Jesus washes the Disciples Feet – John 13:3-5, 14

John 13:3-5, 14

³ Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, ⁴ rose from supper, laid aside his garments, and girded himself with a towel. ⁵ Then he poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded.

¹⁴ If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

What to do with this educator’s commentary

This commentary invites you as a teacher to engage with and interpret the passage. Allow the text to speak first. The commentary suggests that you ask yourself various questions that will aid your interpretation. They will help you answer for yourself the question in the last words of the text: ‘what does this mean?’

This educator’s commentary is not a ‘finished package’. It is for your engagement with the text. You then go on to plan how you enable your students to work with the text.

Both you and your students are the agents of interpretation. The ‘Worlds of the Text’ offer a structure, a conversation between the worlds of the author and the setting of the text; the world of the text; and the world of the reader. In your personal reflection and in your teaching all three worlds should be integrated as they rely on each other.

In your teaching you are encouraged to ask your students to engage with the text in a dialogical way, to explore and interpret it, to share their own interpretation and to listen to that of others before they engage with the way the text might relate to a topic or unit of work being studied.

Structure of the commentary:

The World Behind the Text

See general introduction to John.

This passage is part of the Last Supper narrative in John’s Gospel, but unlike the Synoptic Gospels, John does not include the institution of the Eucharist here. Instead, he focuses on the washing of the disciples’ feet, a powerful act that reveals the meaning of Jesus’ mission and the nature of Christian discipleship.

The world of the text

Text Type

• This passage is part of a narrative within the Last Supper discourse in John’s Gospel.
• It is descriptive and symbolic, recounting an action of Jesus that carries deep theological meaning.
• Unlike the Synoptic Gospels, John replaces the institution of the Eucharist with this acted parable of service.

Textual Features

1. Narrative Structure

• The text uses action verbs to describe Jesus’ deliberate movements: “got up,” “took off,” “tied,” “poured,” “began to wash.”
• These verbs create a sense of solemnity and intentionality, highlighting the significance of the act.

2. Symbolism

• Washing of feet: Symbolises humility, service, and cleansing.
• Removing outer garment and taking a towel: Represents Jesus’ self-emptying and readiness to serve.
• The act foreshadows the Cross, where Jesus’ ultimate act of love will occur.

3. Contrast and Reversal

• The Master performs the role of a servant, reversing social norms.
• This reversal illustrates the Gospel theme that greatness is found in service.

4. Direct Speech

• Verse 14 includes Jesus’ command: “You also ought to wash one another’s feet.”
• This moves the text from description to instruction, making it prescriptive for discipleship.

5. Theological Depth

• The passage is not just about hospitality; it is a sign of the new commandment of love (John 13:34).

 

1. The Setting

• These verses occur at the beginning of the Book of Glory (John 13–20), which recounts Jesus’ final hours, His passion, death, and resurrection.
• The context is intimate: Jesus is with His disciples during the Last Supper, fully aware that His hour has come to return to the Father (John 13:1).

2. Jesus’ Knowledge and Authority (v. 3)

• The text emphasises that Jesus knows His divine origin and destiny: He has come from God and is returning to God.
• This awareness makes His next action even more striking—He chooses to serve rather than assert power.

3. The Act of Washing Feet (vv. 4–5)

• Washing feet was a task reserved for servants, never for a teacher or master.
• By removing His outer garment and taking a towel, Jesus adopts the posture of a slave, showing that true greatness is expressed in humble service.
• This action symbolises cleansing, not just physically but spiritually, pointing to the deeper purification that comes through His death.

4. The Command to Imitate (v. 14)

• After completing the act, Jesus says: “If I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.”
• This is not just about literal foot washing; it is a call to a lifestyle of service, humility, and love.
• For John, this replaces the Synoptic emphasis on the Eucharist with a focus on living out the meaning of the Eucharist through service.

Theological Significance

• This passage reveals the heart of Christian leadership: authority is exercised through service.
• It anticipates the Cross, where Jesus’ ultimate act of love and humility will take place.
• It challenges disciples in every age to embody this same spirit in their relationships and communities.

Characters

1. Jesus

• The central figure in this passage.
• Fully aware of His divine authority and mission (“knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands”).
• Takes the role of a servant by washing the disciples’ feet, demonstrating humility and love.
• Gives the command to imitate His example: “You also ought to wash one another’s feet.”

2. The Disciples

• Present as a group during the Last Supper.
• Recipients of Jesus’ act of service.
• Their role highlights the contrast between cultural expectations (a master should not wash feet) and Jesus’ radical example of servant leadership.
• They represent all future followers of Jesus, making this teaching universal.

3. (Implied) Peter

• Although not mentioned in these specific verses, Peter’s resistance appears in the surrounding context (vv. 6–9).
• His reaction illustrates the human struggle to accept God’s way of humility and service.

 

Ideas/phrases/concepts

Key Ideas

1. Servant Leadership
   Jesus demonstrates that true leadership is expressed through humble service, not power or status.
2. Love in Action
   The foot washing is a practical sign of the new commandment to love one another (John 13:34).
3. Reversal of Roles
   The Master takes the role of a servant, challenging cultural norms and expectations.
4. Imitation of Christ
   Jesus’ command in verse 14 calls disciples to follow His example in their relationships and ministry.
5. Foreshadowing the Cross
   This act anticipates Jesus’ ultimate self-giving in His passion and death.

Significant Phrases

• “Knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands” – Jesus acts from a position of divine authority and security.
• “He got up from the table, took off His outer robe, and tied a towel around Himself” – deliberate actions symbolising humility and self-emptying.
• “Began to wash the disciples’ feet” – a shocking reversal of social norms.
• “You also ought to wash one another’s feet” – a direct command to imitate His example of service.

Core Concepts

• Humility: Greatness in God’s kingdom is shown through service.
• Discipleship: Following Jesus means adopting His attitude of self-giving love.
• Community: Christian relationships are built on mutual service, not hierarchy.
• Sacramental Symbolism: Though not the Eucharist, this act expresses the meaning of Eucharistic love—service and self-gift.

 

Where the particular texts sits in the context of the Gospel

Position in the Gospel

• This passage is located at the beginning of the Book of Glory (John 13–20), which focuses on Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection.
• It occurs during the Last Supper—John’s account of Jesus’ final meal with His disciples before His arrest.

Why It Matters

• Unlike the Synoptic Gospels, John does not include the institution of the Eucharist here. Instead, he highlights the washing of the disciples’ feet as the central symbolic act.
• This act sets the tone for the rest of the Book of Glory: Jesus’ glory is revealed through humble service and self-giving love, culminating in the Cross.

Connection to the Gospel’s Themes

Foreshadowing the Passion: The act points forward to Jesus’ ultimate act of love on the Cross.

Love and Service: The foot washing anticipates the “new commandment” (John 13:34) and models what discipleship looks like.

Humility and Leadership: Jesus redefines greatness—authority is exercised through service.

Questions for the teacher:

The world in front of the text

Questions for the teacher:

Please reflect on these questions before reading this section and then use the material below to enrich your responsiveness to the text.

Meaning for today/challenges

God’s Presence in Our World
The Incarnation—“The Word became flesh and lived among us”—reminds us that God is not distant but fully present in human life. This speaks powerfully to a world that often feels fragmented or secular. It reassures believers that God understands human struggles and walks with us.

Human Dignity and Value
If God became human, then every person has immense worth. This underpins Catholic teaching on the dignity of the human person and calls us to respect life, justice, and equality.

Invitation to Relationship
The text invites us to believe and become children of God. Faith is not just intellectual assent but a living relationship with Jesus, who brings light and life into our daily reality.

Hope in Darkness
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” offers hope in times of suffering, injustice, or doubt. It assures us that God’s light is stronger than any darkness.

Challenges for Today

Avoiding Misinterpretation
The language of light and darkness can be misunderstood if taken literally or culturally. Clarify that these are theological symbols, not value judgments on people or cultures.

Understanding the Mystery of the Incarnation
In a culture that values what can be seen and measured, the idea that God became human can seem abstract or unbelievable.

Living as Children of God
The text calls believers to reflect God’s grace and truth in their lives. This is challenging in a world marked by individualism, consumerism, and moral relativism.

Faith in a Secular Context
Many encounter scepticism about faith. Explaining why Jesus matters today—and why His identity as the Word made flesh is central—requires thoughtful dialogue and witness.

Church interpretation & usage

The Mystery of the Incarnation
The Church reads this text as a profound proclamation of the Incarnation: “The Word became flesh and lived among us” (John 1:14). This is central to Catholic faith—Jesus Christ is true God and true man. The Catechism (CCC 456–460) teaches that the Word became flesh to save us, reveal God’s love, and make us partakers in divine life.

Christ as Eternal Word
The opening verse (“In the beginning was the Word”) affirms Christ’s divinity and eternal existence. This underpins the doctrine of the Trinity: the Son is distinct from the Father yet fully God.

Grace and Truth
The phrase “full of grace and truth” reflects God’s covenant love now fully revealed in Christ. The Church sees this as the foundation for the sacraments and the life of grace.

Light in Darkness
The Church interprets the light/darkness imagery as the victory of Christ over sin and death. This theme is central to the Easter Vigil liturgy, where the Paschal candle symbolises Christ as the Light of the World.

Liturgical Use

This text is proclaimed on Holy Thursday during the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, where the Church often re-enacts the washing of feet as a sign of Christ-like service.

It reminds the faithful that the Eucharist is not only about receiving Christ but also about living His example of love in action.