Jesus Washes His Followers’ Feet

13 ·It was almost time for [^LNow before…,] the Passover Feast [12:12]. Jesus knew that it was ·time [^Lthe hour] for him to ·leave [depart from] this world and go back to the Father. He had always loved those who were his own in the world, and he loved them ·all the way to the end [or completely; totally].

² ·Jesus and his followers were at the evening meal [^LIt was dinnertime]. The devil had already ·persuaded [^Lput it into the heart of] Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to ·turn against [betray] Jesus. ³ Jesus knew that the Father had ·given him power over everything [^Lplaced everything into his hands] and that he had come from God and was going back to God. ⁴ So ·during the meal [^Lfrom supper] Jesus stood up and took off his outer clothing. Taking a towel, he wrapped it around his waist. ⁵ Then he poured water into a bowl and began to wash the ·followers’ [disciples’] feet, ·drying [wiping] them with the towel that was wrapped around him. [^CThis act was considered so demeaning by some people that they only allowed Gentile slaves to do it.]

⁶ Jesus came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

⁷ Jesus answered, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but you will understand later.”

⁸ Peter said, “No, you will never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “If I don’t wash your feet, you ·are not one of my people [^Lhave no share/part with me].”

⁹ Simon Peter answered, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but wash my hands and my head, too!”

¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “After a person has ·had a bath [washed; bathed], his whole body is clean. He needs only to wash his feet. And you men are clean, but not all of you.” ¹¹ [^LFor] Jesus knew who would ·turn against [betray] him, and that is why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

¹² When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and ·sat down [^Lreclined; ^Cthe posture for a banquet or dinner party] again. He asked, “Do you understand what I have just done ·for [to] you? ¹³ You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord’ [^Ctitles appropriately ascribed to an esteemed Rabbi, but which took on deeper meaning after his death and resurrection], and you are right, because that is what I am. ¹⁴ If I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash each other’s feet. ¹⁵ I did this as ·an example [a pattern] so that you should do as I have done for you. ¹⁶ ·I tell you the truth [^LTruly, truly, I say to you], a ·servant [slave; bond-servant] is not greater than his ·master [lord]. [^LAnd] A messenger is not greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷ If you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

¹⁸ “I am not talking about all of you. I know those I have chosen. But this is to ·bring about what the Scripture said [^Lfulfill the Scripture]: ·‘The man who ate at my table has turned against me.’ [^L‘The one who ate bread with me lifted his heel against me’; Ps. 41:9; ^Ceating with someone showed an intimate relationship, and lifting one’s heel was an act of betrayal.] ¹⁹ I am telling you this now before it happens so that when it happens, you will believe that ·I am he [^LI am; ^Cthis may be an allusion to God’s (Yahweh’s) self identification as “I AM” in Ex. 3:14, or to God’s repeated claim that “I am he” throughout Is. 40—55; see John 8:24, 28, 58]. ²⁰ ·I tell you the truth [^LTruly, truly, I say to you], whoever ·accepts [receives] anyone I send also ·accepts [receives] me. And whoever ·accepts [receives] me also ·accepts [receives] the One who sent me [Matt. 10:40].”

Jesus Talks About His Death^(A)

²¹ After Jesus said this, he was very troubled [^Lin spirit]. He ·said openly [bore witness and said], “·I tell you the truth [^LTruly, truly, I say to you], one of you will ·turn against [betray] me.”

²² The ·followers [disciples] all looked at each other, because they did not know whom Jesus was talking about. ²³ One of the ·followers [disciples] ·sitting next to Jesus [^Lreclining at his side/chest; ^Can honored position] was the ·follower [disciple] Jesus loved [^Ca reference to John]. ²⁴ Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus whom he was talking about.

²⁵ That ·follower [disciple] ·leaned [reclined] closer to Jesus and asked, “Lord, who is it?”

²⁶ Jesus answered, “I will dip this [piece/morsel of] bread into the dish. The man I give it to is the man who will ·turn against [betray] me.” So Jesus took a piece of bread, dipped it, and gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. ²⁷ ·As soon as [After] Judas took the [piece/morsel of] bread, Satan entered him. [^LThen] Jesus said to him, “·The thing that you will do—do it quickly [^TWhat you do, do quickly].” ²⁸ No one ·at the table [^Lof those reclining] understood why Jesus said this to Judas. ²⁹ Since he was the one who kept the money ·box [or bag], some of the ·followers [disciples] thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the ·feast [festival] or to give something to the poor.

³⁰ [^LSo] Judas took the [piece/morsel of] bread Jesus gave him and immediately went out. It was night. [^CThe night is both a time reference and a symbol of Judas’ evil actions.]

³¹ When Judas was gone, Jesus said, “Now the ·Son of Man [^Ca title for the Messiah; Dan. 7:13–14] ·receives his glory [is glorified], and God ·receives glory [is glorified] through him. ³² If God ·receives glory [is glorified] through him,^[a] then God will ·give glory to [glorify; honor] the Son through himself. And God will ·give him glory [glorify/honor him] ·quickly [immediately; at once].”

³³ Jesus said, “·My children [or Little children; ^Ca term of endearment], I will be with you only a little longer. You will ·look for [seek] me, and what I told the Jews [7:33–34; 8:21], I tell you now: Where I am going you cannot come.

³⁴ “I give you a new ·command [commandment]: Love ·each other [^Tone another]. You must love ·each other [^Tone another] as I have loved you. ³⁵ All people will know that you are my ·followers [disciples] if you love ·each other [^Tone another].”

Peter Will Say He Doesn’t Know Jesus^(B)

³⁶ Simon Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, where are you going?”

Jesus answered, “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 ·am ready to die for you [^Lwill lay down my life for you]!”

³⁸ Jesus answered, “·Are you ready to die for me [^LWill you lay down your life for me]? ·I tell you the truth [^LTruly, truly, I say to you], before the ·rooster [cock] crows, you will ·say three times that you don’t know me [deny/disown me three times].”