The Pulpit Commentary - John 13:1-17
1. Love in humiliation . read more
A. The inner glorification of the Christ in the presence of those who received and believed on him . *** The Loges incarnate as life, light, love, and sacrifice, lavishing all his grace upon his own (Jn 13-17.). B. The outer glorification of the Christ in his Passion and resurrection . *** The fully manifested love laying down life that he might take it again, and lift these disciples into vital union with the risen life (Jn 18-21.). A. THE INNER GLORIFICATION OF ... read more
The Lord gives other practical instructions based on his own humble self-obliterating discharge of a duty which it was obvious that, in their desire to be great, they had one and all abstained from doing even for their Lord. Out of it he draws the great lesson of mutual love and brotherly regard. read more
The explanation of the washing of the disciples feet. I. THE ARGUMENT BY WHICH OUR LORD ENFORCES THE LESSON OF HIS ACT . "Know ye what I have done unto you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am." The titles the disciples gave to him have a decisive force. 1. As he is a Teacher, they were bound to learn in his school with all docility and meekness of wisdom . 2. As a Master, they were bound to give him subjection in all matters... read more
Ye name me the Teacher and the Lord . "Rabbi and Mara," the names of reverence which disciples of the Hebrew teachers were accustomed to offer to their masters. φωνεῖν means to name, and the two nominatives are used appellatively, not as vocatives. Tholuck regards them as vocatives. Scholars dared not address their teachers without some marks of respect. διδάσκαλος is John's equivalent for יבר , my Master (see John 1:29 ; John 20:16 ). And ye say well; for so I am . At this... read more
Mastership and subjection. Equality amongst men is the dream of fanatics. It is true that men should by law have equal rights. But the Creator has not bestowed equal gifts or powers of body or of mind, and no human laws can equalize men's condition, their possessions, or their enjoyments. And in all society there must be authority and. subordination; some must rule, and some obey. So is it in the spiritual kingdom of our Lord. I. THE CLAIM OF CHRIST . 1. Wheel it is . ... read more
The Lordship of Jesus. I. OUR RESEMBLANCE TO THE DISCIPLES IN USING THE NAME . These men called Jesus "Lord," and were known as his helpers and agents. As long as Jesus remained in the flesh there was no difficulty in looking upon him as Master. All their doings had been sufficiently easy, consisting, as they did, for the most part, of outward actions. But in due season the visible Master became the invisible, and one by one the first servants also died away and went... read more
Humility and mutual service. There are certain virtues which are distinctively Christian. Amongst these must certainly be reckoned humility. Christianity has done not a little to elevate this grace of character to a higher position than it occupied in the esteem of the ancients. The Old Testament, in some passages, extols lowliness of heart as acceptable to the High and Lofty One. Yet this can hardly be deemed a characteristic of even pious Hebrews. But by his example and by his precepts... read more
If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet; ye ought also to wash one another's feet: for I have given £ you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you . καθώς , "as," "like as," was used by our Lord rather than ὅ , "that which." The ὑπόδειγμα £ shows that he had set before his disciples a parallel, an example, a symbolic type of the service they were to render to one another, and was not establishing a custom or exact ordinance. The washing of the... read more
John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - John 13:15
Verse 15 15.For I have given you an example. It deserves our attention that Christ says that he gave an example; for we are not at liberty to take all his actions, without reserve, as subjects of imitation. The Papists boast that, by Christ’s example, they observe the forty days’ fast, or Lent. But we ought first to see whether or not he intended to lay down his fast as an example that the disciples might conform to it as a rule. We read: nothing of this sort, and, therefore, the imitation of... read more