Devotional Questions:
John 13:1-5, 34-35
- What did Jesus do with the knowledge that “the time had come for him to leave this world?” Why did Jesus choose this as his final lesson for his disciples?
- What is the significance of this final commandment Jesus gives to his remaining eleven disciples before his crucifixion? How does this clarify what the purpose of my life should be?
John 13:6-9
“This was a world where roads were dusty and sandals were worn daily[…] The task of foot-washing was so menial that according to some Jewish sources, Jewish slaves were exempt and the job kept for Gentiles[…] At the very least, all our ancient sources show that foot-washing was a degrading and lowly task.”[1]
- What may have been going on in Peter’s mind as he refused Jesus’ offer to wash his feet?
- What are some ways in which people respond to Jesus like Peter did?
- What can I learn about what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus from this passage?
John 13:12-17
- Reflect on the words: “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done… you will be blessed if you do them.” How seriously have I taken the example of Jesus’ concrete humility and loving service for his disciples? In what ways have I taken on tasks that others do not want to do in order to serve others in love?
- In what ways has following the example of Jesus become a blessing in my life?
Additional Questions:
John 13:18-30
“‘Troubled’ is the same verb used of Jesus’ agitation at the grave of Lazarus (11:33) and at the request of the Greeks to see him (12:27). As ‘the hour’ approached, the bitterness of the betrayal Jesus anticipated became known. […] The quotation in 13:18, which the author cites as prophetic of Jesus’ feeling, contains in its context an allusion to ‘my close friend, whom I trusted’ (Ps 41:9). Among the sorrows contributing to the agony of the Cross was the voluntary and selfish defection of Judas.”[2]
- What may have been in the heart of Jesus as he told Judas, “What you are about to do, do quickly?”
- How is the loss of control over sin evident in the progression from Satan simply prompting Judas in
v. 2 to Satan entering into Judas in v. 27?
- What steps could Judas have taken to arrest the downward spiral of sin?
- Why does John make note of the fact that “it was night” when Judas went out?
John 13:31-32
- Jesus repeats the word “glorify” five times in these two verses regarding the impending cross. What does this reveal about his perspective and attitude towards the cross?
- Contrast Jesus’ definition of glory to the world’s definition of glory.
- How did the cross of Jesus become “glory” for me?
John 13:36-38
- How did Jesus pave the road for me to follow him according to v. 36?
- How did the cross enable Peter, who had disowned Jesus three times, to follow him to his own death?
[1] Gary M. Burge, The NIV Application Commentary: John, (Grand Rapids, MI:Zondervan, 2000) 368-369.
[2] Frank E. Gaebelein, Gen. Ed. Expositor’s Bible Commentary CD, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1992) notes for John chapter 13.
Commentary:
vv. 1-17 “The task of footwashing was so menial that according to some Jewish sources, Jewish slaves were exempt and the job kept for Gentiles. […] At the very least, all our ancient sources show that footwashing was a degrading and lowly task. When done by a wife (for her husband), a child (for his/her parents), or a pupil (for his teacher), it was always an act of extreme devotion. But since it was an act with social implications, in no way do we find those with a ‘higher’ status washing the feet of those beneath them. When Jesus ‘takes off his outer clothing’ and wraps a towel around himself (13:4), he is adopting the posture of a slave.
“While the circle of disciples seems to accept Jesus’ gesture (13:5), Peter reflects how shocking the deed must have seemed (13:6). The depth of his devotion to Jesus defines the strength of his objection. But Jesus is not simply giving them a lesson in humble service (this will come in 13:14); he is doing something that symbolizes his greater act of sacrifice on the cross (13:7). Only after ‘the hour’ when Jesus is resurrected will any of this make sense (cf. 2:22; 12:16). But Peter continues to object in the most strenuous way, and Jesus’ rebuke is carefully worded. ‘If I do not wash you …’ means that the question is not simply one of washing, but a question of who does the washing. Peter must participate in the work of Jesus (13:8 – 9). He lacks a cleansing that only Jesus can supply.
“[…]
“The curious return to the subject of Judas in 13:10b – 11 (cf. 13:2) indicates that Jesus’ work of footwashing has not changed Judas’s heart. The fact alone that Jesus washed Judas’s feet is stunning and is a testimony to Jesus’ patience and love for his followers (even the man who betrays him).
“[…]
“Jesus’ act was powerful not because of the footwashing itself, but because of the role he was assuming by doing it. To sweep a floor is commonplace, but for Queen Elizabeth of England to come and sweep my kitchen would be upsetting, not because sweeping is significant but because the Queen is doing it. It is the person of Jesus tied to this lowly role that brings power to this image.”[1]
“The command to love. He wants his followers to show a quality of love unparalleled in the world. Carson puts it well: ‘At the risk of confounding logic, it is not so much that Christians are to love the world less, as that they are to love one another more. Better put, their love for each other ought to be a reflection of their new status and experience as the children of God.’ The theme of community love, while not compromising our commitments to the world, matches another perspective in John concerning the world.”[2]
vv. 18-30 “To ‘eat bread’ is a cultural symbol that refers to personal intimacy, and to expose the bottom of the foot is another symbol of personal contempt. Jesus possesses divine wisdom into these events and yet experiences bewildering dismay as they unfold.
“The departure of Judas is ‘at night’ (13:30). No doubt we should see this as both literal and symbolic. Night represents the antithesis of Jesus, who is the light. It is the darkness of unbelief and opposition (9:4), where people stumble (11:9) and find themselves in a fruitless search for life (21:3). It is the setting of Nicodemus, a man who must choose to leave the darkness and be reborn to join Jesus (3:2; 19:39). Therefore Judas represents a person described in 3:19: ‘Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil’ (cf. also Luke 22:53, where Jesus describes the moment in the Garden of Gethsemane as the time ‘when darkness reigns’).
“[…]
“Judas is a parable and a warning. We read his story as ‘insiders,’ thinking it depicts someone else. But Judas is a more disturbing figure than Pilate or Caiaphas or any of the Jewish leaders. He saw the light and understood it, but chose the darkness anyway. ‘Judas is the reminder that every day is judgment day and that on any day some faithful follower, like Judas — or like you and me — might turn tail on the light and stumble out into the darkness, caught up in evil or caught up by evil’s prince.’ ” [3]
[1] Burge, Gary M. “John 13:1 – 38” In The NIV Application Commentary: John. By Gary M. Burge, 361-388. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, © 2000.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.