The servant Jesus rises above the bad manners and competition of the disciples. John 13:3-5

John 13:1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He should depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.

 

“Jesus [always refers to the humanity of Christ] knowing,” the verb is the prefect active participle of o)ida[oida = to know inherently] used as a perfect tense for His omniscience. Jesus is always the name for the humanity of Christ; o)idais used for His omniscience. So, here we have the hypostatic union, the God-Man.

 

The Lord knew from His own doctrinal intake that the time was at hand, and His deity knew through His OS. In His humanity the Lord reached supergrace though His consistent intake of doctrine. So in His humanity and deity, He was thoroughly cognisant of the plan of the Father and that this was the Passover of Passovers.

 

Next, we have the phrase, “that his hour” - reference to the cross, John 12:23; 17:1; Mark 14:41.

 

The word hour is not used for 60 minutes here. The word is often used in a dramatic time of victory and that is exactly the way that God the Holy Spirit uses it from the pen of John the Apostle. It took six hours but it was the Lord’s finest hour, His hour of victory in the angelic conflict.

           

“had come that he should depart” - aorist active subjunctive of metabainw[metabaino] which means to go from one place to an entirely different place.

 

This becomes the purpose of this hour. It is time for Him to complete the plan of God and then depart. The cross will result in the physical death of Christ when His body went into the grave—Luke 23:53; His soul went to Paradise in Hades—Psalm 16:10; Luke 23:43; Acts 2:27; Ephesians 4:9; His spirit went to the Father—Luke 23:46.

 

To indicate that these are all out of the world we have e)kplus the ablative of kosmoj[ek kosmos] - “out from the world.” Therefore the emphasis is on His soul and spirit. His body went into a grave and the grave was on the earth.

 

So out of the trichotomous disposition of Christ at His physical death it is the soul and the spirit which are emphasised and definitely not the body. This is because it is the spiritual death of the Lord that saves us and not His physical death. His physical death was necessary since His mission was complete and it was the time for His transfer to a resurrection body.

           

“unto the Father” - proj[pros] means face to face with the Father.

 

Next we have the motivation and virtue of Christ that extended even to Judas. It would be this same virtue that He would tell the disciples would give them unity as well as reveal their discipleship - impersonal unconditional love.

 

Virtue love is needed for any lasting union to exist in the body of Christ, in a Christian marriage, a Christian friendship, a Christian family, and especially a Christian Church.

 

“having loved his own [possessions] in the world” - aorist active participle of a)gapaw[agapao]. The amazing thing about a)gapawis the fact that while Jesus Christ also had filew[phileo] this indicates His mental attitude love, the love of His soul for the disciples—eleven born-again believers—even though in the next 16 hours not only did they not hear His discourse, were very poor in their attention, but as soon as they got out into the action all of them, with the exception of John, really blew it.

 

They would disperse and abandon the Lord, and probably all think, with maybe the apostle John as an exception, that they were the ones predicted to betray Him. What a terrible time this was for them.

 

They were a total and complete flop. Only John managed to come through with anything that looked like honour, and a)gapawexpresses His mental attitude toward those whom He knows are going to fail completely—and that is grace.

 

This indicates that Jesus Christ on the cross was totally relaxed. He loved these disciples as God in eternity past, so He was willing to become true humanity. He loved these disciples in time; He was willing to go to the cross for them and for the entire human race. He loved them on the cross while He was being judged for their sins. His love never changed. And while the other type of love could have been mentioned it is the mental attitude love that is the basis for the other.

 

John 13:2 And during supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him,

 

Satan is in opposition to the Father’s plan and the disenchanted Judas is a willing pawn that will be tossed aside when his use is exhausted.

 

So this is during the supper and they have begun the Passover feast. They are reclining on pillows, Judas having taken the place of honor on the Lord’s left and John haven taken the next place of honor on His right.

 

The Paschal supper always began with the Head of the Company taking the first cup and speaking over it the thanksgiving.

 

Presently there are two thanksgivings said, first for the wine and the second for the return of another feast and being present to enjoy it. This was a longstanding tradition and it makes sense that our Lord would have done the same, but perhaps without the thanks for the nation of Israel, but in any case there is a deviation in our Lord’s opening thanksgiving that Luke records for us.

 

Our Lord’s benediction is given in:

 

Luke 22:17 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, "Take this and share it among yourselves;

 

Luke 22:18 for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes."

 

And the chief opponent among all fallen angels and the greatest genius among creatures was there—the devil. The devil needed a temple there, and since the eleven disciples were born-again he couldn’t possess them. He was looking for someone to possess at that minute.

           

“having already put into the heart of Judas” is not correct. This is a perfect active participle of ballw[ballo] which means to throw or to cast. It should be, having cast. The perfect tense means there will be permanent results. Satan had already put it in his heart and satan is here to make sure the job is done.

 

“to betray Him” is incorrect, it is “that he might betray him.” It is a purpose clause: that is i(na[hina], plus the aorist active subjunctive of paradidomi[paradidomi].

 

The subjunctive mood is used here with i(nato indicate a purpose clause. The subjunctive mood means that Judas still has a volition. Judas must allow satan to indwell him and consent with satan’s desires.

 

This was the devil’s avowed purpose when he entered the room. The devil’s objective was to help the Sanhedrin fulfil their policy - John 11:49-53.

 

John 11:49 But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all,

 

John 11:50 nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish."

 

John 11:51 Now this he did not say on his own initiative; but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation,

 

John 11:52 and not for the nation only, but that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.

 

John 11:53 So from that day on they planned together to kill Him.

 

Satan wanted to keep Christ from going to the cross and being judged for our sins and what better way to frustrate the cross than to turn Jesus over to the Sanhedrin.

 

They will have a quick trial and then stone Him to death. It will be impossible for Jesus Christ to bear the sins of the world if He is bearing the weight of stones and dying physically.

 

The devil’s objective is to get Jesus to die physically. What the devil is afraid of (because he knows theology better than most on this point) is that somehow Jesus will get on that cross where He will bear the sins of the world and die spiritually.

 

The purpose of the devil is to get Judas to so betray Jesus that Jesus will never get to the cross.

 

If Jesus dies physically without first dying spiritually, then the whole purpose of the incarnation is destroyed. The whole ministry of Christ depends upon getting on the cross and bearing our sins.

 

John 13:3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God, and was going back to God,

 

“Jesus” is not in the original but is inferred with the next verb, which is the same verb used in verse 1. We again have the humanity of Christ; “knowing” is o)ida[inherent knowledge from years of accumulating doctrine in the edification complex of the soul].

 

Not only did Jesus know that His hour had finally come, but He also knows beyond a doubt that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God, and was going back to God,

 

“the Father” is God the first person, author of the divine plan who has decreed in EP to give Jesus Christ “all things.”

 

This was decided upon in EP and learned and believed upon by the humanity of Christ when He reached spiritual maturity at age 12.

 

The “all things” is the ultimate triumph of the angelic conflict. It refers to the Second Advent, operation footstool, the Millennium, the Gog and Magog revolution, the ultimate disposition of fallen angels and unbelievers, and the ultimate eternal destiny of all born-again believers and all elect angels—all things are put in His hands.

 

Judgment is put into His hands and a perfect eternity is put into His hands of which He is the source of all light and energy. And that is as it should be because in the Bible the hands of Jesus Christ are called the hands of creation in Psalm 19:1.

 

Ps 19:1 The heavens are telling of the glory of God;

And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.

 

He is the pre-eminent One in COL 1:16, in whom the universe was created.

 

COL 1:16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities —  all things have been created by Him and for Him.

 

Col1:17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

 

The hands of creation are also the hands of salvation. His hands were nailed to the cross—Psalm 22:16; John 20:19-28. And His hands are also said to be the hands of security—Psalm 37:24; John 10:28.

 

Ps 37:23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord;

And He delights in his way.

 

Ps 37:24 When he falls, he shall not be hurled headlong;

Because the Lord is the One who holds his hand.

 

John 10:28 and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand.

 

 

John 13:3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God, and was going back to God,

 

“and that he had come forth from God” - aorist active indicative of e)cerxomai[exerchomai] which means to proceed forth, and it is used for the first advent.

 

The incarnation was not only necessary for man’s salvation but also for resolving the angelic conflict [GEN 3:15]. The first Adam set us back in the angelic conflict; our introduction to the knowledge of good and evil was our demise. Not only were we separated from God and banished from eternal life, but we were unable to handle this knowledge of good and evil.

 

No longer able to fellowship with God and no longer able to enjoy the presence of God we fumbled about with knowledge that we had no capacity for. Striving to understand this new knowledge with had to discern it without God and therefore became our own gods in opposition to the true God. In this mess we are condemned at birth and unable to deliver ourselves from this spiritual death.

 

In this place of darkness Satan was sure he would have our allegiance against God, but God intervened and the Last Adam solves everything, and He solves it in two advents.

 

Coming forth from God, the ultimate source of the Father, the humanity of Christ originates from the Father’s plan. The deity of Christ has no origin, being eternal.

 

Then we have; “and was going back to God” -- present active indicative of u(pagw [hupago] which means to depart. This brings us to the ascension and session.

 

That was the first triumphal procession in which all of the fallen angels preceded Him as those who were defeated. Then came Jesus Christ, and then the elect angels came as His own troops, He was seated at the right hand of the Father, and the devil and all fallen angels at that point got the picture. He “went face to face with God” - projplus the accusative.

           

These first three verses are background for the next five chapters. But in addition to that we get just a quick resume of some of the doctrinal issues as we come to this table.

 

As we come to this table there is a terrible breech of manners. In the ancient world they always came into a room barefooted. They kicked off their sandals at the door. There is a pool of water there and they are supposed to go through the pool and have their feet dried by someone on the other side. But they came in with dirty feet. They skipped the pool of water. And they were now sitting down at the table. Jesus has clean feet; everyone else has dirty feet.

 

So the Lord Jesus Christ was not going to teach anything until He taught the importance of rebound before you can take in Bible doctrine, and at the same time correct the manners of the disciples as well as reveal to them that all humility emanates from the Lord.

 

We will never love one another, serve one another, and be humble before one another unless we learn to do so from Him, from the power source that He has provided, the living word, and under the power of the HS. Under these two powers which make up one power system we learn when we are clean and ultimately learn that we are clean.

 

Knowing we are clean eliminates any competing or competition. If I understand that I am clean, being perfectly righteous through union with Christ then I have perfect self esteem. If I understand the same about you then I don’t compete with you, how can I achieve more than I and my brother in Christ already are? I don’t feel inadequate to anyone or superior to anyone.

 

So the Lord rises from the table.

 

After the thanksgiving over the first cup it would follow that the Head of the Company would rise to wash his hands. Our Lord however changes this into something unique and beautiful.

 

He takes on the form of a servant, for normally only a servant would wrap a towel around him and use a basin of water to wash the feet of those in the house.

 

John 13:4 rose from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself about.

 

John 13:5 Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.

 

Verse 4 - “He riseth from supper,” present middle indicative of e)geirw[egeiro]. This will be used for resurrection: rising from the dead. Here it is used for getting up from the table.

 

He gets up as was required by the Passover, but He really has to get up because there is a breech of etiquette. The disciples have entered the upper room with dirt on their feet. They had been so busy arguing about who was the greatest—Luke 22:24—that they forgot their manners. Good manners demand that they wash their feet before entering but since there was no servant present to do so they extended the debate by refusing to wash each other’s feet.

 

Analogies

1. The disciples had bathed before coming to the last supper. But that was before their mental attitude sins had been fired up. The taking of a bath is analogous to salvation. So already we can begin to anticipate: one bath but many washings.

 

2. It was customary, therefore, to wash the feet before entering. The custom of foot washing is analogous to rebound. If you come with dirty feet, what do you do before you sit down with the Lord and dine? Before you eat the Lord’s food [Bible doctrine] you wash your feet.

 

3. The disciples in walking through the streets have accumulated filth on their feet. This is analogous to being a believer out of fellowship.

 

4. The dinner was fellowship with the Lord in which food was involved. Our greatest fellowship with the Lord is when we meet to dine upon Bible doctrine. The believer cannot take in Bible doctrine with dirt on his feet. If you are out of fellowship you cannot take it in.

 

5. The feet also represent service. It is impossible to serve the Lord with dirty feet.

 

6. At the beginning of the previous chapter the feet of Jesus had been anointed, while at the beginning of this chapter the feet of the disciples are washed. Oil of nard on the feet of the saviour indicates the sustaining ministry of the Holy Spirit; water on the feet of the disciples indicates the cleansing of the rebound technique.

 

7. Jesus did not have to have His feet washed—This is analogous to the doctrine of impeccability—but the disciples needed to have their feet washed. They had old sin natures and perpetual carnality.

 

8. Jesus washed their feet. This is a picture of Christ providing the basis of rebound on the cross. Rebound is taught in 1 John 1:9 but the basis of it is 1 John 1:7.

 

9. Again, the bath prior to coming is a picture of salvation—Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:18,19; Revelation 1:5. Foot washing is analogous to rebound after salvation as a means of GAPing it and producing divine good.

 

font-� : �YA �A o-ansi-language:EN-AU'> is the fact that while Jesus Christ also had filewthis indicates His mental attitude love, the love of His soul for the disciples—eleven born-again believers—even though in the next 16 hours not only did they not hear His discourse, were very poor in their attention, but as soon as they got out into the action all of them, with the exception of John, really blew it.

 

 

They were a total and complete flop. Only John managed to come through with anything that looked like honour, and a)gapawexpresses His mental attitude toward those whom He knows are going to fail completely—and that is grace.

 

“in the world” - His mental attitude toward them was relaxed; “he loved them to the end” - in other words, Jesus Christ went all the way to His death and yet His attitude never changes toward the disciples. That is grace.

 

 

 

This indicates that Jesus Christ on the cross was totally relaxed. He loved these disciples as God in eternity past, so He was willing to become true humanity. He loved these disciples in time; He was willing to go to the cross for them and for the entire human race. He loved them on the cross while He was being judged for their sins. His love never changed. And while the other type of love could have been mentioned it is the mental attitude love that is the basis for the other.