Lesson for September 28, 2025

The Book of John

Lesson 34

Chapter 13:1-38

Verses 1-11

“Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that His hour had come that He would depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. ² And during supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him, ³ Jesus, knowing that the Father had handed all things over to Him, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, ⁴ got up from supper and laid His outer garments aside; and He took a towel and tied it around Himself. ⁵ Then He poured water into the basin and began washing the disciples’ feet and wiping them with the towel which He had tied around Himself. ⁶ So He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, ‘Lord, You are washing my feet?’ ⁷ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘What I am doing, you do not realize right now, but you will understand later.’ ⁸ Peter said to Him, ‘Never shall You wash my feet!’ Jesus answered him, ‘If I do not wash you, you have no place with Me.’ ⁹ Simon Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head!’ ¹⁰ Jesus said to him, ‘He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet; otherwise he is completely clean. And you are clean, but not all of you.’ ¹¹ For He knew the one who was betraying Him; it was for this reason that He said, ‘Not all of you are clean.”

The Feast of the Passover was about to begin when Jesus called His disciples together for a meal, prior to going to the Cross. Jesus Christ stopped all public teaching and focused His attention on the disciples. The words that Jesus spoke to them during dinner is called the Upper Room Discourse, which encompasses John 13-16. Unlike the books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, John does not describe the Communion service. What John did was record what seems to be the entirety of what Jesus said to His disciples before being crucified.

Jesus gave His disciples a real-life illustration of humility and service, by washing their feet before dinner. Jesus then predicted the betrayal of Judas, as prophesied in Psalm 41:9 and Zechariah 11:12-13. He also prophesied His death, resurrection, and ascension. And Jesus foretold Peter’s denial of Him prior to the Crucifixion. (Luke 22:54-62)

Verses 12-20

“Then, 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 for you? ¹³ You call Me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord’; and you are correct, for so I am. ¹⁴ So if I, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ For I gave you an example, so that you also would do just as I did for 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 am not speaking about all of you. I know the ones whom I have chosen; but this is happening so 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 happens, so that when it does happen, you may believe that I am He. ²⁰ Truly, truly I say to you, the one who receives anyone I send, receives Me; and the one who receives Me receives Him Who sent Me.”

The disciples had entered the upper room with the dust from the road on their feet because they were busy arguing about who was the greatest. (Luke 22:24) Good manners demanded that they wash their feet before entering the upper room.

Jesus said to him, ‘He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet; otherwise; he is completely clean. And you are clean, but not all of you.’ Jesus’ statement regarding bathing in John 13:10 is an illustration of salvation. The custom of foot washing illustrates the Rebound Technique. The disciples came with dirty feet to dine with Jesus, the Son of God. In like manner, before we eat God’s food (Bible doctrine), we Rebound (wash our feet). The dust on the disciples’ feet pictures a believer out of fellowship with God. The dinner pictures the restoration of fellowship with God. The clean feet represent service to God, as His representatives. It is a beautiful picture of faith in Christ and living the Christian life!

Jesus explained to His disciples that once He returned to Heaven, they would be responsible for continuing the ministry of spreading the Gospel. Eleven of Jesus’ disciples became apostles, once the Church Age began on the Day of Pentecost. The root of the word disciple comes from the same root word as discipline. The word servant is used interchangeably with the word disciple. Therefore, disciples/servants of Jesus were to be disciplined in the spread of the message of the Gospel that they had learned from Jesus. The humility of Jesus demonstrated that His followers must also have humility, which entails teachability and grace orientation.

Verses 21-29

“When Jesus had said these things, He became troubled in spirit, and testified and said, ‘Truly, truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me.’ ²² The disciples began looking at one another, at a loss to know of which one He was speaking. ²³ Lying back on Jesus’ chest was one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. ²⁴ So Simon Peter nodded to this disciple and said to him, ‘Tell us who it is of whom He is speaking.’ ²⁵ He then simply leaned back on Jesus’ chest and said to Him, ‘Lord, who is it?’ ²⁶ Jesus then answered, ‘That man is the one for whom I shall dip the piece of bread and give it to him.’ So, when He had dipped the piece of bread, He took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. ²⁷ After this, Satan then entered him. Therefore, Jesus said to him, ‘What you are doing, do it quickly.’ ²⁸ Now none of those reclining at the table knew for what purpose He had said this to him. ²⁹ For some were assuming, since Judas kept the money box, that Jesus was saying to him, ‘Buy the things we need for the feast’; or else, that he was to give something to the poor. 

Judas Iscariot was the only unbeliever in the room and Jesus identified him and confirmed that he was possessed by Satan, as the plan to betray Jesus had begun. The disciples did not know who the traitor was even after Jesus said, “That man is the one for whom I shall dip the piece of bread and give it to him.” There was much more to this statement by Jesus than meets the eye. Jesus was actually performing a ceremony often done for honored guests between the main course and dessert.

The Greek word for the piece of bread is “psomion,” referring to a special piece of bread dipped in some special meat sauce, which was placed in the center of the table. No one touched this plate until the host picked up a piece of bread and dipped it into this delicious sauce and offered it to the person, as a special honor. When the person accepted it, then the others were free to dip into the sauce themselves.

This act by Jesus was a grace appeal to Judas. Jesus knew that Judas was a traitor and was already making arrangements to betray Him. And yet, Jesus offered Judas the highest honor from the host. That act was a gracious appeal and the final invitation to receive salvation by putting his faith in Jesus as his Savior. Jesus offered him a last chance and when he turned it down, he became the first person to be indwelt personally by Satan that we know of in Scripture.

Verses 30-35

 ^“So, after receiving the piece of bread, he left immediately; and it was night. Therefore, when he had left, 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 will glorify Him immediately. ³³ Little children, I am still with you a little longer. You will look for Me; and just as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you: ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ ³⁴ I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. ³⁵ By this all people will know that you are My disciples: if you have love for one another.’”

At this point, the Upper Room Discourse began with emphasis on the Father’s plan to glorify Jesus Christ, and the intensification of the Angelic Conflict. Once Jesus returned to Heaven, the Church Age could begin, which it did on the Day of Pentecost, ten days after the Ascension. This event marked the intensification of the Angelic Conflict, prior to the Tribulation, when “all hell” will break loose on earth for seven years.

The Son of Man is a title for the humanity of Christ, Who was glorified by the Father, when He fulfilled the Father’s plan of salvation on the Cross. His sacrifice for sin, His resurrection, His ascension, and His session also glorified God.

The ultimate glorification of the Godhead will be “Operation Footstool,” when the enemies of Christ are “placed under His feet.” This occurs during the “millennial reign” of Christ, which begins immediately after the Battle of Armageddon, at the end of the Tribulation. God the Father will place everything under the eternal authority of Christ. Everything will be under Christ’s authority except God the Father. 

Prior to “operation Footstool,” angels were superior to mankind, including the humanity of Christ. This changed for Christ once He was in His resurrection body and will change for believers when they receive their resurrection bodies. Believers, in resurrection bodies, will be superior to all angels. God the Father will subordinate everything under Christ and the Angelic Conflict will be resolved. (Psalm 110; I Corinthians 15:25; I Corinthians 6:3)

I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. With Jesus’ departure, a new set of instructions were given to the disciples, a move that Satan never saw coming! This part of God’s plan is based on His virtue-love developed by His ambassadors, and when properly applied, can forestall Satan’s power and influence over people. By this all people will know that you are My disciples: if you have love for one another. The application of virtue-love is also a testimony to the world that a believer is a representative of Jesus Christ.

Verses 36-38

^“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 later.’ ³⁷ Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You.’ ³⁸ Jesus replied, ‘Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times.’”

Peter followed Jesus closely, everywhere He went. However, like all of us, Peter sometimes operated from human viewpoint, not divine viewpoint. When Jesus told His disciples He was going away, Peter thought in human terms, not divine terms. Jesus had been preparing His disciples for the time when He would go to the Cross and pay the penalty for sin. Peter had heard the message many, many times from Jesus.

Christ’s destiny was certain and His return to Heaven would take place. Peter could not follow Christ into Heaven, at the time of the Ascension. Jesus Christ went to the Cross alone; He was resurrected alone and He ascended alone. Peter will not be resurrected until the Rapture.

Peter always seemed to have good intentions. However, Peter was not going to handle the Crucifixion, without the application of the doctrine that Jesus had taught him. Peter did ultimately fail, when he denied that he knew Christ. However, Peter eventually recovered and became a great man for God. He wrote the books of I Peter and II Peter, and many believe he dictated the Gospel of Mark to Mark..