John 13:1-30 – Jesus, Example of Love and Service

      1Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. 2During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him, 3Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, 4got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself.
      5Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. 6So He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, “Lord, do You wash my feet?” 7Jesus answered and said to him, “What I do you do not realize [know] now, but you will understand hereafter.” 8Peter said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” 9Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.” 10Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” 11For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, “Not all of you are clean.”
      12So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13“You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. 14“If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15“For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. 16“Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. 17“If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. 18“I do not speak of all of you. I know the ones I have chosen; but it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘HE WHO EATS MY BREAD HAS LIFTED UP HIS HEEL AGAINST ME.’ 19“From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am He.20“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”
      21When Jesus had said this, He became troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray Me.” 22The disciples began looking at one another, at a loss to know of which one He was speaking. 23There was reclining on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. 24So Simon Peter gestured to him, and said to him, “Tell us who it is of whom He is speaking.” 25He, leaning back thus on Jesus’ bosom, said to Him, “Lord, who is it?” 26Jesus then answered, “That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him.” So when He had dipped the morsel, He took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27After the morsel, Satan then entered into him. Therefore Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.” 28Now no one of those reclining at the table knew for what purpose He had said this to him. 29For some were supposing, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus was saying to him, “Buy the things we have need of for the feast”; or else, that he should give something to the poor. 30So after receiving the morsel he went out immediately; and it was night.

Interesting Words
knowing

(οἶδα – Greek) – eidó be aware, behold, consider, perceive, properly, to see with physical eyes, as it naturally bridges to the metaphorical sense, a gateway to grasp spiritual truth (reality) from a physical plane – John 9:29-30; 1Cor 2:11, 12;

own

(ἴδιος – Greek) – idios one’s own, belonging to one, private, personal; one’s own people, one’s own family, home, property, by implication, private or separate – Matt 9:1; Mark 4:34; John 1:11; 1Cor 3:8-9;

believe

(πιστεύω – Greek) – pisteuó  believe, have faith in, trust in, believing that leads to/proceeds from God’s inbirthing of faith – John 1:7, 2:11, 23; 3:18; 4:42; 5:24; 6:29; 7:38; 8:24, 30; 9:35-36, 37-38; 10:37-38; 11:25-26; 12:44-46;

receive

(λαμβάνω – Greek) – lambanó  receive, get, take, lay hold of by aggressively (actively) accepting what is available (offered), “accept with initiative” emphasizes the volition (assertiveness) of the receiver – John 1:11-12; 3:32-33; 4:45; 5:43; 12:48;

Cross References

▪︎ John 1:11-12 – Receiving and believing are equivalent and have the same result.
▪︎ John 12:48 – If you reject Jesus Christ you will judged by the word at th end.
▪︎ Rom 5:11 – Receiving Christ is equivalent to being reconciled to God.
▪︎ John 14:2-3 – recieve – paralambánō (from pará, “from close-alongside” and lambánō, “aggressively take”). It is a mutual receiving of each other

Discussion Questions
Download questions to Word document (click here). Enter your answers, then meet with some friends to discuss. You can also compare your answers to mine for a virtual discussion… to return… John 13:1-30 – Jesus, Example of Love and Service – Answers

1. What progression do you see here in Judas (John 13:2, 27)? What do you make of this?

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2. What was Jesus frame of mind (John 13:1, 2-3) and how did this effect His actions after dinner?

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3. What are some lessons we should take away from this study?

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4. How would you characterize the interaction of the twelve related to the betrayal (v. 18-30)?

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5. Believing is a common theme throughout the Gospel of John. A sample of its use is listed above from each chapter. List some observations from these verses.

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6. Receiving is also used with almost the same frequency. Receive is an pivot point, highlighting the need to change directions, make a decision or seize the moment. Again a list of uses is shown above. What do you make of this?

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7. Is there a decision that God is seeking you to make?

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