The Choice: John 13:1-30

As John’s gospel shifts to looking at the night Jesus was betrayed and arrested, John shares some amazing details included in a special meal Jesus shares with His followers. This meal was the Passover meal, and from this point forward in history, this meal has been called the Last Supper.

However, during this meal, John draws our attention onto several powerful ideas, the first of which is found in the first few verses of our passage. With that said, let’s begin reading our passage for this episode.

Our passage is found in John’s gospel, chapter 13, and we will read it from the New Century Version of the Bible. Starting in verse 1, John tells us that:

¹ It was almost time for the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that it was time for him to leave this world and go back to the Father. He had always loved those who were his own in the world, and he loved them all the way to the end.

² Jesus and his followers were at the evening meal. The devil had already persuaded Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to turn against Jesus. ³ Jesus knew that the Father had given him power over everything and that he had come from God and was going back to God. ⁴ So during the meal Jesus stood up and took off his outer clothing. Taking a towel, he wrapped it around his waist. ⁵ Then he poured water into a bowl and began to wash the followers’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

While most of those who have been Christians for any significant length of time know what happens next, I want to pause here to draw out two huge truths that are found in these first few verses of our passage.

The first truth is that Jesus intentionally loved the people God sent Him into the world to love, and Jesus intentionally loved them all the way to the end. In other words, Jesus faced the cross because He loves you, me, and all of those who God wants to redeem for eternity!

Following sharing about Jesus’ love, John then tells us in verse 3 that at this meal: “Jesus knew that the Father had given him power over everything and that he had come from God and was going back to God.”

Everything that happens in Jesus’ life and ministry following this point is 100% within Jesus’ control, and that means clearly that Jesus chose the cross. God the Father did not force Jesus onto the cross. Jesus chose the cross willingly.

Immediately after sharing that Jesus had been given power over everything, the first thing Jesus does is step into the lowest role in that society and move around the room washing the disciples’ feet. While the next part of our passage focuses on Jesus washing Peter’s feet, it is also amazing to realize that, since this was early on in the evening, Jesus would have washed Judas Iscariot’s feet as well.

Let’s continue reading. As Jesus was washing each of His disciples’ feet, in verse 6 we read:

⁶ Jesus came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

⁷ Jesus answered, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but you will understand later.”

⁸ Peter said, “No, you will never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “If I don’t wash your feet, you are not one of my people.”

⁹ Simon Peter answered, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but wash my hands and my head, too!”

¹⁰ Jesus said, “After a person has had a bath, his whole body is clean. He needs only to wash his feet. And you men are clean, but not all of you.” ¹¹ Jesus knew who would turn against him, and that is why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

¹² When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and sat down again. He asked, “Do you understand what I have just done for you? ¹³ You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that is what I am. ¹⁴ If I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash each other’s feet. ¹⁵ I did this as an example so that you should do as I have done for you. ¹⁶ I tell you the truth, a servant is not greater than his master. A messenger is not greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷ If you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

¹⁸ “I am not talking about all of you. I know those I have chosen. But this is to bring about what the Scripture said: ‘The man who ate at my table has turned against me.’ ¹⁹ I am telling you this now before it happens so that when it happens, you will believe that I am he. ²⁰ I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send also accepts me. And whoever accepts me also accepts the One who sent me.”

²¹ After Jesus said this, he was very troubled. He said openly, “I tell you the truth, one of you will turn against me.”

²² The followers all looked at each other, because they did not know whom Jesus was talking about. ²³ One of the followers sitting next to Jesus was the follower Jesus loved. ²⁴ Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus whom he was talking about.

²⁵ That follower leaned closer to Jesus and asked, “Lord, who is it?”

²⁶ Jesus answered, “I will dip this bread into the dish. The man I give it to is the man who will turn against me.” So Jesus took a piece of bread, dipped it, and gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. ²⁷ As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered him. Jesus said to him, “The thing that you will do—do it quickly.” ²⁸ No one at the table understood why Jesus said this to Judas. ²⁹ Since he was the one who kept the money box, some of the followers thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the feast or to give something to the poor.

³⁰ Judas took the bread Jesus gave him and immediately went out. It was night.

In this passage, I was tempted to stop several times, but I resisted, because I wanted to help draw our attention onto the entire context of Jesus’ message. All too often, when reading or hearing this passage, we only hear a small section and not the whole passage in context.

While John’s gospel doesn’t focus in on Jesus sharing the wine or the bread and the symbolism that Jesus gives to each, John’s gospel does focus on the teaching Jesus shares, and on the detail that Jesus fully knew who would betray Him.

This passage contains a bunch of powerful spiritual truths and ideas, and unfortunately there isn’t enough time left to cover them all.

However, one big truth worth paying attention to is that nothing about that night caught Jesus by surprise and Jesus was more aware of everything that would happen than even Judas Iscariot was.

This idea becomes the foundation for the biggest truth this passage emphasized, and this truth is simply that Jesus willingly chose the cross, and that He chose it because He loves you and He loves me!

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, continue to seek God first in your life and choose to accept Jesus’ gift of His sacrifice on our behalf. Jesus chose the cross for you and for me. Let’s not take Jesus’ sacrifice for granted or belittle it through the way we live or act.

Also, continue to pray and study the Bible for yourself in order to grow closer to Jesus each and every day. As we grow closer to Jesus through prayer and study, discover how much Jesus loves you personally, and how much Jesus was willing to face so that you could be forgiven of your sin! Jesus faced death for you and me, and this is something that was entirely His choice!

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or abandon where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!