Now (1) 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 (a) own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
(1) Christ is as sure of the victory as he is of the combat which was at hand, and by using the sign of washing the feet, gives by this an example in part of singular modesty, and his great love toward his apostles in this notable act, being likely to depart very shortly from them: and he partly witnesses unto them that it is he alone who washes away the filth of his people, and sanctifies them little by little in their time and season.
(a) Those of his household, that is, his saints.