Connect John 13:3 with Philippians 2:6-7 on Jesus' humility and divinity.

Jesus Fully Aware of His Divine Status

John 13:3: “Jesus knew that the Father had delivered all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was returning to God.”

• Complete knowledge: Christ possesses omniscient awareness of His origin, mission, and destiny.

• Absolute authority: “all things into His hands” echoes Psalm 2:8 and Colossians 1:17, underscoring His sovereign rule.

• Eternal relationship: “from God… to God” confirms His pre-existent divinity (John 1:1; 17:5).

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The Voluntary Descent into Servanthood

Philippians 2:6-7: “Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness.”

• “Existing in the form of God” identifies Jesus as truly God, not merely god-like.

• “Did not consider… to be grasped” shows He chose not to cling to His privileges.

• “Emptied Himself” (Greek kenō) points to a self-renunciation of rightful glory, never of divine nature.

• “Form of a servant” mirrors Isaiah 52:13-53:12; He embraces the lowest station without ceasing to be God.

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Harmony Between the Two Passages

• John 13:3 establishes the backdrop of supreme authority; immediately afterward Jesus washes feet (John 13:4-5), demonstrating Philippians 2 humility in real time.

• The same hands that hold “all things” pick up a towel—lordship expressed through loving service.

• Philippians 2 explains the mindset that makes the foot-washing possible: conscious equality with God coupled with deliberate self-emptying.

• Both texts affirm an unbroken union of divinity and humility, refuting any notion that service diminishes status (cf. Mark 10:45; Hebrews 1:3).

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Key Truths to Embrace

• True greatness is displayed through voluntary, sacrificial service.

• Divine authority and genuine humility coexist perfectly in Christ, providing the pattern for redeemed living (1 Peter 2:21).

• Because Scripture presents these realities as literal history, believers can confidently model the same attitude, relying on His indwelling power (Galatians 2:20).