John 13: 1-20

(John 13: 1-20)

Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him; Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.  Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.  For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.  So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.  If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.  For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.  Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.  If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.  I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me. Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.

Two contrasting passages appear. 『Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. And 『the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him; 』
Jesus' people in the world are those in Christ. Jesus is protecting them. For the Jews, the Passover is the most important feast. The Passover allowed Israel to exist, and the Passover allowed Israel to become a people God called out of Egypt.

To say that it is before the Passover is not simply to convey a temporal meaning, but to deliberately connect the Passover Lamb to the death of Jesus Christ. In John 1, John the Baptist pointed to the Lord, ``looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! 』. Likewise, the apostle John also contained in the temporal background of the Passover that the time came for the Lord to fully reveal God's love through the death of the cross. In this background, we can better understand the meaning of Jesus loving his people to the end. It means that it is until the end.

So, it can be understood that Jesus loved his disciples, but he loved them until the very last moment in his life. In addition, it includes the words that death is to the end to eternal heaven.

Jesus knew how his disciples would turn in the face of impending death. During the last supper with Jesus, the disciples confessed that they could die for the Lord. And they swear they will not forsake the Lord in any case. However, their oath of allegiance becomes a lie within hours. Jesus knew they were such disciples, and nevertheless loved them to the end.

“The devil already put the thought of selling Jesus into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.” Verses 1 and 2 are incompatible verses because the heart of Jesus and Judas Iscariot are in conflict. The one who hinders Jesus' ministry will be Satan, who moves behind Judas Iscariot. This is because when Jesus dies on the cross, Satan will be judged. Those who are in Christ are protected to the end, but those who follow Satan will not be saved.

Following 『He loved him till the end』, 『The Devil had already put the idea of selling Jesus into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son.』 appeared at the same time. Judas Iscariot's heart to betray the Lord was already appearing like poisonous mushrooms, but the Lord was compassionate even Judas Iscariot. The Lord's compassion for Judas Iscariot is evident in the Lord washing his disciples' feet as he shared the last Passover meal with his disciples. The Lord, who was eating, took off his outer garment, took a towel and put it on his waist, poured water directly into the basin, and washed the disciples' feet one after another. Judas Iscariot was also included among the disciples who washed their feet in this way.

While washing the feet, the conversation between Peter and the Lord continues. 『Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. In the midst of these conversations, the Lord added:

“You are clean, but not all of them are clean.” He may have been conscious of Judas Iscariot, who had already begun to be controlled by his greed. In other words, the Lord was warning Judas Iscariot through these words. Jesus was more heartbreaking than the other disciples who were going to abandon Himself and be scattered by one disciple who is now eating together, but who is deceived by Himself and on the way to destruction. This heart of Jesus is shown in verse 21.

『When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. 』 Jesus' heart, which was forced to lose his disciples, was full of intense confusion and anguish, like swirling water. This vortex of heart was the pain that the Lord had to suffer because he loved Judas Iscariot. In the midst of unspeakable sighs and pain toward Judas Iscariot and other disciples, the Lord washed their feet all the way. The night before his death, the disciples did not understand the appearance of the Lord who washed their feet.

However, by loving such disciples, the Lord also made the last lessons He left to be imprinted in their hearts forever. This was the way the Lord loved his disciples. What Jesus washed with water does not wash away the dirt from the body, but rather to move on to a new life. In 1 Peter 3:21, ``The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: 』