The Servant King Betrayed - Week 17

John 13


Note: The study related to these questions may be found at Catholic Exchange. Please go to their site for the complete material concerning this study. Unless otherwise noted, on scriptural references are from the Revised Standard Version (RSV). Below are my thoughts on the questions presented for the given study (Please see disclaimer at bottom).

Read John 13:1-38

1. In verse 1, what does it mean that Jesus loved His disciples to the end? (See Points to Ponder)
(a) The greek word for "end" here carries the sense of "goal". In other words, something for which He has been striving.

2. In verse 18, Jesus refers to Scripture being fulfilled. Read Psalm 41:9-10 and Acts 1:16. To what was He referring?
(a) From the Book of Psalms:

9: Even my bosom friend in whom I trusted, who ate of my bread, has lifted his heel against me. 10: But do thou, O LORD, be gracious to me, and raise me up, that I may requite them! (Ps 41:9-10)
From the Acts of the Apostles:
"Brethren, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David, concerning Judas who was guide to those who arrested Jesus." (Acts 1:16)
He is referring to Judas' betrayal.

3. Read Luke 22:1-6. According to this passage, what did Judas do when he first decided to betray Jesus?
(a) From the Gospel of Luke:
1: Now the feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover. 2: And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him to death; for they feared the people. 3: Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve; 4: he went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. 5: And they were glad, and engaged to give him money. 6: So he agreed, and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of the multitude. (Lk 22:1-6)
Judas went and "conferred with the chief priests and officers" in order to betray Jesus and that they might "give him money".

4. In verse 10 Jesus says not all the apostles are clean. Which one is not clean? In what way is he unclean?
(a) Judas is not clean. (b) He is not clean in the sense that he has rejected the teachings of Christ.

5. Read Mark 10:45, Philippians 2:6-7 and Matthew 20:28. Why did Jesus wash the feet of His Apostles? What example did He set for them? (v. 15)
(a) From the Gospel of Mark:
"For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45)
From St. Paul's letter to the Philippians:
5: Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6: who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7: but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. (Philippians 2:5-7)
From the Gospel of Matthew:
even as the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Matt 20:28)
To show them that He came to serve, not to be served. (b) In addition to the example of washing their feet, Jesus also goes on to sacrifice Himself for them and for us. To "give His life as a ranson for many".

6. Read 1 Samuel 25:41 and Luke 7:44. Was footwashing a common practice in biblical times? Read Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) # 1337. Why is this reenacted on Holy Thursday now? 8. In verse 26, Jesus reveals who is betrayer is. Why did He do this?
(a) From First Samuel:
And she rose and bowed with her face to the ground, and said, "Behold, your handmaid is a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord." (1 Sam 25:41)
From the Gospel of Luke:
Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house, you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair." (Lk 7:44)
Footwashing was a common practice in biblical times. (b) From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
The Lord, having loved those who were his own, loved them to the end. Knowing that the hour had come to leave this world and return to the Father, in the course of a meal he washed their feet and gave them the commandment of love. In order to leave them a pledge of this love, in order never to depart from his own and to make them sharers in his Passover, he instituted the Eucharist as the memorial of his death and Resurrection, and commanded his apostles to celebrate it until his return; "thereby he constituted them priests of the New Testament." (CCC, 1337)
Because this constituted the apostles as priests of the New Testament. (c) Because His hour was at hand.

7. Read verses 27-30. The apostles were confused and didn't realize why Jesus said what He did to Judas. Why did they think that Judas might be going to buy food? (See John 12:6) Why did John mention that it was night?
(a) From the Gospel of John:
4: But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was to betray him), said, 5: "Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?" 6: This he said, not that he cared for the poor but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box he used to take what was put into it. (John 12:4-6)
Because Judas was the keeper of the money box. (b) John mentions that it is night to underscore that Judas is leaving the Light of Christ to enter the Darkness of Sin. We contrast this with Nicodemus leaving the darkness to come into the Light of Christ.
1: Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicode'mus, a ruler of the Jews. 2: This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him." (John 3:1-2)


8. After Judas left, Jesus announced: Now is the Son of Man glorified and in him God is glorified. What does it mean to be glorified?
(a) To be glorified is to be given glory and high praise. In the case of God, to worship Him.

9. What was the new commandment Jesus gave His Apostles?
(a) To love one another:
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. (John 13:34)


10. Read Matthew 26:69-75; Mark 14:66-72 and Luke 22:54-62. List the three incidents where Peter denied knowing Christ.
(a) From the Gospel of Matthew:
69: Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a maid came up to him, and said, "You also were with Jesus the Galilean." 70: But he denied it before them all, saying, "I do not know what you mean." 71: And when he went out to the porch, another maid saw him, and she said to the bystanders, "This man was with Jesus of Nazareth." 72: And again he denied it with an oath, "I do not know the man." 73: After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, "Certainly you are also one of them, for your accent betrays you." 74: Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, "I do not know the man." And immediately the cock crowed. 75: And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, "Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times." And he went out and wept bitterly. (Matt 26:69-75)
From the Gospel of Mark:
66: And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the maids of the high priest came; 67: and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him, and said, "You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus." 68: But he denied it, saying, "I neither know nor understand what you mean." And he went out into the gateway. 69: And the maid saw him, and began again to say to the bystanders, "This man is one of them." 70: But again he denied it. And after a little while again the bystanders said to Peter, "Certainly you are one of them; for you are a Galilean." 71: But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, "I do not know this man of whom you speak." 72: And immediately the cock crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, "Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times." And he broke down and wept. (Mark 14:66-72)
From the Gospel of Luke:
54: Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest's house. Peter followed at a distance; 55: and when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. 56: Then a maid, seeing him as he sat in the light and gazing at him, said, "This man also was with him." 57: But he denied it, saying, "Woman, I do not know him." 58: And a little later some one else saw him and said, "You also are one of them." But Peter said, "Man, I am not." 59: And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, "Certainly this man also was with him; for he is a Galilean." 60: But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying." And immediately, while he was still speaking, the cock crowed. 61: And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, "Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times." 62: And he went out and wept bitterly. (Lk 22:54-62)


Disclaimer: I do not wish to present myself as an expert in either theology, history, or scriptural interpretation. I am merely someone who is attempting to answer the call of Christ. The ultimate authority and interpreter of scripture is our Holy Catholic Church. If at any point I deviate from the teachings of the Church, please correct me, alfredo@nevarez.net, as this is my shortcoming and in no way meant to be an expression of my views superceding those of the Church founded by Jesus Christ.

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 Alfredo Nevarez
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