Daily Scripture Reading John 12:44 - 13:17
Courage is the ability to do something that is scary or the ability to act when it is certain there will be negative repercussions. Courage is not natural. Human instinct is to run away from danger.
Today, we will see in John 13 that Jesus stayed in Jerusalem even though He knew it was dangerous. He did so because He had a mission to fulfill. This should lead us to ask what danger we need to run towards in order to serve our Lord and Savior.
When Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey, the crowd welcomed Him enthusiastically. That caused alarm amongst the Pharisees. Next, Jesus taught the people. Despite all the signs Jesus had performed, many Jews still did not believe in Jesus; thus, fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah. Nevertheless, some of the Jewish rulers believed in Jesus, but they did not confess Jesus because they wanted the glory of men rather than the glory of God.
John 12:44 ¶ And Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me.
Jesus was sent by the Father. Jesus and the Father are One. Thus, believing in Jesus is the same as believing in the Father.
John 12:45 And he who sees Me sees the One who sent Me.
Since Jesus and the Father are One, seeing Jesus is the same as seeing the Father.
John 12:46 I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.
Just as a lamp lights up a dark room, so too believing in Jesus brings people out of spiritual darkness.
John 12:47 And if anyone hears My words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.
There will be judgment in the future. However, when Jesus came to earth in the 1st century AD, He came to save the world, not judge it.
John 12:48 He who rejects Me and does not receive My words, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him on the last day.
When Jesus came in the 1st century AD, He came to save the world. He also taught many things. The words He spoke will judge people in the last days.
John 12:49 For I did not speak from Myself, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment—what to say and what to speak.
John 12:50 And I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.”
The commandment referred to in verse 50 is the commandment mentioned in verse 49. The Father told Jesus what to say. The words Jesus spoke lead to eternal life; therefore, God’s commandment to Jesus is eternal life.
John 13:1 ¶ Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.
The term “His hour” refers to His crucifixion. Jesus knew the time had come for Him to die on the cross.
Courage is the ability to do something that is scary or the ability to act when it is certain there will be negative repercussions. Courage is not natural. Human instinct is to run away from danger.
Jesus stayed in Jerusalem even though He knew He would be crucified. That was a monumental act of courage.
Humans naturally run away from burning buildings, but courageous firefighters run into burning buildings to rescue people who are trapped inside. People normally run away from gunfire, but courageous police officers move towards gunshots so as to neutralize shooters who threaten innocent people. The first instinct of Christians is to be silent about our faith when we are in a hostile environment. However, courageous Christians will speak the truth, regardless of the consequences.
John 13:2 And during supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him,
Verses 2-4 are one sentence. It is interesting to think about the various thoughts John tied together into this sentence. The main idea of this sentence is in verse 4. Verse 2 simply describes the environment in which verses 4 and 5 happened. Verse 2 tells us Judas had already decided to betray Jesus. We will see later in verse 11 that Jesus knew that Judas was going to betray Him.
John 13:3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God,
Verse 3 also describes the environment in which verses 4 and 5 took place.
John 13:4 got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He tied it around Himself.
John 13:5 ¶ Then He poured water into the washbasin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel which He had tied around Himself.
Jesus performed this act of humility even though He knew one of the recipients of His humility was going to betray Him.
Humility is not normal. Serving someone who is underserving is extremely difficult. However, Jesus did it, and we should follow His example.
John 13:6 So He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, “Lord, are You going to wash my feet?”
John 13:7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not realize now, but you will understand afterwards.”
Peter did not understand that Jesus was setting an example for them. After the resurrection, Peter grasped the concept.
John 13:8 Peter said to Him, “You will never wash my feet—ever!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”
This is another statement by Peter that seems brash and out of bounds. However, by trying to refuse to let Jesus wash his feet, Peter was acknowledging that Jesus was greater than Peter. Peter believed he was too lowly to have his feet washed by Jesus, and Jesus was above needing to wash anyone’s feet. In many ways, Peter was correct.
John 13:9 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.”
John 13:10 Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.”
John 13:11 For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, “Not all of you are clean.”
This verse is how we know that when Jesus began washing the feet of the disciples He knew that one of the disciples would betray Him.
John 13:12 ¶ So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you?
John 13:13 You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am.
John 13:14 If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.
There are some Christian denominations which practice feet washing today. Their reason for doing so is based on this verse.
Notice some details about this verse. Jesus was speaking to His disciples. He only commanded His disciples to wash each other’s feet. He did not say this is something the church in general should do.
Furthermore, this is different than communion and baptism. Communion and baptism are symbols. The bread and wine represent Jesus’ body and blood. Baptism is not done to wash a person, it is done to signify dying with Jesus and rising again.
In their culture feet washing was not a symbol. When they walked, they wore sandals and walked on dirt roads which were dusty. Their feet got dusty. When people entered a house, their feet were very dirty and needed washed. Thus, foot washing was a physical necessity, not a symbol.
John 13:15 For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.
Notice the word “example”. Notice also the word “as”. Jesus did not say do what I did. He said do as I did. The example Jesus set was to serve one another. In the first century AD serving one another meant washing people’s feet when they arrived at a home with dirty feet. Today, serving one another looks very different because our feet don’t get dirty when we travel.
John 13:16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him.
John 13:17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.
What are some ways we can serve our fellow believers that would be similar to Jesus washing the feet of His disciples?
Jesus stayed in Jerusalem even though He knew He would suffer and die on the cross. What are the risks you need to take in order to fulfill the role God has given you in life?
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”