Jesus Washes His Disciples' Feet
1It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.[a]
2The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. 3Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
6He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"
7Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."
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!"
10Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you." 11For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
12When 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' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 15I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
Jesus Predicts His Betrayal
18"I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture: 'He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me.'[b]
19"I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He. 20I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me."
21After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, "I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me."
22His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. 23One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. 24Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, "Ask him which one he means."
25Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, "Lord, who is it?"
26Jesus 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 Iscariot, son of Simon. 27As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.
"What you are about to do, do quickly," Jesus told him, 28but no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. 29Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the Feast, or to give something to the poor. 30As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.
Jesus Predicts Peter's Denial
31When he was gone, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. 32If God is glorified in him,[c] God will glorify the Son in himself, 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.
34"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
36Simon Peter asked him, "Lord, where are you going?"
Jesus replied, "Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later."
37Peter asked, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you."
38Then Jesus answered, "Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!
S 27As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.
ReplyDeleteO This is such an interesting verse for me. It previously states that Judas hadn't believed in Jesus and his divination. It also states that Satan had already put into the heart of Judas to betray Jesus. Jesus knew from the beginning that Judas did not believe. If Satan had not "entered" into Judas before, then were all of the cruel things that Judas had done on his own part?
A I believe that when we don't whole heartedly seek Jesus on a daily basis, we leave room for Satan to work his lies and deceit into us. We are a sinful and broken people, with areas for improvement, and un-improvement. When we don't daily fill ourselves up with Jesus, we leave room for Satan to enter. When we don't stay open to who and what Jesus is, we allow Satan to talk to our hearts like Judas.
P Lord, I don't want to resemble anything like Judas. I want to always be open to your truth and ways. I want to always be seeking you. Please guide, protect, and lead me away from the enemy. My heart is yours. I love you. Amen
4"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
ReplyDeleteThe command that Jesus gives here is not just to love one another, like we typically recite. It is to love one another as Christ has loved us. I know we hear that and we have been known to quote that...but have we really meditated on it? Have we really considered it?
Christ gave his life for us. That is how he loved us. He took the worst beating in recorded history, suffered immense pain and was put to death in one of the most painful and disgusting ways ever devised by man. That is how he loved us.
Now I realize that this had not yet happened when Jesus tells the Disciples this...but I truly believe it is what he was referring to. These chapters were full of Jesus looking forward while the Disciples thought he was looking back.
I know that Jesus showed love to the Disciples in other ways, in teaching them and in washing their feet and so on...but I truly believe that he was also including the fact that hours from now he would be in the hands of the enemy and suffering for their account...and ours.
And the fact that the love I want to give is not enough in the eyes of God is sobering. For my love is usually conditional. His...well, it was anything but conditional.
God, thank you for loving me in a way I cannot understand. And help me to love others as you have loved me. I must admit that even as I type this...I don't truly understand if I know how to love in that way. So I ask that you do more in me than I could possibly understand. Help me to love in the way you command, but for your glory and not mine.