3 Jesus, being conscious that the Father had put everything into his hands, and that he came from God and was going to God, 4 Got up from table, put off his robe and took a cloth and put it round him. 5 Then he put water into a basin and was washing the feet of the disciples and drying them with the cloth which was round him. 6 So he came to Simon Peter. Peter said, Lord, are my feet to be washed by you? 7 And Jesus, answering, said to him, What I do is not clear to you now, but it will be clear to you in time to come. 8 Peter said, I will never let my feet be washed by you, never. Jesus said in answer, If I do not make you clean you have no part with me. 9 Simon Peter said to him, Lord, not my feet only, but my hands and my head. 10 Jesus said to him, He who is bathed has need only to have his feet washed and then he is clean all over: and you, my disciples, are clean, but not all of you. 11 (He had knowledge who was false to him; that is why he said, You are not all clean.) 12 Then, after washing their feet and putting on his robe again, he took his seat and said to them, Do you see what I have done to you? 13 You give me the name of Master and Lord: and you are right; that is what I am. 14 If then I, the Lord and the Master, have made your feet clean, it is right for you to make one another's feet clean. 15 I have given you an example, so that you may do what I have done to you. 16 Truly I say to you, A servant is not greater than his lord; and he who is sent is not greater than the one who sent him. 17 If these things are clear to you, happy are you if you do them.
18 I am not talking of you all: I have knowledge of my true disciples, but things are as they are, so that the Writings may come true, The foot of him who takes bread with me is lifted up against me. 19 From this time forward, I give you knowledge of things before they come about, so that when they come about you may have belief that I am he. 20 Truly I say to you, He who takes to his heart anyone whom I send, takes me to his heart; and he who so takes me, takes him who sent me.
21 When Jesus had said this he was troubled in spirit, and gave witness, saying, Truly I say to you, that one of you will be false to me. 22 Then the eyes of the disciples were turned on one another, in doubt as to whom he had in mind. 23 There was at table one of his disciples, the one dear to Jesus, resting his head on Jesus' breast. 24 Making a sign to him, Simon Peter said, Who is it he is talking about? 25 He, then, resting his head on Jesus' breast, said to him, Lord, who is it? 26 This was the answer Jesus gave: It is the one to whom I will give this bit of bread after I have put it in the vessel. Then he took the bit of bread, put it into the vessel, and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 And when Judas took the bread Satan went into him. Then Jesus said to him, Do quickly what you have to do. 28 Now it was not clear to anyone at table why he said this to him. 29 Some were of the opinion that because Judas kept the money-bag Jesus said to him, Get the things we have need of for the feast; or, that he was to give something to the poor. 30 So Judas, having taken the bit of bread, straight away went out: and it was night.
31 Then when he had gone out, Jesus said, Now is glory given to the Son of man, and God is given glory in him. 32 If God is given glory in him, God will give him glory in himself, and will give him glory even now. 33 My dear children, I am only to be with you a little longer. Then you will be looking for me: and as I said to the Jews, so now I say to you, Where I am going you may not come. 34 I give you a new law: Have love one for another; even as I have had love for you, so are you to have love one for another.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on John 13:3-34
Commentary on John 13:1-17
(Read John 13:1-17)
Our Lord Jesus has a people in the world that are his own; he has purchased them, and paid dear for them, and he has set them apart for himself; they devote themselves to him as a peculiar people. Those whom Christ loves, he loves to the end. Nothing can separate a true believer from the love of Christ. We know not when our hour will come, therefore what we have to do in constant preparation for it, ought never to be undone. What way of access the devil has to men's hearts we cannot tell. But some sins are so exceedingly sinful, and there is so little temptation to them from the world and the flesh, that it is plain they are directly from Satan. Jesus washed his disciples' feet, that he might teach us to think nothing below us, wherein we may promote God's glory, and the good of our brethren. We must address ourselves to duty, and must lay aside every thing that would hinder us in what we have to do. Christ washed his disciples' feet, that he might signify to them the value of spiritual washing, and the cleansing of the soul from the pollutions of sin. Our Lord Jesus does many things of which even his own disciples do not for the present know the meaning, but they shall know afterward. We see in the end what was the kindness from events which seemed most cross. And it is not humility, but unbelief, to put away the offers of the gospel, as if too rich to be made to us, or too good news to be true. All those, and those only, who are spiritually washed by Christ, have a part in Christ. All whom Christ owns and saves, he justifies and sanctifies. Peter more than submits; he begs to be washed by Christ. How earnest he is for the purifying grace of the Lord Jesus, and the full effect of it, even upon his hands and head! Those who truly desire to be sanctified, desire to be sanctified throughout, to have the whole man, with all its parts and powers, made pure. The true believer is thus washed when he receives Christ for his salvation. See then what ought to be the daily care of those who through grace are in a justified state, and that is, to wash their feet; to cleanse themselves from daily guilt, and to watch against everything defiling. This should make us the more cautious. From yesterday's pardon, we should be strengthened against this day's temptation. And when hypocrites are discovered, it should be no surprise or cause of stumbling to us. Observe the lesson Christ here taught. Duties are mutual; we must both accept help from our brethren, and afford help to our brethren. When we see our Master serving, we cannot but see how ill it becomes us to domineer. And the same love which led Christ to ransom and reconcile his disciples when enemies, still influences him.
Commentary on John 13:18-30
(Read John 13:18-30)
Our Lord had often spoken of his own sufferings and death, without such trouble of spirit as he now discovered when he spake of Judas. The sins of Christians are the grief of Christ. We are not to confine our attention to Judas. The prophecy of his treachery may apply to all who partake of God's mercies, and meet them with ingratitude. See the infidel, who only looks at the Scriptures with a desire to do away their authority and destroy their influence; the hypocrite, who professes to believe the Scriptures, but will not govern himself by them; and the apostate, who turns aside from Christ for a thing of naught. Thus mankind, supported by God's providence, after eating bread with Him, lift up the heel against Him! Judas went out as one weary of Jesus and his apostles. Those whose deeds are evil, love darkness rather than light.
Commentary on John 13:31-35
(Read John 13:31-35)
Christ had been glorified in many miracles he wrought, yet he speaks of his being glorified now in his sufferings, as if that were more than all his other glories in his humbled state. Satisfaction was thereby made for the wrong done to God by the sin of man. We cannot now follow our Lord to his heavenly happiness, but if we truly believe in him, we shall follow him hereafter; meanwhile we must wait his time, and do his work. Before Christ left the disciples, he would give them a new commandment. They were to love each other for Christ's sake, and according to his example, seeking what might benefit others, and promoting the cause of the gospel, as one body, animated by one soul. But this commandment still appears new to many professors. Men in general notice any of Christ's words rather than these. By this it appears, that if the followers of Christ do not show love one to another, they give cause to suspect their sincerity.