Bible Reading Plan

John 13

Chapter 13

Jesus Washes His Disciples' Feet

¹ Before the Passover Festival, Jesus knew that His hour had come to depart from this world to the Father.^(a) Having loved His own who were in the world,^(b) He loved them to the end.^[a]

² Now by the time of supper, the Devil^(c) had already put it into the heart of Judas,^(d) Simon Iscariot's son, to betray^(e) Him. ³ Jesus knew that the Father had given everything into His hands,^(f) that He had come from God,^(g) and that He was going back to God.^{(h) 4} So He got up from supper, laid aside His robe,⁽ⁱ⁾ took a towel, and tied it around Himself.^{(j) 5} Next, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples' feet and to dry them with the towel tied around Him.

⁶ He came to Simon Peter,^(k) who asked Him, "Lord, are You going to wash my feet?"

⁷ Jesus answered him, "What I'm doing you don't understand now, but afterward you will know." ^(l)

⁸ "You will never wash my feet—ever!" Peter said.

Jesus replied, "If I don't wash you, you have no part with Me."

⁹ Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head."

¹⁰ "One who has bathed," Jesus told him, "doesn't need to wash anything except his feet, but he is completely clean. You are clean, but not all of you." ¹¹ For He knew who would betray Him. This is why He said, "You are not all clean."

The Meaning of Footwashing

¹² When Jesus had washed their feet and put on His robe, He reclined^[b] again and said to them, "Do you know what I have done for you? ¹³ You call Me Teacher and Lord. This is well said, for I am. ¹⁴ So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.^{(m) 15} For I have given you an example⁽ⁿ⁾ that you also should do just as I have done for you.

¹⁶ "I assure you: A slave is not greater than his master, ^[c](o) and a messenger is not greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷ If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.^{(p) 18} I'm not speaking about all of you; I know those I have chosen.^(q) But the Scripture^(r) must be fulfilled:^(s) The one who eats My bread ^[d] has raised his heel against Me. ^(t)[e]

¹⁹ "I am telling you now before it happens,^(u) so that when it does happen you will believe^(v) that I am He. ^{(w) 20} I assure you: Whoever receives anyone I send receives Me, and the one who receives^(x) Me receives Him who sent Me."

Judas's Betrayal Predicted

²¹ When^(y) Jesus had said this, He was troubled in His spirit^(z) and testified,^(aa) "I assure you: One of you will betray Me!"

²² The disciples started looking at one another—uncertain which one He was speaking about. ²³ One of His disciples, the one Jesus loved,^(ab) was reclining close beside Jesus.^{[f] 24} Simon Peter motioned to him to find out who it was He was talking about. ²⁵ So he leaned back against Jesus and asked Him, "Lord, who is it?"

²⁶ Jesus replied, "He's the one I give the piece of bread to after I have dipped it." ^(ac) When He had dipped the bread,^(ad) He gave it to Judas, Simon Iscariot's son.^{[g] 27} After Judas ate the piece of bread, Satan^(ae) entered him. Therefore Jesus told him, "What you're doing, do quickly."

²⁸ None of those reclining at the table knew why He told him this. ²⁹ Since Judas^(af) kept the money-bag, some thought that Jesus was telling him, "Buy what we need for the festival,"^(ag) or that he should give something to the poor. ³⁰ After receiving the piece of bread, he went out immediately. And it was night.^(ah)

The New Command

³¹ When^(ai) he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man^(aj) is glorified, and God is glorified^(ak) in Him.^{(al) 32} If God is glorified in Him,^[h] God will also glorify Him in Himself and will glorify Him at once.

³³ "Children, I am with you a little while longer.^(am) You will look for Me, and just as I told the Jews, ‘Where I am going you cannot come,'^(an) so now I tell you.

³⁴ "I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. ³⁵ By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love^(ao) for one another."

Peter's Denials Predicted

³⁶ "Lord," Simon Peter said to Him, "where are You going?"

Jesus answered, "Where I am going^(ap) you cannot follow Me now, but you will follow later."

³⁷ "Lord," Peter asked, "why can't I follow You now? I will lay down my life^(aq) for You!"^(ar)

³⁸ Jesus replied, "Will you lay down your life for Me? I assure you: A rooster will not crow until you have denied Me three times.