John 13:1-3

Preamble. We have already discovered at the beginning of several narratives short introductions describing the situation, at once external and moral, in which the fact about to be related is accomplished; thus John 2:23-25; John 3:22-24; John 4:1-2; John 4:43-45. Each of these preambles is, with relation to the narrative which is to follow, what the Prologue John 1:1-18 is for the whole Gospel, a general glance fitted to give the reader acquaintance with the subject in advance. Such is the design of the preamble in John 13:1-3. And as the substance of the general Prologue is borrowed from the teaching of Jesus in the sequel of our Gospel, so in the same way, as we easily discover, this particular preamble is entirely derived from the facts and discourses which will follow.