Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.
At the Passover supper in connection with the washing of feet He foretold that one eating bread with Him would lift up his heel against Him and that Judas would leave the table to betray Him. By I am he He meant that He is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, the divine I AM and Redeemer He claimed to be. He told of the betrayal and suffering beforehand so that when it came to pass the disciples would remember His words in His humiliation and after Judas's end and believe. Knowing Judas's hidden purpose, character and heart perfectly, He was neither surprised nor deceived, yet He knowingly continued to minister to His betrayer, washing even his feet and holding out in infinite love a final opportunity to repent, confess and be cleansed. As Lord and Master He thus gave an example that they should do as He had done, teaching that no human who cannot read the secrets of the soul may judge who is worthy or unworthy to share in the ordinance or exclude another from it.
Setting and Meaning
Jesus spoke these words to His disciples at the Passover sacramental supper in connection with the washing of feet. He told them beforehand that one who ate bread with Him would lift up his heel against Him and turn against Him. He knew beforehand that Judas would leave the table to carry out the betrayal of his Lord.
“I am he” means that He is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, the divine I AM and Redeemer, the one He claimed to be. When the betrayal came to pass, the disciples were to believe in who He is.
He told beforehand about the betrayal and suffering so that when it came to pass the disciples would believe. Remembering His words during His humiliation would strengthen the belief of the faithful disciples. Remembering the warning after Judas’s dreadful end and death would confirm to them that He had known what was coming, understood the character and plan of Judas perfectly, and had not been surprised or deceived. That foreknowledge revealing Judas’s hidden purpose was convincing proof and evidence of His Messiahship and divine foresight.
The same foretelling purpose covers their coming trials, that on the night of His trial they would all be offended because of Him, that for a little while after His death they would be sorrowful before their sorrow was turned into joy, and that they would be put out of the synagogue and killed by those thinking they were doing God a service. He stated these things plainly while He was with them so that when they happened they would remember He had told them before they came to pass and would believe on Him as their Redeemer.
Christ's Knowledge and Love
Jesus knew beforehand with perfect clearness the hidden purpose, character and plan of Judas, reading the inward heart from the beginning, and He was therefore neither surprised nor deceived when the betrayal came. That divine foresight in foretelling that one eating bread with Him at the sacramental supper would turn against Him was given as convincing proof of His Messiahship, His divinity and Sonship, and His identity as the I AM He claimed to be, so that when it came to pass the disciples would believe. Remembering His words during His humiliation would strengthen the faith of the faithful, and remembering the warning after the dreadful end of Judas would confirm that He had known what was coming.
Knowing He was ministering to one who was working to betray Him into the hands of His enemies, He knowingly continued that ministry to the very end. Even with foreknowledge that Judas would leave the table to carry out the betrayal of his Lord, He washed even the feet of Judas, tenderly included him in service to the disciples, and did not refuse him a place at the table and sacrament. The forewarning did not exclude Judas from the service.
The foretelling was among His last acts of infinite love and tender compassion toward Judas, holding out every inducement and final convincing opportunity to bring him to repentance, confession, cleansing from sin and salvation from the snare of Satan, though infinite love could not compel him to repent and the final appeal of love was rejected. The same plain and definite telling beforehand covered the coming trials that on the night of trial they would all be offended because of Him, that for a little while after His death they would be sorrowful before sorrow turned to joy, and that they would be put out of the synagogue and killed by those thinking they did God service, stated while He was with them so that when these things happened they would remember and believe on Him as Redeemer. It was given in great love and tender compassion so that in trial the disciples would know they would not be forgotten or forsaken but would receive the Holy Spirit to remain with them always.
Judas would not believe in Christ as his personal Saviour, never converted, never cleansed, never receiving Christ as the true Son of God, disobedient to His lessons and therefore not among the chosen. Yet his betrayal fulfilled Scripture.
Example for Believers
As Lord and Master He gave an example in washing feet that they should do as He had done to them. The foretelling that one eating bread with Him would lift up his heel against Him was spoken in that connection, telling beforehand so that when it came to pass they would believe that He is He. That saying is to be called to mind when taking part in the foot-washing ordinance.
He knew beforehand that Judas would leave the table to carry out the betrayal of his Lord. Even with that foreknowledge He washed the feet of Judas and did not refuse him a place at the table. He allowed him to share in the sacrament, so the forewarning did not mean Judas was excluded from the service. No human can tell who is worthy and who is not because humans cannot read the secrets of the soul. Therefore the foot-washing before the Lord's Supper must not be deferred, and no one should refuse to attend because another person present is considered unworthy, nor should any person decide who may present themselves.
His experience with Judas, who was numbered among the apostles, was an example of long patience with perverse human nature. That experience was recorded to teach followers to bear patiently with false brethren. They are to bear with them as He did.
At the Passover supper in connection with the washing of feet He foretold that one eating bread with Him would lift up his heel against Him and that Judas would leave the table to betray Him. By I am he He meant that He is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, the divine I AM and Redeemer He claimed to be. He told of the betrayal and suffering beforehand so that when it came to pass the disciples would remember His words in His humiliation and after Judas's end and believe. Knowing Judas's hidden purpose, character and heart perfectly, He was neither surprised nor deceived, yet He knowingly continued to minister to His betrayer, washing even his feet and holding out in infinite love a final opportunity to repent, confess and be cleansed. As Lord and Master He thus gave an example that they should do as He had done, teaching that no human who cannot read the secrets of the soul may judge who is worthy or unworthy to share in the ordinance or exclude another from it.
Setting and Meaning
Jesus spoke these words to His disciples at the Passover sacramental supper in connection with the washing of feet. He told them beforehand that one who ate bread with Him would lift up his heel against Him and turn against Him. He knew beforehand that Judas would leave the table to carry out the betrayal of his Lord.
“I am he” means that He is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, the divine I AM and Redeemer, the one He claimed to be. When the betrayal came to pass, the disciples were to believe in who He is.
He told beforehand about the betrayal and suffering so that when it came to pass the disciples would believe. Remembering His words during His humiliation would strengthen the belief of the faithful disciples. Remembering the warning after Judas’s dreadful end and death would confirm to them that He had known what was coming, understood the character and plan of Judas perfectly, and had not been surprised or deceived. That foreknowledge revealing Judas’s hidden purpose was convincing proof and evidence of His Messiahship and divine foresight.
The same foretelling purpose covers their coming trials, that on the night of His trial they would all be offended because of Him, that for a little while after His death they would be sorrowful before their sorrow was turned into joy, and that they would be put out of the synagogue and killed by those thinking they were doing God a service. He stated these things plainly while He was with them so that when they happened they would remember He had told them before they came to pass and would believe on Him as their Redeemer.
Christ's Knowledge and Love
Jesus knew beforehand with perfect clearness the hidden purpose, character and plan of Judas, reading the inward heart from the beginning, and He was therefore neither surprised nor deceived when the betrayal came. That divine foresight in foretelling that one eating bread with Him at the sacramental supper would turn against Him was given as convincing proof of His Messiahship, His divinity and Sonship, and His identity as the I AM He claimed to be, so that when it came to pass the disciples would believe. Remembering His words during His humiliation would strengthen the faith of the faithful, and remembering the warning after the dreadful end of Judas would confirm that He had known what was coming.
Knowing He was ministering to one who was working to betray Him into the hands of His enemies, He knowingly continued that ministry to the very end. Even with foreknowledge that Judas would leave the table to carry out the betrayal of his Lord, He washed even the feet of Judas, tenderly included him in service to the disciples, and did not refuse him a place at the table and sacrament. The forewarning did not exclude Judas from the service.
The foretelling was among His last acts of infinite love and tender compassion toward Judas, holding out every inducement and final convincing opportunity to bring him to repentance, confession, cleansing from sin and salvation from the snare of Satan, though infinite love could not compel him to repent and the final appeal of love was rejected. The same plain and definite telling beforehand covered the coming trials that on the night of trial they would all be offended because of Him, that for a little while after His death they would be sorrowful before sorrow turned to joy, and that they would be put out of the synagogue and killed by those thinking they did God service, stated while He was with them so that when these things happened they would remember and believe on Him as Redeemer. It was given in great love and tender compassion so that in trial the disciples would know they would not be forgotten or forsaken but would receive the Holy Spirit to remain with them always.
Judas would not believe in Christ as his personal Saviour, never converted, never cleansed, never receiving Christ as the true Son of God, disobedient to His lessons and therefore not among the chosen. Yet his betrayal fulfilled Scripture.
Example for Believers
As Lord and Master He gave an example in washing feet that they should do as He had done to them. The foretelling that one eating bread with Him would lift up his heel against Him was spoken in that connection, telling beforehand so that when it came to pass they would believe that He is He. That saying is to be called to mind when taking part in the foot-washing ordinance.
He knew beforehand that Judas would leave the table to carry out the betrayal of his Lord. Even with that foreknowledge He washed the feet of Judas and did not refuse him a place at the table. He allowed him to share in the sacrament, so the forewarning did not mean Judas was excluded from the service. No human can tell who is worthy and who is not because humans cannot read the secrets of the soul. Therefore the foot-washing before the Lord's Supper must not be deferred, and no one should refuse to attend because another person present is considered unworthy, nor should any person decide who may present themselves.
His experience with Judas, who was numbered among the apostles, was an example of long patience with perverse human nature. That experience was recorded to teach followers to bear patiently with false brethren. They are to bear with them as He did.