Read the Gospels in 40 Days
Washing the disciples’ feet
13 It was before the festival of Passover. Jesus knew that his time had come, the time for him to leave this world and go to the father. He had always loved his own people in the world; now he loved them right through to the end.
2 It was suppertime. The devil had already put the idea of betraying him into the heart of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot. 3 Jesus knew that the father had given everything into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God. 4 So he got up from the supper-table, took off his clothes, and wrapped himself in a towel. 5 Then he poured water into a bowl, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel he was wrapped in.
6 He came to Simon Peter.
“Master,” said Peter, “what’s this? You, washing my feet?”
7 “You don’t understand yet what I’m doing,” replied Jesus, “but you’ll know afterwards.”
8 “I’m not going to have you washing my feet!” said Peter. “Never!”
“If I don’t wash you,” replied Jesus, “you don’t belong to me.”
9 “All right then, Master,” said Simon Peter, “but not only my feet—wash my hands and my head as well!”
10 “Someone who has washed,” said Jesus to him, “doesn’t need to wash again, except for their feet. They are clean all over. And you are clean—but not all of you.”
11 Jesus knew, you see, who was going to betray him. That’s why he said, “You are not all clean.”
Like master, like servant
12 So when he had washed their feet, he put on his clothes and sat down again.
“Do you know what I’ve done to you?” he asked. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher,’ and ‘Master,’ and you’re right. That’s what I am. 14 Well, then: if I, as your master and teacher, washed your feet just now, you should wash one another’s feet. 15 I’ve given you a pattern, so that you can do things in the same way that I did to you.
16 “I’m telling you the solemn truth,” he continued. “The slave isn’t greater than the master. People who are sent are not greater than the person who sends them. 17 If you know these things, God’s blessing on you if you do them.
18 “I’m not talking about all of you,” he went on. “I know the ones I have chosen. What the Bible says has to come true: ‘The person who ate my bread lifted up his heel against me.’ 19 I’m telling you this now, before it happens, so that when it does happen you may believe that I am who I am. 20 I’m telling you the solemn truth: anyone who welcomes someone I send, welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me, welcomes the one who sent me.”
Judas goes out
21 After saying this, Jesus was troubled in spirit. He explained why.
“I’m telling you the solemn truth,” he said. “One of you will betray me.”
22 The disciples looked at each other in shock, wondering who he could be talking about. 23 One of the disciples, the one Jesus specially loved, was reclining at table close beside him. 24 Simon Peter motioned to him to ask who it was he was talking about. 25 So, leaning back against Jesus’ chest, he asked him, “Who is it, Master?”
26 “It’s the one I’m going to give this piece of bread to,” said Jesus, “when I’ve dipped it in the dish.”
So he dipped the piece of bread, and gave it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot. 27 After the bread, the satan entered into him.
“Do it quickly, won’t you?” said Jesus to him.
28 None of the others at the table knew what he meant. 29 Because Judas kept the common purse, some were thinking that he meant, “Buy what we need for the festival,” or that he was to give something to the poor.
30 So when Judas had taken the bread, he went out at once. It was night.
Love one another
31 When Judas had gone out, Jesus began to speak.
“Now the son of man is glorified!” he said. “Now God is glorified in him! 32 And if God is glorified in him, God will glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. 33 Children, I’m only with you a little longer. You will look for me, and, as I said to the Judaeans that where I was going they couldn’t come, so I’m saying the same to you now.
34 “I’m giving you a new commandment, and it’s this: love one another! Just as I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 This is how everybody will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for each other.”
36 Simon Peter spoke up.
“Master,” he said, “where are you going?”
“Where I’m going,” replied Jesus, “you can’t follow me just now. You will follow later, though.”
37 “Master,” Peter replied, “why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you!”
38 “Will you really lay down your life for me?” smiled Jesus. “I’m telling you the solemn truth: by the time the cock crows you will have disowned me three times.”
The way, the truth, the life
14 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled,” Jesus continued. “Trust God—and trust me, too! 2 There is plenty of room to stay in my father’s house. If that wasn’t the case, I’d have told you, wouldn’t I? I’m going to get a place ready for you! 3 And if I do go and get a place ready for you, I will come back and take you to be with me, so that you can be there, where I am. 4 And as to where I’m going—you know the way!”
5 “Actually, Master,” said Thomas to him, “we don’t know where you’re going, so how can we know the way?”
6 “I am the way,” replied Jesus, “and the truth and the life! Nobody comes to the father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my father. From now on you do know him! You have seen him.”
8 “Just show us the father, then, Master,” said Philip to Jesus, “and that’ll be good enough for us!”
9 “Have I been with you for such a long time, Philip,” replied Jesus, “and still you don’t know me? Anyone who has seen me has seen the father! How can you say, ‘Show us the father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the father, and the father is in me? The words I’m speaking to you, I’m not speaking on my own initiative. It’s the father, who lives within me, who is doing his own works. 11 You must trust me that I am in the father and the father is in me. If not, then trust because of all the things you’ve seen done.”
Another helper
12 “I’m telling you the solemn truth,” Jesus continued. “Anyone who trusts in me will also do the works that I’m doing. In fact, they will do greater works than these, because I’m going to the father! 13 And whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, so that the father may be glorified in the son. 14 If you ask anything in my name, I will do it.
15 “If you love me,” he went on, “you will keep my commands. 16 Then I will ask the father, and he will give you another helper, to be with you forever. 17 This other helper is the spirit of truth. The world can’t receive him, because it doesn’t see him or know him. But you know him, because he lives with you, and will be in you.
18 “I’m not going to leave you bereft. I am coming to you. 19 Not long from now, the world won’t see me anymore; but you will see me. Because I live, you will live too. 20 On that day you will know that I am in my father, and you in me, and I in you.
21 “Anyone who has my commandments and keeps them—that’s the person who loves me. Anyone who loves me will be loved by my father, and I will love them and show myself to them.”
My peace I give to you
22 Judas spoke up. (This was the other Judas, not Iscariot.)
“Master,” he said, “how will it be that you will show yourself to us and not to the world?”
23 “If anyone loves me,” Jesus replied, “they will keep my word. My father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who doesn’t love me won’t keep my word. And the word which you hear isn’t mine. It comes from the father, who sent me.
25 “I’ve said all this to you while I’m here with you. 26 But the helper, the holy spirit, the one the father will send in my name, he will teach you everything. He will bring back to your mind everything I’ve said to you.
27 “I’m leaving you peace. I’m giving you my own peace. I don’t give gifts in the way the world does. Don’t let your hearts be troubled; don’t be fearful. 28 You heard that I said to you, ‘I’m going away, and I’m coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be happy that I’m going to the father—because the father is greater than me. 29 And now I’ve told you before it happens, so that when it does happen, you may believe.
30 “I haven’t got much more to say to you. The ruler of the world is coming. He has nothing to do with me. 31 But all this is happening so that the world may know that I love the father, and that I’m doing what the father has told me to do.
“Get up. Let’s be going.”
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.