. If a little washing is good, a lot must be better. He goes from "never!" to "all over!" in a heartbeat. He is still missing the point, but his heart is in the right place. He desperately wants to have a part with Jesus. He is zealous, but his zeal is untethered from understanding. He thinks the issue is the quantity of water, but Jesus is teaching a theological lesson.

John 13:10 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.”

Jesus makes a crucial distinction. There is a once-for-all bathing, and there is a recurring need for washing. The one who "has bathed" is "completely clean." This refers to the definitive cleansing of justification, the washing of regeneration that happens at conversion. That is a completed work. However, as we walk through this dirty world, our "feet" get dusty. We are stained by daily sins and need the ongoing cleansing of confession and forgiveness (1 John 1:9). The disciples (with one exception) have already had the big bath. They are justified. They just need their feet washed. Then Jesus adds the ominous qualification: "you are clean, but not all of you."

John 13:11 For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, “Not all of you are clean.”

John makes the reference explicit. Judas was present. He may have even had his feet washed by the Lord he was about to betray. But he had never had the true bath. He was part of the outward company, but he had never been inwardly cleansed. He was unclean, not because of some particular sin, but because his heart was unregenerate. His presence is a sobering reminder that participation in the external rites of the church does not guarantee internal reality.

John 13:12 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?”

Having finished the task, Jesus resumes His position of authority. He puts His outer garments back on and reclines at the table. The master is once again the master. Now He moves from demonstration to explanation. His question, "Do you know what I have done to you?" is designed to make them think beyond the physical act to its spiritual and ethical implications.

John 13:13 You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am.

Jesus affirms their titles for Him. He is their Teacher (didaskalos) and their Lord (kyrios). He is not engaging in false humility. He is not saying, "Don't call me Lord." He fully accepts the titles because they are true. His authority is the basis for His command. The one who is truly Lord is the one who can truly serve.

John 13:14 If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.

This is the central application. The logic is inescapable. If the one who is infinitely superior has stooped to serve, then how can His followers, who are all equals, refuse to serve one another? The "ought" here is a debt of love. This is not primarily about instituting a literal church ordinance of foot washing, though some have taken it that way. It is about the spirit of humble, sacrificial, and sometimes menial service that must characterize the Christian community. We are to do for one another the kinds of things Jesus did for us.

John 13:15 For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.

Jesus is the pattern. His life is the template for ours. Christian ethics is not a list of abstract rules; it is the imitation of a person. We are to look at what Jesus did and go and do likewise. The example is not just one of humility, but of love in action. Love isn't a feeling; it's a verb. It rolls up its sleeves and gets its hands dirty for the good of another.

John 13:16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him.

He reinforces the point with a common sense aphorism. If the master serves, the slave cannot claim to be above serving. If the one who sends (the apostle) serves, the one sent (the messenger) cannot claim exemption. We are His slaves, His messengers. We have no standing to claim privileges or honors that our Master set aside. This cuts the root of all pride, all status-seeking, and all clericalism in the church.

John 13:17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

Here is the classic biblical connection between knowledge and action. Blessing does not come from merely understanding the principle of humility. It comes from practicing it. Orthodox doctrine must result in orthodox living. To know the truth and not to do it is to be self-deceived. The blessed life is the obedient life, the life of active service.

John 13:18 I do not speak about all of you. I know the ones I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘HE WHO EATS MY BREAD HAS LIFTED UP HIS HEEL AGAINST ME.’

Jesus returns to the dark subject of the betrayer. The command to serve and the promise of blessing do not apply to Judas. Jesus makes it clear that He is not ignorant of the situation. "I know the ones I have chosen." His choice is sovereign and deliberate. Judas's presence in the group was no accident. His betrayal was a fulfillment of Scripture, specifically Psalm 41:9. The treachery of a close companion, one who shared table fellowship ("eats my bread"), was foretold. This shows that even the most heinous sins are contained within the sovereign plan of God, used to fulfill His prophetic word.

John 13:19 From now on I am telling you before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am He.

Why does Jesus predict the betrayal? Not to induce paranoia, but to build faith. When the disciples see this shocking event unfold exactly as Jesus said it would, it will not destroy their faith but confirm it. It will prove that He is in complete control, that He is sovereign even over the events of His own death. It will confirm His identity as the great "I am," the covenant God of Israel who knows the end from the beginning.

John 13:20 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives anyone I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”

This final verse seems at first to be disconnected, but it is not. After speaking of the one who will reject Him, Jesus speaks of the honor due to those who represent Him. This is the principle of divine representation. The apostles (and by extension, all faithful ministers of the gospel) are Christ's ambassadors. To receive them and their message is to receive Christ. And to receive Christ is to receive the Father. This elevates the stakes of their future ministry. They are going out with the full authority of Heaven behind them. It is a word of great encouragement and a solemn warning to all who will hear them.

Application

The scene in the upper room is the blueprint for the Christian life and the Christian church. We are a people defined by the towel and the basin. Our Lord's authority is expressed in humility, and so must ours be. We live in a world that is clawing for status, recognition, and power. The church is called to be a radical counter-culture where the greatest are those who serve the most.

This passage forces us to ask hard questions. Are we willing to do the "foot washing" jobs? Are we willing to serve others when it is inconvenient, unpleasant, and unnoticed? Are we more concerned with our rights and our reputation than with the needs of our brothers and sisters? True humility, the kind Jesus models, is not born from insecurity but from absolute security in our identity as beloved children of God. Because we have been bathed by Christ, we are free to get our feet dirty in the service of others.

Finally, we must reckon with the reality of Judas. Not every member of the visible church is a true believer. We must examine ourselves, not to see if we are perfect, but to see if we have received the once-for-all cleansing that only Christ provides. And we must rest in the fact that even in the face of treachery and evil, our God is sovereign. His purposes cannot be thwarted. He told us these things beforehand, so that when they happen, we might believe that He is who He says He is: the Lord of all.