(Tap footnote to read it. Old Testament quotations are underlined. "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.1"agapé" The Greek words ἀγάπη (agapé, noun), and ἀγαπάω (agapaó; verb) are typically translated "love". However, unlike our English word "love" – which primarily speaks of affection and feelings – agapé centers on choice and behavior. It’s the "love" based on will, choice, behavior, and action; not feelings. (Feelings-based love is the Greek word φιλέω (phileó), which properly means "brotherly love/affection".) Thus, you could hate someone passionately and still treat him with "agapé". Agapé "love" is best understood as the pursuit of what is most beneficial to someone or something, regardless of the cost to yourself or the type of response received from the person or thing. It can also indicate a preference for someone or something over other things. )
Washing the disciples’ feet
- And before the feast of the Passover, Jesus *knew that His hour had come, that He would depart from this world to the Father, having ^loved His own who were in the world; He ^loved them to the end.
- And while dinner is happening, the Accuser had already *put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot (son of Simon) so he might betray Him.
- *Knowing that the Father gave all things into His hands, and that He came from God and departs to God,
- He rises from dinner and sets His outer garments down. And having taken a towel, He girded Himself.1“girded Himself”. This is a cultural reference, referring to the process of tying a belt or rope around the waist to gather the long robes and prevent them from getting in the way of work. It figuratively came to mean getting ready for action or work.
- Afterwards, He pours water into the washing basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was *girded.
- So He comes to Simon Peter who says to Him: “Lord, do you wash my feet?”
- Jesus answered and told him: “You don’t *perceive what I’m doing now, but you will understand after these things.”
- Peter tells Him: “You definitely won’t wash my feet through the age.” Jesus answered him: “If I don’t wash you, you don’t have a share with Me.”
- Simon Peter tells Him: “Lord, don’t only wash my feet, but also my hands and my head.”
- Jesus tells him: “The man who has bathed doesn’t have a need to wash anything except the feet, but is wholly clean. And you men are clean, but not all of you.”
- (For He had known the man betraying Him; because of this He said: “Not all of you are clean.”)
- So when He had washed their feet, and taken His outer garments, and reclined at the table again, He said to them: “Do you know what I have done for you?
- “You call Me teacher and Lord, and you speak rightly for I am.
- “So if I – the Lord and teacher – washed your feet, you also are obligated to wash one another’s feet.
- “For I gave you an example so that just as I did to you, you also should do.
- “Amen, amen I tell you: a slave isn’t greater than his master, nor a messenger greater than the man who sent him.
- “If you *know these things, you are blessed if you do them.
Judas’ betrayal predicted
- “I don’t speak about all of you – I *know whom I chose – but this is happening so the scripture might be fulfilled: ‘The man eating My bread raised his heel against Me.’2Quotation/allusion to Psalm 41:9
- “I tell you of this now before it happens, so when it happens you might believe that I Am.”3quotation/allusion to Exodus 3:14
- “Amen, amen I tell you: the man receiving someone I sent receives Me. And the man receiving Me receives the One who sent Me.”
- Having said these things, Jesus was agitated in spirit, and He testified and said: “Amen, amen I tell you that one of you will betray Me.”
- The disciples were looking at one another, being perplexed about whom He speaks.
- One of His disciples was reclining in the bosom of Jesus; he whom Jesus ^loved.
- Therefore, Simon Peter gestures to him [and tells him] to ask: “Who is it that He speaks about?”
- So that man, having thus leaned on the chest of Jesus, he says to Him: “Lord, who is it?”
- So Jesus answers: “That man is he to whom I will dip the morsel and will give it to him.” So having dipped the morsel, He takes it and gives it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot.
- And after taking the morsel, then Satan entered into that man. So Jesus tells him: “What you do, do faster.”
- And none of the men reclining at the table knew why He said this to him.
- For since Judas was holding the moneybag, some were supposing that Jesus tells him: “Buy what we have need of for the feast”, or that he should give something to the poor.
- So having received the morsel, that man immediately went out, and it was night.
Peter’s denial predicted
- So when he went out, Jesus says: “The Son of Man is glorified now, and God is glorified in Him.”
- “If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately.
- “Little children, I’m still with you for a short time. You will seek Me, and just as I told the Jews, I also tell you now: ‘Where I go, you aren’t able to come’.
- “I give a new commandment to you, that you should ^love one another. Just as I ^loved you, so also you should ^love one another.
- “All will know that you are My disciples by this: if you have ^love among one another.”
- Simon Peter says to Him: “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him: “Where I go, you aren’t able to follow Me now. But you will follow later.”
- Peter says to Him: “Lord, why am I not able to follow you now? I will lay down my life for your sake.”
- Jesus answers: “You will lay down your life for Me? Amen, amen I tell you that the rooster definitely won’t crow until you will deny Me three times.
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