Juan 13

Jesús les lava los pies a sus discípulos

1 Se acercaba la fiesta de la Pascua. Jesús sabía que le había llegado la hora de abandonar este mundo para volver al Padre. Y habiendo amado a los suyos que estaban en el mundo, los amó hasta el fin.^[a]

2 Llegó la hora de la cena. El diablo ya había incitado a Judas Iscariote, hijo de Simón, para que traicionara a Jesús.

3 Sabía Jesús que el Padre había puesto todas las cosas bajo su dominio, y que había salido de Dios y a él volvía;

4 así que se levantó de la mesa, se quitó el manto y se ató una toalla a la cintura.

5 Luego echó agua en un recipiente y comenzó a lavarles los pies a sus discípulos y a secárselos con la toalla que llevaba a la cintura.

6 Cuando llegó a Simón Pedro, este le dijo:—¿Y tú, Señor, me vas a lavar los pies a mí?

7 —Ahora no entiendes lo que estoy haciendo —le respondió Jesús—, pero lo entenderás más tarde.

8 —¡No! —protestó Pedro—. ¡Jamás me lavarás los pies!—Si no te los lavo,^[b] no tendrás parte conmigo.

9 —Entonces, Señor, ¡no solo los pies sino también las manos y la cabeza!

10 —El que ya se ha bañado no necesita lavarse más que los pies —le contestó Jesús—; pues ya todo su cuerpo está limpio. Y ustedes ya están limpios, aunque no todos.

11 Jesús sabía quién lo iba a traicionar, y por eso dijo que no todos estaban limpios.

12 Cuando terminó de lavarles los pies, se puso el manto y volvió a su lugar. Entonces les dijo:—¿Entienden lo que he hecho con ustedes?

13 Ustedes me llaman Maestro y Señor, y dicen bien, porque lo soy.

14 Pues si yo, el Señor y el Maestro, les he lavado los pies, también ustedes deben lavarse los pies los unos a los otros.

15 Les he puesto el ejemplo, para que hagan lo mismo que yo he hecho con ustedes.

16 Ciertamente les aseguro que ningún siervo es más que su amo, y ningún mensajero es más que el que lo envió.

17 ¿Entienden esto? Dichosos serán si lo ponen en práctica.

Jesús predice la traición de Judas

18 »No me refiero a todos ustedes; yo sé a quiénes he escogido. Pero esto es para que se cumpla la Escritura: “El que comparte el pan conmigo me ha puesto la zancadilla”.^[c]

19 »Les digo esto ahora, antes de que suceda, para que cuando suceda crean que yo soy.

20 Ciertamente les aseguro que el que recibe al que yo envío me recibe a mí, y el que me recibe a mí recibe al que me envió.

21 Dicho esto, Jesús se angustió profundamente y declaró:—Ciertamente les aseguro que uno de ustedes me va a traicionar.

22 Los discípulos se miraban unos a otros sin saber a cuál de ellos se refería.

23 Uno de ellos, el discípulo a quien Jesús amaba, estaba a su lado.

24 Simón Pedro le hizo señas a ese discípulo y le dijo:—Pregúntale a quién se refiere.

25 —Señor, ¿quién es? —preguntó él, reclinándose sobre Jesús.

26 —Aquel a quien yo le dé este pedazo de pan que voy a mojar en el plato —le contestó Jesús.Acto seguido, mojó el pedazo de pan y se lo dio a Judas Iscariote, hijo de Simón.

27 Tan pronto como Judas tomó el pan, Satanás entró en él.—Lo que vas a hacer, hazlo pronto —le dijo Jesús.

28 Ninguno de los que estaban a la mesa entendió por qué le dijo eso Jesús.

29 Como Judas era el encargado del dinero, algunos pensaron que Jesús le estaba diciendo que comprara lo necesario para la fiesta, o que diera algo a los pobres.

30 En cuanto Judas tomó el pan, salió de allí. Ya era de noche.

Jesús predice la negación de Pedro

31 Cuando Judas hubo salido, Jesús dijo:—Ahora es glorificado el Hijo del hombre, y Dios es glorificado en él.

32 Si Dios es glorificado en él,^[d] Dios glorificará al Hijo en sí mismo, y lo hará muy pronto.

33 »Mis queridos hijos, poco tiempo me queda para estar con ustedes. Me buscarán, y lo que antes les dije a los judíos, ahora se lo digo a ustedes: Adonde yo voy, ustedes no pueden ir.

34 »Este mandamiento nuevo les doy: que se amen los unos a los otros. Así como yo los he amado, también ustedes deben amarse los unos a los otros.

35 De este modo todos sabrán que son mis discípulos, si se aman los unos a los otros.

36 —¿Y a dónde vas, Señor? —preguntó Simón Pedro.—Adonde yo voy, no puedes seguirme ahora, pero me seguirás más tarde.

37 —Señor —insistió Pedro—, ¿por qué no puedo seguirte ahora? Por ti daré hasta la vida.

38 —¿Tú darás la vida por mí? ¡De veras te aseguro que antes de que cante el gallo, me negarás tres veces!

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Juan 13 Commentary

Chapter 13

Christ washes the disciples' feet. (1-17) The treachery of Judas foretold. (18-30) Christ commands the disciples to love one another. (31-38)

Verses 1-17 Our Lord Jesus has a people in the world that are his own; he has purchased them, and paid dear 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 know not when our hour will come, therefore what we have to do in constant preparation for it, ought never to be undone. What way of access the devil has to men's 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 plain they are directly from Satan. Jesus washed his disciples' feet, that he might teach us to think nothing below us, wherein we may promote God's glory, and the good of our brethren. We must address ourselves to duty, and must lay aside every thing 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 shall know afterward. We see in the end what was the kindness from events which seemed most cross. And it is not humility, but unbelief, to put away the offers of the gospel, as if too rich to be made to us, or too good news to be true. All those, and those only, who are spiritually washed by Christ, have a part in Christ. All whom Christ owns and saves, he 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 man, 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, and that is, to wash their feet; to cleanse themselves from daily guilt, and to watch against everything defiling. This should make us the 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 of stumbling to us. Observe the lesson Christ here taught. Duties are mutual; we must both accept help from our brethren, and afford help to our brethren. When we see our Master serving, we cannot but see how ill it becomes us to domineer. And the same love which led Christ to ransom and reconcile his disciples when enemies, still influences him.

Verses 18-30 Our Lord had often spoken of his own sufferings and death, without such trouble of spirit as he now discovered when he spake 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 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 a thing of naught. 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.

Verses 31-35 Christ had been glorified in many miracles he wrought, 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. Satisfaction was thereby 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 shall follow him hereafter; meanwhile we must wait his time, and do his work. Before Christ left the disciples, he would give 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 professors. Men in general notice any of Christ's words rather than these. By this it appears, that if the followers of Christ do not show love one to another, they give cause to suspect their sincerity.

Verses 36-38 What Christ had said concerning brotherly love, Peter overlooked, but spoke of that about which Christ kept them ignorant. It is common to be more eager to know about secret things, which belong to God only, 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 thither. How soon discourse as to what is plain and edifying is dropped, while a doubtful dispute runs on into endless strife of words! We are apt to take it amiss to be told we cannot do this and the other, whereas, without Christ we can do nothing. Christ knows us better than we know ourselves, and has many ways of discovering those to themselves, whom he loves, and he will hide pride from them. May we endeavour 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.

Taken from Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)