John 13:1-11

John 13:1-11

And before the feast of the Passover, Jesus, having known that His hour had come in order that He should depart out of this world to the Father and having loved His own in the world, He loved them into the end.  And while supper became, having the Devil already cast into the heart in order that Judas Iscariot – of Simon – should hand Him over, having known that the Father gave all to Him into His hands and that He came from God and He is going away to God, He was being raised up out of supper and He places aside His outer clothing and He took a towel and fastened it around Himself as a belt.  Then He cast water into the washbasin and began to wash the feet of the disciples and to wipe them dry by the towel that was having been tied around His waist like a belt.  Therefore He came to Simon Peter.  He said to Him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?”  Jesus replied and said to Him, “What I do you have not yet understood, but you will understand after these things.”  Peter says to Him, “You should surely not wash my feet into the age.”  Jesus said to Him, “If I should not wash you, you do not have a share with me.”  Simon Peter says to Him, “Lord, not only my feet but also the hands and the head!”  Jesus says to him, “The one who has been washed does not have a need to wash except the feet – but he is completely clean.  And you all are clean, but not all of you.  For He had known the one who hands Him over.  Because of this He said that not everyone is clean.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Jesus knew what He was doing.  As we begin this chapter, we see that the time has come.  The signs – remember that John never uses the word “miracle” – are done.  The public teaching is over.  The time has come for Christ’s departure.  There is nothing holding it back now.  And Jesus knows it.  He knows what He’s doing.  He knows what is going to happen.  He knows fully.

Why is it so important to believe that God completely knows the future?  What does it say that Jesus knows the future and continues to be obedient?

Second Thought:

In this light, Jesus tells Peter something that is very interesting.  Jesus tells Peter plainly, “You don’t understand, but you will.”  This is such an incredibly difficult concept for human beings to understand.  It’s an even more difficult concept to live out.  We like to understand completely before doing.  We like to be in control.  One of the fundamental lessons in Christ is to submit and let God be in control.  Jesus doesn’t ask Peter to understand what is going on.  Jesus simply asks Peter to participate and know that understanding will come with participation.

How willing are you to go without complete understanding?  Why can this be challenging or intimidating? 

Third Thought:

Jesus’ words in verse 8 are powerful on many levels.  Jesus tells Peter that if he does not wash Peter then Peter has no part with Jesus.  On the surface, Jesus is talking about the current foot-washing.  Jesus is talking about submission.  If Jesus wants to wash your feet, you either submit and let Him wash your feet or you force your own will upon Him.  This is very much a submission conversation in the immediate context.  However, there is a deeper issue.  Jesus’ blood washes us free of our sin.  Unless Jesus washes us, we cannot be forgiven as there is no true atonement for our sins.

How are you washed by Christ?  How do you live that out?

Fourth Thought:

Today you get a bonus Greek Grammar thought.  Most Bible translations have Jesus speaking in verse 10 as an active verb – meaning that the subject does the action.  However, in the Greek the verb is clearly a passive verb – meaning that the subject receives the action of the verb.  Jesus doesn’t say, “The one who has bathed.”  He says, “The one who has been bathed.”  Theologically speaking, this is a reminder that we cannot cleanse ourselves.  We cannot bathe ourselves.  We cannot work into our own salvation.  Rather, our cleansing – bathing – is something that is done to us.  In fact, the perfect tense of the verb indicates that it is something that God has done to us in the past and the effects of that bathing continue into the present and even into the future.

Why is it important to understand that our cleansing is done to us?  When were you cleansed?  How can this understanding help you answer the question, “When were you saved?”

Passage for Tomorrow: John 13:12-20