John 13:1–20

Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet

13Before the Passover Festival, Jesus knew that His hour had come to depart from this world to the Father. ^pHaving loved His own who were in the world, ^qHe loved them to the end. ^r

²Now by the time of supper, the Devil ^shad already put it into the heart of Judas, ^tSimon Iscariot’s son, to betray ^uHim. ³Jesus knew that the Father had given everything into His hands, ^vthat He had come from God, ^wand that He was going back to God. ^x4So He got up from supper, laid aside His robe, ^ytook a towel, and tied it around Himself. ^z5Next, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel tied around Him.

⁶He came to Simon Peter, ^awho asked Him, “Lord, are You going to wash my feet?”

⁷Jesus answered him, “What I’m doing you don’t understand now, but afterward you will know.” ^b

⁸“You will never wash my feet—ever!” Peter said.

Jesus replied, “If I don’t wash you, you have no part with Me.”

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

¹⁰“One who has bathed,” Jesus told him, “doesn’t need to wash anything except his feet, but he is completely ^•clean. You are clean, but not all of you.” ¹¹For He knew who would betray Him. This is why He said, “You are not all clean.”

The Meaning of Footwashing

¹²When Jesus had washed their feet and put on His robe, He reclined ^cagain and said to them, “Do you know what I have done for you? ¹³You call Me Teacher and Lord. This is well said, for I am. ¹⁴So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. ^d15For I have given you an example ^ethat you also should do just as I have done for you.

¹⁶“^•I assure you: A ^•slave is not greater than his master, ^fgand a messenger is not greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. ^h18I’m not speaking about all of you; I know those I have chosen. ⁱBut the Scripture ^jmust be fulfilled: ^kThe one who eats My bread ^lhas raised his heel against Me. ^mn

¹⁹“I am telling you now before it happens, ^oso that when it does happen you will believe ^pthat I am He. ^q20I assure you: Whoever receives anyone I send receives Me, and the one who receives ^rMe receives Him who sent Me.”