Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father. He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end. 2 The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over. So, during supper, 3 fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God, 4 he rose from supper and took off his outer garments. He took a towel and tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel around his waist. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Master, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing, you do not understand now, but you will understand later.” 8 Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well.” 10 Jesus said to him, “Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed, for he is clean all over; so you are clean, but not all.” 11 For he knew who would betray him; for this reason, he said, “Not all of you are clean.” 12 So when he had washed their feet [and] put his garments back on and reclined at table again, he said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you? 13 You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am. 14 If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do. 16 Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it. 18 I am not speaking of all of you. I know those whom I have chosen. But so that the scripture might be fulfilled, ‘The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me.’ 19 From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I AM. 20 Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”
John 13:1–20 opens the passion narrative in John’s Gospel with a profound gesture of love and humility: Jesus, knowing “that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father,” washes the feet of His disciples (v. 1). This act, performed “before the feast of Passover,” signifies more than mere service—it reveals the nature of divine love that stoops low to cleanse and redeem. Jesus, who came from the Father and was returning to Him (v. 3), chooses this moment to demonstrate the fullness of His love (cf. John 19:30).
The act of washing feet, usually reserved for the lowliest servant, is shocking to Peter and the others. Peter protests, but Jesus replies, “Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me” (v. 8). This statement carries salvific weight, recalling God’s covenantal language of inheritance (cf. Num. 18:20; Josh. 13:33) and foreshadowing the sacramental cleansing in Baptism (cf. Titus 3:5; 1 Cor. 6:11). It is not simply about physical cleanliness but participation in Christ’s redemptive mission.
Theologically, this gesture recalls Exodus 40:12 and Leviticus 16:4, where priests were washed and clothed before offering sacrifice. Jesus, the true High Priest (cf. Heb. 4:14), is preparing for His own offering. Moreover, His command, “I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do” (John 13:15), defines Christian discipleship not by power but by self-giving love (cf. Matt. 20:26–28).
Verses 10–11 subtly allude to Judas’s betrayal. Jesus says, “You are clean, but not all,” indicating that although He has washed their feet, one remains inwardly defiled. This tension between outward inclusion and inward betrayal sets the tone for the unfolding Passion.
In verse 18, Jesus quotes Psalm 41:10, “The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me,” linking Judas’s betrayal to the righteous sufferer of the Old Testament. Yet even here, Jesus remains in control: “From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I AM” (John 13:19). The use of “I AM” (egō eimi) recalls God’s name in Exodus 3:14, a divine self-revelation that punctuates John's Gospel (cf. John 8:58).
Finally, in verse 20, Jesus declares, “Whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” This reiterates the Trinitarian mission of Christ and the apostolic ministry rooted in His service and sacrifice (cf. Matt. 10:40; 2 Cor. 5:20). The disciples are to become Christ’s ambassadors, carrying forward not only His message but His manner—humble, loving, and sacrificial.
The Servant-King lowers Himself to wash the feet of His followers, prefiguring the cleansing power of the Cross. It encapsulates the heart of the Gospel—that God saves not through dominion, but through love that stoops, serves, and sacrifices.
Lord Jesus, You knelt to wash the feet of Your disciples, showing us that true greatness is found in humble love. Cleanse our hearts, that we may share in Your life. Teach us to serve one another as You have served us, and to follow You along the path that leads to the Cross and Resurrection. Amen!
Sources
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: The Pentateuch. Four Courts Press, 2017
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
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