Brit Chadasha Foundations-Concepts in John-Chapter 13

John 13.1-38 tells us about the last time Yeshua and the talmidim will meet before he suffers and his last instructions; identifies Judas as his betrayer and his departure; Peter’s denial is foretold.

v 1…. Now before the Feast of the Passover (this is not a Passover meal, this was the night of Nisan 13 leading to the 14th; for a brief chronology of the crucifixion week, see Matt 26.17 notes), Yeshua knowing that his hour had come that he should depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own (the elect, not everyone-John 17.9) who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

v 2… And during supper (this is not a Passover Seder; Yeshua was the Messiah, he did not celebrate Passover a day early, that was against the Torah. He was already on the cross when the people were bringing into the temple the lambs to be killed. He was in the tomb when the Passover Seder was being eaten), the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot (inspired his already treacherous heart; possibly a member of the Sicarii sect, meaning “assassin”-Acts 21.38), the son of Simon, to betray him (Satan was the power behind this),

v 3… knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands (his jurisdiction) and that he had come forth from God, and was going back to God,

v 4… rose from supper, and laid aside his garments; and taking a towel, girded himself about (like a slave/servant).

v 5…Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the talmidim’s feet and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded.

v 6… And so he came to Simon Peter. He said to him, “Lord, do you (intend to) wash my feet (this is similar to when John hesitated to immerse Yeshua)?”

v 7… Yeshua answered and said to him, “What I do you do not realize now, but you shall understand hereafter (in v 12-20).”

v 8… Peter said to him, “Never shall you wash my feet (he forgot his place as the learner)!” Yeshua answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with me (His death/blood is necessary if they are to share in him).”

v 9… Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.”

v 10… Yeshua said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean (he is referring to the temple practice of priests who immerse once, then during their service, they only need to cleanse their hands and feet); and you are clean (he who has been changed and his nature renewed does not need it again, but only to be cleansed from walking in this world and the faults which we may fall into because we have had contact with this world), but not all (Judas).

v 11… For he knew the one who was betraying him; for this reason, he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

v 12… And so when he had washed their feet, and taken his garments and reclined again, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you (what the meaning is)?

v 13… You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right; for so I am.

v 14… If I then, the Lord and the Teacher (a messianic title from Joel 2.23; Isa 30.20-21), washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet (humility is the lesson).

v 15… For I have given you an example (lay your lives down for one another) that you also should do as I did to you.

v 16… Truly, truly (amen, amen), I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master; neither one who is sent greater than the one who sent him (a Jewish idiom-they who were going to be sent by Yeshua should not look down on one another, or feel he is above hospitable lowly service).

v 17… If you knew these things (humility, service, hospitality, you are blessed if you do them.

v 18… I do not speak of all of you. I know the ones I have chosen (he is not going to be taken by surprise), but it is that the Scriptures may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats my bread has lifted up his heel against me (Psa 41.9).’

v 19… From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am he (it was a sign that things are under the control of Yehovah).

v 20… Truly, truly (amen, amen), I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives me; and he who receives me receives him who sent me.”

v 21… When Yeshua had said this, he became troubled (disturbed, to stir up) in spirit, and testified, and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray me.”

v 22… The talmidim looking at one another, at a loss to know of which one he was speaking.

v 23… There was reclining on Yeshua’s breast (not literally, but an idiom for “sitting next to at the table”) one of his talmidim whom Yeshua loved (he had a special affection for him).

v 24… Simon Peter, therefore, gestured to him and said to him (that he should ask), “Tell us, who it is of whom he is speaking (he had an honest zeal and an abhorrence of such a one).”

v 25… He, leaning back thus on Yeshua’s breast (leaned to him backward), said to him, “Lord, who is it?”

v 26…Yeshua therefore answered (whispering to him), “That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot (possibly a member of the Sicarii sect-Acts 21.38 who was sitting on Yeshua’s left if they were following Jewish tradition, which was birth order; Judas being the oldest-Gen 43.33).

v 27…And after the morsel, Satan then entered into him (stirred him up even more to carry out his wicked plan, the process has started). Yeshua therefore said to him, “What you do, do quickly.”

v 28… Now no one of those reclining knew for what purpose he said this to him.

v 29… For some were supposing, because Judas had the money box, that Yeshua was saying to him, “Buy the things we have need of for the feast (proof that this was not Passover. If it was the night of the 14th to 15th when the Seder was eaten, he could not buy anything because it was the first day of Unleavened Bread, a high Sabbath, and there was nothing open. This had to be the night of the 12th-13th of Nisan because in 14.31 they leave Bethany and go to Jerusalem. On the next night, the 13th-14th they have the “last supper”, which is the last supper before Unleavened Bread begins when no leaven can be eaten), or else, that he should give something to the poor.

v 30… And so after receiving the morsel, he went out immediately, and it was night (now it was the 13th of Nisan).

v 31… When therefore he had gone; out, Yeshua said, “Now (the process has begun) is the Son of Man (a messianic title from Dan 7.13-the Aramaic “Bar Enosh” not the Hebrew “Ben Adam”) glorified (is to be glorified), and God is (to be) glorified in him;

v 32… If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself (or with himself, with his own glory-John17.5), and will glorify him immediately (when he is resurrected three days later).

v 33… Little children (an affectionate term, he begins to get them ready for what is about to happen), I am with you a little while longer. You shall seek me (being under distress, not knowing what to do); and as I said to the Jews (the rulers-John 7.32-33), ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ now I say to you also.

v 34… A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another (the dying request of a parent to their children. This is not a new commandment, it is taught in the Torah, but it is one of the last things he wants to say to them. Love was the reason why Israel followed the Torah, but now it will be a distinguishing mark in individuals).

v 35… By this all men will know (comprehend) that you are my talmidim, if you have love for one another (that is a language anyone in the world can understand).”

v 36… Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going (Peter thought he was going to another city, or another part of the country)?” Yeshua answered, “Where I go, you cannot follow me now (he is going to the Father); but you shall follow later (when the work God had given him is done, he shall be in the kingdom with Yeshua forever).”

v 37… Peter said to him, Lord, why can I not follow you right now? I will lay down my life for you (no, it will be Yeshua who will do that for Peter).”

v 38… Yeshua answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly (amen, amen), I say to you, a cock (this is the Temple crier, called the “gever” who gave a three-fold cry for the priests, Levites, and the Ma’amad, the standing men, to come to their positions in the Temple for the morning prayer service called the “Tamid”; this is not a “rooster” because they were not allowed in the city-see the article “Temple Crier or Rooster” on this site for more) shall not crow (give his command) until you deny me three times.”

Posted in Articles, Idioms, Phrases and Concepts, Tying into the New Testament, Verse-by-Verse Bible Studies

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