Read John 13:1-17 and 31-35

Read John 13:1-17 and 31-35

It was now the day before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. He had always loved those in the world who were his own, and he loved them to the very end.

2 Jesus and his disciples were at supper. The Devil had already put into the heart of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, the thought of betraying Jesus.^{a 3}Jesus knew that the Father had given him complete power; he knew that he had come from God and was going to God. ⁴So he rose from the table, took off his outer garment, and tied a towel round his waist. ⁵Then he poured some water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel round his waist. ⁶He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Are you going to wash my feet, Lord?”

7 Jesus answered him, “You do not understand now what I am doing, but you will understand later.”

8 Peter declared, “Never at any time will you wash my feet!”

“If I do not wash your feet,” Jesus answered, “you will no longer be my disciple.”

9 Simon Peter answered, “Lord, do not wash only my feet, then! Wash my hands and head, too!”

10 Jesus said, “Those who have had a bath are completely clean and do not have to wash themselves, except for their feet.^b All of you are clean—all except one.” ¹¹(Jesus already knew who was going to betray him; that is why he said, “All of you, except one, are clean.”)

12 After Jesus had washed their feet, he put his outer garment back on and returned to his place at the table. “Do you understand what I have just done to you?” he asked. ¹³“You call me Teacher and Lord, and it is right that you do so, because that is what I am. ¹⁴I, your Lord and Teacher, have just washed your feet. You, then, should wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵I have set an example for you, so that you will do just what I have done for you. ¹⁶I am telling you the truth: slaves are never greater than their master, and messengers are never greater than the one who sent them. ¹⁷Now that you know this truth, how happy you will be if you put it into practice!

31 After Judas had left, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man’s glory is revealed; now God’s glory is revealed through him. ³²And if God’s glory is revealed through him, then God will reveal the glory of the Son of Man in himself, and he will do so at once. ³³My children, I shall not be with you very much longer. You will look for me; but I tell you now what I told the Jewish authorities, ‘You cannot go where I am going.’ ³⁴And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples.”

Think

This Thursday is called Maundy Thursday and the name Maundy comes from the Latin Mandatum; meaning ‘command.’  The command is simple – ‘love one another as I have loved you.’

Pray

Lord, I really struggle to love other people as you have loved me.  Please help me.

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^a The Devil ... betraying Jesus; or The Devil had already decided that Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, would betray Jesus.

^b Some manuscripts do not have except for their feet.

12  13.12–15: Lk 22:27

¹³ 13.12–15: Lk 22:27

¹⁴ 13.12–15: Lk 22:27

¹⁵ 13.12–15: Lk 22:27

¹⁶ 13.16: Mt 10:24; Lk 6:40; Jn 15:20

³³ 13.33: Jn 7:34

³⁴ 13.34: Jn 15:12, 17; 1 Jn 3:23; 2 Jn 5