Night School 

Part One: love one another March 2, 2025 

John Chapter 13 occurs in the upper room with the Passover meal already in progress.  The Passover meal was a part of the annual Jewish festival commemorating God’s deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage.  This Passover feast would be the last divinely authorized one.  From this point on, there would be a new memorial – not recalling the lamb’s blood on the doorposts but the blood the Lamb of God shed for our sins (John 1:29).   

We learn three facts in John 13:1-3: 

1.  Jesus knew he was about to die.  

2.  Jesus knew Judas was going to betray him.  

3.  Jesus knew his Father had given him all authority.  

“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.  It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.  Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God.”  (John 13:1–3, NLT)  

As the Passover meal began, the Creator and Ruler of the universe knew who He was, where He came from, and where He was going.  The Sovereign King of kings and Lord of lords was the master of ceremonies that night.  Nothing happened without his knowledge and approval. 

What did Jesus teach his disciples at the Last Supper? 

1st – Jesus taught his disciples to serve others. 

So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin.  Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.  After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing?  You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am.  And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet.  I have given you an example to follow.  Do as I have done to you.  I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master.  Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message.  Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.” (John 13:4-5, 12–17, NLT)  

Jesus knew there was a competitive spirit in the hearts of His disciples.  He knew the men had been disputing over which of them was the greatest and would have prominent positions in the kingdom (Matt 20:20-24; Luke 22:24–30).  So, the Son of God gave them an unforgettable lesson in humility and, by His actions, rebuked their selfishness and pride.  Jesus was the Sovereign, yet He took the place of a servant.   

• We should serve others because our Lord and Savior served others.   

“Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others.  Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.  Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.  You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.  Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.  Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.  When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.”  (Philippians 2:3–8, NLT)  

2nd – Jesus taught his disciples that he is the great I AM. 

“I am not saying these things to all of you; I know the ones I have chosen.  But this fulfills the Scripture that says, ‘The one who eats my food has turned against me.’ I tell you this beforehand so that when it happens, you will believe that I Am the Messiah.  I tell you the truth, anyone who welcomes my messenger is welcoming me, and anyone who welcomes me is welcoming the Father who sent me.”  Now Jesus was deeply troubled, and he exclaimed, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me!”  (John 13:18–21, NLT)  

Before Judas left the upper room to arrange Jesus’ betrayal, Christ told his disciples that one of them would betray him.  By telling them about Judas’ betrayal before it occurred, Jesus showed them that He is God and in control of everything.  Jesus’ foreknowledge would cause the disciples to believe he is the great I AM.   

Here’s what we know about Judas… 

• Judas was from the village of Kerioth in Judea; he was the only non-Galilean disciple.   

• God used Judas to betray Jesus.   

Judas was an evil man that God used to fulfill His sovereign purposes.  Judas had every opportunity to turn from his sin but chose to listen to Satan instead of Jesus!  Judas’ betrayal fulfilled what David wrote in Psalm 41:9 and Psalm 55:12-14.  Judas’ betrayal was also predicted in Zechariah 11:12-13.  Zechariah even gives the amount of money Judas received for betraying Christ and what he would do with the money. 

3rd – Jesus taught his disciples to love one another. 

As soon as Judas left the room, Jesus said, “The time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory, and God will be glorified because of him.  And since God receives glory because of the Son, he will give his own glory to the Son, and he will do so at once.  Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer.  And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going.  So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other.  Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.  Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (John 13:31–35, NLT)  

Jesus told his disciples to love one another just as he had loved them.  Love is a keyword in Jesus’ night school lessons to His disciples.  The new command to love one another means “new in experience, fresh.”   

• Jesus said our love for one another proves we are his disciples.   

Every Christian should proclaim John 3:16 and live by 1 John 3:16. 

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”  (John 3:16, NLT)  

“We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us.  So, we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.” (1 John 3:16, NLT)