Matthew Henry Commentary John 13

Our Lord Jesus has a people in the world that are His own; He has purchased them, and paid dearly for them, and He has set them apart for Himself. They devote themselves to Him as a peculiar people. Those whom Christ loves, He loves to the end. Nothing can separate a true believer from the love of Christ. We do not know when our hour will come; therefore, what we have to do in constant preparation for it, ought never to be left undone.

What way of access the devil has to human hearts we cannot tell. But some sins are so exceedingly sinful, and there is so little temptation to them from the world and the flesh, that it is clear they are directly from Satan. Jesus washed His disciples' feet, that He might teach us to think nothing beneath us, in which we may promote God's glory and the good of our brethren. We must apply ourselves to duty, and must lay aside everything that would hinder us in what we have to do.

Christ washed His disciples' feet, that He might signify to them the value of spiritual washing, and the cleansing of the soul from the pollutions of sin. Our Lord Jesus does many things of which even His own disciples do not for the present know the meaning, but they will know afterward. We see in the end the kindness in events which seemed most adverse. And it is not humility, but unbelief, to reject the offers of the gospel, as if too rich to be made to us, or too good news to be true.

All those, and only those, who are spiritually washed by Christ, have a part in Christ. All whom Christ owns and saves, He also justifies and sanctifies. Peter more than submits; he begs to be washed by Christ. How earnest he is for the purifying grace of the Lord Jesus, and the full effect of it, even upon his hands and head! Those who truly desire to be sanctified, desire to be sanctified throughout, to have the whole person, with all its parts and powers, made pure.

The true believer is thus washed when he receives Christ for his salvation. See then what ought to be the daily care of those who through grace are in a justified state: to wash their feet, that is, to cleanse themselves from daily guilt, and to watch against everything defiling. This should make us more cautious. From yesterday's pardon, we should be strengthened against this day's temptation.

And when hypocrites are discovered, it should be no surprise or cause us to stumble. Observe the lesson Christ taught here. Duties are mutual; we must both accept help from our brethren and offer help to our brethren. When we see our Master serving, we cannot but see how unbecoming it is for us to domineer. And the same love which led Christ to ransom and reconcile His disciples when they were enemies, still influences Him.

Our Lord had often spoken of his own sufferings and death without such trouble of spirit as he now showed when he spoke of Judas. The sins of Christians are the grief of Christ.

We are not to confine our attention to Judas. The prophecy of his treachery may apply to all who partake of God's mercies and meet them with ingratitude.

See the infidel, who only looks at the Scriptures with a desire to do away with their authority and destroy their influence; the hypocrite, who professes to believe the Scriptures but will not govern himself by them; and the apostate, who turns aside from Christ for something worthless.

Thus mankind, supported by God's providence, after eating bread with Him, lift up the heel against Him! Judas went out as one weary of Jesus and his apostles. Those whose deeds are evil, love darkness rather than light.

Christ had been glorified in many miracles he performed, yet he speaks of his being glorified now in his sufferings, as if that were more than all his other glories in his humbled state. By this, satisfaction was made for the wrong done to God by the sin of man.

We cannot now follow our Lord to his heavenly happiness, but if we truly believe in him, we will follow him in the future; meanwhile, we must wait for his time and do his work. Before Christ left the disciples, he gave them a new commandment. They were to love each other for Christ's sake and according to his example, seeking what might benefit others and promoting the cause of the gospel, as one body, animated by one soul.

But this commandment still appears new to many professing Christians. People in general notice any of Christ's words rather than these. This shows that if the followers of Christ do not show love to one another, they give cause to suspect their sincerity.

What Christ had said concerning brotherly love, Peter overlooked, but spoke of that which Christ had kept hidden from them. It is common to be more eager to know about secret things, which belong to God alone, than about things revealed, which belong to us and our children; to be more desirous to have our curiosity gratified than our consciences directed; to know what is done in heaven than what we may do to get there.

How quickly discussion about what is plain and edifying is dropped, while a doubtful dispute runs on into an endless strife of words! We are apt to be offended when told we cannot do this or that, whereas, without Christ we can do nothing. Christ knows us better than we know ourselves, and has many ways of revealing his loved ones to themselves, and he will hide pride from them.

May we strive to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, to love one another with a pure heart fervently, and to walk humbly with our God.