Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary John 13:1

"Now before the feast of the passover, Jesus knowing that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto his Father, having loved his own that were in the world, he loved them unto the end." — John 13:1 (ASV)

The full Johannine account of the Passion begins at this point. John alludes to the nearness of the Passover as if to remind his reader that Jesus had been introduced by John the Baptist as the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (1:29). As the first Passover had been the turning point in the redemption of the people of God, so the Cross would be the opening of a new era for believers. John connects this with the manifestation of Jesus’ love for “his own” (i.e., his disciples), a love that has no limits. Jesus had accepted the responsibility for them and was obliged to instruct and protect them (17:6–12).