John chapter 13

vs 11

Thank you John, for spelling that out. But it does show us that Jesus was fully aware that Judas needed something. He needed to be clean, as it were. And Jesus' foot washing does not represent his cleansing of the disciples - Peter is already clean, Judas is not clean, and the foot washing will not change that.

vs 12

Their answer was probably a dumb-founded, "Ummm, wha?" That's how I like to think about it, anyway. Their stunned silence might show that they would often sit silently and let Jesus explain himself. Either that, or John just doesn't include the bit where they all clambour to give Jesus their opinion about what he has done.

vs 13

Jesus is a teacher, and he is their Lord. This links to the footwashing thing, as it was common for a master to have his disciples wash his feet as a showing of submission to the master but also because it was seen as an honour to do so.

vs 14

This was the completely unheard of thing. You actually never washed the feet of a peer. Someone better than you? Of course. If the king visited your home, you would wash his feet. But you were never expected to have your friend wash your feet. You would get a slave to do it for you. If you couldn't afford a slave, you'd have your wife to do such things, or one of the children.

vs 15

But now Jesus has broken the back of this tradition by washing the disciples feet. He is sending them a message - serve each other. Be humble towards each other. This is a similar situation to Jesus taking these guys to the poor quarters and healing lepers and the blind. The sick and poor are there to be helped, not dodged out of religious cleanliness. So, your brothers are there to serve and honour, not to treat as equals or despise.

vs 16

If Jesus, their master, has washed their feet, they cannot think that they, as students, cannot wash each other's feet. Because he is greater than them, and yet even he has done it.

vs 17

And indeed, serving your brothers in this way and with this attitude will be a blessing. Following in the will of God will always be a blessing, even if it means being demeaned or tortured or pained somehow.

vs 18

Judas' betrayal is coming. Does he even know yet? Who knows. Jesus isn't saying this to make him feel bad, he is saying it to show the fulfilment of Scripture, which points to him as Lord.

vs 19

He wants the disciples to know that Jesus is the one Messiah, the one prophesyed about in the OT. He wants to tell them this first, so that they know it wasn't a surprise to him. Of course, it's entirely unbelievable to them now, but they will look back on it and see how clued in Jesus was.

vs 20

Jesus here is passing on (without losing himself) the authority of his teaching and the role of spreading it to the nations. Of course, the disciples probably don't have any idea, but just as Jesus has shown the intimacy between himself and God earlier on, so now he shows that those who welcome his disciples also welcome him. Later on they will receive that commission in force, but at the moment they are seeing a hint of it.

But why does he say it now? Most probably as a bit of a counteraction of the upcoming betrayal (of both Peter and, more finally, Judas). He is saying that his disciples really need to close ranks with him now, they need to show that they are side by side with him, because Jesus and God will be accepted through them. Now is the time for unity - right before his betrayal.