Read the Gospels in 40 Days
The Testament of the Lord[a]
Chapter 13
Jesus Washes the Feet of the Disciples.[b] 1 As the feast of Passover drew near, Jesus was aware that his hour had come to depart from this world and to go to the Father. He had loved his own who were in the world, and he loved them to the end.
2 The devil had already put it into the mind of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. During supper, 3 Jesus, fully aware that the Father had entrusted all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was returning to God, 4 got up from the table, removed his outer garments, and took a towel that he tied around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel wrapped around his waist.
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered, “You do not understand now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you will have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.”
10 Jesus then said, “Anyone who has bathed has no need to wash further, except for his feet, for he is clean all over. You also are clean, although not every one of you is clean.” 11 He knew the one who was going to betray him. That is why he added the words, “Not every one of you is clean.”
12 After he had finished washing their feet and had once again put on his outer garments, he reclined at table and said to them,
“Do you understand
what I have done for you?
13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’
and rightly so,
for that is what I am.
14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher,
have washed your feet,
you also should wash one another’s feet.
15 “I have given you an example.
What I have done for you,
you should also do.
16 Amen, amen, I say to you,
a servant is not greater than his master,
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.
Jesus Predicts His Betrayal[c]
18 “I am not speaking about all of you.
I know those whom I have chosen.
However, what the Scripture says
must be fulfilled,
‘The one who ate bread with me
has raised his heel against me.’
19 “I tell you this now,
before it occurs,
so that when it does occur,
you may believe that I am.[d]
20 Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever receives the one I send
receives me,
and whoever receives me
receives the one who sent me.”
21 After saying this, Jesus was deeply distressed, and he declared,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
one of you will betray me.”
22 The disciples looked at one another, puzzled as to which one of them he meant. 23 One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining at Jesus’ side. 24 Simon Peter signaled to him to ask Jesus which one he meant.
25 Therefore, leaning back toward Jesus, he asked, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread after I have dipped it into the dish.” And when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot.
27 As soon as Judas had received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus then said to him, “Do quickly what you are going to do.” 28 Now no one at the table knew why he had said this to him. 29 Some thought that since Judas was in charge of the money bag, Jesus was telling him to purchase what was needed for the feast, or to give something to the poor. 30 As soon as Judas had received the piece of bread, he immediately departed. It was night.
31 After Judas had departed, Jesus said,
“Now is the Son of Man glorified,
and God is glorified in him.
32 If God is glorified in him,
God will also glorify him in himself,
and he will glorify him at once.
A New Commandment[e]
33 “My children,
I will be with you
only a short time longer.
You will look for me,
and, as I told the Jews,
so I now say to you,
‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’
34 “I give you a new commandment:
love one another.
Just as I have loved you,
so you should also love one another.
35 This is how everyone will know
that you are my disciples:
if you love one another.”
36 Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial.[f] Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered,
“Where I am going,
you cannot follow me now,
but you will follow me later on.”
37 Peter said, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” 38 Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Amen, amen, I say to you, before the cock crows, you will have denied me three times.
The Way, the Truth, and the Life[g]
Chapter 14
Jesus, the Way, Leads to the Father[h]
1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You place your trust in God.[i]
Trust also in me.
2 In my Father’s house
there are many dwelling places.
If there were not,
would I have told you
that I am going to prepare a place for you?
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come again
and will take you to myself,
so that where I am,
you may also be.
4 You know the way
to the place I am going.”
5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”
Jesus, the Truth, Reveals the Father[j]
6 Jesus replied,
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father
except through me.
7 If you know me,
then you will know my Father also.
From now on you do know him.
You have seen him.”
8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, it will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus answered,
“Have I been with you all this time, Philip,
and you still do not know me?
Whoever has seen me
has seen the Father.
How can you say,
‘Show us the Father’?
10 Do you not believe
that I am in the Father
and the Father is in me?
“The words that I speak to you
I do not speak on my own.
The Father who dwells in me
is doing his works.
11 Believe me when I say
that I am in the Father
and the Father is in me.
But if you do not,
then believe
because of the works themselves.
Jesus, the Life, Communicates the Spirit[k]
12 “Amen, amen, I say to you,
the one who believes in me
will also do the works that I do,
and indeed will do even greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father.
13 Whatever you ask in my name I will do,
so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If you ask me for anything in my name,
I will do it.
15 “If you love me,
you will keep my commandments.
16 And I will ask the Father,
and he will give you another Advocate
to be with you forever,
17 the Spirit of Truth
whom the world cannot accept
because it neither sees him nor knows him.
But you know him,
because he dwells with you
and will be in you.
18 “I will not leave you orphans;
I will come to you.
19 In a little while,
the world will no longer see me,
but you will see me.
Because I live,
you also will live.
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 received my commandments
and observes them
is the one who loves me.
And whoever loves me
will be loved by my Father,
and I will love him
and reveal myself to him.”
22 Judas (not Judas Iscariot)[l] asked him, “Lord, why is it that you are revealing yourself to us and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered him,
“Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him
and make our abode with him.
24 Whoever does not love me
does not keep my words.
And the word that you hear
is not my own,
but that of the Father who sent me.
25 “I have told you these things
while I am still with you.
26 However, the Advocate, the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you everything
and remind you of all
that I have said to you.
The Peace of Jesus[m]
27 “Peace I leave with you,
my peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives
do I give it to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled;
be not afraid.
28 “You have heard me say to you,
‘I am going away,
and I will come back to you.’
If you loved me,
you would rejoice
that I am going to the Father,
for the Father is greater than I.[n]
29 And now I have told you this
before it happens,
so that when it does happen
you may believe.
30 “I will no longer talk at length with you
because the prince of the world is coming.
He has no power over me,
31 but the world must come to understand
that I love the Father
and that I do
just as the Father has commanded me.
Get up! Let us be on our way.
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