John 13

Introduction

John 13 marks a decisive turning point in the Fourth Gospel. Chapters 1-12 constitute the "Book of Signs," in which Jesus reveals himself to the world through public miracles and discourses. Now begins what scholars often call the "Book of Glory" (chapters 13-21), in which Jesus turns from the world to his own — the intimate circle of disciples — and prepares them for his departure through the cross and resurrection. The opening verse frames everything that follows: Jesus knew his hour had come, and having loved his own, he loved them to the uttermost.

The setting is a meal on the eve of Passover, and the chapter unfolds in four movements: an act of radical servanthood as Jesus washes the disciples' feet; his teaching on what that act means; the identification and departure of Judas as betrayer; and, once the traitor has gone out into the night, the giving of a new commandment — that the disciples love one another as Jesus has loved them. The chapter closes with Peter's bold promise of loyalty and Jesus' devastating prediction that Peter will deny him three times before dawn. Throughout, the themes of love, betrayal, glory, and servanthood interweave in a way that is characteristic of John's layered narrative art.

Jesus Washes the Disciples' Feet (vv. 1-11)

Notes

The opening verse is one of the most theologically dense sentences in John. The phrase εἰς τέλος can mean "to the end" (temporally — he loved them right up to death) or "to the uttermost" (in degree — he loved them completely, to the fullest extent). Both meanings are almost certainly intended. The verb ἀγαπάω appears twice — once as a participle ("having loved") and once as a main verb ("he loved") — creating a frame that says: the love that defined his whole ministry now reaches its climax in what is about to happen.

The phrase in v. 2 is grammatically complex. The Greek says the devil had already βεβληκότος ("cast") the idea into the heart — a perfect participle indicating the decision was already settled before the meal began. The verb for Judas's action is παραδίδωμι, which literally means "to hand over" or "deliver up." English translations traditionally render it "betray," but the word itself is more neutral — it is the same word used of God delivering all things into Jesus' hands in the very next verse. The irony is sharp: the Father hands over authority to Jesus; Judas hands over Jesus to his enemies.

In vv. 4-5, John narrates the foot washing with extraordinary physical detail: Jesus rises, sets aside his garments, wraps the towel, pours water. Every action is deliberate. The word νίπτω means to wash a part of the body (feet, hands, face), in contrast to λούω in v. 10, which means to bathe the whole body. This distinction matters for Jesus' exchange with Peter.

Peter's protest in v. 8 is emphatic in Greek — the double negative οὐ μὴ νίψῃς is the strongest possible way to say "absolutely not, never." Jesus' response introduces the word μέρος, "share" or "portion" — a term with deep OT roots. To have a "share" with someone is to have part in their inheritance, their destiny, their life (see Deuteronomy 10:9, Psalm 73:26). Jesus is saying that the washing is not optional hospitality but a necessary participation in what he is doing — which is ultimately the cross.

Peter then swings to the opposite extreme, wanting a full bath. Jesus' reply in v. 10 distinguishes between the one who has λελουμένος ("been bathed" — perfect tense, indicating a completed state) and the need only to have the feet washed. Many scholars see here a distinction between the initial cleansing of conversion (the bath) and the ongoing cleansing needed in daily discipleship (the foot washing). The word καθαρός ("clean, pure") then gains a double edge in v. 11: "You are clean — but not all of you." The physical washing points to a spiritual reality, and Judas, though his feet were washed, remains unclean in heart.

The Meaning of the Foot Washing (vv. 12-20)

Notes

Jesus now interprets what he has done. The word in v. 14 is ὀφείλετε — "you ought, you are obligated, you owe it." This is not a gentle suggestion but a moral debt. The one who has been served by the Lord is now indebted to serve others in the same way. The word for "example" in v. 15 is ὑπόδειγμα — a pattern or model to be imitated, not merely admired. Some Christian traditions have taken vv. 14-15 as instituting a literal ordinance of foot washing; others read it as establishing a principle of humble service. Either way, the force is clear: the shape of leadership among Jesus' followers is downward.

In v. 16, three key terms carry weight. δοῦλος is "slave" — not merely "servant" in the modern sense, but one who belongs entirely to another. κύριος is "lord" or "master," the same title the disciples use for Jesus. And ἀπόστολος — "one who is sent" — appears here as a common noun ("a messenger"), but the word that would later become the title for the Twelve is grounded in this logic: the sent one is not above the sender.

The quotation in v. 18 comes from Psalm 41:9, a psalm of David about the betrayal of a close companion. The Hebrew and Greek both emphasize the intimacy: the one who shares bread — the most basic act of table fellowship — has raised his heel against me. The image of raising the heel (πτέρνα) is of an animal kicking, or perhaps of someone showing contempt by turning their back. The shared meal makes the treachery worse, not better.

Verse 19 contains the charged phrase ἐγώ εἰμι — "I am." Most translations supply a predicate ("I am He"), but the Greek is absolute: "that I am." This is the divine self-identification formula that echoes throughout John (John 8:24, John 8:28, John 8:58) and reaches back to God's self-revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:14. Jesus is saying that even the betrayal, when it happens, will serve as evidence that he is who he claims to be — the one who knows all things in advance and whose purposes cannot be thwarted.

Jesus Identifies His Betrayer (vv. 21-30)

Notes

The phrase ἐταράχθη τῷ πνεύματι ("was troubled in his spirit") in v. 21 uses the same verb ταράσσω ("to agitate, disturb, stir up") that described Jesus at Lazarus's tomb (John 11:33) and that will appear again in John 14:1 ("Let not your hearts be troubled"). Jesus is not stoic in the face of betrayal; he is deeply shaken. The knowledge that one of his own will hand him over causes real anguish, not mere disappointment.

Verse 23 introduces a figure unique to John's Gospel: ὁ μαθητὴς ὃν ἠγάπα ὁ Ἰησοῦς — "the disciple whom Jesus loved." This is the first appearance of the Beloved Disciple, who will reappear at the cross (John 19:26), at the empty tomb (John 20:2), and at the Sea of Galilee (John 21:7), and who is identified as the source behind the Gospel itself (John 21:24). Traditionally identified with the apostle John, this figure is described as reclining ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ — "in the bosom" or "at the chest" — of Jesus. This is the same spatial metaphor used in John 1:18 to describe the Son's relationship to the Father: "the only-begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father." The Beloved Disciple is to Jesus as Jesus is to the Father — the one closest, the one who knows the heart.

In v. 2, the narrative used διάβολος ("devil, slanderer") for the force behind Judas. Now in v. 27, after Judas takes the morsel, it is Σατανᾶς ("Satan") who enters him. John appears to distinguish a progression: from the devil's prompting of an idea to Satan's full possession. The morsel — an act of table fellowship, possibly even a gesture of honor (the host would dip bread and give it to a guest) — becomes the occasion for the final surrender of Judas's will.

Jesus' command in v. 27 is striking: Ὃ ποιεῖς ποίησον τάχιον — "What you are doing, do more quickly." Jesus does not prevent the betrayal; he accelerates it. He remains sovereign over the timing of his own death. The other disciples, remarkably, understand nothing of what is happening — they think it is about provisions for the feast or charity for the poor.

The chapter's most haunting sentence is v. 30: "And it was night." In Greek, ἦν δὲ νύξ stands as three words at the end of the verse, simple and devastating. In John's Gospel, night is never merely a time of day. Nicodemus came to Jesus "by night" (John 3:2). Jesus warned that "night is coming when no one can work" (John 9:4). Whoever walks at night stumbles because the light is not in him (John 11:10). When Judas goes out, he goes into the darkness — not only the physical darkness of evening but the spiritual darkness of separation from the one who is the light of the world (John 8:12).

The New Commandment (vv. 31-35)

Notes

The departure of Judas clears the room, and something shifts. Jesus speaks now only to his own, and the first word is about glory. The verb δοξάζω ("to glorify") appears five times in vv. 31-32, an extraordinary concentration. The "now" is emphatic — with the betrayal set in motion, the hour has truly arrived, and in John's theology the cross is not the defeat that precedes glory but is itself the glory. The Son of Man is glorified precisely in his self-giving death, and God is glorified in the Son's obedience.

The address τεκνία ("little children") in v. 33 is unique to Jesus in the Gospels — it appears here alone — though it later becomes a characteristic term of the author in 1 John 2:1 and 1 John 2:12. It is a term of deep affection, the tenderness of a parent about to leave.

The "new commandment" of v. 34 uses καινός, which means new in quality or character, not simply new in time (which would be νέος). The command to love one's neighbor was ancient (Leviticus 19:18). What is new is the standard: "just as I have loved you." The measure of love is no longer the self ("as yourself") but Christ ("as I have loved you") — and the love of Christ is defined by the foot washing and, beyond it, by the cross. This raises the standard immeasurably. The ἐντολὴν καινήν is new because it is grounded in a love that did not exist before the incarnation — the love of God made visible in human action.

Verse 35 establishes mutual love as the identifying mark of the community. Not correct doctrine, not miraculous power, not cultural conformity — but visible, recognizable love for one another. This is the evidence the world can see.

Jesus Predicts Peter's Denial (vv. 36-38)

Notes

Peter's question — "Where are you going?" — resumes the theme of departure from v. 33. Jesus' answer is carefully calibrated: "you cannot follow now, but you will follow later." The word "later" here points beyond Peter's failure to his eventual martyrdom, a tradition reflected in John 21:18-19, where Jesus tells Peter that he will indeed stretch out his hands and be led where he does not wish to go. Peter will lay down his life — but not yet, and not on his own terms.

Peter's promise to die for Jesus uses language that ironically echoes the Good Shepherd discourse: "I lay down my life for the sheep" (John 10:11). Peter claims to be able to do for Jesus what only Jesus can do for Peter. Jesus' response turns Peter's words back as a question — "Will you lay down your life for me?" — and then delivers the prediction: the rooster will not crow before Peter has denied him three times. The verb ἀρνέομαι ("to deny, disown") is a public act of disassociation — not just a private failure of nerve but a verbal renunciation.

The parallel accounts are found in Matthew 26:33-35, Mark 14:29-31, and Luke 22:33-34. John places this prediction at the supper itself, before the journey to Gethsemane, heightening the dramatic contrast between Peter's confidence and his coming collapse. The chapter ends on this unresolved note — but the promise embedded in v. 36 ("you will follow later") ensures that failure is not the final word.