John 13:1

Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. The record of our Lord's public ministry has now been concluded-in the First Three Gospels by a solemn leave-taking of the Temple, until then "His Father's House" and the center of all the Church's solemnities; in this Fourth Gospel by an equally solemn leave-taking of the People, in whom until then God's visible kingdom had stood represented. We are now in the Supper-room; the circumstances preparatory to which our Evangelist presumes his readers to be already familiar with through the other Gospels. What passed in this supper room, as recorded in this and the four following chapters, has been felt by the Church in every age to be stamped with a heavenly and divine impress, beyon...

1._Before the feast of the passover. _John intentionally passes by many things which, he knew, had been related by Matthew and others. He undertakes to explain those circumstances which they had left out, one of which was the narrative of the _washing of feet_. And though he will afterwards explain more clearly for what purpose Christ _washed the feet _of his disciples, yet, before doing so, he states, in a single word, that the Lord testified, by this visible sign, that the love with which he embraced them was firm and lasting; that, though they were deprived of his presence, they might still be convinced that death itself would not quench this love. This conviction ought now to be fixed also in our hearts. The words are, that Christ _loved even to the end his own, who were in the world. _Why does he employ this circumlocution in describing the Apostles, but in order to inform us that,...

1-17 Our Lord Jesus has a people in the world that are his own; he has purchased them, and paid dear for them, and he has set them apart for himself; they devote themselves to him as a peculiar people. Those whom Christ loves, he loves to the end. Nothing can separate a true believer from the love of Christ. We know not when our hour will come, therefore what we have to do in constant preparation for it, ought never to be undone. What way of access the devil has to men's hearts we cannot tell. But some sins are so exceedingly sinful, and there is so little temptation to them from the world and the flesh, that it is plain they are directly from Satan. Jesus washed his disciples' feet, that he might teach us to think nothing below us, wherein we may promote God's glory, and the good of our brethren. We must address ourselves to duty, and must lay aside every thing that would hinder us in...

CHAPTER XIII. _Christ washes the feet of his disciples, and gives them_ _instructions concerting humility and charity_, 1-17. _He tells them that one of themselves will betray him_, 18-20. _The disciples doubting of whom he spoke, Peter desires John to_ _ask him_, 21-25. _Jesus shows that it is Judas Iscariot_, 26. _Satan enters into Judas, and he rises up and leaves the company_, 27-30. _Christ shows his approaching death, and commands his disciples_ _to love one another_, 31-35. Peter, pro

THE FEAST OF THE PASSOVER - See the notes at Matthew 26:2, Matthew 26:17. HIS HOUR WAS COME - The hour appointed in the purpose of God for him to die, John 12:27. HAVING LOVED HIS OWN - Having given to them decisive and constant proofs of his love. This was done by his calling them to follow him; by patiently teaching them; by bearing with their errors and weaknesses; and by making them the heralds of his truth and the heirs of eternal life. HE LOVED THEM UNTO THE END - That is, he continued the proofs of his love until he was taken away from them by death. Instances

EXPOSITION IV. THE FINAL MANIFESTATIONS IN WORD AND ACTION OF THE LOGOS INCARNATE, EXPRESSING ITSELF ABSOLUTELY AND TO THE UTTERMOST AS LOVE. (Jn 13-21.) In two divisions— A._ The inner glorification of the Christ in the presence of those who received and believed on him_. *** The Loges incarnate as life, light, love, and sacrifice, lavishing all his grace upon his own (Jn 13-17.). B._ The outer glorification of the Christ in his Passion and resurrection_. *** The fully manifested love laying down life that he might take it again, and lift

NOW BEFORE THE FEAST OF THE PASSOVER,.... This feast was instituted as a memorial of the deliverance of the children of Israel out of Egypt, and was an eminent type of Christ; and this passover was what Christ had greatly desired, it being his last, and when he was to express his great love to his people, mentioned here, by dying for them. It was two days before this feast, so the Persic version reads this text, at Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, that the things recorded in this chapter were transacted; see Matthew 26:2; WHEN JESUS KNEW THAT HIS HOUR WAS COME THAT HE SHOULD DEPART OUT OF THIS WORLD TO THE FATHER. The death of Christ is here signified by a departing out of this world, a way of speaking frequently used by the Jews as expressive of death; Philippian

John 13:1. _Now before the feast of the passover,_ Or, just as it was about to begin, John 13:1. _When Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end._ That is a very beautiful description of Christ's death: «His hour was that he should depart out of this world unto the Father,» just as though he was merely going on a journey, leaving one land for another; and if this be a fair description of such a stormy passage as that of our Lord Jesus, who died for our sins upon Calvary's cross, it must with equal truth describe the death of any of the children of God. There is also an appointed time for us to depart, and to be with Christ which is far better than remaining h

BEFORE THE FEAST For ORDER OF EVENTS DURING THE NIGHT OF THE LAST PASSOVER, see (_ See Scofield) - (Matthew 26:20). _...

CHAPTER 13 _ 1. The Washing of the Disciples' Feet. (John 13:1 .)_ 2. Instructions given; to Wash One Another's Feet. (John 13:12 .) 3. The Betrayal Foretold. (John 13:18 .) 4. His Own Departure and the New Commandment. (John 13:31 .) 5. The Denial of Peter Foretold. (John 13:36 .) We reach with this chapter the most precious portion of this Gospel. The multitudes are left behind. Israel has completely rejected Him and now He gathered His own beloved disciples around Himself and gave them the sweet and blessed words of in