Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
Parallel translations
- WEB You call me, ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord.’ You say so correctly, for so I am.
- BSB You call Me Teacher and Lord, and rightly so, because I am.
- NKJV You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am.
- NASB You call Me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord’; and you are correct, for so I am.
- NLT You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus affirms that they rightly call Him Teacher and Lord, for that is who He is. It establishes His authority as the basis for the example He gives.
Overview
Far from denying His dignity, Jesus confirms His true identity as Lord and Master. This makes His foot-washing all the more remarkable, for the Sovereign One served. His acknowledged lordship gives weight to the command that follows: those who own Him as Lord must follow His example.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Luke 6:46And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
- Phil 2:11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
- 1 Cor 12:3Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
- John 11:28And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.
- Rom 14:8–9For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.
- Phil 3:8Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
- Jas 2:19Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
- Matt 23:8–10But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
- 1 Cor 8:6But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
- Luke 10:28And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
- Matt 7:21–22Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
- Luke 7:43Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.
- 2 Pet 1:14–16Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.
- Jer 1:12Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
How John 13:13 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.