Exposition of John, Chapter 13 · Verse 1
Ver. 1. NOw before the feast of the Paſſeover, when Jeſus knew that his houre was come, that he ſhould depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
This firſt part of the Chapter, containing Chriſts waſhing of his diſciples feet, may be taken up in this order. 1. The circumſtance of time is noted, wherein this and what followeth was done, together with ſome cauſes and conſiderations moving Chriſt ſo to do at ſuch a time, ver. 1, 2, 3. 2. The fact it ſelfe is recorded, ver. 4, 5. 3. The interpretation thereof is ſubjoyned, partly, upon occaſion of Peters refuſal, wherein, chiefly, this waſ…ing their feet is expounded as it is a ſigne of inward waſhing, ver. 6.—11. and partly, after he had done with waſhing, wherein he expounds what he meant by his doing of that ſervile employment of waſhing their feet himſelfe at that time, ver. 12.—17.
In this verſe we have recorded, a more general deſignation of the time, that it was before the feaſt of the Paſſeover; together with the firſt and chiefe cauſe and conſideration leading Chriſt to this practice, and what followed; Namely, that he did conſtantly and unchangably love his own, and therefore, knowing that now his time to depart from them was approaching at this feaſt, he was reſolving beforehand to give them ſome ample proofe of his love, as accordingly he did in waſhing their feet, preaching ſweetly unto them, and praying for them. For clearing the words, Conſider, 1. While John ſaith, that this was before the feaſt of the Paſſeover, it was not ſo to be underſtood, as if this were done before the feaſt, for that ſupper, ver. 2. after which he waſhed their feet, was the paſſeover. But the meaning is; That he was thinking and reſolving on this practice before he ſate down, either that ſame day, or poſſibly ſome daies before: And, that albeit it was done at the ſupper of the paſſeover, yet it was done before the feaſt of unleavened bread at the paſſeover, which began the day following, Lev. 23.5, 6, 7. yea, and before the day which the Jewes obſerved for eating the paſſeover, as we will hear on ver. 2. Conſider, 2. Whereas this love of Chriſt toward his own, breaks forth in theſe ſweet effects toward the diſciples only; Yet in this they are not to be looked on as ſo many individual men, nor as Apoſtles, nor yet as repreſenting Miniſters only, but alſo as repreſenting all Chriſts true children, who are edified and comforted by what he did to them, and whoſe allowance and legacy Chriſt did here commit to his Apoſtles in their name, as to the general Teachers of his Church, to be by them and their ſucceſſours publiſhed to his own throughout the world. And therefore the denomination is general, his own, that every one who make ſure an intereſt in him, may put in their own name. Doctrine 1. As Chriſt came into this world, to work the work of redemption; ſo there was a ſet time wherein he departed out of it, in reſpect of his bodily preſence; for, there is an hour, wherein he ſhould depart out of this world. 2. Chriſt chooſed the time of the Jewiſh paſſeover to ſuffer in, that he might prove himſelfe to be the ſubſtance of that type, whoſe blood it is that delivers us from the deſtroying Angel, and by whoſe obedience unto death we are delivered from the bondage of ſin, the tyrany of Satan, and the leaven of corruption and unſoundneſs, anſwerable to the temporal delivery of Iſrael from Egypt and Pharaoh, and their obſervation of the feaſt with unleavened bread; Therefore it is marked that at the feaſt of the Paſſeover, his hour was come wherein he ſhould depart out of this world. See 1 Cor. 5.7. 3. Chriſt was not ſurprized with his ſufferings, nor were they carried out according to the will of enemies; But the time thereof was determined, and he knew of it before hand: for, Jeſus knew that his hour was come. 4. Chriſt may be truſted by his people, and they may commit all their lots to him, who is on all his Fathers counſels, and knows all the machinations of his enemies; Therefore is he pointed out here, as knowing all that was coming, even the treachery of Judas alſo, that he may be truſted in as an omniſcient Lord. 5. It is not enough to foreſee what troubles will come, or may come, unleſſe we ſpend our time profitably, in preparing and making ready for them; Therefore is Chriſts knowing that his hour was come, marked, as a reaſon why he was ſo buſie in the following purpoſe; Namely, that as his enemies were making ready, ſo he was making ready alſo; and having nothing to do for himſelfe, he ſpends his time in preparing the diſciples for the ſtorme. 6. Chriſt not only lets out proofes of his love to his own, when they need them; But he is thinking thoughts of peace, and reſolving to let them out, when they little dream of ſuch a thing, till it appear: Therefore it is marked, that before the feaſt of the Paſſeover, Chriſt was foreſeeing the ſtorme, and reſolving to let out proofes of love to his diſciples, which yet appeared not till after ſupper, ver. 2. 7. There is no difficultie ſo ſad, but Chriſt and his followers may get a comfortable look of it, were it even of death it ſelf; for, herein Chriſt hath caſt a copy, who looked on his ſad and bitter death, with what followed in his reſurrection and aſcenſion, as a departing out of this world, unto the Father. 8. It is a comfortable ſight of death unto Saints, that hereby they are tranſlated from the miſeries, toiles, and vexations, of this world, to go reſt with, and enjoy God; for, herein hath Chriſt led the way, who departed out of this world, unto the Father, and did ſo look on his death. 9. It adds to the comfortable ſight of death, that Saints do hereby not only go to God, but do go to him as their Father through Chriſt; for, ſo did Chriſt; for, ſo did Chriſt depart unto the Father, and made way for our going to him as a Father in him, as Chap. 20.17, 10. It …ds alſo to the conſolation, that as the time of our change is determined by God; ſo it is meaſured by houres, which will at laſt come to an end, and the priſoners be ſet free; for, now after ſome time and houres in ſerving his generation, the determined hour was come, wherein he ſhould depart out of this world. 11. Albeit Chriſt converſed but a ſhort while in the world, in reſpect of his bodily preſence; yet he did make and dayly makes a fair purchaſe in it by drawing ſinners to himſelfe; for, he hath his own in it. 12. As Chriſts people ought to reſigne themſelves to him, and be wholly for him; ſo he hath a peculiar intereſt in them, is ſpecially concerned in all their conditions, and, allowes ſpecial favours, priviledges, and care, upon them; for, they are his own, or his property and peculiar ones. 13. Love, even the infinite love of tender hearted Chriſt, is the allowance and portion of all his peculiar ones; for, he loved his own. 14. Albeit Chriſt leave his children in this tempeſtuous world, to be humbled with the reliques of ſin, and toſſed with the tempeſts of time; Yet that doth neither take away their intereſt in him, nor his love toward them; for, he loved his own in the world. 15. The diſadvantages of Saints, and particularly, their being leſt in the world when Chriſt went out of it, is ſo far from hindering his love toward them, that it is rather an argument why he ſhould love them, and let out more of it; for, it is not only not an hinderance of his love, but an argument alſo, he loved his own, becauſe they were in the world. And eſpecially now, in his farewel, he would give a proofe of it, conſidering the dangers unto which they were left expoſed. 16. It is not enough to ſee Chriſts love towards his Saints in ſome particular paſſages, but they muſt labour to ſee an uninterrupted courſe thereof, from the time of their cloſing with him; Therefore, now at his farewel, he cleareth all by-go… as, that he had hitherto loved them, as well as he was now to give a proofe of it. Having loved his own, &c. 17. Chriſts love is not to be meaſured by kinde outlettings to the ſatisfaction of ſenſe, but the ſumme o… all his dealing toward his own, is love, which ought to be read in every condition and diſpenſation, were it even in keeping up his tender heart for a time; for, albeit there had been many ſeveral paſſages betwixt him and his diſciples, and ſome of them very croſſe to their humours; yet all is ſummed up in this, he had loved his own. 18. Chriſts ſpecial love toward his own is unchangable, and inceſſant, till they be perfected, and enjoy the full effects thereof; for, having loved his own, he loved them to the end, He continued his love from the beginning till now he is to dye for them and depart from them, and continueth it even then, and will do ſo, till they be brought to the end of their journey. 19. Chriſts love is not a decaying love, but a love that continually growes in effects; Nor is it a love that conſiſts only in good affection and wiſhes, but breaks forth in notable expreſſions, as he hath witneſſed by his dying for his own; for, he loved them to the end, even to the death he ſuffered for them, and in ſo doing, he loved them perfectly, as the Word alſo will ſignifie, proving that his love was a growing love, in letting out ſuch abundant effects at the laſt. 20. When Chriſts followers are in any danger, then unchangeable love will be on foot, to cover their infirmities under tentation, and to provide cordials for them, and teſtifie his ſpecial care of them; for, this his love is marked as a cauſe why now, (when he is to remove they are to be ſcattered and ſhaken with tentation, and left deſolate,) he will let out ſo much of his heart in the following purpoſe, and give them ſuch ſweet inſtructions in the following ſigne and explication thereof. And indeed, his love ſuffers much in his Diſciples need, and if there were no more, his love is enough to move him to ſee them well.