John 13 - The Swindoll Study Bible

ONE DAY WE’LL SEE John 13:6-9 Now, it may seem surprising to you that Peter could have walked with Jesus for over three years and still not have understood what He was doing here. But it shouldn’t be surprising. We have had twenty centuries to mull over the truths that Jesus gave, and many people are still just as confused as ever. The disciples didn’t get it until after the Resurrection. Sometimes it takes God touching our lives in a particular manner before the blinders come off and we see.

JUDAS John 13:21-22 “One of you will betray me!” We have to remember that, for the disciples, this was an absolutely unbelievable piece of information. So they naturally began to question, Who is it? Am I the one? At the table that evening was Judas, perhaps the most trusted of the Twelve. He held their money, remember? He was the treasurer. He may have been the most educated. He was probably the last person they would suggest as the one who would betray the Savior.

MERE MEN John 13:22 Have you ever put yourself in the place of the original disciples of Christ? If we’re not careful, I fear that most of us think of them as pious-looking monks, much like the statues that now grace the great cathedrals and churches around the world. Whether it is Saint Peter or Saint John or Saint Matthew or Saint Thomas, most of the images of them in our minds are images of holy and venerated saints of God.

With all due respect for these fine men of God, those mental pictures are a far cry from who they really were. In fact, if it had not been for the Spirit of God, they would have left no impact whatsoever on this earth. They would have passed into oblivion. These were everyday men who ate that last meal with Jesus—mere men who, with the Spirit in them, would change the world.