耶稣为门徒洗脚

13 逾越节前,耶稣知道他离开这世界回到父那里去的时候到了。他一直爱世界上那些属自己的人,并且爱他们到底。

晚餐的时候,魔鬼已经把出卖耶稣的念头放在加略西门的儿子[a]犹大的心里。 耶稣知道父把一切交在自己手里,并且知道自己是从神那里来,又要回到神那里去。 他从席位上起身,脱了外衣,拿起一条布巾束在自己腰上, 然后把水倒进盆里,开始洗门徒们的脚,又用束在腰上的布巾擦干。

他来到西门彼得面前,彼得对他说:“主啊,你洗我的脚吗?”

耶稣回答说:“我所做的,你现在不理解,不过事后就会明白。”

彼得说:“你绝不可洗我的脚,永远不可!”

耶稣说:“如果我不洗你,你就与我没有份了。”

西门彼得说:“主啊!不单我的脚,连我的手、我的头也要洗!”

10 耶稣说:“洗过澡的人,除了脚以外,没有需要洗的;他是完全干净的。你们是干净的,但不是每个人都干净。” 11 原来,耶稣知道要出卖他的是谁,所以说“你们不是每个人都干净。”

彼此洗脚的意义

12 耶稣洗完了他们的脚以后,穿上外衣,又坐下来,对他们说:“你们明白我为你们做的事吗? 13 你们叫我‘老师’,称呼我‘主’。你们说得对,因为我就是那一位。 14 因此,如果我——你们的主、你们的老师,还洗你们的脚,那么你们也应该彼此洗脚。 15 事实上,我给你们做了榜样,好让你们也照着我为你们所做的去做。

16 “我确确实实地告诉你们:没有一个奴仆大过他的主人,也没有一个被派的大过派他的人。 17 你们既然明白这些事,如果去做,就蒙福了。 18 我不是针对你们每个人而说的。我了解我所拣选的每个人,但这是为要应验经上的话:‘那吃我饼的人[b],竟抬脚踢[c]我。’[d]

19 “如今,在事情发生以前,我先告诉你们,好让你们在事情发生的时候,能相信我就是那一位。 20 我确确实实地告诉你们:那接受我所派的人,就是接受我;接受我的,就是接受派我来的那一位。”

预言犹大卖主

21 说完这些话,耶稣灵里烦扰,就指名说:“我确确实实地告诉你们:你们当中有一个人要出卖我。”

22 门徒彼此相看,不知道耶稣说的是谁。 23 他的门徒当中,有一个挨着耶稣坐着[e],是耶稣所爱的。 24 西门彼得就向他点头示意,要他问耶稣所讲的人到底是谁。 25 于是那门徒贴近耶稣[f],问他:“主啊,是谁呢?”

26 耶稣回答:“我蘸一块饼给谁,就是谁。”接着,他蘸了一块饼拿给加略西门的儿子[g]犹大 27 犹大一接那块饼,撒旦就进了他里面。于是耶稣对他说:“你要做的,就快一点做吧。”

28 在座的人,没有一个明白耶稣为什么对他说这话。 29 因为犹大管钱包,有些人以为耶稣对他说,去买我们过节需要的东西,或是要他给穷人什么东西。 30 犹大接了那块饼,就立刻出去。那时候是夜间了。

新的命令

31 犹大出去以后,耶稣就说:“现在人子得了荣耀,神藉着人子也得了荣耀。 32 神既然藉着人子得了荣耀,[h]神也将藉着自己荣耀人子,而且立刻就要荣耀他。

33 “孩子们哪,我与你们在一起的时候不多了。你们将寻找我,而且就像我曾经告诉过那些犹太人一样,现在我也告诉你们:我去的地方,你们不能去。

34 “我给你们一条新的命令:就是要你们彼此相爱,就如我爱你们,为要使你们也彼此相爱。 35 如果你们彼此之间有了爱,众人从这一点就会知道你们是我的门徒了。”

预言彼得不认主

36 西门彼得问:“主啊,你要到哪里去呢?”

耶稣回答:“我去的地方,你现在不能跟着去,但以后会跟着去。”

37 彼得说:“主啊,为什么我现在就不能跟随你呢?为了你,我愿意舍弃自己的生命!”

38 耶稣回答:“你愿意为我舍命吗?我确确实实地告诉你:鸡叫以前,你必定三次不认我。

Footnotes

  1. 约翰福音 13:2 儿子——辅助词语。
  2. 约翰福音 13:18 那吃我饼的人——有古抄本作“与我一同吃饼的人”。
  3. 约翰福音 13:18 踢——原文直译“对付”。
  4. 约翰福音 13:18 《诗篇》41:9。
  5. 约翰福音 13:23 挨着耶稣坐着——原文直译“坐在耶稣胸前”。
  6. 约翰福音 13:25 贴近耶稣——原文直译“贴近耶稣的胸膛”。
  7. 约翰福音 13:26 儿子——辅助词语。
  8. 约翰福音 13:32 有古抄本没有“神既然藉着人子得了荣耀,”。

Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet

13 It was just before the Passover Festival.(A) Jesus knew that the hour had come(B) for him to leave this world and go to the Father.(C) Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.(D) Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power,(E) and that he had come from God(F) and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.(G) After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet,(H) drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

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

Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”(I)

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

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean,(J) though not every one of you.”(K) 11 For he knew who was going to betray him,(L) and that was why he said not every one was clean.

12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’(M) and ‘Lord,’(N) and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.(O) 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.(P) 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master,(Q) nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.(R)

Jesus Predicts His Betrayal

18 “I am not referring to all of you;(S) I know those I have chosen.(T) But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture:(U) ‘He who shared my bread(V) has turned[a](W) against me.’[b](X)

19 “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe(Y) that I am who I am.(Z) 20 Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.”(AA)

21 After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit(AB) and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.”(AC)

22 His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. 23 One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved,(AD) was reclining next to him. 24 Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.”

25 Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?”(AE)

26 Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas,(AF) the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.(AG)

So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” 28 But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. 29 Since Judas had charge of the money,(AH) some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival,(AI) or to give something to the poor.(AJ) 30 As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.(AK)

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial(AL)

31 When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man(AM) is glorified(AN) and God is glorified in him.(AO) 32 If God is glorified in him,[c] God will glorify the Son in himself,(AP) and will glorify him at once.

33 “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.(AQ)

34 “A new command(AR) I give you: Love one another.(AS) As I have loved you, so you must love one another.(AT) 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”(AU)

36 Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?”(AV)

Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now,(AW) but you will follow later.”(AX)

37 Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”

38 Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!(AY)

Footnotes

  1. John 13:18 Greek has lifted up his heel
  2. John 13:18 Psalm 41:9
  3. John 13:32 Many early manuscripts do not have If God is glorified in him.

13 Before the Passover festival began, Jesus was keenly aware that His hour had come to depart from this world and to return to the Father. From beginning to end, Jesus’ days were marked by His love for His people. Before Jesus and His disciples gathered for dinner, the adversary filled Judas Iscariot’s heart with plans of deceit and betrayal. Jesus, knowing that He had come from God and was going away to God, stood up from dinner and removed His outer garments. He then wrapped Himself in a towel, poured water in a basin, and began to wash the feet of the disciples, drying them with His towel.

Simon Peter (as Jesus approaches): Lord, are You going to wash my feet?

Jesus: Peter, you don’t realize what I am doing, but you will understand later.

Peter: You will not wash my feet, now or ever!

Jesus: If I don’t wash you, you will have nothing to do with Me.

Peter: Then wash me but don’t stop with my feet. Cleanse my hands and head as well.

Jesus: 10 Listen, anyone who has bathed is clean all over except for the feet. But I tell you this, not all of you are clean.

Within pain and filth, there is an opportunity to extend God’s kingdom through an expression of love, humility, and service. This simple act of washing feet is a metaphor for how the world looks through the lens of Jesus’ grace. He sees the people—the world He created—which He loves. He also sees the filthy corruption in the world that torments everyone. His mission is to cleanse those whom He loves from those horrors. This is His redemptive work with feet, families, disease, famine, and hearts.

When Jesus sees disease, He sees the opportunity to heal. When He sees sin, He sees a chance to forgive and redeem. When He sees dirty feet, He sees a chance to wash them.

11 He knew the one with plans of betraying Him, which is why He said, “not all of you are clean.” 12 After washing their feet and picking up His garments, He reclined at the table again.

Jesus: Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord, and truly, that is who I am. 14 So if your Lord and Teacher washes your feet, then you should wash one another’s feet. 15 I am your example; keep doing what I do. 16 I tell you the truth: a servant is not greater than the master. Those who are sent are not greater than the one who sends them.[a] 17 If you know these things, and if you put them into practice, you will find happiness. 18 I am not speaking about all of you. I know whom I have chosen, but let the Hebrew Scripture be fulfilled that says, “The very same man who eats My bread with Me will stab Me in the back.” 19 Assuredly, I tell you these truths before they happen so that when it all transpires, you will believe that I am. 20 I tell you the truth: anyone who accepts the ones I send accepts Me. In turn, the ones who accept Me also accept the One who sent Me.

21 Jesus was becoming visibly distressed.

Jesus: I tell you the truth: one of you will betray Me.

22 The disciples began to stare at one another, wondering who was the unfaithful disciple. 23 One disciple in particular, who was loved by Jesus, reclined next to Him at the table. 24 Peter motioned to the disciple at Jesus’ side.

Peter (to the beloved disciple): Find out who the betrayer is.

Beloved Disciple (leaning in to Jesus): 25 Lord, who is it?

Jesus: 26 I will dip a piece of bread in My cup and give it to the one who will betray Me.

He dipped one piece in the cup and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 After this occurred, Satan entered into Judas.

Jesus (to Judas): Make haste, and do what you are going to do.

28 No one understood Jesus’ instructions to Judas. 29 Because Judas carried the money, some thought he was being instructed to buy the necessary items for the feast or give some money to the poor. 30 So Judas took his piece of bread and departed into the night.

31 Upon Judas’s departure, Jesus spoke:

Jesus: Now the Son of Man will be glorified as God is glorified in Him. 32 If God’s glory is in Him, His glory is also in God. The moment of this astounding glory is imminent. 33 My children, My time here is brief. You will be searching for Me; and as I told the Jews, “You cannot go where I am going.” 34 So I give you a new command: Love each other deeply and fully. Remember the ways that I have loved you, and demonstrate your love for others in those same ways. 35 Everyone will know you as My followers if you demonstrate your love to others.

Simon Peter: 36 Lord, where are You going?

Jesus: Peter, you cannot come with Me now, but later you will join Me.

Peter: 37 Why can’t I go now? I’ll give my life for You!

Jesus: 38 Will you really give your life for Me? I tell you the truth: you will deny Me three times before the rooster crows.

Footnotes

  1. 13:16 Literally, apostle