Once Peter Has Heard The Words Of Jesus, “If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me” (John 13:8), he goes to the other extreme and exclaims, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.” Life away from his Lord is the very last thing he desires. The Lord reassures his follower, “He that is bathed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are all clean, but not all” (v. 10). This is plainly a reference to Judas, but oblique in character. The Lord therefore regards the apostles as clean, with one exception.
Cleansed by the Word
What is the ground of this cleanness for it must be of the maximum interest to every follower of the Lord Jesus? The word here is katharos, and it occurs frequently in the New Testament. A full exploration of its meaning is beyond the scope of our present study. As for its significance, in the present context, the Lord himself guides us when he says in John 15:3, “Already ye are clean because of the word which I have spoken unto you” (compare this with Eph. 5:26). In the case of the apostles, this meant not merely hearing the word, but embracing it, accepting it with all its implications. This requires the response of obedient faith in those who hear it, as indeed those who responded to the call of the Baptist had done, for the word of God came to John in the wilderness (cf. Luke 3:2).
A notable experience in Peter’s life was to bring home to him the meaning of the world “clean.” Referring to the momentous events associated with the conversion of Cornelius and his circle (recorded in Acts 10), Peter later declared:
God “made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith” (Acts 15:9)1. Thus faith, issuing in implicit obedience, has at all times been the ground of acceptance in God’s sight.
More to discipleship than faith
While, indeed, the Lord had given assurance to the eleven by declaring them all to be clean with one exception, there is more to discipleship than faith; and this had already been stressed by the emphasis upon obedience. It needs to be active, even in the most challenging of circumstances. This is the burden of what our Lord says. They had recognized in him their master (teacher) and Lord (John 13:13). Jesus endorsed their assessment, but this in itself was insufficient. He has, like a good teacher, demonstrated what is required of them by giving a practical example. In so doing, he reversed their roles: he, the Lord, had played the part of a servant in washing their feet. It is now incumbent upon them to follow his example (v. 14-15)2.
In case they demur at the thought of washing each other’s feet, Jesus stresses the importance of the lesson given: “Verily, verily, [notice the solemnity] I say unto you, a servant is not greater than his lord; neither one that is sent greater than he that sent him” (v. 16). For his own part, as one sent by his Father, he had faithfully carried out his Father’s will and was soon to do so in the most challenging of circumstances; now, in their capacity as those chosen and sent by him (cf. Matt. 10:5), they should carry out his instructions.
Knowledge must be followed by action
He then reminds them that intellectual knowledge in itself is useless, unless it becomes the spur to action: “If ye know these things, blessed are ye if ye do them” (John 13:17). The Lord has done his best for the apostles, as he has done for us. Accordingly, the washing of feet (or its equivalent) is not something we should read about and then forget. We need to look into our hearts. In his forthright way, James reminds us of the need for knowledge to be converted into action. “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding your own selves” (1:22). We shall discover in our consideration of John 13-17, there is repeated emphasis on carrying out the Lord’s commandments. So we do well to take note again of the words: “If ye know these things, blessed are ye if ye do them.”
As he utters the words, the Lord is conscious there is one for whom they are meaningless: “I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen” (v. 18). He has looked into the heart of Judas, and as the moment of betrayal draws nearer, he feels increasingly the need to disclose the identity of the traitor. But still, at this stage, the language is veiled. However, he quotes Psalm 41:9, in which there is a prophetic message, foretelling the base deed. “He that eateth my bread lifted up his heel against me.” Commentators have here seen a reference to Ahithophel, who, having been the king’s counselor, joined Absalom’s conspiracy against David.
The Lord makes one fact clear: this late revelation of the traitor’s identity is to show his foreknowledge of events before they come to pass and thus to fortify the apostles’ faith in him (John 13:19). The next verse may at first sight seem strange at this juncture. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me” (v. 20). Here Jesus is indicating the authority he is investing in the apostles. They will be his representatives and emissaries after he leaves them to go to the Father. Ample evidence of their activities is furnished in the book of Acts. However, his action in commissioning them would be meaningless if he were not himself the representative and emissary of the Father. Thus the authority of the Gospel preached by the Lord and his apostles derives from God Himself. (See Acts 1:7-8).
Jesus’ relationship with his apostles
Now there unfolds a scene, quiet and subdued in one sense, but at the same time of great drama. We need at this stage to enter into the Lord’s feelings. The apostles have meant much to him. During the hours spent in the upper room, he has said how much he has valued their company and support (see Luke 22:28). Having indicated by his words (John 13:20) that they are his accredited representatives, he becomes conscious once more of the presence of Judas. Understandably, deep emotion wells up within him, and he now feels constrained to speak more clearly. It is time to reveal the dread secret: “Verily, verily, I say unto you that one of you will betray me” (v. 21).
Apart from the traitor, the words cause surprise, pain and consternation. Who possibly among them could be guilty of so base a deed? They look at one another in disbelief. Typically, Peter will not rest until the mystery is resolved. The beloved disciple, none other than John himself, is reclining in the Lord’s bosom. Peter beckons to him, to attract his attention, and asks him to question the Lord (v. 24). Leaning back onto his Lord’s bosom, John, doubtless in a whisper, asks: “Lord, who is it?” (v. 25). Jesus chooses to respond by dipping a sop and giving it to Judas Iscariot. The latter, who has been alerted by the earlier words of our Lord, “one of you shall betray me,” begins to suspect that his dark secret has been penetrated.
“That thou doest, do quickly”
John now uses a simple, but powerful expression, “then Satan entered into him” (v. 27). We imagine a look of considerable embarrassment appears on the face of Judas, increased when the Lord says to him: “That thou doest, do quickly” (v. 27). Now that his identity as the traitor is disclosed, he sees no alternative but to act.
We must surely marvel at our Lord’s wonderful self-control. Hitherto, the knowledge of Judas’ perfidy has been locked in his bosom, and ample opportunity has been given to Judas to amend his ways. It is only after he has entered into a compact with the Jewish authorities that the Lord reveals what Judas is doing. Even after the traitor’s departure, all save Peter and John are unaware of the import of the Lord’s final words to Judas, imagining in their innocence that Jesus instructed him to make some purchases on their behalf or to give something to the poor (v. 30).
John’s record of the incident closes thus: “He then having received the sop went out straightway: and it was night” (v. 30). Night indeed it was.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One