Thereupon John removed the long purple robe from the shoulders of Jesus, and handed him a white linen towel, with which he girded himself round the middle. Then came Baruch in, carrying a ewer of water and a basin. As they looked in amazement one at another, Jesus said unto them, "Now sit down, beloved disciples."
Then said the disciples one to another, "What is he going to do?"
Jesus, turning to Peter, said, "Peter, reach me thy foot."
Peter, starting backward in amazement, said, "Lord, dost thou wash my feet?"
Then said Jesus, "What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter."
Peter replied stoutly, "Lord, thou shalt never to all eternity wash my feet!"
But Jesus said, "If I wash thee not thou shalt have no part with me."
Peter said, "Lord, if it be so, then not my feet only, but also my hands and my head."
But Jesus answered, "He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit." Then stooping down Baruch poured the water over the feet of Peter, and Jesus dried them with a towel. The other disciples took the sandals off their feet, whispering to themselves in wonder as to what this meant. Jesus washed the feet of Judas as those of the others. Last of all he washed the feet of John also. Then he washed his hands, Baruch pouring the water over them.
After which he took off the towel, and John placed his mantle once more upon his shoulders. Looking round upon the twelve, he said, "Ye are now clean, but not all." Jesus then seated himself in the midst of them.
Then said Jesus unto them, "Do you know what I have done unto you? Ye call me master and Lord, and ye do well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another"s feet. For I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done unto you. Verily, verily, the servant is not greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them."
Then Jesus stood up again and said, "Children, but for a little while shall I be with you. That my memory may never perish from among you, I will leave behind an everlasting memorial, and so I shall ever dwell with you and amongst you. The old covenant which my Father made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has reached its end and I say unto you, a new covenant begins, which I solemnly consecrate today with my blood, as the Father has commanded me, and this covenant will last until all be fulfilled." Jesus then took the bread, lifted it up before him, and replacing it on the table, looked up to heaven and blessed it. Then, lifting it up again, he broke it in two, saying, "Take, eat, this is my body which was broken for you." Then pa.s.sing around the table, he placed a morsel of bread with his own hand in the mouth of each of his disciples. All took it reverently, but Judas bit at it almost as a dog s.n.a.t.c.heth meat from its master"s hands. After Jesus had returned to his place, he said, "This do in remembrance of me." In like manner he took the cup and blest it and said, "Take this, and drink ye all of it; for this is the cup of the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins." Then pa.s.sing round the table again he gave each of them to drink, and returning to his place he said, "As often as ye do this, do it in remembrance of me." During the time Jesus went round the table administering the bread and wine to his disciples, there was heard in the distance a chorus of angels singing:
Oh! the lowly love and tender!
See the Saviour kneeling still At the feet of his disciples Loving service to fulfil.
Oh! this love remember ever!
Love as he has loved, and so Unto others render service As your Lord has done to you.
Then John in an ecstacy of affection exclaimed, "Oh, best of masters, never will I forget thy love! Thou knowest that I love thee," and leaning forward he laid his head on the breast of Jesus.
The rest of the twelve, who were sitting with clasped hands with the exception of Judas, who sat apart moody and sullen, exclaimed together, "O, Master, who art so full of love for us, ever will we remain united with thee."
Then said Peter, "This holy meal of the new covenant shall ever be celebrated amongst us according to thy commandment."
And Matthew added, "And as often as we shall keep it, we will remember thee!"
Then cried they all, "O, best teacher, O divine one! O best friend and teacher!"
And Jesus looking upon them said, "My children, abide in me, and I in you! As the Father has loved me, so have I also loved you, continue ye in my love. But, alas, must I say it! the hand of him who betrays me is with me at the table!" Judas started, but the confusion of the disciples caused his guilty look to be unnoticed.
Several of the disciples exclaimed, "What! a traitor amongst us!"
"Is it possible?" said Peter.
Then Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, one of you shall betray me."
"Lord," said Andrew, "one of us twelve?"
"Yes," replied Jesus, "one of the twelve who dipped his hand in the dish with me shall betray me. So the Scriptures shall be fulfilled.
He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me."
Thomas and Simon, speaking together with the same thought and same words, asked, "Who can this faithless one be?" while Matthew said, "Lord, thou seest all hearts, thou knowest that it is not I"--and the two James cried, "Name him publicly, the traitor!" Then while these words were on their lips, Judas, fearing lest his silence should be observed, started forward and asked furtively, "Lord, is it I?" but excepting by Jesus his words pa.s.sed unnoticed.
Thaddeus exclaimed, "I would rather give my life for thee than that such a deed should be done;" and Bartholomew, "I would rather sink into the earth with shame."
Jesus, looking toward Judas said, "Thou hast said it." Turning to the rest, Jesus continued, "The son of man goeth indeed as it is written of him, but woe unto that man by whom the son of man is betrayed; better were it for him that he had never been born!"
Peter, leaning over to John, whispered to him to ask Jesus who it was.
Then John whispered to Jesus, saying, "Lord, who is it?"
Jesus answered, speaking so low as to be heard by John alone, "He it is to whom I shall give a sop after having dipped it."
The other apostles who had not heard this kept on asking, "Who can it be?"
Jesus, taking a piece of bread, dipped it into a cup, and placed it in the mouth of Judas, saying, "What thou doest, do quickly."
Then Judas arose and hurried from the room. The disciples seeing his departure wondered among themselves, and Thomas said to Simon, "Why does Judas go away?"
Simon replied, "Probably the master has sent him to buy something,"
while Thaddeus added, "Or to distribute alms to the poor."
Judas being now gone, Jesus spoke to the eleven, saying, "If G.o.d be glorified in him, G.o.d shall also glorify him in himself and shall straightway glorify him. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me; but as I have said to the Jews, whither I go you cannot come, even so now I say unto you."
Then said Peter unto him, "Lord, whither goest thou?"
Jesus answered, "Whither I go thou canst not follow me now, but thou shalt follow me later."
Peter pa.s.sionately cried, "Why can I not follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake."
Then Jesus looked upon him with compa.s.sion and said, "Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Simon! Simon! Satan hath desired to have thee that he may sift thee as wheat, but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not; and when thou art converted, strength thy brethren!
This night all ye shall be offended because of me, for it is written, "I shall smite the shepherd and the sheep of his flock shall be scattered abroad.""
Peter answered, "Although all shall be offended, yet will not I. Lord, I am ready to go with thee to prison and to death."
Jesus said unto him, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Peter, today, even this night, before the c.o.c.k crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice."
Then said Peter, rising and clasping his hands, "Even if I should die with thee, I would never deny thee," and the other ten disciples said altogether with a loud voice, "Master, we also will always remain faithful to thee; none of us will ever deny thee."
Then said Jesus unto them, "When I sent you out without purse or scrip, or shoes, lacked ye anything?"
All replied with one voice, "No, nothing."
Then Jesus said, "But now I say unto you, let everyone take his purse and likewise his scrip, and whosoever hath not a sword, let him sell his coat and buy one, for now begins a time of trial; and I say unto you that thus it is written, and it must yet be accomplished in me, "And he was reckoned among the transgressors!""
Peter then and Philip each drew a sword from the scabbard which hung at his side under his cloak, exclaiming, "Lord, see here are two swords."
Then said Jesus, "It is enough. Let us stand up and give thanks."
Then standing, Jesus and all the disciples said together with a loud voice, "Praise the Lord, all ye people! Praise him, all ye nations!
for his merciful kindness is everlasting; the truth of the Lord endureth forever."