John 13:1-20 — Jesus Washes the Disciples' Feet

1Προ δε της εορτης του πασχα ειδως ο Ιησους οτι ηλθεν αυτου η ωρα ινα μεταβη εκ του κοσμου τουτου προς τον Πατερα, αγαπησας τους ιδιους τους εν τω κοσμω, εις τελος ηγαπησεν αυτους. (Pro de tēs eortēs toy pascha eidōs o Iēsoys oti ēlthen aytoy ē ōra ina metabē ek toy kosmoy toytoy pros ton Patera, agapēsas toys idioys toys en tō kosmō, eis telos ēgapēsen aytoys.)2και δειπνου γινομενου, του διαβολου ηδη βεβληκοτος εις την καρδιαν ινα παραδοι αυτον Ιουδας Σιμωνος Ισκαριωτης, (kai deipnoy ginomenoy, toy diaboloy ēdē beblēkotos eis tēn kardian ina paradoi ayton Ioydas Simōnos Iskariōtēs,)3ειδως οτι παντα εδωκεν αυτω ο Πατηρ εις τας χειρας, και οτι απο Θεου εξηλθεν και προς τον Θεον υπαγει, (eidōs oti panta edōken aytō o Patēr eis tas cheiras, kai oti apo Theoy exēlthen kai pros ton Theon ypagei,)4εγειρεται εκ του δειπνου και τιθησιν τα ιματια, και λαβων λεντιον διεζωσεν εαυτον· (egeiretai ek toy deipnoy kai tithēsin ta imatia, kai labōn lention diezōsen eayton·)5ειτα βαλλει υδωρ εις τον νιπτηρα, και ηρξατο νιπτειν τους ποδας των μαθητων και εκμασσειν τω λεντιω ω ην διεζωσμενος. (eita ballei ydōr eis ton niptēra, kai ērxato niptein toys podas tōn mathētōn kai ekmassein tō lentiō ō ēn diezōsmenos.)6ερχεται ουν προς Σιμωνα Πετρον· λεγει αυτω Κυριε, συ μου νιπτεις τους ποδας; (erchetai oyn pros Simōna Petron· legei aytō Kyrie, sy moy nipteis toys podas;)7απεκριθη Ιησους και ειπεν αυτω Ο εγω ποιω συ ουκ οιδας αρτι, γνωση δε μετα ταυτα. (apekrithē Iēsoys kai eipen aytō O egō poiō sy oyk oidas arti, gnōsē de meta tayta.)8λεγει αυτω Πετρος Ου μη νιψης μου τους ποδας εις τον αιωνα. απεκριθη Ιησους αυτω Εαν μη νιψω σε, ουκ εχεις μερος μετ εμου. (legei aytō Petros Oy mē nipsēs moy toys podas eis ton aiōna. apekrithē Iēsoys aytō Ean mē nipsō se, oyk echeis meros met emoy.)9λεγει αυτω Σιμων Πετρος Κυριε, μη τους ποδας μου μονον αλλα και τας χειρας και την κεφαλην. (legei aytō Simōn Petros Kyrie, mē toys podas moy monon alla kai tas cheiras kai tēn kephalēn.)10λεγει αυτω Ιησους Ο λελουμενος ουκ εχει χρειαν ει μη τους ποδας νιψασθαι, αλλ εστιν καθαρος ολος· και υμεις καθαροι εστε, αλλ ουχι παντες. (legei aytō Iēsoys O leloymenos oyk echei chreian ei mē toys podas nipsasthai, all estin katharos olos· kai ymeis katharoi este, all oychi pantes.)11ηδει γαρ τον παραδιδοντα αυτον· δια τουτο ειπεν οτι Ουχι παντες καθαροι εστε. (ēdei gar ton paradidonta ayton· dia toyto eipen oti Oychi pantes katharoi este.)12Οτε ουν ενιψεν τους ποδας αυτων και ελαβεν τα ιματια αυτου και ανεπεσεν παλιν, ειπεν αυτοις Γινωσκετε τι πεποιηκα υμιν; (Ote oyn enipsen toys podas aytōn kai elaben ta imatia aytoy kai anepesen palin, eipen aytois Ginōskete ti pepoiēka ymin;)13υμεις φωνειτε με Ο Διδασκαλος και ο Κυριος, και καλως λεγετε· ειμι γαρ. (ymeis phōneite me O Didaskalos kai o Kyrios, kai kalōs legete· eimi gar.)14ει ουν εγω ενιψα υμων τους ποδας ο Κυριος και ο Διδασκαλος, και υμεις οφειλετε αλληλων νιπτειν τους ποδας· (ei oyn egō enipsa ymōn toys podas o Kyrios kai o Didaskalos, kai ymeis opheilete allēlōn niptein toys podas·)15υποδειγμα γαρ εδωκα υμιν ινα καθως εγω εποιησα υμιν και υμεις ποιητε. (ypodeigma gar edōka ymin ina kathōs egō epoiēsa ymin kai ymeis poiēte.)16αμην αμην λεγω υμιν, ουκ εστιν δουλος μειζων του κυριου αυτου, ουδε αποστολος μειζων του πεμψαντος αυτον. (amēn amēn legō ymin, oyk estin doylos meizōn toy kyrioy aytoy, oyde apostolos meizōn toy pempsantos ayton.)17ει ταυτα οιδατε, μακαριοι εστε εαν ποιητε αυτα. (ei tayta oidate, makarioi este ean poiēte ayta.)18ου περι παντων υμων λεγω· εγω οιδα τινας εξελεξαμην· αλλ ινα η γραφη πληρωθη Ο τρωγων μου τον αρτον επηρεν επ εμε την πτερναν αυτου. (oy peri pantōn ymōn legō· egō oida tinas exelexamēn· all ina ē graphē plērōthē O trōgōn moy ton arton epēren ep eme tēn pternan aytoy.)19απ αρτι λεγω υμιν προ του γενεσθαι, ινα πιστευητε οταν γενηται οτι εγω ειμι. (ap arti legō ymin pro toy genesthai, ina pisteyēte otan genētai oti egō eimi.)20αμην αμην λεγω υμιν, ο λαμβανων αν τινα πεμψω εμε λαμβανει, ο δε εμε λαμβανων λαμβανει τον πεμψαντα με. (amēn amēn legō ymin, o lambanōn an tina pempsō eme lambanei, o de eme lambanōn lambanei ton pempsanta me.)

1Now before the feast of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that his time had come that he would depart from this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.2During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him,3Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he came from God and was going to God,4arose from supper, and laid aside his outer garments. He took a towel and wrapped a towel around his waist.5Then he poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.6Then he came to Simon Peter. He said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?”7Jesus answered him, “You don’t know what I am doing now, but you will understand later.”8Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I don’t wash you, you have no part with me.”9Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!”10Jesus said to him, “Someone who has bathed only needs to have his feet washed, but is completely clean. You are clean, but not all of you.”11For he knew him who would betray him; therefore he said, “You are not all clean.”12So when he had washed their feet, put his outer garment back on, and sat down again, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you?13You call me, ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord.’ You say so correctly, for so I am.14If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.15For I have given you an example, that you should also do as I have done to you.16Most certainly I tell you, a servant is not greater than his lord, neither is one who is sent greater than he who sent him.17If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.18I don’t speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me.’19From now on, I tell you before it happens, that when it happens, you may believe that I am he.20Most certainly I tell you, he who receives whomever I send, receives me; and he who receives me, receives him who sent me.”

The shape of glory (v. 1, 3–5). John 13 begins with Jesus, knowing the Father had given all things into his hands, getting up from supper to wash feet. The supreme moment of self-awareness produces not a display of power but a towel.

The basin and the cross. The foot washing is the same descent as the cross, enacted in advance. The King who came not to be served but to serve begins by doing what no one else would do.

Greek: Nestle 1904 · English: World English Bible (Public Domain)

“If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.”

JESUS knew that his hour had come. The Gospel says it plainly: he knew the Father had given all things into his hands, that he had come from God, and that he was returning to God. In the supreme moment of self-awareness — complete knowledge of his identity and his destiny — Jesus got up from supper, laid aside his outer garment, and began to wash feet.

This is not a parable. This is not a metaphor intended to illustrate a point. This is a man on his knees with a basin and a towel, doing the work of the lowest household servant. In the ancient world, washing feet was the task of the least important person in the room, often a Gentile slave. It was work that no Jew would be expected to perform for another Jew. And here is the Lord of the universe, doing exactly that, for the men who will abandon him within the hour.

Peter objects — “You shall never wash my feet!” — because Peter understands instinctively that the categories are reversed. The master does not serve the disciple. The king does not wash the feet of the subject. Peter's protest is theologically correct by every human standard. But Jesus is operating by a different logic entirely: the logic of the cross, where descent is ascent, and the one who stoops lowest is raised highest.

But Jesus insists: “If I do not wash you, you have no part with me.” The foot washing is not merely an example of humility to be admired. It is an enacted gospel. The cleansing that makes us belong to Christ is something he does to us, not something we do for him. Peter, characteristically, swings from one extreme to the other: “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!”

Jesus stops him: “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet.” The one who has been bathed (λελουμένος, perfect passive participle) is already clean. The bath has already happened. What remains is the daily cleansing of the dust of the road. This is the shape of the Christian life: once washed by the grace of God in Christ, we continually need the cleansing that comes from walking with him through a fallen world.

The towel and basin anticipate the cross in a specific way. On the cross, Jesus will descend to the lowest place — stripped of his garments, exposed to shame, giving his life as a ransom for many. The foot washing is the same descent, enacted in advance for those who cannot yet see what he is doing. The King who came not to be served but to serve begins by doing what no one else would do.

And then he says: “If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.” This is the structure of discipleship. We do not wash Christ’s feet. He does not need our service in that sense. But we wash the feet of one another — the dirty, unglamorous, repetitive acts of love that no one sees and everyone needs. The towel and basin are passed from the Master to every disciple.

Primary Sources

Augustine, Tractate 55: “He who was rich became poor for our sakes. He laid aside his garments, and taking the form of a servant, he washed the feet of his disciples.”

Calvin, on John 13:14: “Christ does not enjoin a ceremony, but recommends the exercise of mutual condescension.”

Written for the Grace Memorial devotional series · July 2026

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