John 13:13 - Printer Friendly

ESV: You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am.

NIV: You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am.

NASB: You call Me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord’; and you are correct, for so I am.

CSB: You call me Teacher and Lord--and you are speaking rightly, since that is what I am.

NLT: You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am.

KJV: Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.

NKJV: You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am.

Washing of feet was a dirty, lowly task. In Jesus' era, this was always done by someone of lower status for someone of higher status. This is why Peter's first reaction was to absolutely refuse such a gesture (John 13:6–8).

In this statement, Jesus clarifies that He is not denying His role as their Lord. In fact, He is emphasizing it. Despite what Peter may have thought, Jesus is in no way putting Himself on the same level as the disciples. Rather, He's doing the opposite. Washing their feet was not meant to contradict the idea of Christ as Master. Instead, it draws a hard line that challenges our normal sense of what leadership means. It also establishes common love and support as fundamental parts of living out the Christian faith.

Jesus will go on to explain that when the Master performs a task, servants don't get to dismiss that same action as "beneath them." In this one moment, Jesus crushes the benchmark of "that's beneath me" all the way to the floor. The greatest of all leaders, Jesus Christ, worked in humility and service to others. No Christian, regardless of status, title, role, or reputation, has a right to turn up their nose at sacrificial service. To do so would be to suggest, absurdly, that such a person is "too good" to do what Christ did.

John 13:12–20 is Jesus' explanation of His humble act: washing the feet of the disciples. Christ freely accepts His role as Lord and master, using those concepts to drive home His main point. Those who claim the name of Jesus ought to follow His example. That means humility and service for others—if the Lord serves others, so too should those who follow Him. Jesus also points out that not everyone at this event truly follows Him. This prediction is given to strengthen the faith of true believers once everything has been revealed. The following passage expands on the impending betrayal.

Jesus meets with a smaller group, possibly only the twelve disciples, in a private setting. Before eating a meal, Jesus performs the work of a lowly servant, washing the feet of the disciples. He explains that this is an object lesson. Their Lord is willing to serve in humility, so they are obligated to do the same. Jesus also predicts His impending betrayal, subtly telling Judas to leave and complete His conspiracy. The disciples don't realize what's happened, however. Peter foolishly brags about his loyalty. Jesus responds with a cutting prediction: Peter will deny his relationship to Christ three times in the next few hours.

The first twelve chapters of the gospel of John describe the public ministry of Jesus. Starting in chapter 13, most of what John describes are the last private moments Jesus enjoys prior to His crucifixion. This begins with Jesus washing the disciples' feet, establishing both an example and a command for humble service. Jesus also predicts His impending betrayal and Peter's cowardly denials. Following chapters contain Jesus' last instructions to the disciples, including a rich collection of truths which are central to the Christian faith.

The gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls “signs”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.