21 Days in the Book of JohnНамуна

Jesus knew His time to leave this earth had come and His heart was concerned about His disciples, not Himself. What a beautiful example for all of us!

Here are a few things I’d like to point out about Chapter 13:

1. Generally, Jews ate meals at a table only 1 foot high, reclined back against cushions. At this feast, the head of the group would pass a cup of thanksgiving around the room and then begin a ceremonial washing of hands. It is believed this is when Jesus began to wash the disciples’ feet. It was an important, yet undesirable task usually done by the students, not the rabbi. This stood as an example of His humility and an illustration of how we are cleansed by Jesus.
2. Judas had already made a deal and betrayed Jesus at this point. Jesus put Judas in a place of honor at the table, washed his feet, and handed him bread as an act of devotion. Judas was a well-liked, trusted disciple – one so trusted that he had been elected to be the treasurer. The others didn’t suspect he would betray Jesus, but Jesus knew the condition of His heart and sent him away to complete his task.
3. When Judas left, the atmosphere in the room changed. Jesus began to teach His disciples about how to love others, bear fruit, and hold tight to His words. Simon Peter had the right heart and desired to follow Jesus to death but would fail. Thankfully, we serve a God of grace!