John 13:1-38
Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet
1 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus 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!”
10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
12 When 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. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now 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 this passage of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has turned against me.’
19 “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am. 20 Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.”
21 After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.”
22 His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. 23 One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. 24 Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.”
25 Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?”
26 Jesus 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, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.
So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” 28 But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. 29 Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor. 30 As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.
Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial
31 When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, 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. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
36 Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?”
Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.”
37 Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”
38 Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!
John 13 is maybe the most foundational chapter for our understanding of Holy Thursday, because it captures the intimate and transformative moments of the Last Supper through the unique lens of Christ’s servanthood...We learn much about the importance of serving others...It is in this chapter that we witness Jesus washing the feet of His disciples, providing a physical demonstration of humility that defines the very essence of the day...The Son of God washes a man and men's feet...This act leads directly to the "New Commandment" (from the Latin mandatum, the root of "Maundy") where Jesus instructs us to love one another as He has LOVED us...By studying John 13, we learn that Holy Thursday is not just a commemoration of a final meal, but a call to active, humble service and a reminder of the depth of Christ's love before He headed toward the cross...
Maundy Thursday is also called Holy Thursday...This Thursday stands as one of the most profound and multifaceted days in the Christian calendar, representing the final hours of Jesus’s earthly ministry before His arrest...The name "Maundy" itself carries the weight of a Divine Directive, originating from the Latin mandatum, which means "commandment"...This refers specifically to the moment in John 13:34 when Jesus, after washing the feet of His disciples, says, "A new command I give you: Love one another...As I have LOVED you, so you must love one another"...This was not just a suggestion for a better life; it was the foundational law of the New Covenant...On this day, we learn that the true mark of a follower of Christ is not found in power or prestige, but in the willingness to take the place of a servant...By washing the dusty, calloused feet of the Eleven—and even Judas—Jesus redefined leadership and greatness, showing that to lead in His Kingdom is to serve from the floor...
When we read the Ne Testament about Maundy Thursday we see different accounts of that day...We see the "actions" of the night or the "words" of Jesus in different Gospel books on that Thursday...One of the most comprehensive account of the events—specifically the washing of the feet and the "New Commandment" that gives the day its name—John 13 is widely considered the central chapter...While the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew 26, Mark 14, and Luke 22) focus heavily on the institutional elements of the bread and wine, John 13 is unique because it provides the detailed narrative of Jesus stripping His outer garments to wash the disciples' feet...This chapter captures the physical demonstration of humility that defines the "Maundy" (commandment) of service...
However, it is worth noting that John 13 through 17 actually forms one continuous scene...This section, often called the "Farewell Discourse," all takes place on that same Thursday night...While John 13 sets the stage with the foot washing and the identification of the betrayer, John 14 provides the spiritual heart of the evening, where Jesus offers comfort to His troubled disciples...If one were to choose one single chapter that defines the meaning of Maundy Thursday for information, John 13 is the historical anchor, but it flows directly into the beautiful promises of John 14 in the chapters that follow...
So as look to read Biblical Sources for Maundy Thursday, one sees that the events of the Last Supper appear in all four Gospels, different chapters emphasize different aspects of the evening...Depending on what theme of Holy Thursday you are studying, these are the key chapters: John 13: The Source of "Maundy"...This is arguably the most important chapter for the specific identity of "Maundy" Thursday...It contains the narrative of Jesus washing the disciples' feet, an event not found in the other Gospels...It is here that Jesus gives the "Mandatum" (Commandment) to love one another as He has LOVED them (John 13:34). It also covers the departure of Judas into the night...The we read Matthew 26 & Luke 22...The Institution of the Eucharist is given...If one is looking for the specific wording used in Communion services ("This is My body... this is My blood"), these chapters provide the most familiar accounts...Luke 22 is particularly noted for the detail of Jesus' sweat becoming "like drops of blood" during His subsequent agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, which immediately followed the meal...
In John 14-17, we read His Farewell Discourse...Following the events of Chapter 13, Jesus remains in the Upper Room (or begins walking toward the garden) while delivering His final teachings...John 14 is the pinnacle of this, where He promises the Holy Spirit and assures the disciples that He is going to prepare a place for them...Chapter 17 concludes the night with the "High Priestly Prayer," where Jesus prays for all future believers—including us today...
Paul in his letter to the Corinthians writes the earliest record of Maundy Thursday in1 Corinthians 11...While not a Gospel narrative, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 is actually the earliest written account of the Maundy Thursday meal. Paul writes, "For I received from the LORD what I also passed on to you...The LORD Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread"...This confirms how central this Thursday evening was to the very first generation of Christians...
The biblical narrative of this day centers largely on the Last Supper, a Passover meal that Jesus transformed into the institution of the Eucharist...In the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), we see Jesus taking the traditional elements of the Seder—the unleavened bread and the wine—and giving them a radically new meaning...By saying, "This is My body" and "This is My blood," He was identifying Himself as the true Paschal Lamb...What we learn from this is the depth of Jesus’s desire for communion with His people...He did not want to be remembered merely as a historical figure or a Teacher, but as the very sustenance of our spiritual lives...This "sacrament of remembrance" ensures that every time we gather at the table, we are participating in the reality of His sacrifice...It is a moment of profound intimacy that stands in stark contrast to the betrayal that was already being set in motion by Judas...Though we mat forget about our LORD each day, and not think about Him...Jesus knows we eat and drink each and everyday He wants us to remember Him in His Sacrament of Remembrance...
Beyond the meal, Maundy Thursday is a day of intense teaching and preparation...In my favorite chapter, John 14, Jesus begins His "Upper Room Discourse"...Here, He addresses the growing anxiety of the disciples...He knows they are troubled, and He offers them the ultimate comfort: the promise of the Holy Spirit...We learn from these passages that Jesus never intended for us to walk this path alone...Even as He prepared to face the cross, His primary concern was the peace of His friends...He speaks of the "many mansions" and His role as "the Way, the Truth, and the Life," providing a roadmap for the faith that would sustain the disciples through the coming darkness...This teaching reminds us that even in our most uncertain hours, Christ has already provided the Truth we need to endure...
The day concludes with the transition from the upper room to the Garden of Gethsemane, a move that symbolizes the shift from the fellowship of the saints to the isolation of the Savior...In the garden, we see the "Agony in the Garden," where Jesus’s humanity and divinity meet in a crucible of prayer...He asks for the cup to pass, yet submits perfectly to the Father’s will: "Not My will, but Yours be done"...From this, we learn the true cost of our salvation...Jesus' death...It wasn't just a physical death, but a spiritual and emotional battle fought in the silence of the night while His friends slept...This part of the Maundy Thursday story teaches us about the necessity of "watching and praying"...It highlights our human frailty—much like the disciples who couldn't stay awake—and emphasizes that our only hope lies in the finished work of the One who stayed awake and surrendered on our behalf...
Finally, the traditions associated with Maundy Thursday, such as the "Stripping of the Altar," teach us about the stark reality of abandonment...As the candles are extinguished and the linens removed, we are reminded that Jesus was stripped of His garments, His dignity, and eventually the presence of His followers...It serves as a visual representation of His journey toward Good Friday...For the believer today, Maundy Thursday is an invitation to examine our own hearts...It asks us if we are willing to obey the "New Commandment" to love as He LOVED, and if we are willing to stay "in tune" with His heart as He moves toward the cross...It is a day that begins with the warmth of a shared meal and ends in the cold shadows of betrayal, forcing us to reckon with the immense price paid for our redemption...By reflecting on these events, we learn that the path to glory always leads through the valley of humble service and Sacrificial LOVE...