John 13

Joh 13:1-20.

AT THE

LAST

SUPPER

JESUS

WASHES THE

DISCIPLES'

FEET--THE

DISCOURSE

ARISING

THEREUPON.

1. when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out

of this world unto the Father--On these beautiful euphemisms, see

on

Lu 9:31;

Lu 9:51.

having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the

end--The meaning is, that on the very edge of His last sufferings, when

it might have been supposed that He would be absorbed in His own awful

prospects, He was so far from forgetting "His own," who were to be left

struggling "in the world" after He had "departed out of it to the

Father"

(Joh 17:11),

that in His care for them He seemed scarce to think of Himself save in

connection with them: "Herein is love," not only "enduring to the end,"

but most affectingly manifested when, judging by a human standard,

least to be expected.

2. supper being ended--rather, "being prepared," "being served," or,

"going on"; for that it was not "ended" is plain from

Joh 13:26.

the devil having now--or, "already."

put into the heart of Judas . . . to betray him--referring

to the agreement he had already made with the chief

priests

(Lu 22:3-6).

3. Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands,

&c.--This verse is very sublime, and as a preface to what follows, were

we not familiar with it, would fill us with inexpressible surprise. An

unclouded perception of His relation to the Father, the commission He

held from Him, and His approaching return to Him, possessed His soul.

4, 5. He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments--outer

garments which would have impeded the operation of washing.

and took a towel and girded himself--assuming a servant's dress.

5. began to wash--proceeded to wash.

Beyond all doubt the feet of Judas were washed, as of all the rest.

6-11. Peter saith . . . Lord, dost thou wash my feet?--Our language

cannot bring out the intensely vivid contrast between the "Thou" and

the "my," which, by bringing them together, the original expresses,

for it is not good English to say, "Lord, Thou my feet dost wash?"

But every word of this question is emphatic. Thus far, and in the

question itself, there was nothing but the most profound and beautiful

astonishment at a condescension to him quite incomprehensible.

Accordingly, though there can be no doubt that already Peter's heart

rebelled against it as a thing not to be tolerated, Jesus ministers no

rebuke as yet, but only bids him wait a little, and he should understand

it all.

7. Jesus answered and said . . . What I do thou knowest not now--that

is, Such condescension does need explanation; it is fitted to

astonish.

but thou shall know hereafter--afterwards, meaning presently; though viewed as a general maxim, applicable to all

dark sayings in

God's Word, and dark doings in God's providence, these words are full of

consolation.

8. Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash, &c.--more

emphatically, "Never shalt Thou wash my feet": that is, "That is an

incongruity to which I can never submit." How like the man!

If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me--What Peter could

not submit to was, that the Master should serve His servant. But the

whole saving work of Christ was one continued series of such services,

ending with and consummated by the most self-sacrificing and

transcendent of all services: THE SON OF MAN CAME not to be

ministered unto, but TO MINISTER, AND TO GIVE

HIS LIFE A RANSOM FOR MANY. (See on

Mr 10:45).

If Peter then could not submit to let his Master go down so low as to

wash his feet, how should he suffer himself to be served by Him at

all? This is couched under the one pregnant word "wash," which

though applicable to the lower operation which Peter resisted,

is the familiar scriptural symbol of that higher cleansing,

which Peter little thought he was at the same time virtually putting

from him. It is not humility to refuse what the Lord deigns to do

for us, or to deny what He has done, but it is self-willed

presumption--not rare, however, in those inner circles of lofty

religious profession and traditional spirituality, which are found

wherever Christian truth has enjoyed long and undisturbed

possession. The truest humility is to receive reverentially, and

thankfully to own, the gifts of grace.

9. Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head--that is,

"To be severed from Thee, Lord, is death to me: If that be the meaning

of my speech, I tread upon it; and if to be washed of Thee have such

significance, then not my feet only, but hands, head, and all, be

washed!" This artless expression of clinging, life-and-death attachment

to Jesus, and felt dependence upon Him for his whole spiritual

well-being, compared with the similar saying in

Joh 6:68, 69

(see on

Joh 6:68,69),

furnishes such evidence of historic verity such as no thoroughly

honest mind can resist.

10. He that is washed--in this thorough sense, to express which

the word is carefully changed to one meaning to wash as in a bath.

needeth not--to be so washed any more.

save to wash his feet--needeth to do no more than wash his feet (and

here the former word is resumed, meaning to wash the hands or feet).

but is clean every whit--as a whole. This sentence is singularly

instructive. Of the two cleansings, the one points to that which

takes place at the commencement of the Christian life, embracing

complete absolution from sin as a guilty state, and

entire deliverance from it as a polluted life

(Re 1:5;

1Co 6:11)

--or, in the language of theology, Justification and

Regeneration. This cleansing is effected once for all,

and is never repeated. The other cleansing, described as that of "the

feet," is such as one walking from a bath quite cleansed still

needs, in consequence of his contact with the earth. (Compare

Ex 30:18, 19).

It is the daily cleansing which we are taught to seek, when in

the spirit of adoption we say, "Our Father which art in heaven

. . . forgive us our debts"

(Mt 6:9, 12);

and, when burdened with the sense of manifold shortcomings--as what

tender spirit of a Christian is not?--is it not a relief to be

permitted thus to wash our feet after a day's contact with the earth?

This is not to call in question the completeness of our past

justification. Our Lord, while graciously insisting on washing Peter's

feet, refuses to extend the cleansing farther, that the symbolical

instruction intended to be conveyed might not be marred.

and ye are clean--in the first and whole sense.

but not all--important, as showing that Judas, instead of being

as true-hearted a disciple as the rest at first, and merely falling

away afterwards--as many represent it--never experienced that

cleansing at all which made the others what they were.

12-15. Know ye what I have done?--that is, its intent. The question,

however, was put merely to summon their attention to His own answer.

13. Ye call me Master--Teacher.

and Lord--learning of Him in the one capacity, obeying Him

in the other.

and ye say well, for so I am--The conscious dignity with which this

claim is made is remarkable, following immediately on His laying aside

the towel of service. Yet what is this whole history but a succession

of such astonishing contrast from first to last?

14. If I then--the Lord.

have washed your feet--the servants'.

ye--but fellow servants.

ought to wash one another's feet--not in the narrow sense of a literal

washing, profanely caricatured by popes and emperors, but by the very

humblest real services one to another.

16, 17. The servant is not greater than his lord, &c.--an

oft-repeated saying

(Mt 10:24,

&c.).

If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them--a hint that even

among real Christians the doing of such things would come lamentably

short of the knowing.

18, 19. I speak not of you all--the "happy are ye," of

Joh 13:17,

being on no supposition applicable to Judas.

I know whom I have chosen--in the higher sense.

But that the scripture may be fulfilled--that is, one has been added

to your number, by no accident or mistake, who is none of Mine, but just

that he might fulfil his predicted destiny.

He that eateth bread with me--"did eat of my bread"

(Ps 41:9),

as one of My family; admitted to the nearest familiarity of

discipleship and of social life.

hath lifted up his heel against me--turned upon Me, adding insult to injury. (Compare

Heb 10:29).

In the Psalm the immediate reference is to Ahithophel's treachery

against David

(2Sa 17:1-23),

one of those scenes in which the parallel of his story with that of His

great Antitype is exceedingly striking. "The eating bread derives a

fearful meaning from the participation in the sacramental supper, a

meaning which must be applied for ever to all unworthy communicants, as

well as to all betrayers of Christ who eat the bread of His Church"

(STIER, with whom, and others, we agree in

thinking that Judas partook of the Lord's Supper).

19. I tell you before . . . that when it comes to pass, ye may

believe--and it came to pass when they deeply needed such confirmation.

20. He that receiveth whomsoever I send, receiveth me,

&c.--(See on

Mt 10:40).

The connection here seems to be that despite the dishonor done to Him

cheered by the assurance that their office, even as His own, was

divine.

Joh 13:21-30.

THE

TRAITOR

INDICATED--HE

LEAVES THE

SUPPER

ROOM.

21. When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and

testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, One of you shall

betray me--The announcement of

Joh 13:18

seems not to have been plain enough to be quite apprehended, save by

the traitor himself. He will therefore speak it out in terms not to be

misunderstood. But how much it cost Him to do this, appears from the

"trouble" that came over His "spirit"--visible emotion, no

doubt--before He got it uttered. What wounded susceptibility does this

disclose, and what exquisite delicacy in His social intercourse with

the Twelve, to whom He cannot, without an effort, break the

subject!

22. the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he

spake--Further intensely interesting particulars are given in the

other Gospels: (1) "They were exceeding sorrowful"

(Mt 26:22).

(2) "They began to inquire among themselves which of them it was that

should do this thing"

(Lu 22:23).

(3) "They began to say unto Him one by one, Is it I, and another, Is it

I?"

(Mr 14:19).

Generous, simple hearts! They abhorred the thought, but, instead of

putting it on others, each was only anxious to purge himself and

know if he could be the wretch. Their putting it at once to

Jesus Himself, as knowing doubtless who was to do it, was the best, as

it certainly was the most spontaneous and artless evidence of their

innocence. (4) Jesus, apparently while this questioning was going on,

added, "The Son of man goeth as it is written of Him, but woe unto that

man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It had been good for that man

if he had not been born"

(Mt 26:24).

(5) "Judas," last of all, "answered and said, Lord, is it

I?" evidently feeling that when all were saying this, if he held

his peace, that of itself would draw suspicion upon him. To prevent

this the question is wrung out of him, but perhaps, amidst the stir and

excitement at the table, in a half-suppressed tone as we are inclined

to think the answer also was--"Thou hast said"

(Mt 26:25),

or possibly by little more than a sign; for from

Joh 13:28

it is evident that till the moment when he went out, he was not openly

discovered.

23-26. there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom

Jesus loved--Thus modestly does our Evangelist denote himself, as

reclining next to Jesus at the table.

Peter . . . beckoned to him to ask who it should be of

whom he spake--reclining probably at the corresponding place on the

other side of Jesus.

25. He then lying--rather leaning over on Jesus' bosom.

saith--in a whisper, "Lord, who is it?"

26. Jesus answered--also inaudibly, the answer being communicated

to Peter perhaps from behind.

He . . . to whom I shall give a sop when I have dipped it--a piece of

the bread soaked in the wine or the sauce of the dish; one of the

ancient ways of testifying peculiar regard; compare

Joh 13:18,

"he that eateth bread with Me."

And when he had dipped . . . he gave it to Judas, &c.--Thus the sign

of Judas' treachery was an affecting expression, and the last, of the

Saviour's wounded love!

27-30. after the sop Satan entered into him--Very solemn are these

brief hints of the successive steps by which Judas reached the climax of

his guilt. "The devil had already put it into his heart to betray his

Lord." Yet who can tell what struggles he went through ere he brought

himself to carry that suggestion into effect? Even after this, however,

his compunctions were not at an end. With the thirty pieces of silver

already in his possession, he seems still to have quailed--and can we

wonder? When Jesus stooped to wash his feet, it may be the last struggle

was reaching its crisis. But that word of the Psalm, about "one that ate

of his bread who would lift up his heel against Him"

(Ps 41:9)

probably all but turned the dread scale, and the still more explicit

announcement, that one of those sitting with Him at the table should

betray Him, would beget the thought, "I am detected; it is now too late

to draw back." At that moment the sop is given; offer of friendship is

once more made--and how affectingly! But already "Satan has entered

into him," and though the Saviour's act might seem enough to recall

him even yet, hell is now in his bosom, and he says within himself,

"The die is cast; now let me go through with it"; fear, begone!" (See

on

Mt 12:43).

Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly--that is, Why

linger here? Thy presence is a restraint, and thy work stands still;

thou hast the wages of iniquity, go work for it!

28, 29. no man . . . knew for what intent he spake this unto him . . .

some thought . . . Jesus . . . said . . . But what we need . . . or,

. . . give . . . to the poor--a very important statement, as showing

how carefully. Jesus had kept the secret, and Judas his hypocrisy, to

the last.

30. He then, having received the sop, went immediately out--severing

himself for ever from that holy society with which he never had any

spiritual sympathy.

and it was night--but far blacker night in the soul of Judas than in

the sky over his head.

Joh 13:31-38.

DISCOURSE AFTER THE

TRAITOR'S

DEPARTURE--PETER'S

SELF-CONFIDENCE--HIS

FALL

PREDICTED.

31. when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man

glorified--These remarkable words plainly imply that up to this

moment our Lord had spoken under a painful restraint, the

presence of a traitor within the little circle of His holiest

fellowship on earth preventing the free and full outpouring of His

heart; as is evident, indeed, from those oft-recurring clauses, "Ye are

not all clean," "I speak not of you all," &c. "Now" the restraint is

removed, and the embankment which kept in the mighty volume of living

waters having broken down, they burst forth in a torrent which only

ceases on His leaving the supper room and entering on the next stage of

His great work--the scene in the Garden. But with what words is the

silence first broken on the departure of Judas? By no reflections on

the traitor, and, what is still more wonderful, by no reference to the

dread character of His own approaching sufferings. He does not even

name them, save by announcing, as with a burst of triumph, that the

hour of His glory has arrived! And what is very remarkable, in

five brief clauses He repeats this word "glorify" five times, as

if to His view a coruscation of glories played at that moment about the

Cross. (See on

Joh 12:23).

God is glorified in him--the glory of Each reaching its zenith in the

Death of the Cross!

32. If God be glorified in him, God shall also--in return and reward

of this highest of all services ever rendered to Him, or capable of

being rendered.

glorify him in himself, and . . . straightway glorify him--referring

now to the Resurrection and Exaltation of Christ after this service

was over, including all the honor and glory then put upon Him, and that

will for ever encircle Him as Head of the new creation.

33-35. Little children--From the height of His own glory He now

descends, with sweet pity, to His "little children," all now His own.

This term of endearment, nowhere else used in the Gospels, and once only

employed by Paul

(Ga 4:19),

is appropriated by the beloved disciple himself, who no fewer than

seven times employs it in his first Epistle.

Ye shall seek me--feel the want of Me.

as I said to the Jews--

(Joh 7:34; 8:21).

But oh in what a different sense!

34. a new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as

I have loved you, that ye also love one another--This was the

new feature of it. Christ's love to His people in giving His

life a ransom for them was altogether new, and consequently as a Model

and Standard for theirs to one another. It is not, however, something

transcending the great moral law, which is "the old commandment"

(1Jo 2:7,

and see on

Mr 12:28-33),

but that law in a new and peculiar form. Hence it is said to be

both new and old

(1Jo 2:7, 8).

35. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples--the disciples

of Him who laid down His life for those He loved.

if ye have love one to another--for My sake, and as one in Me; for to

such love men outside the circle of believers know right well they

are entire strangers. Alas, how little of it there is even within this

circle!

36-38. Peter said--seeing plainly in these directions how to behave

themselves, that He was indeed going from them.

Lord, whither guest thou?--having hardly a glimmer of the real truth.

Jesus answered, . . . thou canst not follow me now, but thou shalt

follow me afterwards--How different from what He said to the Jews:

"Whither I go ye cannot come"

(Joh 8:21).

37. why not . . . now? I will lay down my life for thy sake--He seems

now to see that it was death Christ referred to as what would sever

Him from them, but is not staggered at following Him thither. Jesus

answered,

38. Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake?--In this repetition of

Peter's words there is deep though affectionate irony, and this Peter

himself would feel for many a day after his recovery, as he retraced the

painful particulars.

Verily . . . The cock, &c.--See on

Lu 22:31-34.