Read the Gospels in 40 Days
Jesus Washes His Followers’ Feet
13 ·It was almost time for [L Now before…,] the Passover Feast [12:12]. Jesus knew that it was ·time [L the hour] for him to ·leave [depart from] this world and go back to the Father. He had always loved those who were his own in the world, and he loved them ·all the way to the end [or completely; totally].
2 ·Jesus and his followers were at the evening meal [L It was dinnertime]. The devil had already ·persuaded [L put it into the heart of] Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to ·turn against [betray] Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had ·given him power over everything [L placed everything into his hands] and that he had come from God and was going back to God. 4 So ·during the meal [L from supper] Jesus stood up and took off his outer clothing. Taking a towel, he wrapped it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a bowl and began to wash the ·followers’ [disciples’] feet, ·drying [wiping] them with the towel that was wrapped around him. [C This act was considered so demeaning by some people that they only allowed Gentile slaves to do it.]
6 Jesus came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus answered, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but you will understand later.”
8 Peter said, “No, you will never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “If I don’t wash your feet, you ·are not one of my people [L have no share/part with me].”
9 Simon Peter answered, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but wash my hands and my head, too!”
10 Jesus said to him, “After a person has ·had a bath [washed; bathed], his whole body is clean. He needs only to wash his feet. And you men are clean, but not all of you.” 11 [L For] Jesus knew who would ·turn against [betray] him, and that is why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and ·sat down [L reclined; C the posture for a banquet or dinner party] again. He asked, “Do you understand what I have just done ·for [to] you? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord’ [C titles appropriately ascribed to an esteemed Rabbi, but which took on deeper meaning after his death and resurrection], and you are right, because that is what I am. 14 If I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash each other’s feet. 15 I did this as ·an example [a pattern] so that you should do as I have done for you. 16 ·I tell you the truth [L Truly, truly, I say to you], a ·servant [slave; bond-servant] is not greater than his ·master [lord]. [L And] A messenger is not greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
18 “I am not talking about all of you. I know those I have chosen. But this is to ·bring about what the Scripture said [L fulfill the Scripture]: ·‘The man who ate at my table has turned against me.’ [L ‘The one who ate bread with me lifted his heel against me’; Ps. 41:9; C eating with someone showed an intimate relationship, and lifting one’s heel was an act of betrayal.] 19 I am telling you this now before it happens so that when it happens, you will believe that ·I am he [L I am; C this may be an allusion to God’s (Yahweh’s) self identification as “I AM” in Ex. 3:14, or to God’s repeated claim that “I am he” throughout Is. 40—55; see John 8:24, 28, 58]. 20 ·I tell you the truth [L Truly, truly, I say to you], whoever ·accepts [receives] anyone I send also ·accepts [receives] me. And whoever ·accepts [receives] me also ·accepts [receives] the One who sent me [Matt. 10:40].”
Jesus Talks About His Death(A)
21 After Jesus said this, he was very troubled [L in spirit]. He ·said openly [bore witness and said], “·I tell you the truth [L Truly, truly, I say to you], one of you will ·turn against [betray] me.”
22 The ·followers [disciples] all looked at each other, because they did not know whom Jesus was talking about. 23 One of the ·followers [disciples] ·sitting next to Jesus [L reclining at his side/chest; C an honored position] was the ·follower [disciple] Jesus loved [C a reference to John]. 24 Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus whom he was talking about.
25 That ·follower [disciple] ·leaned [reclined] closer to Jesus and asked, “Lord, who is it?”
26 Jesus answered, “I will dip this [piece/morsel of] bread into the dish. The man I give it to is the man who will ·turn against [betray] me.” So Jesus took a piece of bread, dipped it, and gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27 ·As soon as [After] Judas took the [piece/morsel of] bread, Satan entered him. [L Then] Jesus said to him, “·The thing that you will do—do it quickly [T What you do, do quickly].” 28 No one ·at the table [L of those reclining] understood why Jesus said this to Judas. 29 Since he was the one who kept the money ·box [or bag], some of the ·followers [disciples] thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the ·feast [festival] or to give something to the poor.
30 [L So] Judas took the [piece/morsel of] bread Jesus gave him and immediately went out. It was night. [C The night is both a time reference and a symbol of Judas’ evil actions.]
31 When Judas was gone, Jesus said, “Now the ·Son of Man [C a title for the Messiah; Dan. 7:13–14] ·receives his glory [is glorified], and God ·receives glory [is glorified] through him. 32 If God ·receives glory [is glorified] through him,[a] then God will ·give glory to [glorify; honor] the Son through himself. And God will ·give him glory [glorify/honor him] ·quickly [immediately; at once].”
33 Jesus said, “·My children [or Little children; C a term of endearment], I will be with you only a little longer. You will ·look for [seek] me, and what I told the Jews [7:33–34; 8:21], I tell you now: Where I am going you cannot come.
34 “I give you a new ·command [commandment]: Love ·each other [T one another]. You must love ·each other [T one another] as I have loved you. 35 All people will know that you are my ·followers [disciples] if you love ·each other [T one another].”
Peter Will Say He Doesn’t Know Jesus(B)
36 Simon Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, where are you going?”
Jesus answered, “Where I am going you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.”
37 Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I ·am ready to die for you [L will lay down my life for you]!”
38 Jesus answered, “·Are you ready to die for me [L Will you lay down your life for me]? ·I tell you the truth [L Truly, truly, I say to you], before the ·rooster [cock] crows, you will ·say three times that you don’t know me [deny/disown me three times].”
Jesus Comforts His Followers
14 Jesus said, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. ·Trust [Believe] in God, and ·trust [believe] in me [or You trust/believe in God, trust/believe also in me]. 2 There are many ·rooms [places to live] in my Father’s house [C heaven, metaphorically portrayed as a great palace]; I would not tell you this if it were not true. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 ·After [L And if] I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me so that you may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going[b] [C because they know Jesus; 14:6].”
5 Thomas said to Jesus, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going. So how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus answered, “I am ·the way, and the truth, and the life [or the one true way to have life]. ·The only way to the Father is through me [L No one comes to the Father except through me]. 7 If you really knew me, you would know my Father, too. ·But now [or From now on] you do know him, and you have seen him.”
8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father. That is all we need.”
9 Jesus answered, “I have been with you ·a long time now [all this time; for so long]. Do you still not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. So why do you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I say to you don’t come ·from me [on my own authority], but the Father ·lives [remains; abides] in me and does his own work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or believe because of ·the miracles I have done [L the works themselves]. 12 ·I tell you the truth [L Truly, truly, I say to you], whoever believes in me will do the same things that I do. Those who believe will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. [C They will do greater things because all believers—not just Jesus—will have the Holy Spirit living in them and empowering them.] 13 And if you ask for anything in my name [C asking “in my name” means acknowledging that Jesus is the mediator between God and human beings; the name represents the person], I will do it for you so that ·the Father’s glory will be shown [L the Father might be glorified] ·through [or in] the Son. 14 If you ask me for anything in my name, I will do it.
The Promise of the Holy Spirit
15 “·If you love me, you will obey my commands [or If you love me, obey my commands; C this may be either a declaration or a command]. 16 I will ask the Father, and he will give you another ·Helper [Counselor; Advocate; C the Holy Spirit] to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot ·accept [receive] him, because it does not see him or know him. But you know him, because he ·lives [remains; abides] with you and he will be ·in [or among] you.
18 “I will not leave you all alone like orphans [C orphans had little or no support in ancient society]; I will ·come back [L come] to you. 19 In a little while the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you will live, too. 20 On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and that you are in me and I am in you. 21 Those who ·know [L have] my commands and ·obey [keep] them are the ones who love me, and my Father will love those who love me. I will love them and will ·show [reveal] myself to them.”
22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot [C probably Judas son of James; Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13]) said, “But, Lord, ·why do [how is it that; what has happened that] you plan to ·show [reveal] yourself to us and not to the rest of the world?”
23 Jesus answered, “If people love me, they will ·obey my teaching [L keep my word]. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Those who do not love me do not ·obey my teaching [L keep my words]. This ·teaching [word] that you hear is not really mine; it is from my Father, who sent me.
25 “I have told you all these things while I ·am [remain; abide] with you. 26 But the ·Helper [Counselor; Advocate; see 14:15] will teach you ·everything [all things] and will ·cause you to remember [remind you of] all that I told you. This Helper is the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name.
27 “I leave you peace [C the Greek word for “peace” reflects the Hebrew shalom, a typical Hebrew farewell; but Jesus’ peace, in the sense of wholeness, is also a characteristic of the messianic kingdom]; my peace I give you. I do not give it to you as the world does. So don’t let your hearts be troubled or afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going, but I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you should ·be happy [rejoice] that I am going back to the Father, because he is greater than I am. 29 I have told you this now, before it happens, so that when it happens, you will believe [13:19]. 30 I will not talk with you much longer, because the ·ruler [prince] of this world [C Satan] is coming. He has ·no power [no claim/hold; L nothing] over me, 31 but the world must know that I love the Father, so I do ·exactly what [just as] the Father ·told [commanded] me to do [C go to the cross].
“·Come now [L Get up; Rise up], let us go.
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