You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus affirms their titles, "Teacher" and "Lord," not just as polite greetings, but as profound truths about his divine identity and authority. What's easily missed is that by accepting these titles, he’s immediately setting the stage for the radical act of foot-washing, showing that true lordship means humble service.
You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just finished washing his disciples' feet, a deeply symbolic act of service, and now he's explaining its meaning. He points out that they call him "Teacher" and "Lord," and he affirms that these titles are true, setting the stage for him to use this authority to teach them a profound lesson in humility and mutual service.
Jesus uses familiar titles, but imbues them with profound meaning. What did 'Teacher' and 'Lord' truly signify to His followers, and to Jesus Himself?
Jesus acknowledges the titles his disciples use: 'Teacher' and 'Lord.' These weren't just casual greetings.
Teacher (Didaskalos)
Lord (Kyrios)
Jesus affirms, 'you are right, for so I am.' He fully embraces these titles, not out of ego, but because they accurately describe His unique role and relationship with them.
Immediately after affirming His Lordship, Jesus performs an act of profound humility. How does this connect to His titles?
The context of John 13 is crucial. Jesus has just finished washing His disciples' feet. This act of serving the lowest and dirtiest of tasks directly illustrates the kind of 'Lord' He is.
Ask a follow-up
A New Kind of Lordship
Understand the original words
didaskalos · Greek Noun
A title of respect for one who imparts knowledge, but in the New Testament, it signifies Jesus as the ultimate authority on divine truth and the interpreter of God's will.
kyrios · Greek Noun
A term of sovereignty and authority, signifying the One who possesses absolute ownership, authority, and lordship over all creation and specifically over the lives of His followers.
Jesus himself instructs his followers not to be called 'Rabbi' (Teacher) because they have only one Teacher, directly paralleling the titles 'Master and Lord' he acknowledges here.
Philippians 2:5This passage speaks of having the 'mind of Christ,' which is essential for understanding and living out Jesus' example of humility, even as Lord and Master.
1 Corinthians 8:6This verse establishes the oneness of God the Father and Jesus Christ the Lord, reinforcing the unique authority and position Jesus claims when he affirms the titles 'Teacher and Lord'.
Colossians 1:15-16These verses describe Christ as the image of the invisible God and the creator of all things, providing the ultimate foundation for why he is rightly called 'Lord' and 'Teacher'.
1 Peter 2:21Peter reminds believers that Christ suffered for us, leaving an example for us to follow, which directly connects to Jesus' affirmation of his authority and his subsequent act of washing feet as an example.
barnesJohn 13:13: "Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am."
Ye call me Master - Teacher. And Lord - This word is applied to one who rules, and is often given to God as being the Proprietor and Ruler of all things. It is given to Christ many hundred times in the New Testament. Ye say well ... - Matthew 23:8, Matthew 23:10. So I am - That is, he was their Teacher and Instructor, and he was their Sovereign and King.
calvinJohn 13:12-17: "So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?"
- After then he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, sitting down again at table, [45] he saith to them, Know ye what I have done to you? 13. You call me Master and Lord; and you say well, for so I am. 14. If I then, who am the Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you ought also to wash one another's feet. 15. For I have g…
Jesus affirms their titles, "Teacher" and "Lord," not just as polite greetings, but as profound truths about his divine identity and authority. What's easily missed is that by accepting these titles, he’s immediately setting the stage for the radical act of foot-washing, showing that true lordship means humble service.
Jesus has just finished washing his disciples' feet, a deeply symbolic act of service, and now he's explaining its meaning. He points out that they call him "Teacher" and "Lord," and he affirms that these titles are true, setting the stage for him to use this authority to teach them a profound lesson in humility and mutual service.
Jesus has just finished washing his disciples' feet, a deeply symbolic act of service, and now he's explaining its meaning. He points out that they call him "Teacher" and "Lord," and he affirms that these titles are true, setting the stage for him to use this authority to teach them a profound lesson in humility and mutual service.
"You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet." — Jesus affirms their titles, "Teacher" and "Lord," not just as polite greetings, but as profound truths about his divine identity and authority. What's easily missed is that by accepting these titles,…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026