John 13: 1~38 约翰福音 第十三章 第一至三十八节

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

FINAL WORDS AND DEEDS OF CHRIST (Part 1)

John 13:1-38

I. Jesus, the Humble Servant (13:1-17)

A. The Love of Jesus Displayed

  1. We see the love of Jesus for His disciples as well as those who would come to be His disciples in the washing of the disciples’ feet.

  2. The servant motif, so prevalent in the Gospel of Mark (10:45), is revealed here as well. Servanthood is love at work (v. 1).

  3. Jesus was able to perform this act of utter humility because of His keen understanding of who He was, where He had come from, and where He was going (v. 3). This is a key to humility in all persons – a healthy and balanced understanding of who they are.

B. Foot Washing

  1. Foot washing in the time of Christ was an act necessary for comfort and cleanliness for anyone who had walked on dusty Palestinian roads in their sandals.

  2. Jesus’ washing of the disciples’ feet had both an ethical and a symbolic sense. The ethical sense is emphasized in John 13:14-15, where Jesus presented Himself as the example of humble, loving service (see Luke 22:27). If Jesus, Lord and Teacher, washes our feet, how much more should we wash one another’s feet (v. 14).

  3. The command for the disciples to do for one another what Christ had done for them was not to be confined to washing feet.

II. Satan and the Betrayer (13:18-30)

A. Satan Entered Into Judas

  1. Betrayal is bad enough, but to do so after sharing a meal makes it even more serious.

  2. At the moment Jesus identified Judas as His betrayer, Scripture tells us that “Satan entered into him”; and Jesus said, “What you do, do quickly” (v. 27). This is the only use of the name Satan in John’s Gospel, and it is unclear whether Jesus meant that Satan actually possessed Judas, or simply motivated him to do evil.

B. Judas’ Choice

  1. Judas’ fellow disciples did not realize what Jesus was referring to when He pointed out Judas as His betrayer. They thought it had something to do with Judas’ responsibilities as keeper of the money bag (v. 28).

  2. We know that Jesus had to be betrayed. God knew it would happen, and it fit into God’s plan for our salvation. However, Judas did not have to be the betrayer. Judas chose to be the betrayer.

  3. It has been said that the difference between Judas and Peter – one of whom betrayed Jesus and the other who denied Him – is that Peter sought forgiveness, but Judas did not.

III. The Mark of Discipleship (13:31-38)

A. The New Command

  1. After Judas’ departure, Jesus made it clear that His time with the disciples was short (v. 33).

  2. The heart of this passage is found in verses 34-35: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples if you have love for one another.”

B. The Mark of the Christian

  1. The mark of the Christian is the love which he or she exercises toward others. This love is not centered upon one’s own interest, but rather upon the welfare of others. It is the kind of love that God extends to us.

  2. There is a tradition that when John was an old man, his pupils would set him in their midst, and he would say, “Little children, love one another.” So the words which Jesus spoke in this tender scene stayed with him to the end of his life.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

  1. What was the significance of Jesus’ washing of the disciples’ feet?

  2. What were Judas’ motivations for betraying Jesus?

  3. The mark of a disciple of Jesus is love. What are the characteristics of love?

  4. What makes Christian love unique?