Epistle Devarim
Epistle Devarim
John 13:1-38
Joh 13:1 Now before the feast of the Pesach, Yeshua, knowing that his time had come that he would depart from this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
Joh 13:2 And the Seder having become [ready], the devil having already put into the heart of Yehudah Iskriot, Shim`on’s son, to betray him,
Joh 13:3 Yeshua, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he came forth from Elohim, and was going to Elohim,
Joh 13:4 arose from [the opening liturgy of] the Seder, and laid aside his outer garments. He took a towel, and wrapped a towel around his waist.
Yeshua and his disciples are in the famous “Upper Room” and the Passover Seder has begun. It is the sundown beginning Nisan 14th (Wednesday evening at sundown, that year). They have recited the opening blessings. Each of the participants had no doubt immersed themselves in a miqvah to be ritually clean (unless they were unclean from a dead body, in which they had to wait until next month, Iyar 14th, to observe Passover). As part of the opening liturgy, the netilot yadayim is performed (the washing of the hands).
Then, Yeshua did something unexpected.
John, continued:
Joh 13:5 Then he poured water into the basin, and began to wash the talmidim’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
Joh 13:6 Then he came to Shim`on Kefa. He said to him, “Adonai, do you wash my feet?”
Joh 13:7 Yeshua answered him, “You don’t know what I am doing now, but you will understand later.”
Joh 13:8 Kefa said to him, “You will never wash my feet!” Yeshua answered him, “If I don’t wash you, you have no part with me.”
What they are doing is preparing for the Covenat Kiddush which Yeshua, at the end of the Seder, will establish with them and command all his future followers to re-enact. It is no coincidence that this Covenant Kiddush (bread and wine) of the “new covenant” is taking place on Passover, where no uncircumcised man may be present – it is part of the theology of the process. They are being inagurated as the kings and priests of the Messianic Kingdom, and as such they must be both circumcised and completely ritually clean. They had immersed at the miqvah and washed their hands (just then) but still had one thing left to do, since they had walked through the unclean streets to reach the Upper Room.
Exo 30:17 YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying, Exo 30:18 “You shall also make a basin of brass, and the base of it of brass, in which to wash. You shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it. Exo 30:19 Aharon and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet in it. Exo 30:20 When they go into the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water, that they not die; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to YHWH. Exo 30:21 So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they not die: and it shall be a statute forever to them, even to him and to his descendants throughout their generations.”
Since we are commanded to “do this in remembrance” of Yeshua at every Passover, we, too, must practice the foot-washing as part of our Seder. It is very much out of style, to say the least, but it is both practiced and commanded by Yesha, as YHWH Incarnate, and we cannot omit it from our Passover observance. It is a necessary prerequisite for the Covenant Kiddush.
John, continued:
Joh 13:9 Shim`on Kefa said to him, “Adonai, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!”
Joh 13:10 Yeshua said to him, “Someone who has immersed only needs to have his feet washed, but is completely clean. You are clean, but not all of you.”
Joh 13:11 For he knew him who would betray him, therefore he said, “You are not all clean.”
Ritual purity includes one’s heart and intentions as well as our physical obedience. Judas did not intend to be obedient or to follow Yeshua any longer, and because this was so, going through the outward motions was not enough.
Conversely, we cannot say that just because we have “intent” in our heart that we do not have to observe the physical rituals. They are each one side of the same coin – neither less important than the other. In fact, refusal to observe the rituals commanded in the Written Torah shows that one’s heart is NOT intending to be obedient and follow Adonai.
John, continued:
Joh 13:12 So when he had washed their feet, put his outer garment back on, and sat down again, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you?
Joh 13:13 You call me, ‘Rabbi’ and ‘Adonai.’ You say so correctly, for so I am.
Joh 13:14 If I then, the Adonai and the Rabbi, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.
Joh 13:15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.
As we see here, we are commanded to add the foot-washing to our Passover Seder. This is a direct commandment from YHWH Incarnate, and cannot be ignored.
John, continued:
Joh 13:16 Most certainly I tell you, a servant is not greater than his lord, neither one who is sent greater than he who sent him.
Joh 13:17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
Joh 13:18 I don’t speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen. But that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me.’
This passage comes from Psalms:
Psa 41:9 (41:10) Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, who did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me. Psa 41:10 (41:11) But Thou, YHWH, be gracious unto me, and raise me up, that I may requite them. Psa 41:11 (41:12) By this I know that Thou delightest in me, that mine enemy doth not triumph over me. Psa 41:12 (41:13) And as for me, Thou upholdest me because of mine integrity, and settest me before Thy face for ever. Psa 41:13 (41:14) Blessed be YHWH, the Elohim of Israel, from everlasting and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.
John, continued:
Joh 13:19 From now on, I tell you before it happens, that when it happens, you may believe that I AM.
Joh 13:20 Most certainly I tell you, he who receives whomever I send, receives me; and he who receives me, receives him who sent me.”
Joh 13:21 When Yeshua had said this, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, “Most certainly I tell you that one of you will betray me.”
Joh 13:22 The talmidim looked at one another, perplexed about whom he spoke.
Joh 13:23 One of his talmidim, whom Yeshua loved, was at the table, leaning against Yeshua’s breast.
Joh 13:24 Shim`on Kefa therefore beckoned to him, and said to him, “Tell us who it is of whom he speaks.”
Joh 13:25 He, leaning back, as he was, on Yeshua’s breast, asked him, “Adonai, who is it?”
Joh 13:26 Yeshua therefore answered, “It is he to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Yehudah, the son of Shim`on Iskriot.
The bread would have been dipped into the salt water and bitter herbs, representing tears and affliction.
John, continued:
Joh 13:27 After the piece of bread, then Hasatan entered into him. Then Yeshua said to him, “What you do, do quickly.”
Joh 13:28 Now no man at the table knew why he said this to him.
Joh 13:29 For some thought, because Yehudah had the money box, that Yeshua said to him, “Buy what things we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor.
This is an important verse that is often overlooked, but it proves that Yeshua’s Passover Seder with his disciples took place at the sundown beginning, NOT ending, Nisan 14th. That is because Nisan 15th is a Sabbath, a day when financial transactions of any kind are not permitted. There is no way they could have thought that Judas was going to buy things for the First Day of Unleavened Bread if it had been the sundown beginning Nisan 15th, when the Rabbinate erroneously observes their Passover Seders. No buying or selling can take place on Nisan 15th, even for things necessary for the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread itself. It is a sabbath – no shops should be open and no business can be transacted on the 15th. However, Passover itself, Nisan 14th, is NOT a sabbath.
This becomes important later, because the next afternoon, still Nisan 14th, when Yeshua was being bundled in his graveclothes, was the last opportunity the farmers of Eretz Israel had to bundle their sheaves for the firstfruits offering on Sunday morning. Both Friday (Nisan 15th) and Saturday (Nisan 16th) were off limits – no work could be done on either of those days, as they were both Sabbaths that year. Yeshua is the Firstfruits offering, the Firstfruits of the Dead, and he would need to be bundled at the same time the barley sheaves were bundled in order to fulfill the Feast of Firstfruits properly (as well as being a proper Passover offering on the 14th of the month and not the 15th, when it is no longer Passover!). There is more detailed information on these topics in the article on the right-hand side of the blog homepage entitled “Chronology of the Passion.”
John, continued:
Joh 13:30 Therefore, having received that morsel [of bread dipped in salt water and bitter herbs], he went out immediately. It was night.
Joh 13:31 When he had gone out, Yeshua said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and Elohim has been glorified in him.
Joh 13:32 If Elohim has been glorified in him, Elohim will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him immediately.
Joh 13:33 Little children, I will be with you a little while longer. You will seek me, and as I said to the Judeans, ‘Where I am going, you can’t come,’ so now I tell you.
Joh 13:34 A new mitzvah I give to you, that you love one another, just like I have loved you; that you also love one another.
Joh 13:35 By this everyone will know that you are my talmidim, if you have love for one another.”
Joh 13:36 Shim`on Kefa said to him, “Adonai, where are you going?” Yeshua answered, “Where I am going, you can’t follow now, but you will follow afterwards.”
Joh 13:37 Kefa said to him, “Adonai, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”
Joh 13:38 Yeshua answered him, “Will you lay down your life for me? Most certainly I tell you, the rooster won’t crow until you have denied me three times.
We see from this that it is not a sin to have denied Yeshua in our past, as long as we have repented from any such denial. Contrary to what some teach, this is not the unpardonable sin – that is blasphemy, which is slandering Elohim’s work as hasatan’s (as the Pharisees frequently did) or claiming to be Elohim (unless, of course, he actually is! Obviously it’s not Blasphemy for him to claim to be himself, but it is blasphemy for anyone else to do so).
Nor is it a sin to remain a secret follower of Yeshua as long as you can do so with a clean conscience. Obviously, a direct lie is not acceptable, but obfuscation is not necessarily a sin if remaining concealed benefits Elohim’s kingdom. Esther did not reveal her identity until events forced her to do so – we may employ the same circumspection if necessary.
Next: Kollel Devarim.
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