John 13 1

John 13:1 kjv

Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour 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.

John 13:1 nkjv

Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.

John 13:1 niv

It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

John 13:1 esv

Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

John 13:1 nlt

Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end.

John 13 verses

John 13 1 Meaning

John 13:1 introduces the pivotal final stage of Jesus' earthly ministry, emphasizing His divine knowledge and the ultimate extent of His love for His disciples. It states that before the Passover feast, Jesus fully knew His preordained "hour" had arrived – the time for Him to transition from this world to the Father through suffering and death. Despite the impending agony, His steadfast, enduring love for "His own," those who belonged to Him, remained unwavering, reaching its fullest and most complete expression to the very end of His life and beyond. This verse sets the stage for the intimate farewell discourse and the climactic acts of humble service and sacrifice that follow.

John 13 1 Context

John 13:1 introduces the final private instructions of Jesus to His disciples, often referred to as the Farewell Discourse (John 13-17). The preceding chapters detailed Jesus' public ministry and increasing conflict with the Jewish authorities. This verse immediately precedes the foot-washing incident (Jn 13:2-11), which serves as a practical illustration of the servant leadership Jesus embodies and commands. Historically, "before the Feast of the Passover" signifies the crucial timing when Jesus, the true Passover Lamb, would be sacrificed. The Jewish Passover commemorates Israel's deliverance from Egyptian bondage and anticipates ultimate redemption. Culturally, sharing a meal was a profound act of fellowship, making the upcoming betrayal during the Last Supper even more poignant. Jesus' full awareness (knew) underscores His sovereignty, not victimhood, in the unfolding events. His impending departure to the Father highlights the divine purpose behind His suffering. The reference to His own differentiates His beloved disciples from the broader world and underscores the personal, enduring nature of His commitment to them.

John 13 1 Word analysis

• Now before the Feast of the Passover:

  • Pro de tēs heortēs tou pascha (πρὸ δὲ τῆς ἑορτῆς τοῦ πάσχα): "Before now the feast, that of the Passover." "Now before" (Greek pro de) indicates a precise chronological marker, signaling an imminent, profoundly significant event. It shifts the narrative's focus from Jesus' public ministry to His final, intimate moments with the disciples.
  • Feast of the Passover (tou pascha): References the annual Jewish celebration (Ex 12) commemorating Israel's liberation from Egypt through the sacrifice of a lamb. This detail implicitly presents Jesus as the true, ultimate Passover Lamb whose sacrifice would bring liberation from sin, elevating the traditional Passover to its intended fulfillment.

• when Jesus knew:

  • Eidōs ho Iēsous (Εἰδὼς ὁ Ἰησοῦς): "Jesus, knowing." Eidōs is a perfect active participle, signifying not merely gaining information, but possessing settled, complete, intuitive knowledge. This is Jesus' divine omniscience at play, not simply human foresight. He was fully aware of the Father's plan and His own destiny, making His subsequent actions profoundly deliberate and purposeful, rather than a reaction to circumstances.

• that his hour had come:

  • Hoti elēlythen autou hē hōra (ὅτι ἐλήλυθεν αὐτοῦ ἡ ὥρα): "that His hour had come." Hōra (hour) is a crucial Johannine theme. Throughout the Gospel (Jn 2:4; 7:30; 8:20), Jesus refers to "My hour" as not yet having arrived, indicating a divinely appointed timetable. Here, the perfect tense elēlythen (it has come and is now present) affirms that this critical moment, ordained by the Father for His glorification through suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension, is finally at hand.

• to depart from this world:

  • Metabē apo tou kosmou toutou (μεταβῇ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου): "to transfer out of this world." Metabē implies a transition, a deliberate shift in state or location. This is a gentle, almost euphemistic way of referring to His death, resurrection, and ascension. Kosmou toutou (this world) denotes the transient, fallen sphere of human existence, contrasted with the Father's eternal realm. It speaks of Jesus' exodus from earthly life back to His divine origin.

• unto the Father:

  • Pros ton Patera (πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα): "to the Father." This specifies the ultimate destination of His departure, emphasizing the divine reunion and glorification. It reaffirms His eternal relationship and identity as the Son returning to the source of His being.

• having loved his own:

  • Agapēsas tous idious (ἀγαπήσας τοὺς ἰδίους): "having loved His own." Agapēsas is an aorist active participle, denoting a settled, profound act of love in the past with ongoing consequences. This is not merely affection but sacrificial, unconditional, self-giving love. Tous idious (His own) specifically refers to His disciples, the chosen circle intimately connected to Him, distinguishing them from "the world."

• which were in the world:

  • Tous en tō kosmō (τοὺς ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ): "the ones in the world." This phrase modifies "His own," emphasizing their present state of being left behind in the earthly realm, still vulnerable and subject to its challenges, making Jesus' enduring love for them even more significant as they would face His absence.

• he loved them unto the end:

  • Eis telos ēgapēsen autous (εἰς τέλος ἠγάπησεν αὐτούς): "He loved them to the end." This phrase carries profound dual meaning.
    1. To the uttermost/to the fullest degree: Jesus' love was absolute, perfect, fully displayed through His self-sacrifice on the cross, exhausting all possibilities of love. It means He loved them with complete, boundless agape.
    2. To the very end of His life/continuously: His love persisted right through His betrayal, suffering, and death, not wavering despite the disciples' weaknesses, failures, or the ultimate cost to Him. It extends beyond His physical presence, demonstrating its eternal quality.

John 13 1 Bonus section

The phrase eis telos (unto the end) also carries an eschatological dimension. In other biblical contexts, "the end" can refer to the culmination of history or a specific period, implying a complete fulfillment of purpose. Here, it suggests that Jesus' love not only reaches its peak but also accomplishes its full redemptive purpose, setting the stage for the New Covenant. Furthermore, the deliberate framing of Jesus' departure "to the Father" counters any perception of death as defeat, reframing it as a victorious return to His glorious origin, thereby establishing a trajectory for believers to also eventually follow Him. The timing, "before the Feast of the Passover," specifically excludes Jesus from eating the final Seder meal, strongly indicating that He himself is the Passover Lamb to be sacrificed.

John 13 1 Commentary

John 13:1 serves as a profound theological introduction, laying the groundwork for all that follows in the Gospel's concluding chapters. It underscores Jesus' full divine awareness and control over the pivotal moment of His "hour," defying any notion of Him being a helpless victim. His journey to "the Father" through death is presented not as a tragedy, but as a deliberate fulfillment of a divine plan for glorification. Most significantly, this verse unveils the character of Jesus' love for "His own," emphasizing its completeness and endurance "unto the end." This agape love is not merely an emotion, but a resolute, sacrificial commitment that fully manifests in the upcoming acts of humility (foot-washing) and ultimate sacrifice (crucifixion). It assures the disciples, and by extension believers throughout history, that despite the challenges of the world, Christ's love for His followers remains unwavering and complete, active even in His absence.