| John 13 Previous Chapter | Next Chapter 1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father. And having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the last of his time. 2 And after supper had ended, the devil having entered into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus, knew that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God, and was returning to God. 4 So he rose from supper and laid aside his garments; and he took a towel, and wrapped it around himself. 5 And after that he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, wiping them with the towel that was around his waist. 6 Then he came to Simon Peter, and Peter said to him, "Lord, are you to wash my feet?" 7 And Jesus answered him, "What I am doing, you don't now understand; but you will understand later." 8 But Peter said to him, "You shall never wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "If I don't wash you, you can have no part with me."1 9 Then Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head." 10 But Jesus said to him, "He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, then he is clean all over; and you are clean, but not all of you." 11 For he knew who would betray him. Therefore, he had said that not all of them were clean. 12 So after he had washed their feet, had put on his garments, and was sitting down again, he said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call me 'Master' and 'Lord,' and you say well, for indeed I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; you also should wash one another's feet.2 15 For I have given you this as an example, that you should do as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you that the servant is not greater than his lord; neither is he who is sent, greater than he who has sent him. 17 If you understand these things, happy are you if you do them." 18 I do not speak regarding all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but it is that the scripture may be fulfilled, 'He who eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me.' 19 I tell you now before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe that I am He [of whom the scriptures prophesy]. 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives anyone I send, receives me; and he who receives me, receives Him who sent me." 21 When Jesus had finished speaking, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, saying, "Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray me." 22 Then the disciples looked at one another, doubting of whom he spoke. 23 Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. 24 Simon Peter therefore motioned to him, that he should ask who it was of whom He spoke. 25 He then, leaning on Jesus' breast, asked him, "Lord, who is it?" 26 And Jesus answered, "It is he, to whom I shall give a piece of dipped bread, after I have dipped it." And when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27 After taking the piece of dipped bread, Satan entered into Judas. Then Jesus said to him, "What you must do, do quickly." 28 Now no man at the table knew the reason that he spoke this to him. 29 For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag [money], that Jesus had said to him to go and buy those things that were needed for the Feast; or, that he should give something to the poor. 30 So after receiving the dipped bread, Judas immediately went out. And it was night. 31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of man is glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall immediately glorify him. 33 Little children, I am with you for a little while still. You shall seek me; but as I said to the Jews, 'Where I go, you cannot come,' so now I say the same to you. [The Greek in this verse for little children is an affectionate term of address for disciples, teknia <5040>; these little children are disciples, not yet sons of God, yet to be freed from sin and without salvation.] 34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another; and that you love one another as I have loved you. 35 By this all men shall know that you are my disciples, if you have love for each other."3 36 Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, where are you going?" And Jesus answered him, "Where I go, you cannot follow me now; but you will follow me afterwards."4 37 Then Peter said to him, "Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for your sake." 38 But Jesus answered him, "Will you lay down your life for my sake? Truly, truly, I say to you that the rooster shall not crow, before you have denied me three times." Previous Chapter | Next Chapter | |||||||||
1 If I don't wash you, you can have no part with me. Jesus must wash us too, before we can have any part with him. If we are still in our sins, Jesus will not join with us, he will not welcome us into heaven, he will not save us. From the Word of the Lord within: "Only those who want to be clean can hear." We must go to him, quietly listen for his words, hear them, and then obey them. These words that we hear, keep, obey, and practice are what cleanses us to purity and sanctifies us:
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
that he might sanctify and cleanse it [the church of believers] with the washing of water by the word,
So that he might present it to himself as a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. Eph 5:25-27
Now you are clean through the word that I have spoken to you. John 15:3
Water baptism is of no value whatsoever. You must experience the ONE BAPTISM, the baptism of fire performed by the Lord himself, which comes after much waiting, listening, watching, hearing, obeying, suffering, and tribulation.
2 you also should wash one another's feet. Jesus gives us a physical example of what we must do spiritually. This refers to the true worship service, where mature believers who can speak words immediately heard from the Spirit minister to one another, there being no one minister who is the only preacher:
Let two to three prophets [those inspired by the Spirit to teach or preach — at that moment] speak, and let the others judge what they hear.
If anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first stop talking [so that the second may declare his or her revelation].
In this way you may all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn, and all may be encouraged. 1 Cor 14:29-31
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another [with words from Christ in your hearts] in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Col 3:16
As every man has received a gift, use it to serve [minister] one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 1 Pet 4:10
When a group assembles, which includes mature believers who can speak words immediately heard from the Spirit, the spoken words of those mature believers wash the feet of those who come with the pollutions of the world affecting their spirits and minds. Their words from the Spirit of God wash that filth away, helping the believers to forget the world that is perishing and focus instead on their future home in the Kingdom, strengthening them, encouraging them, and teaching them.
As Jesus said: Now you are clean through the word that I have spoken to you. John 15:3. From the Word of the Lord within: "Like the Apostles, you too must be cleansed." Spoken words heard from the Spirit before speaking are equivalent to words heard directly from the Spirit; all words from the Spirit, spoken by someone whose speech is controlled by the Spirit, impart the life of God to the listeners. Words heard from the Spirit immediately before being spoken are the only words that cleanse and impart life to the listener. Reading or quoting from the Bible does not cleanse or impart life to the listener for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 2 Cor 3:6.
From the Word of the Lord within: "Oh Christendom, be not at ease in Babylon! In your worship service look around you; do you see the Holy Spirit? Proper worship is for two or three to speak as moved by the Spirit."
3 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another; and that you love one another as I have loved you. By this all men shall know that you are my disciples, if you have love for each other. Jesus is talking about a love of brother to brother, like what David described of his love for Jonathan: your love to me was wonderful, surpassing the love of a woman. Note! David speaks of a pure, brotherly love that surpasses the love of a man for a woman. What man has known a love for a spiritual brother that surpasses the love for a woman? Only a man filled with God's spirit, filled with his love, the greatest gift of all. As Jesus prayed for his disciples and those who would follow their words and teachings; for his followers to be filled with the same love that the Father had bestowed on Jesus himself:
And Christ further declared that this godly love, surpassing anything seen in the world, would be the mark of his disciples, so the world would know them. Jesus told us that we would know the true prophets vs. the false prophets by their fruits; and the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness [ or meekness, or humility), self-control. And the greatest of these is love. So you will know them by their love; you will know them by their love for each other. I give you a new commandment, That you love one another; and that you love one another as I have loved you. By this all men shall know that you are my disciples, if you have love for each other.
Many of Jesus' commands are impossible to completely obey, no matter how hard you try; unless you go to him to receive the changing power of God. Christendom has no power because they don't understand the gospel, which is the power of God; they don't understand the cross, which is the power of God; and they don't understand the power of his name. Christendom is without power, practicing a form (hollow shell) of godliness; exactly what Paul warned about. 2 Timothy 3:5. But you can be changed to be able to completely keep all of Jesus' commands, to fulfill the law, to establish the law, to become perfect, to become pure, to become holy — by believing in his true promises and going to him to silently listen — hear and obey. But until you do, you will always be locked into the slavery of sin, unable to love like he has commanded us, unable to show the love of God to the world, unable to be a true disciple of Christ, with no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ.
4 Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, where are you going?" And Jesus answered him, "Where I go, you cannot follow me now; but you will follow me afterwards." Remember John 12:26, where Jesus said: If any man serves me, let him follow me; and where I am, there my servant shall also be. Jesus says that if his servants follow him (through the inward cross), they will be with him wherever He is — in the Kingdom of heaven, even while they are alive on earth. This is being translated into the Kingdom of Christ. While alive on earth, his true servants can be translated into the kingdom of heaven; they still remain walking on the earth, but their consciousness and sight are in heaven in the presence of Jesus and the Father. Jesus prayed: I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, but that you should protect them from the evil. John 17:15. Father, I will that they also, whom you have given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which you have given me. John 17:24. From the Word of the Lord within: "You can live in heaven and still walk the earth. I will come again to the elect; I will be a crown to lead and guide them." As George Fox ministered on the earth, he was translated to paradise; and then he lived in paradise.]
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