A Commentary of John 13:1-20 that speaks to the fact that we are in Christ's spirit if our mind is transformed willingly, eager to humbly serve our God without reservation and to do his will in love and not our own. We must 'kill off' our own will to serve our God. Christ, our Lord, continues to serve his God, who is also our God from heaven, as he did whilst on earth.
Verse 1 creates the setting. It was on the eve of the Passover at Jesus’ last meal with his followers, the night before his crucifixion. Jesus was soon to die on the cross and be resurrected by his Father. Jesus showed again his love for his true disciples. There was one however that was a pretender and not one of Jesus’ true followers, and Jesus knew him already.
Verse 2 refers to Judas Iscariot, who was already set to turn Jesus into the local authorities for crimes against the Law even before the Supper was set.
In verse 3: Eventhough Jesus was promised by his Father complete authority on the earth and in heaven once he became immortal, he still continued to be a servant and sacrifice to his Father since his youth until his death, and today.
Verse 4-5: Jesus demonstrated this lifestyle of humility and love because he continued to do his Father’s will. Jesus showed his apostles what they would become in the near future. He washed their feet to demonstrate what person they would become with their new heart of a servitude as their new spiritual lifestyle of sacrifice.
Jesus washed and then dried each of the apostles’ feet with the towel that wrapped his body, then the only garment on his body. He was thus naked to symbolize that he gave and continues to give everything without limit to the ones he loves, including his Father.
In verses 6-8, Simon Peter questioned Jesus when he was about to wash his feet. Peter said he should never wash his feet. Jesus told him he would not understand why he was doing it yet. Jesus was speaking about when his spirit would enter Peter and he would grow and learn to ‘wash the feet’ of others because of the new man he would become. This is why Jesus then said to Peter, if I do not wash your feet you are not one of mine, or I shall have nothing to do with you, because my spirit of humility and agape love will not be in you – not joined to your spirit.
True believers have the heart of humility of a bondservant that empties and clears/renews their minds and will from looking inwards to self only, and to look outwards, to sacrifice, to do the will of God through Christ’s spirit.
Philippians 2:6-7 also speaks of Jesus having or possessing his Father’s spirit within him, as we have Christ’s spirit as a reborn or reseeded spirit of God. Jesus also denied his own will and spirit completely, for the sake and love of his Father. He always did his Father’s will. This act or spiritual habit of sacrifice is called ‘emptying yourself out’ or ‘becoming of no reputation.’
Jesus’ service to discard serving his own mind and becoming the servant of the Father’s mind only, allowed his Father to speak and display what Jesus was to do or think. Jesus learned this over time and he was given graduated or increase authority because of this maturity.
Jesus became the speaker and will of his Father, as the word became flesh (John 1:14). Jesus, then when necessary, spoke his Father’s same words and performed his same images faithfully for all to see and hear. He spoke in wisdom, understanding and truth and performed many miracles from his Father.
Philippians 2:17 speaks of Paul who also became a ‘person of no reputation’ as he poured himself out as a drink offering, for his love of his fellow brothers for their service of faith to do the will of God, through Jesus.
In verse 9, Peter asked Jesus to also wash his head and hands. In verses 10-11, Jesus conveyed to him that is heart was already ‘clean,’ although not everyone there, in his presence. He was referring to Judas again.
Cleaning the head and hands are symbolic of the heart’s condition. If one’s thoughts of the mind and actions of the mouth and hands are pure then one’s heart is also pure.
Verse 12 says, Jesus, after finishing his washing of feet asked them if they knew what or why he did this servant work. He performed this washing of feet to demonstrate it is one of the lowest forms of service and love that anyone can do for others. This type of washing is a symbol of being a true servant to God’s will.
In verses 13-16, Jesus said that the slave is a slave to his lord and even he who was born of his Father is always and forever the servant of his Father.
All creatures of God the Father, including Jesus, are slaves or servants to him as the Father is the creator. All come to maturity and put to death their selfish lives to do the will of God that demonstrates the agape love that the Father gives to all his people, and Jesus, his Son, being no exception.
In verse 17-18, Jesus says that all those believers that know the Spirit of God within them through his spirit and becomes a ‘person of no reputation,’ restraining themselves, shall be blessed. Jesus knew that Judas is not one that shall ever be blessed. He has already become a devil. Verse 19 says Jesus tells them to remember these words now, so later when they see the proof of his words, they shall know that Jesus is truly the savior, the Messiah (I am he).
In Verse 20, Jesus says that whomever receives the one I send (in the future, from his position of power and authority (throne) in heaven), also receives me. Whomever then receives him also receives the Father who is in Jesus. As Jesus is in the Father, so too Jesus will be in that person, joined to his spirit.
All three are thus in union in the Father’s (Holy) Spirit. Jesus’s spirit is being baptized in the Spirit and the believer’s spirit is being baptized in the Spirit, and specifically of the spirit of Jesus, that is the crucial spirit of the Holy Spirit that intercedes and advocates for the salvation of all human spirits.
APAK
Verse 1 creates the setting. It was on the eve of the Passover at Jesus’ last meal with his followers, the night before his crucifixion. Jesus was soon to die on the cross and be resurrected by his Father. Jesus showed again his love for his true disciples. There was one however that was a pretender and not one of Jesus’ true followers, and Jesus knew him already.
Verse 2 refers to Judas Iscariot, who was already set to turn Jesus into the local authorities for crimes against the Law even before the Supper was set.
In verse 3: Eventhough Jesus was promised by his Father complete authority on the earth and in heaven once he became immortal, he still continued to be a servant and sacrifice to his Father since his youth until his death, and today.
Verse 4-5: Jesus demonstrated this lifestyle of humility and love because he continued to do his Father’s will. Jesus showed his apostles what they would become in the near future. He washed their feet to demonstrate what person they would become with their new heart of a servitude as their new spiritual lifestyle of sacrifice.
Jesus washed and then dried each of the apostles’ feet with the towel that wrapped his body, then the only garment on his body. He was thus naked to symbolize that he gave and continues to give everything without limit to the ones he loves, including his Father.
In verses 6-8, Simon Peter questioned Jesus when he was about to wash his feet. Peter said he should never wash his feet. Jesus told him he would not understand why he was doing it yet. Jesus was speaking about when his spirit would enter Peter and he would grow and learn to ‘wash the feet’ of others because of the new man he would become. This is why Jesus then said to Peter, if I do not wash your feet you are not one of mine, or I shall have nothing to do with you, because my spirit of humility and agape love will not be in you – not joined to your spirit.
True believers have the heart of humility of a bondservant that empties and clears/renews their minds and will from looking inwards to self only, and to look outwards, to sacrifice, to do the will of God through Christ’s spirit.
Philippians 2:6-7 also speaks of Jesus having or possessing his Father’s spirit within him, as we have Christ’s spirit as a reborn or reseeded spirit of God. Jesus also denied his own will and spirit completely, for the sake and love of his Father. He always did his Father’s will. This act or spiritual habit of sacrifice is called ‘emptying yourself out’ or ‘becoming of no reputation.’
Jesus’ service to discard serving his own mind and becoming the servant of the Father’s mind only, allowed his Father to speak and display what Jesus was to do or think. Jesus learned this over time and he was given graduated or increase authority because of this maturity.
Jesus became the speaker and will of his Father, as the word became flesh (John 1:14). Jesus, then when necessary, spoke his Father’s same words and performed his same images faithfully for all to see and hear. He spoke in wisdom, understanding and truth and performed many miracles from his Father.
Philippians 2:17 speaks of Paul who also became a ‘person of no reputation’ as he poured himself out as a drink offering, for his love of his fellow brothers for their service of faith to do the will of God, through Jesus.
In verse 9, Peter asked Jesus to also wash his head and hands. In verses 10-11, Jesus conveyed to him that is heart was already ‘clean,’ although not everyone there, in his presence. He was referring to Judas again.
Cleaning the head and hands are symbolic of the heart’s condition. If one’s thoughts of the mind and actions of the mouth and hands are pure then one’s heart is also pure.
Verse 12 says, Jesus, after finishing his washing of feet asked them if they knew what or why he did this servant work. He performed this washing of feet to demonstrate it is one of the lowest forms of service and love that anyone can do for others. This type of washing is a symbol of being a true servant to God’s will.
In verses 13-16, Jesus said that the slave is a slave to his lord and even he who was born of his Father is always and forever the servant of his Father.
All creatures of God the Father, including Jesus, are slaves or servants to him as the Father is the creator. All come to maturity and put to death their selfish lives to do the will of God that demonstrates the agape love that the Father gives to all his people, and Jesus, his Son, being no exception.
In verse 17-18, Jesus says that all those believers that know the Spirit of God within them through his spirit and becomes a ‘person of no reputation,’ restraining themselves, shall be blessed. Jesus knew that Judas is not one that shall ever be blessed. He has already become a devil. Verse 19 says Jesus tells them to remember these words now, so later when they see the proof of his words, they shall know that Jesus is truly the savior, the Messiah (I am he).
In Verse 20, Jesus says that whomever receives the one I send (in the future, from his position of power and authority (throne) in heaven), also receives me. Whomever then receives him also receives the Father who is in Jesus. As Jesus is in the Father, so too Jesus will be in that person, joined to his spirit.
All three are thus in union in the Father’s (Holy) Spirit. Jesus’s spirit is being baptized in the Spirit and the believer’s spirit is being baptized in the Spirit, and specifically of the spirit of Jesus, that is the crucial spirit of the Holy Spirit that intercedes and advocates for the salvation of all human spirits.
APAK
