Section 118, Jesus Washes the Disciples Feet
Section 118
THE PASCHAL MEAL. JESUS WASHES THE DISCIPLES' FEET
(Thursday evening of the beginning of Friday.)
JOHN 13:1-20
Summary: Jesus washes the disciples feet; Peter initially objects. John, as a writer, packs profound truth in between narrative events (ex. Joh 13:3-4 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper).
I like the Fourfold Gospel's framing of John's narrative approach;
"Being about to narrate an act of loving humility, John prefaces it by stating that it was done in full knowledge of his threefold glory; viz.: 1. That all [648] authority was committed to him (Matt. 28:18); 2. That by nature he was divine (John 1:1, 14), and, 3. That he was about to return to the divine exaltation which for our sakes he had laid aside-- Phil. 2:5-11.] 4 riseth from supper, and layeth aside his garments; and he took a towel, and girded himself. 5 Then he poureth water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. [John narrates in detail each of these acts: to him they seem as so many successive steps leading down to the depth of humility. The whole formed a striking but wholesome contrast to the self-seeking and ambitious spirit which the disciples had just manifested." -Fourfold Gospel
John places a heavy emphasis on all of Jesus' behavior and thoughts as premeditated, omniscient with statements such as,
Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.”
-John 13:7
For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.” John 13:11
Regarding the feet washing:
Jesus responded, Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me. This does not mean, “Unless you are baptized you cannot be saved,” but, “Unless I wash your sins away by My atoning death (cf. Rev_1:5) you have no real relationship to Me” (cf. 1Jn_1:7).
A Christian widow’s practice of “washing the feet of the saints” (1Ti_5:10) speaks not of her involvement in a church ordinance but of her humble slavelike service to other believers. Not to follow the example of Jesus is to exalt oneself above Him and to live in pride. No servant is greater than his master (cf. Joh_12:26).
"What he did was a natural daily act of hospitality." -Fourfold Gospel
"If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them." John 13:17
"God blesses His servants not for what they know but for their responses to what they know. Christian happiness (you will be blessed) comes through obedient service (if you do them, i.e., these things Jesus commanded)."--?
As David was betrayed by his trusted table companion Ahithophel, who then hanged himself (2 Sam. 16:20-17:3, 2Sa_17:23), so Judas, Jesus’ close companion, betrayed Him and then hanged himself. Though Judas’ deed was foreknown by God, he was fully culpable. The fact that Jesus knew all this in advance (before it happens) and that it fit the Scriptures helped the disciples after the fact to believe God sent Jesus (Joh_13:19; cf. Joh_14:29).-BKC
I have chosen (ἐξελεξάμην)
Aorist tense, I chose. Not elected to salvation, but chose as an apostle. -VWS
"Hence I prefer the rendering at last, or finally He loved them, taking ἠγάπησεν, loved, in the sense of the manifestation of His love. This sense frequently attaches to the verb." -VWS
His final moments with his friends are a mix of special occasion (the Passover meal) and serving.
THE PASCHAL MEAL. JESUS WASHES THE DISCIPLES' FEET
(Thursday evening of the beginning of Friday.)
JOHN 13:1-20
Summary: Jesus washes the disciples feet; Peter initially objects. John, as a writer, packs profound truth in between narrative events (ex. Joh 13:3-4 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper).
I like the Fourfold Gospel's framing of John's narrative approach;
"Being about to narrate an act of loving humility, John prefaces it by stating that it was done in full knowledge of his threefold glory; viz.: 1. That all [648] authority was committed to him (Matt. 28:18); 2. That by nature he was divine (John 1:1, 14), and, 3. That he was about to return to the divine exaltation which for our sakes he had laid aside-- Phil. 2:5-11.] 4 riseth from supper, and layeth aside his garments; and he took a towel, and girded himself. 5 Then he poureth water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. [John narrates in detail each of these acts: to him they seem as so many successive steps leading down to the depth of humility. The whole formed a striking but wholesome contrast to the self-seeking and ambitious spirit which the disciples had just manifested." -Fourfold Gospel
John places a heavy emphasis on all of Jesus' behavior and thoughts as premeditated, omniscient with statements such as,
Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.”
-John 13:7
For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.” John 13:11
Regarding the feet washing:
Jesus responded, Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me. This does not mean, “Unless you are baptized you cannot be saved,” but, “Unless I wash your sins away by My atoning death (cf. Rev_1:5) you have no real relationship to Me” (cf. 1Jn_1:7).
A Christian widow’s practice of “washing the feet of the saints” (1Ti_5:10) speaks not of her involvement in a church ordinance but of her humble slavelike service to other believers. Not to follow the example of Jesus is to exalt oneself above Him and to live in pride. No servant is greater than his master (cf. Joh_12:26).
"What he did was a natural daily act of hospitality." -Fourfold Gospel
"If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them." John 13:17
"God blesses His servants not for what they know but for their responses to what they know. Christian happiness (you will be blessed) comes through obedient service (if you do them, i.e., these things Jesus commanded)."--?
As David was betrayed by his trusted table companion Ahithophel, who then hanged himself (2 Sam. 16:20-17:3, 2Sa_17:23), so Judas, Jesus’ close companion, betrayed Him and then hanged himself. Though Judas’ deed was foreknown by God, he was fully culpable. The fact that Jesus knew all this in advance (before it happens) and that it fit the Scriptures helped the disciples after the fact to believe God sent Jesus (Joh_13:19; cf. Joh_14:29).-BKC
I have chosen (ἐξελεξάμην)
Aorist tense, I chose. Not elected to salvation, but chose as an apostle. -VWS
"Hence I prefer the rendering at last, or finally He loved them, taking ἠγάπησεν, loved, in the sense of the manifestation of His love. This sense frequently attaches to the verb." -VWS
His final moments with his friends are a mix of special occasion (the Passover meal) and serving.
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