John 13:16 (DRB)

Passage

Amen, amen, I say to you: The servant is not greater than his lord: neither is the apostle greater than he that sent him.

Nearby Context

John 13:14 If then I being your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; you also ought to wash one another's feet.

John 13:15 For I have given you an example, that as I have done to you, so you do also.

John 13:16 Amen, amen, I say to you: The servant is not greater than his lord: neither is the apostle greater than he that sent him.

John 13:17 If you know these things, you shall be blessed if you do them.

John 13:18 I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen. But that the scripture may be fulfilled: He that eateth bread with me shall lift up his heel against me,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "amen", "servant", "greater", "than", "lord", "neither", and "apostle". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "amen" and "servant", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "For I have given you an example..." into verse 17's "If you know these things you shall...", so "amen" and "servant" belong inside that flow. In John context, the local focus is the identity of Jesus, new birth, eternal life, and belief and unbelief.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "amen" and "servant" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.