John 13
The Message
Washing His Disciples’ Feet
13 1-2 Just before the Passover Feast, Jesus knew that the time had come to leave this world to go to the Father. Having loved his dear companions, he continued to love them right to the end. It was suppertime. The Devil by now had Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, firmly in his grip, all set for the betrayal.
3-6 Jesus knew that the Father had put him in complete charge of everything, that he came from God and was on his way back to God. So he got up from the supper table, set aside his robe, and put on an apron. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, drying them with his apron. When he got to Simon Peter, Peter said, “Master, you wash my feet?”
7 Jesus answered, “You don’t understand now what I’m doing, but it will be clear enough to you later.”
8 Peter persisted, “You’re not going to wash my feet—ever!”
Jesus said, “If I don’t wash you, you can’t be part of what I’m doing.”
9 “Master!” said Peter. “Not only my feet, then. Wash my hands! Wash my head!”
10-12 Jesus said, “If you’ve had a bath in the morning, you only need your feet washed now and you’re clean from head to toe. My concern, you understand, is holiness, not hygiene. So now you’re clean. But not every one of you.” (He knew who was betraying him. That’s why he said, “Not every one of you.”) After he had finished washing their feet, he took his robe, put it back on, and went back to his place at the table.
12-17 Then he said, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You address me as ‘Teacher’ and ‘Master,’ and rightly so. That is what I am. So if I, the Master and Teacher, washed your feet, you must now wash each other’s feet. I’ve laid down a pattern for you. What I’ve done, you do. I’m only pointing out the obvious. A servant is not ranked above his master; an employee doesn’t give orders to the employer. If you understand what I’m telling you, act like it—and live a blessed life.
The One Who Ate Bread at My Table
18-20 “I’m not including all of you in this. I know precisely whom I’ve selected, so as not to interfere with the fulfillment of this Scripture:
The one who ate bread at my table
Will stab me in the back.
“I’m telling you all this ahead of time so that when it happens you will believe that I am who I say I am. Make sure you get this right: Receiving someone I send is the same as receiving me, just as receiving me is the same as receiving the One who sent me.”
21 After he said these things, Jesus became visibly upset, and then he told them why. “One of you is going to betray me.”
22-25 The disciples looked around at one another, wondering who on earth he was talking about. One of the disciples, the one Jesus loved dearly, was reclining against him, his head on his shoulder. Peter motioned to him to ask who Jesus might be talking about. So, being the closest, he said, “Master, who?”
26-27 Jesus said, “The one to whom I give this crust of bread after I’ve dipped it.” Then he dipped the crust and gave it to Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot. As soon as the bread was in his hand, Satan entered him.
“What you must do,” said Jesus, “do. Do it and get it over with.”
28-29 No one around the supper table knew why he said this to him. Some thought that since Judas was their treasurer, Jesus was telling him to buy what they needed for the Feast, or that he should give something to the poor.
30 Judas, with the piece of bread, left. It was night.
A New Command
31-32 When he had left, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is seen for who he is, and God seen for who he is in him. The moment God is seen in him, God’s glory will be on display. In glorifying him, he himself is glorified—glory all around!
33 “Children, I am with you for only a short time longer. You are going to look high and low for me. But just as I told the Jews, I’m telling you: ‘Where I go, you are not able to come.’
34-35 “Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.”
36 Simon Peter asked, “Master, just where are you going?”
Jesus answered, “You can’t now follow me where I’m going. You will follow later.”
37 “Master,” said Peter, “why can’t I follow now? I’ll lay down my life for you!”
38 “Really? You’ll lay down your life for me? The truth is that before the rooster crows, you’ll deny me three times.”
John 13
Disciples’ Literal New Testament
Jesus Loves His Own To The End
13 Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus— knowing[a] that His hour came for Him to pass from this world to the Father— having loved His own ones in the world, loved them to the end[b].
At Dinner, Jesus Washes The Feet of The Twelve As an Example For Them To Follow
2 And dinner taking-place[c], the devil having already put into his heart that Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, should hand Him over— 3 Jesus, knowing[d] that the Father gave Him all things into His hands, and that He came forth from God and is going to God, 4 arises from the dinner and lays-down His [outer] garments. And having taken a towel, He tied it around Himself. 5 Then He puts water into the wash-basin. And He began to wash the feet of the disciples, and to wipe them with the towel which had been tied-around Himself. 6 Then He comes to Simon Peter. He says to Him, “Lord, do You wash my feet?” 7 Jesus responded and said to him, “You do not know what I am doing now, but you will understand after these things”. 8 Peter says to Him, “You will never wash my feet, ever!” Jesus responded to him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part[e] with Me”. 9 Simon Peter says to Him, “Lord, wash not my feet only, but also the hands and the head!” 10 Jesus says to him, “The one having bathed has no need except to wash his feet, but is entirely clean. And you[f] are clean— but not all of you”. 11 For He knew the one handing Him over. For this reason He said that “You are not all clean”. 12 Then when He washed their feet, and took His garments, and fell back again [to eat], He said to them, “Do you understand what I have done for you? 13 You call Me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord’— and you speak rightly, for I am. 14 Therefore if I, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to be washing the feet of one another. 15 For I gave you an example, in order that you also should be doing just as I did for you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one having sent him. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you are doing them. 18 I am not speaking with-reference-to all of you. I know the ones whom I chose. But it is taking place in order that the Scripture [in Ps 41:9] might be fulfilled: ‘The one eating My bread lifted-up his heel against Me’. 19 From now on, I am telling you ahead of it taking place, in order that when it takes place you may believe that I am the One. 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, the one receiving whomever I send is receiving Me. And the one receiving Me is receiving the One having sent Me”.
Judas Is Identified As The Betrayer, And Leaves The Room
21 Having said these things, Jesus was troubled in His spirit. And He testified and said “Truly, truly, I say to you that one of you will hand Me over”. 22 The disciples were looking at one another, being perplexed about whom He was speaking. 23 One of His disciples was reclining-back at the bosom of Jesus— the one whom Jesus was loving. 24 So Simon Peter nods[g] to this one to inquire as to who it might be about whom He is speaking. 25 So that one, having leaned back thus on the chest of Jesus, says to Him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus answers, “It is that one for whom I will dip the piece-of-bread and give it to him”. Then having dipped the piece-of-bread, He takes and gives it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot. 27 And after the piece-of-bread, at that time Satan entered into that one. Then Jesus says to him, “What you are doing, do quicker[h]”. 28 Now none of the ones reclining-back [to eat] understood this— for what purpose He said it to him. 29 For some were thinking, since Judas had the money-box, that Jesus was telling him, “Buy the things of which we have a need for the Feast”, or that he should give something to the poor. 30 So having received the piece-of-bread, that one went out immediately. And it was night.
Then Jesus Says, Now God Was Glorified In Me. And He Will Yet Glorify Me
31 Then when he went out, Jesus says, “Now[i] the Son of Man was glorified[j], and God was glorified in Him. 32 If God was[k] glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself— and will glorify Him immediately.
Where I Am Going You Cannot Come. Love One Another As I Have Loved You
33 “Little-children, I am with you a little longer. You will seek Me, and just as I told the Jews that where I am going, you are not able to come, I also tell you now. 34 I am giving you a new commandment— that you be loving one another; just as I loved you, that you also be loving one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are disciples to Me: if you are having love in-the-case-of [l] one another”.
Peter Asks Why He Can’t Come. You Will Follow Later, But Deny Me Tonight
36 Simon Peter says to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going, you are not able to follow Me now. But you will follow later”. 37 Peter says to Him, “Lord, for what reason am I not able to follow You right-now? I will lay-down my life for You”. 38 Jesus responds, “Will you lay-down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a rooster will by no means crow until which time you deny Me three-times!
Footnotes
- John 13:1 John may mean although He knew; or, because He knew.
- John 13:1 Or, to the uttermost.
- John 13:2 Or, coming-about.
- John 13:3 John may mean although He knew; or, because He knew.
- John 13:8 Or, share.
- John 13:10 This word is plural.
- John 13:24 Or, gestures.
- John 13:27 Or, sooner. Or, quickly.
- John 13:31 In sending out Judas, Jesus has set in motion the hour of His death. He speaks as if it were already all finished.
- John 13:31 That is, in voluntarily entering His hour of death; or, prophetically, in His death.
- John 13:32 was glorified... will glorify. That is, in His life... in His death; or prophetically, in His death... in His resurrection.
- John 13:35 Or, among; in-connection-with.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing
