Read the Gospels in 40 Days

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.

² The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.^{(D) 3} 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; ⁴ so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.^{(G) 5} 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.

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

⁷ Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”^(I)

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

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

⁹ “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)

Jesus Comforts His Disciples

14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled.^(AZ) You believe^(BA) in God^[d];^(BB) believe also in me. ² My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there^(BC) to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back^(BD) and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.^{(BE) 4} You know the way to the place where I am going.”

Jesus the Way to the Father

⁵ Thomas^(BF) said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

⁶ Jesus answered, “I am^(BG) the way^(BH) and the truth^(BI) and the life.^(BJ) No one comes to the Father except through me.^{(BK) 7} If you really know me, you will know^[e] my Father as well.^(BL) From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

⁸ Philip^(BM) said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”

⁹ Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.^(BN) How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰ Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me?^(BO) The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority.^(BP) Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. ¹¹ Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.^{(BQ) 12} Very truly I tell you, whoever believes^(BR) in me will do the works I have been doing,^(BS) and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³ And I will do whatever you ask^(BT) in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

¹⁵ “If you love me, keep my commands.^{(BU) 16} And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate^(BV) to help you and be with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth.^(BW) The world cannot accept him,^(BX) because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be^[f] in you. ¹⁸ I will not leave you as orphans;^(BY) I will come to you.^{(BZ) 19} Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me.^(CA) Because I live, you also will live.^{(CB) 20} On that day^(CC) you will realize that I am in my Father,^(CD) and you are in me, and I am in you.^{(CE) 21} Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.^(CF) The one who loves me will be loved by my Father,^(CG) and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

²² Then Judas^(CH) (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”^(CI)

²³ Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching.^(CJ) My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.^{(CK) 24} Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.^(CL)

²⁵ “All this I have spoken while still with you. ²⁶ But the Advocate,^(CM) the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,^(CN) will teach you all things^(CO) and will remind you of everything I have said to you.^{(CP) 27} Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.^(CQ) I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled^(CR) and do not be afraid.

²⁸ “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’^(CS) If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father,^(CT) for the Father is greater than I.^{(CU) 29} I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.^{(CV) 30} I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world^(CW) is coming. He has no hold over me, ³¹ but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.^(CX)

“Come now; let us leave.